Despite ongoing political turmoil in South Korea prompted by the Dec. 3 martial law imposition, acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have reaffirmed the decadeslong "ironclad" alliance between the two countries, Seoul's Ministry of Defense said Friday. In a phone call, Kim "expressed his gratitude for the US government's support of the ironclad South Korea-US alliance despite the current domestic situation," according to Seoul�

With Prime Minister Han Duck-soo carrying out the presidential duties of beleaguered President Yoon Suk Yeol, the ruling and the main opposition parties are clashing over the interim leader's rights regarding presidential veto and the appointment of Constitutional Court justices. Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, expressed regrets on Friday about Han exercising veto on the six bills recently passed unilaterally by the Democratic Party. The bills inc

South Korea's disease control agency said Thursday it has decided to issue an influenza alert this week amid an increasing number of patients. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the alert will be issued starting Friday, under which the institution will bolster its monitoring of local infections and promote related vaccinations. The announcement came after the number of people infected with influenza per 1,000 patients among sampled hospitals reached 13.6 last week, surpass

A Seoul court on Friday sentenced a medical school student to 26 years in prison on charges of murdering his girlfriend for allegedly breaking up with him. The 25-year-old, surnamed Choi, who attended a medical school in Seoul, was indicted with physical detention for stabbing his girlfriend to death on the rooftop of a building in southern Seoul on May 6. The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence for Choi, saying he had "brutally murdered" the victim, who was blindside

“Light Shop,” the webtoon behind Disney+’s original series of the same name, is enjoying a dramatic surge in popularity following the success of its adaptation. After episodes 5 and 6 of Disney+’s "Light Shop" were released on Dec. 11, Kakao Entertainment -- the platform distributing the webtoon -- reported a 187-fold increase in views of the original webtoon on Kakao Webtoon and Kakao Page. Revenue from the webtoon also grew 159 times during the same period,

Now that the Constitutional Court will determine the fate of President Yoon Suk Yeol and his impeachment within the next six months, it seems inevitable that South Korea will handle a number of critical tasks in the absence of a sitting president. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has assumed the role of acting president, but whether he can steer the country smoothly despite the political chaos following Yoon’s impeachment remains to be seen. One of the most critical challenges involves US Presi

Vincent van Gogh’s masterpieces have arrived in Seoul, offering a journey through the artist’s 10-year career. The exhibition “The Great Passion: Van Gogh” at Seoul Arts Center’s Hangaram Art Museum marks the Dutch Postimpressionist’s largest exhibition in the city by number of works. The exhibition showcases 76 oil paintings and drawings from the Kroller-Muller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands, which holds the second-largest collection of Van Gogh’s works

The South Korean National Assembly’s impeachment investigation committee, which will serve as a prosecutor in the Constitutional Court’s impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol, began preparations Friday for its first hearing set for Dec. 27. The panel, comprising 11 lawmakers from the three opposition parties and 17 legal representatives who will assist the lawmakers, held its second round of meetings on Friday. The People Power Party lawmakers expressed their intention not t

Following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s recent declaration of martial law and subsequent impeachment, many South Koreans find themselves in a state of profound shock and sorrow. Their pride in being citizens of a young yet vibrant democracy has been shattered, replaced by a deep sense of shame. However, they may draw some consolation by looking beyond their borders, where democracies -- whether old or seemingly robust -- are being challenged and undermined one by one. Across the globe, a ser

Le Sserafim has achieved 100 million views on YouTube on the music video for “Crazy,” agency Source Music said Thursday. It is the eighth music video from the group to reach the milestone. American magazine Teen Vogue picked it as one of 15 Best K-Pop Music Videos of 2024 earlier this month, writing: “From beginning to end, ‘Crazy’ makes you feel like you’re on a Y2K acid trip.” “Crazy” is the titular track from the group's fourth EP and