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World News

After the tragic crush, hundreds of lost shoes await their owners at a Seoul gym

12:23pm November 01, 2022

by The Associated Press

Police have assembled the crumpled shoes — part of the many personal objects left by victims and survivors of the tragedy — in hopes that the owners, or their friends and family, will retrieve them.

A woman places a bouquet of flowers to pay tribute for victims near the scene of the deadly crowd crush tragedy in Seoul, South Korea.

Survivors recount chaotic scene in Seoul during tragic Halloween stampede

4:04pm October 30, 2022

by Jaclyn Diaz

South Korean officials say at least 26 foreign nationals were among the more than 150 people killed in the incident in Seoul's Itaewon district. Many were young adults celebrating Halloween.

Police say that Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, shown during a press conference earlier this month, was found dead in a wooded park. A police official says the cause of death is under investigation.

World News

Seoul's Mayor Found Dead After Massive Search

10:39pm July 09, 2020

by Anthony Kuhn

Mayor Park Won-soon's daughter told police he left a verbal message similar to a will, and later turned off his mobile phone. His body was found in a wooded park early Friday, police say.

South Korea's government says it will stay in the General Security of Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA, with Japan, reversing course hours before a midnight deadline. Here, a protest banner about the plan was on display in Seoul on Friday.

World News

South Korea Says It Won't Pull Out Of Japan Intel-Sharing Pact — For Now

11:37am November 22, 2019

by Bill Chappell

Hours before a midnight deadline, South Korea reversed its decision to scrap a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan. The move came as the two U.S. allies have made progress on trade.

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper (front right), flanked by South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo (center), arrives at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday.

World News

Defense Chief Esper Wraps Up Asia Trip As Alliance Comes Under Pressure

2:37pm August 09, 2019

by Anthony Kuhn

The Pentagon has signaled a possible shift in the military balance in the region, calling for the U.S. to deploy land-based, intermediate-range missiles in Asia.

Every ad in the Seoul Metro's Apujeong station is for a plastic surgery clinic. In response to a growing number of complaints from riders, the Seoul Metro announced it will ban advertisements for cosmetic surgery at its stations.

In Seoul, A Plastic Surgery Capital, Residents Frown On Ads For Cosmetic Procedure

11:39am February 05, 2018

by Elise Hu

South Korea has the world's highest per capita rate of plastic surgery procedures. But growing pushback against ads touting facial fix-ups has prompted Seoul's public transport system to ban the ads.

A shelter sign is displayed at the entrance to a subway station in Seoul on Wednesday, a day after North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile. Subway stations are designated as shelters in case of aerial bombardment, part of the city's respo

Calm In Seoul As The North Korea Question Grows More Urgent

10:14pm July 06, 2017

Pyongyang's test on Tuesday of an intercontinental ballistic missile hasn't rattled many South Koreans. "I think it's just, like, a whatever attitude that we are having," says a student in Seoul.

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Elise Tries pore vacuuming in South Korea.

Video: That Time We Tried Pore Vacuuming In South Korea

1:49pm June 13, 2017

by Elise Hu

In NPR's Elise Tries series, correspondent Elise Hu tests out new experiences in East Asia. In this episode: pore vacuuming, a hot trend in Korean beauty. A suction pen excavates grime from your face.

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U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, upon arriving at the Osan Air Base in South Korea last week.

The 'Tillerson Is Tired' Meme And Things That Happen In A News Vacuum

7:39am March 20, 2017

by Elise Hu

The secretary of state didn't cut short his South Korea stay over the weekend, but an information vacuum meant a lot of people thought he did.

The U.S. has begun deploying the Terminal High Altitude Aerial Defense - THAAD - an anti-missile system meant to defend South Korea against attacks from the North. The first components arrived in South Korea last week.

A Long List Of Challenges Awaits Rex Tillerson In Asia

7:51am March 15, 2017

by Elise Hu

As the new secretary of state starts a six-day sweep through East Asia, he heads into a region full of challenges, both old and new.

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