Tag Archives: South Korea

The BBC reports: South Korean MPs have begun impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol after thwarting his shock move to impose martial law. The president had said martial law was needed to protect the country from “North Korea’s communist forces” and to “eliminate anti-state elements.” Though he cited North Korea, President Yoon’s decision was seen as a response to …

CBS News reports: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an “emergency martial law” on Tuesday, accusing the country’s opposition of controlling the parliament, sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing the government with anti-state activities. “To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements… I hereby declare emergency martial …

NBC News reports: As foreign governments prepare to deal with a second Trump administration, at least one key U.S. ally is hoping to make headway on the fairway. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol “got out his golf clubs for the first time in eight years and resumed his golf practice” as he gets ready to meet President-elect Donald Trump …

Reuters reports: Hundreds of thousands of members of South Korea’s Christian groups held a service in Seoul on Sunday to protest against a landmark court ruling that acknowledged same-sex the rights of partners in same-sex couples to state health insurance. The supreme court in July upheld a high court ruling that a same-sex partner was eligible for spousal benefits from …

Reuters reports: South Korea accused North Korea on Wednesday of sending a large number of balloons across their heavily fortified border to drop objects including trash and excrement, calling the act base and dangerous. The military’s explosives ordnance unit and chemical and biological warfare response team were deployed to inspect and collect the objects, and an alert was issued warning …

The BBC reports: The slaughter and sale of dogs for their meat is to become illegal in South Korea after MPs backed a new law. The legislation, set to come into force by 2027, aims to end the centuries-old practice of humans eating dog meat. Dog meat stew, called “boshintang”, is considered a delicacy among some older South Koreans, but …

Reuters reports: South Korean opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck during a visit to the southern city of Busan on Tuesday and was airlifted to Seoul after receiving emergency treatment, party and emergency officials said. The suspect, wearing a paper crown with Lee’s name on it, approached and asked for an autograph as Lee spoke …

The BBC reports: A man has been crushed to death by a robot in South Korea after it failed to differentiate him from the boxes of food it was handling, reports say. The incident occurred when the man, a robotics company employee in his 40s, was inspecting the robot. The robotic arm, confusing the man for a box of vegetables, …

The Washington Post reports: North Korean officials have detained a U.S. national who crossed into the country through the demarcation zone without authorization, a United Nations body responsible for ensuring security on the inter-Korean border reported Tuesday. The person detained is a U.S. Army soldier, according to two U.S. officials. One of the officials said the soldier was scheduled on …

The Associated Press reports: An American has crossed the heavily fortified border from South Korea into North Korea, the American-led U.N. Command overseeing the area said Tuesday, amid heightened tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program. The U.N. Command tweeted that the U.S. citizen was on a tour to the Korean border village of Panmunjom and crossed the border into the …

CNN reports: More than 51 million people in South Korea awoke on Wednesday to find themselves a year or two younger – at least, according to the law. Under legislation that came into effect Wednesday, “all judicial and administrative areas” across the East Asian country will adopt the “international age” system used by most of the world, ending years of …

NBC News reports: He was the guest of honor, but South Korea’s leader wasn’t supposed to deliver the performance of the night, too. President Yoon Suk Yeol stole the show at Wednesday’s White House state dinner with a rendition of his favorite song, “American Pie.” Wearing a black bow tie and tuxedo jacket with a South Korean flag pinned to …

The Associated Press reports: North Korea’s military said Monday its recent barrage of missile tests were practices to “mercilessly” strike key South Korean and U.S. targets such as air bases and operation command systems with a variety of missiles that likely included nuclear-capable weapons. North Korea fired dozens of missiles and flew warplanes toward the sea last week — triggering …

The BBC reports: Fifty-nine people have died in a crush among huge Halloween crowds in a popular nightlife area of South Korea’s capital, officials say. Yonhap news agency cited emergency services saying 150 more had been injured in Seoul’s Itaewon district. Videos from the scene show body bags on the streets, emergency workers performing CPR, and rescuers trying to pull …

The Associated Press reports: Thousands of gay rights supporters marched under heavy police guard in the South Korean capital on Saturday as they celebrated the city’s first major Pride parade in three years after a COVID-19 hiatus. Police established perimeters to separate them from conservative Christian protesters, also numbering in the thousands, who marched in nearby streets. They held up …

Axios reports: North Korea tested a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday for the first time since 2017, raising new alarms about its ability to strike the United States, according to South Korean and Japanese officials. The banned long-range missile, which Japan says flew to an altitude of 3,728 miles and covered a distance of 596 miles, threatens to destabilize …

The New York Times reports: North Korea launched two ballistic missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, the country’s first ballistic missile test in six months and a violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions that ban North Korea from conducting such tests. Hours after the missiles were launched, South Korea announced that its president, Moon Jae-in, had just …

Reuters reports: In their first calls with Joe Biden since the U.S. election, the leaders of Japan, South Korea and Australia on Thursday reaffirmed plans to form close ties with the president-elect to tackle issues including climate change and regional security. The three key Asian allies – Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Australian Prime …

The Guardian reports: Japan’s government has reportedly decided to release more than 1m tonnes of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, setting it on a collision course with local fishermen who say the move will destroy their industry. Media reports said work to release the water, which is being stored in more than 1,000 …

ABC News reports: A controversial South Korean pastor tested positive for COVID-19 after participating in an anti-government mass rally on Saturday that drew tens of thousands of people in calling for the ouster of South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Health authorities have warned against outdoor gatherings for fear of spreading the virus but many worshippers of the Sarang Jeil Church …