KOREA TODAY
Special Prosecutor Bill Heads Toward Vote After Filibuster
The opposition says the 17-case inquiry could benefit President Lee Jae Myung, while the governing bloc says disputed prosecution powers were removed
Yoon defends martial law in final appeal statement
The former president denied leading an insurrection as the Seoul High Court scheduled its ruling for Jan. 26, 2027
Daeguro breach exposes 25,000 merchant bank records
The public delivery app’s operator delayed notifying affected merchants while suspending registrations and investigating the intrusion route
Man arrested in Seoul stalking murder two weeks after tracker order ended
The victim was under high-risk police management, while the suspect had previously been detained and required to wear a location-tracking device.
Emergency room search prompts mass resignation threat and police regret
Seven pediatric emergency specialists signaled plans to resign after police searched an Ajou University Hospital emergency center during an infant-death investigation
WEEKLY
What changed in Korea, and why it matters
WHAT'S ON
Events, festivals and things to do across Korea
PLACES
Venues, institutions and public spaces worth knowing
GUIDES
Clear answers for living and working in Korea
RECENT STORIES
DAILY LEADS
Special prosecutor searches election commission over alleged polling record alterations
South Korea Approves New Workplace Protections for Older Workers, Parents and Harassment Victims
Passport Details of 168 Presidential Aircraft Passengers Exposed Online
One Month After Prosecutors’ Office Abolition, Case Handoffs Multiply
Hanwha wins first US Navy shipbuilding contract
Alphabet shock sends Kospi down 3.48% as chip shares slide
ESSENTIAL STORIES
South Korea proposes lower copayments for rare and severe diseases
A planned reduction from 10 percent to 7 percent could benefit 1.36 million registered patients, but the amendment is still under review.
South Korea selects two universities for new regional medical schools
Sunchon National University receives 60 places and Gyeongkuk National University 40, but faculty recruitment and graduate retention remain central challenges.
South Korea and Türkiye Sign Nuclear Financing Agreement After Seoul Summit
The leaders expanded energy and defense cooperation, but the nuclear memorandum is not a construction contract.
South Korea Sets November 13 Start for Cornerstone Investors in IPOs
New rules permit earlier institutional price discovery and allocated shares with multi-month holding obligations.
South Korea Imposes One-Year Credit Sanctions on 777 Habitual Wage Defaulters
The first major decision under a new system penalizes repeated wage arrears without requiring final criminal convictions.
Special counsel raids election commission over 905.8 million won in stipends
Investigators searched 18 departments and a former official’s residence while examining whether activity allowances lacked a legal basis and relied on diverted funds.
South Korea Maps 2028 Shift to Next-Day Stock Settlement
Market institutions plan a T+1 settlement cycle for shares, ETFs and ETNs, alongside lower-cost loans that provide earlier access to sale proceeds.
Korean judges report widespread encounters with AI-generated fake precedents
A Supreme Court survey found nonexistent or false legal authorities appearing in court filings, prompting calls for verification duties and sanctions.
South Korea Launches Defense Drone Headquarters Amid Capability Gaps
The military is reorganizing drone development as failed demonstrations, slow procurement and counter-drone shortfalls expose the scale of the challenge
South Korea's new criminal justice system slows cases after one month
Supplementary investigation requests have increased as prosecutors send evidence gaps back to police, while victims face uncertainty over submitting new material at trial.
South Korea’s 821 Trillion Won Budget Opens Parliamentary Showdown
A proposed future fund, welfare spending and debt repayment divide the parties as President Lee prepares to seek support from lawmakers.
AI map links about 3,400 illegal lending groups in South Korea
Financial regulators connected repeated Telegram, phone and bank account details across victim reports to trace networks behind abusive private loans.
South Korea Finalizes Screening Rules for Nuclear Waste Site Search
Twelve exclusion criteria will guide the initial search, with candidate areas due to be narrowed before applications open next year.
Kospi plunges 16% in October as AI concerns deepen
The benchmark recorded its seventh-largest monthly decline as heavy losing sessions and worries over US technology spending overwhelmed strong Korean chip earnings.
Seven in 10 Koreans Report Mental Health Problems in Past Year
A national survey found growing reports of multiple mental health problems, significant disruption to daily life and limited use of outside support.
Gangnam Clinic Data Leak Used in Intimate-Photo Extortion Threat
Police are investigating after a patient’s surgery photographs and identifying information were allegedly used to demand cryptocurrency.
South Korea, US and Japan renew North Korea denuclearization pledge
The three foreign ministers paired sanctions enforcement and support for renewed diplomacy with cooperation on critical minerals, nuclear technology, artificial intelligence and the Pacific Arctic.
Metropolitan Label Masks Incheon’s Medical Access Divide
Island evacuations, doctor shortages and limited specialist capacity leave some Incheon communities far from timely essential care
Semiconductor Earnings Drive Surge in South Korea’s Corporate Tax Revenue
National tax receipts rose 33% through September as corporate tax collections accounted for more than half of the increase
Eight former officers acquitted in martial law cases
A Seoul court found that prosecutors had not proved the former officers shared a purpose of subverting the constitutional order
Faulty Calculations Led to Deadly Ulsan Power Plant Collapse
Investigators found that overstated column strength, underestimated weight and weak oversight caused a boiler tower to collapse during demolition preparations, killing seven workers
GS Engineering & Construction Reports Resident Data Exposure After Apartment System Hack
Unauthorized access to a community reservation platform may have exposed personal, account and building-access information, while the number of affected residents remains under investigation.
Ajou pediatric emergency center director resigns after disputed police search
Police apologized for their handling of the search, but the center director said key questions about the unannounced warrant remained unanswered
South Korea Opens Review of 821 Trillion Won Budget
Lawmakers are divided over a proposed future investment fund and an opposition target to cut 134 trillion won from the government plan.