KOREA TODAY
Yellow Umbrella investigates possible exposure of member data
Unauthorized access may have exposed personal details, but the program’s 1.92 million members are not all confirmed victims
Five Gangneung daycare teachers charged after abuse footage emerges
CCTV and an indictment describe repeated alleged assaults on 14 very young children, including more than 320 alleged acts against one child
Kim Jong Un’s close aide leads North Korean delegation to Russia
Jo Yong Won departed Pyongyang after an invitation from Dmitry Medvedev, with the schedule and possible outcomes undisclosed
South Korea Holds Fuel Price Caps Despite Lower Crude Oil
Gasoline remains capped at 1,784 won per liter for four weeks as the government points to elevated crude benchmarks and tanker costs.
AI Glasses Test Fuels Debate Over Exam Security
A perfect-score demonstration showed how wearable AI could answer test questions, but authorities say they found no evidence that the disputed top scorer used the technology.
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
Google Clears Security Conditions for High-Precision Korean Maps
Kim Min-seok orders ethics inquiry into Choi Min-hee over disputed remarks
South Korea Opens Customs Route for Overseas-Prescribed Obesity Drugs
Railway Union Sets December 10 Deadline for Indefinite Strike
South Korea opens minimum deposit guarantee for jeonse fraud victims
South Korea’s elementary intake set to fall below 300,000 for first time
ESSENTIAL STORIES
Yoon’s Martial Law Justification Trial Opens With Court Rebuke
Judges pressed the special counsel to clarify when Shin Won-sik allegedly recognized an unconstitutional purpose and criticized gaps in trial preparation.
Former Dayou Winia chairman jailed for four years over unpaid wages
Appeals court orders Park Young-woo back into custody in a case involving about 50 billion won owed to 670 employees
Gyeonggi proposes record 42.2 trillion won budget as fiscal room shrinks
The 2027 plan relies on new local bonds and fund transfers while leaving some required costs and three months of employee salaries unfunded
Incheon Gyeyang to Begin First Third-Generation New Town Move-Ins
The A2 and A3 blocks will welcome residents from December as LH prepares bus and shuttle links for the opening phase.
AI-assisted song reaches No. 1 on Melon for the first time
Meomuru's rock ballad topped the chart five months after release, drawing its strongest reported response from listeners in their 30s and 40s.
Kim Jong Un inspects east coast naval base construction
North Korea has acknowledged a large base project near Tongchon as it expands facilities intended to support bigger warships and strategic weapons.
South Korea Allows Three-Month Supply of Wegovy and Mounjaro but Restricts Repeat Entries
Travelers may personally carry prescribed obesity medicines, but closely spaced trips with additional supplies can trigger scrutiny
South Korea to inspect all glasses before college entrance exam begins
Test takers must place their eyewear on their desks as proctors check frames for cameras, charging ports and other signs of smart technology.
South Korea Plans Work History Credit Path for Irregular Workers
Authorities and financial institutions will develop alternative credit assessments and tailored products for construction workers, platform workers and freelancers.
Daejeon Records 4,611 Recognized Jeonse Fraud Cases
The city has the largest recognized caseload outside the capital region and accounts for 11% of the national total.
South Korea imposes record fine over government bond bid coordination
Fifteen banks and securities firms face 1.6265 trillion won in penalties after regulators found coordinated rates and quantities across 150 bond auctions.
North Korea republishes constitution reflecting two-state policy
The text identifies South Korea as a neighboring state and removes unification provisions, while omitting explicit principal-enemy language.
Long maternity transfers expose gaps in regional emergency care
Cases in Cheongju and Daejeon show the risks when emergency delivery and specialist neonatal care cannot be secured locally.
Police Probe Coercion and Theft Claims After Seoul Teen’s Killing
A man in his 50s is accused of killing the 15-year-old complainant in a sexual offense case involving his son, as investigators examine possible retaliation and separate coercion claims.
Gongsanseong Excavations Reveal the Plan and Monumental Gateway of a Baekje Palace
A gateway first identified in 2019, large ceremonial buildings and extensive terrain engineering now provide the clearest archaeological picture of the royal compound at Baekje’s Ungjin capital.
Ansan Details Cash Guarantee for Housing Deposit Fraud Victims
The program will raise eligible victims’ combined recovery to one-third of their original rental deposits
Supreme Court Orders New Review of Shift Worker’s Fatal Brain Hemorrhage
Justices said weekly hours below official overwork thresholds do not end an occupational injury inquiry when long-term shift work and hazardous conditions add to the burden.
South Korea fines 15 bond dealers record 1.63 trillion won
Regulators found coordination in 150 government bond auctions and referred seven institutions to investigative authorities
Bundang Bus Hits 32 Vehicles, Injuring at Least 48
A Route 340 city bus crossed the center line after striking traffic at a Seongnam intersection, while reports differed on the number and severity of injuries.
Speaker says constitutional revision cannot extend Lee’s term
Cho Jung-sik cites Article 128 as he pledges a parliament-led revision process and rejects claims that it is designed to benefit the sitting president
Anthropic reports exposure of about 100 Korean Claude business accounts
South Korea’s privacy regulator is reviewing unauthorized access to enterprise account and usage data, while Anthropic says prompts, outputs and payment details were not reached.
Chungcheong Medical Students Receive Half Their Clinical Training Near Seoul
Metropolitan clinical placements risk weakening policies meant to keep newly trained doctors in underserved regions
Gwangju District Finds Abuse and Neglect by Two Daycare Teachers
The administrative assessment followed a review of two months of surveillance footage but does not establish criminal guilt or link the conduct to a one-year-old child’s death.
162 Trillion Won Fund Exposes Gap in Parliamentary Budget Review
Major programs moved into the Future Response Fund can escape full scrutiny by the committees overseeing the ministries that deliver them
SM Entertainment and affiliates report employee data breach
Unauthorized access exposed documents that may contain identity, financial and employment information, with the affected fields varying by person.
South Korean Teaching Hospitals Face a Cardiac Anesthesia Succession Gap
Only three of 68 surveyed training hospitals had a cardiac anesthesia fellowship applicant in 2026 as aging specialists carried broad surgical and emergency duties.
Nearly One in Three Korean Stocks Hit Annual Lows
A broad November selloff drove 844 Kospi and Kosdaq companies to intraday lows for the year, with former market leaders also caught in the decline.
Cheongju removes garbage truck step only after worker's death
The city knew rear-step travel was dangerous, but operational pressure kept the practice in place until a temporary sanitation worker was fatally injured.