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Police mull releasing mugshot of Cheongju man who killed his ex-girlfriend
South Korean police said Monday they are reviewing whether to disclose the identity of a 54-year-old man suspected of murdering a woman in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, whose body was found 44 days after she was reported missing. The Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency released preliminary findings of the ongoing investigation and said the case may be referred to the Deliberative Committee on Disclosure of Personal Information. If approved, the suspect’s name, age and mugshot would be publ
Dec. 1, 2025 -
1 in 5 Korean women faces violence in intimate relationships
One out of five Korean women has experienced violence in an intimate relationship, yet South Korea still lacks the statistical and institutional systems needed to understand the scale of the problem or protect victims, according to new findings released Monday by the Korea Women’s Development Institute. Coinciding with the 2025 International Week for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the analysis — based on nationwide surveys conducted in 2021 and 2024 — found that 19.2 percent of women
Dec. 1, 2025 -
Seoul mayor indicted in illegal poll funding case
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was indicted without detention Monday on charges of violating the Political Funds Act, as special prosecutor Min Joong-ki’s team investigates allegations linked to former first lady Kim Keon Hee and illicit polling support ahead of Oh’s 2021 mayoral run. Oh is accused of asking a supporter to cover the costs of opinion polls that could influence the outcome of the People Power Party’s internal contest for the Seoul mayoral candidacy. The polls were conducted by pollster My
Dec. 1, 2025 -
Yoon trial begins over Pyongyang drone allegations
Another trial began Monday for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, this time over his alleged involvement in South Korean military drones being flown over Pyongyang last year. The drone deployment, the investigators argue, was aimed at goading North Korea into retaliatory actions that could justify declaring emergency martial law. The Seoul Central District Court kicked off its first preparatory hearing at 2:10 p.m. for Yoon and two former senior defense officials — former Defense Minister Kim Yong-
Dec. 1, 2025 -
Jeju Air Crash victims’ families call for independent probe
Families of victims of last year’s Jeju Air crash began a sit-in protest Monday outside the Presidential Office in Seoul, shaving their heads as they called for an independent investigation and a delay to the government’s interim report on the accident. In cold winter winds, six of the victims' relatives sat in a line as monks shaved their heads, beginning the protest with a collective head-shaving ceremony. Some wailed as hair fell to the pavement -- an act they described as a plea for truth an
Dec. 1, 2025 -
Korea targets youth drug surge with new crackdown
Alarmed by the rapid rise of drug offenses involving younger Koreans, the government is strengthening its anti-narcotics strategy through new reporting mechanisms and a centralized oversight body aimed at curbing youth drug abuse. The measures, which include an anonymous reporting system and a centralized control tower for drug-crime oversight, follow a sharp rise in young offenders, whose share of total drug cases surged from 41.7 percent in 2018 to 61.8 percent in the first 10 months of this y
Dec. 1, 2025 -
PPP split over apology ahead of 1-year martial law anniversary
South Korea's main opposition People Power Party remains divided over whether to issue an official apology for former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration, as the one-year anniversary of the Dec. 3 incident approaches. The internal rift is deepening ahead of next year’s local elections, with party leadership under pressure to attract centrist voters while maintaining support from its traditional conservative base. The dilemma is further complicated by concerns that an apology could
Dec. 1, 2025 -
Embattled Unification Church leader denies all criminal charges
Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja on Monday flatly denied involvement in alleged bribery and illegal political donations to figures close to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, insisting that a senior church official acted entirely on his own. Han's lawyer placed the sole blame on the church's former global headquarters chief Yoon Young-ho, in the first hearing for the criminal trial for Han and her secretary surnamed Jeong at the Seoul Central District Court. According to Han's side, she was una
Dec. 1, 2025 -
Top police commander apologizes over unconstitutional role in martial law
South Korea’s top acting police official apologized Monday for the force’s role in imposing martial law late in the evening of Dec. 3, 2024, admitting that police actions such as sealing off the National Assembly were unconstitutional and inflicted “deep harm” on the public and democratic order. Yoo Jae-seong, the acting commissioner general of the National Police Agency, said during an online meeting of senior police leaders that the force “restricted lawmakers’ access to the National Assembly
Dec. 1, 2025 -
Historic Tapgol Park declared alcohol-free zone
Tapgol Park in central Seoul, known as the first modern park in the country, has been designated as a no-drinking zone as part of district officials' efforts to preserve the prominent historic site. The Jongno District Office said Monday that drinking alcoholic beverages or possessing an open bottle of such drink have been banned inside the park, having taken effect Oct. 20. The grace period for the new policy extends to March 2026. Violators face an administrative fine of 100,000 won ($68) star
Dec. 1, 2025 -
Runner hit by truck during marathon dies
A 20-something-year-old runner who was run over by a truck during a marathon earlier this month has officially been declared dead, officials at the Cheongju city government said Sunday afternoon. The runner, whose injury left him brain-dead, passed away at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. The driver in his 80s who caused the accident with his truck is being investigated by the police, facing potential charges of causing death by vehicular accident. The incident occurred during a marathon in North Chungcheon
Dec. 1, 2025 -
Seoul Metro unions begin 'work-to-rule' protest over wage hike
The unions of Seoul Metro, the operator of subway lines 1-8, launched a slowdown protest on Monday after their wage hike negotiations fell through. The "work-to-rule" protest by two of Seoul Metro's three unions, which account for three-quarters of all employees, caused no major disruption to commuters, though there were minor train delays at some stations. Protest participants staged a fight for safety by securing more stop times than usual and refused to perform work that is not required by re
Dec. 1, 2025 -
S. Korea recovers remains of soldiers killed during Korean War after resuming excavation at DMZ battle site
The military has recovered the remains believed to be those of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War at a former battlefield in the Demilitarized Zone, in the first such excavation work conducted in the area in three years. In October, the ministry announced a plan to resume war remains excavation at White Horse Ridge in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, in what it called part of measures to reduce military tension between the two Koreas. The project had been halted since 2022. Following a 40-
Dec. 1, 2025 -
Acting police chief apologizes to nation over police action during martial law declaration
The acting head of the National Police Agency apologized to the nation Monday for police restricting access to the National Assembly on the night of President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law last year. Acting Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong made the apology during an online gathering of senior police leaders nationwide ahead of the first anniversary of Yoon's failed martial law bid on Dec. 3. "Police restricted lawmakers' entry around the National Assembly on the night o
Dec. 1, 2025 -
Vice trade minister expresses regret over Canada's stronger steel safeguard plan
Vice Trade Minister Park Jung-sung expressed regret Monday over Canada's recent announcement of stronger steel safeguard measures, calling for a swift withdrawal of the plan that he said may place an additional burden on South Korea's steel industry, already struggling with global oversupply and trade protectionism, Park's office said. Park made the call in a meeting with Alexandra Dostal, senior assistant deputy minister at Canada's Innovation, Science and Economic Development, held just days a
Dec. 1, 2025