South Korea

World News

North Korea Defector Swims To South, Evading Border Guards For 6 Hours

1:44pm February 23, 2021

by Scott Neuman

The man's daring escape, and the failure of South Korean guards to detect him, is the second embarrassing breach of the heavily fortified DMZ in recent months.

South Korea's KF94 mask does a good job concealing the Mona Lisa's smile — but how effective is it at preventing coronavirus spread? Here, masked pedestrians stroll through a shopping district in Seoul.

Coronavirus FAQ: Why Am I Suddenly Hearing So Much About KF94 Masks?

9:45pm January 22, 2021

by Pranav Baskar

There are N95s, reserved for health workers. There are KN95s, which you can buy easily — except that quality may vary. And now South Korea's KF94 masks are getting a lot of buzz.

South Korean gold medalist Shim Suk-hee (far left), shown with her relay teammates during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, accused her former coach of repeated sexual assault.

South Korean Ex-Coach Sentenced To 10 Years Over Sexual Assault Of Olympic Champion

1:47pm January 21, 2021

by Merrit Kennedy

Shim Suk-hee, a star short track speedskater who has won four Olympic medals, accused Cho Jae-beom of sexually abusing her dozens of times.

Hundreds of people gather for a rally to mark the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women on August 14, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. A South Korean court recently ordered Japan to financially compensate 12 women forced into sexual slavery by the Japan

World News

South Korean Court Orders Japan To Compensate 12 WWII Sex Slaves

6:10am January 08, 2021

by Suzanne Nuyen

The Japanese government rejected the ruling, increasing tensions between the two countries.

A seized South Korean-flagged tanker is escorted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats in the Persian Gulf. This comes as Tehran is enriching nuclear fuel to 20% purity.

World News

Iran Reportedly Boosts Nuclear Fuel Enrichment To 20%

11:16am January 04, 2021

by Peter Kenyon

The move is likely to increase tensions during President Trump's final weeks in office. Separately, Iran seized a South Korean oil tanker in the Persian Gulf, South Korea said Monday.

A man wearing a face mask walks past a rest area taped for social distancing as a precaution against the coronavirus in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday.

World News

South Korea Tightens Restrictions During Holiday Period

12:32pm December 22, 2020

by Se Eun Gong

Beginning Christmas Eve and through Jan. 3, South Korea will limit public and private gatherings to four people. Many tourist sites popular during the holiday period will be closed.

People wearing face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus pass by a poster emphasizing an enhanced social distancing campaign at a bus station on Monday in Seoul.

South Korea's Health Minister Describes Seoul As A 'COVID-19 War Zone'

11:15am December 07, 2020

by Anthony Kuhn

New social distancing measures are due to take effect Tuesday evening. The government warns of an impending crisis, brought on by a third wave of infections.

South Koreans pray for their children taking the College Scholastic Ability Test at Chogey temple in Seoul on Thursday. New coronavirus infections in the country have spiked in recent days.

South Korea Considers Tighter Coronavirus Restrictions As Cases Spike

1:07pm December 04, 2020

by Anthony Kuhn

Amid criticism of the government's recent handling of the pandemic, the country is seeing more cases than at any other time in the past nine months.

Marines of the 5th and 7th regiments who hurled back a surprise onslaught by three Chinese communist divisions wait to withdraw from the Chosin Reservoir area circa December 1950.

World News

'God ... Let Us Survive': Remembering Korean War's Chosin Battle And Evacuation

11:15am December 04, 2020

by Anthony Kuhn

Seventy years on, war participants are drawing starkly differing conclusions from the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. The decisive conflict's lasting legacy is still visible on the Korean Peninsula.

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North Korean State Commission of Quality Management staff in protective gear carries a disinfectant spray can as personnel check the health of travelers and inspect goods delivered via the borders at the Pyongyang Airport in North Korea, on Feb. 1.

North Korea Executed Coronavirus Rule-Breaker, Says South Korean Intelligence

3:41pm November 27, 2020

by Anthony Kuhn

South Korean lawmakers say intelligence officials briefed them on the North's tough pandemic rules, including a Pyongyang lockdown and an execution of an official caught breaking restrictions.