South Korea

A protester, left, holds signs reading "Don't throw polluted water into the sea" and "keep your promise" as they take part in a rally against the Japanese government's plan to release treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant into the ocean in Tokyo on August 22, 2023.

Japan to release treated water from Fukushima nuclear plant later this week

5:46pm August 22, 2023

by Anthony Kuhn

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the announcement after meeting with his cabinet. Water will be released through an underground tunnel beginning Thursday, weather conditions permitting, Kishida said.

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, President Joe Biden and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, meet on Fri, Aug. 18, 2023, at Camp David.

How Biden used Camp David to elevate a summit with Japan and South Korea

6:20pm August 18, 2023

by Asma Khalid

For 80 years, presidents have brought foreign leaders to the rustic mountain retreat known as Camp David. President Biden worked to tap into that history for talks with Japan and South Korea.

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Attendees of the World Scout Jamboree cool off with water at a scout camping site in Buan, South Korea, on Friday.

World News

S. Korea presses on with World Scout Jamboree as heat forces thousands to leave early

12:42pm August 05, 2023

by The Associated Press

Hundreds of participants have been treated for heat-related ailments since the Jamboree began Wednesday in the coastal town of Buan as South Korea grapples with one of its hottest summers in years.

Korean War veterans from the Republic of Korea salute at a ceremony Thursday at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., commemorating the anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement. The agreement was signed July 27, 1953.

As living memories of the Korean War fade, its consequences become clearer

5:00am July 30, 2023

by Quil Lawrence

As most Korean War vets are well into their 90s, they still struggle with America's perceptions of what has been called "the Forgotten War."

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South Korea's Casey Phair (left) and Colombia's Carolina Arias compete for the ball during a Women's World Cup Group H soccer match at the Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia on Tuesday.

Sports

An American becomes the youngest to debut in the Women's World Cup — for South Korea

12:51pm July 25, 2023

by NPR Staff

Casey Phair of New Jersey, 16, came in late in the second half for South Korea in its match against Colombia to make her World Cup debut.

This family photo shows a portrait of American soldier Travis King displayed at the home of his grandfather Carl Gates, Wednesday, July 19, 2023, in Kenosha, Wis.

World News

UN Command says it's communicating with North Korea over detained U.S. soldier

3:39am July 24, 2023

by The Associated Press

The deputy commander of the U.N. Command said Monday it has started conversations with North Korea over an American soldier who ran into the North last week across the Koreas' heavily armed border.

Activists gather to protest against a planned release of water from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant in Japan, in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday.

As Japan prepares to release Fukushima wastewater, anxiety grows across South Korea

6:00am June 27, 2023

by Se Eun Gong

As Japan plans to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea this summer, concerned South Koreans are stocking up on sea salt.

A general view showing buildings shrouded by polluted air in Seoul on April 12, 2023.

Here's how NPR reporters around the world are dealing with air pollution

9:43am June 09, 2023

As Canada and parts of the U.S. confront declines in air quality due to smoke from Canadian wildfires, NPR reporters in Asia, Latin America and Africa share their experiences.

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Peter Møller, second from right, attorney and co-founder of the Danish Korean Rights Group, submits the documents at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Seoul, South Korea, Nov. 15, 2022.

South Korean inquiry to look into more foreign adoptions with suspect origins

4:53am June 08, 2023

by The Associated Press

The new cases in the expanded inquiry into South Korea's foreign adoption boom involve adoptees in 11 nations including the U.S., Denmark, Norway, and Sweden who were adopted from 1960 to 1990.

TV show news flash about North Korea's missile launch in Tokyo Wednesday, May 31, 2023. South Korea's military says North Korea has launched a purported space-launch vehicle after announcing a plan to put its first military spy satellite into orbit.

World News

North Korea says its attempt to launch its first spy satellite ended in failure

9:21pm May 30, 2023

by The Associated Press

Following the launch, officials in South Korea's capital of Seoul sent alerts for residents to prepare for evacuation, but there were no immediate reports of damages or disruption.