KOREA TODAY
Lee orders revisions to Korea’s new prosecution office plan
The president told the Justice Ministry to revisit prosecutor staffing and the proposed Judicial Control Division as the October launch of the new prosecution office approaches.
Life sentence upheld for leader of major online sexual exploitation ring
The Supreme Court finalized a life sentence for Kim Nok-wan, who led the cyber sexual exploitation group Jagyeongdan, in a case involving hundreds of victims.
Korea and U.S. near first $100 billion energy investment package
Negotiations are nearing a first project under Korea’s U.S. investment framework, with nuclear power and natural gas at the center of a package that could be announced soon.
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
Korea weighs Hormuz deployment as regional conflict escalates
Lee Chun-seok indicted over alleged stock trades through aide's account
Nepal opens ground search area as nine Koreans remain missing after floods
Korea weighs Hormuz deployment as US pressure and Iranian warnings intensify
Won strengthens by 250 won in two months as dollar deposits hit a record
Seoul weighs Hormuz military support as alliance pressure rises
ESSENTIAL STORIES
Korea adds jobs but youth employment keeps sliding
August employment rose by 184,000 from a year earlier, yet the number of young people in work fell for a 46th consecutive month
Kim Seung-won controversy widens ahead of justice minister hearing
Fresh reporting on Genencell and a fight over hearing witnesses are intensifying scrutiny of the justice minister nominee
Lee Jae-yong buys 1.94 trillion won of Samsung shares from Hong Ra-hee
The off-market transaction will lift Lee’s Samsung Electronics stake while giving Hong cash after years of inheritance-tax financing
Defense Ministry sends Hormuz fact-finding team to UAE
Seoul says the mission is assessing local conditions and does not mean a troop deployment has been decided
Samsung and Mistral AI deepen semiconductor partnership
The Korean chipmaker and French AI company plan models tailored to semiconductor design and manufacturing as investment ties expand
Influenza cases rise early in Korea as schools return
Surveillance data show suspected flu cases climbing for four straight weeks, with children driving much of the increase
Gangnam Unni breach exposes sensitive treatment data of about 220,000 users
Unauthorized access reached consultation, booking and procedure information, raising the risk of targeted fraud
Texas power project moves toward first slot in Korea-US investment package
A 6.3 GW Texas gas project is moving toward first-project status while up to eight US nuclear reactors remain under review
Korea and France launch Lumière partnership with €1 billion screen-industry plan
The state visit now has a concrete film and video investment framework, alongside wider talks on technology and industry
Police self-report drive records 1,777 teenage cyber-gambling cases
The first nationwide self-report campaign gives police a clearer view of the scale and age profile of youth online gambling
President Lee begins France visit with technology and culture talks ahead
The state visit opens with the Lumiere Summit before a Macron meeting focused on advanced industries and bilateral cooperation
US ends sanctions on Korean company seven months after nonproliferation action
The State Department decided to terminate measures against JS Research well before the original two-year period
About one-third of prosecuted police officers received light internal sanctions
Current reports are prompting scrutiny of how police discipline cases are handled when alleged misconduct is serious enough to reach prosecutors
Yeouinaru Station skips stops as Seoul fireworks crowds surge
Seoul Metro temporarily sent trains through the station without stopping as festival crowds packed the Yeouido riverfront
Insurance policy loans approach 48 trillion won as borrowing rises among older Koreans
Growth among people in their 50s and 60s highlights how households are using insurance contracts as a source of liquidity
Korea debt interest bill projected to top 53 trillion won by 2030
Government projections show debt-service costs rising quickly as spending and borrowing expand through the end of the decade
Nepal blocks foot search in area where nine Koreans are missing
Nepalese forces have restricted ground access to the flood-hit search zone because of dangerous terrain, complicating efforts to find nine missing Koreans.
Samsung union blacklist case sent to prosecutors
Six people are accused of using data tied to about 100,000 Samsung Electronics employees to create a union-related blacklist.
Four shortlisted to lead Korea's new serious-crimes agency
The government has narrowed the race for the first chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency ahead of its October launch.
Judge Ji Gui-yeon indicted over 4.09 million won entertainment
Prosecutors charged Ji under the Anti-Graft Act while reports say they did not pursue a bribery charge.
Justice minister nominee Kim Seung-won faces scrutiny over past DUI
Kim apologized after reports disclosed a 2008 drunk-driving conviction, adding a personal-conduct issue to his confirmation process.