N. Korea denounces S. Korea-US joint drills as 'dangerous provocative act'

North Korea on Monday denounced joint military drills by South Korea and the United States as a "dangerous provocative act," as the allies were set to begin their annual joint drills. The warning was issued by the North Korean foreign ministry in a statement dated Sunday, a day before South Korea and the US were set to begin their annual joint military exercise for an 11-day run, involving computer-simulated drills and on-field training. The ministry accused the allies of "persistently staging t

March 10, 2025

KBO sets single-day preseason attendance record

The South Korean baseball league set a single-day attendance record for a preseason Sunday, breaking its own record set from the previous day. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced that the five exhibition games on Sunday drew a combined 71,288 fans. On Saturday, the first day of the preseason, 67,264 fans had been on hand, breaking the previous mark of 66,785 fans set on March 22, 2015. The new record only lasted a day. The Hanwha Eagles hosted the Doosan Bears at their alternate home

March 9, 2025

Massive rallies held in Seoul one day after Yoon's release

Tens of thousands of people were expected to gather in Seoul on Sunday to rally for or against impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol a day after his surprise release from detention. Sarang Jeil Church, led by conservative activist pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, held a Sunday service outdoors near the presidential residence in central Seoul. Around 4,500 people had gathered as of noon, according to an unofficial police estimate. "With President Yoon's release, the impeachment trial has become meaningless. I

March 9, 2025

S. Korea's manufacturing output posts biggest drop in 18 months in Jan.: data

South Korea's manufacturing production fell more than 4 percent from a year earlier in January, marking the sharpest drop in 18 months, data showed Sunday. The Manufacturing Production Index stood at 103.7 points in January, down 4.2 percent from a year ago, according to the data from Statistics Korea. It marked the steepest rate of on-year decrease since July 2023, when the index dropped 6.6 percent. The government said the sluggish manufacturing production can be largely attributed to the redu

March 9, 2025

Kia sells over 4,000 units of Tasman pickup truck in first month of launch

Kia Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker, said Sunday it has sold over 4,000 units of its first pickup truck, the Kia Tasman, less than a month since its release, raising expectations it will revitalize the local pickup truck market. Kia sold more than 4,000 Tasman trucks in February, accounting for some 30 percent of all pickup truck sales in the country last month, according to company officials. The feat comes in just 17 days since the carmaker launched its first-ever pickup truck in

March 9, 2025

No. of damaged houses in accidental bombing grows to 142

The number of houses damaged in last week's accidental bombing of a northern village has grown from 58 to 142 following a second survey, the local government said Sunday. The village in Pocheon, some 40 kilometers north of Seoul, suffered large-scale damage after two KF-16 fighter jets "abnormally" dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a training range during live-fire drills on Thursday. Initially, 58 houses were reported damaged, but the number grew to 99 as of Saturday morning, and following a se

March 9, 2025

Home-backed loans up over 34% in Feb. on rising housing demand

Home-backed loans extended by major South Korean banks climbed more than 34 percent from a month earlier in February, indicating a possible rebound in the housing market, data showed Sunday. Fresh home-backed loans extended by five major lenders -- KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori and NH Nonghyup -- reached 7.5 trillion won ($5.17 billion) last month, up 34.3 percent from a month before, according to the data from the banks. The reading marks the highest since September, when the five banks exte

March 9, 2025

Prosecution in turmoil over leadership's guidelines to release Yoon: sources

The prosecution is experiencing internal conflict over guidelines from its leadership instructing prosecutors not to appeal a court order to release suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol from custody, according to judicial sources. The sources said Saturday that the leadership of the Supreme Prosecutors Office convened a meeting following the court ruling the previous day and unanimously agreed that the investigative team handling Yoon's case should comply with the decision and release him. The meet

March 8, 2025

Parties clash over court's ruling to release Yoon

The ruling and opposition parties sparred on Saturday over a court decision to release detained President Yoon Suk Yeol, deepening the political divide that has thrown the country into political turmoil. The ruling People Power Party demanded Yoon's immediate release, denouncing his detention as "illegal" during a protest in front of the Supreme Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul. "They are still detaining the president 20 hours after the court ruled for his release," the PPP's interim leader

March 8, 2025

Gov’t to declare Pocheon disaster zone after accidental bombing

A northern village accidentally bombed by South Korean fighter jets will be designated a special disaster area. Acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok instructed officials on Saturday to "swiftly declare the Pocheon area, which suffered massive damage from an erroneous Air Force bombing, a special disaster area to ensure prompt recovery and support for residents." On Thursday, two KF-16 fighter jets "abnormally" dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a training range in Pocheon, some 40

March 8, 2025