SEOUL– The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) submitted a petition to the state human rights watchdog on Thursday, claiming that the culture ministry infringed on the freedom of speech in its response to a teenager’s cartoon satirizing President Yoon Suk-yeol. The move comes amid a debate over freedom of speech after the ministry expressed … Read more
BUSAN– A regional court meted out a 30-year prison term to a man on Thursday on charges of smuggling in 902 kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico, the biggest amount of drug smuggling ever in South Korea, officials said. The 38-year-old, whose name was withheld, was accused of bringing in the drugs in December 2019 … Read more
SEOUL– President Yoon Suk-yeol gave credentials to six new ambassadors, including the top envoys to Germany, Vietnam and Canada, on Thursday. The other three who received credentials were the ambassadors to New Zealand, Austria and Laos. Kim Hong-kyun, a former chief nuclear envoy and deputy foreign minister, will serve as ambassador to Germany, … Read more
SEOUL– The Seoul city government unveiled measures to drastically enhance its flood response systems Thursday, including upgraded disaster prevention targets, deep underground rainwater tunnels and advanced evacuation warning systems. The 10-year comprehensive plan came two months after a record-breaking rainfall in early August left 14 people dead and six others missing across the country. … Read more
BUSAN– Oscar-winning film director James Cameron said Thursday the long-awaited sequel to his 2009 sci-fi blockbuster “Avatar” was made to be watched on big screens to create a fully immersive experience for audiences. Ahead of its official release on Dec. 16, 18 minutes of footage of “Avatar: The Way of Water” was shown to … Read more
SEOUL– President Yoon Suk-yeol spoke by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday following a series of North Korean missile launches, including one that flew over Japan. The conversation lasted 25 minutes, the presidential office said. The daring launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) Tuesday was the biggest provocation by … Read more
SEOUL– Prosecutors on Thursday indicted Jeon Joo-hwan, the suspect in the shocking murder of a female subway worker inside a ladies’ restroom at a subway station in Seoul last month, on charges of revenge killing. Jeon, a 31-year-old former employee of Seoul Metro, is accused of stabbing a female colleague in her 20s to … Read more
SEOUL– For the second straight year, the LG Twins will compete in the South Korean baseball postseason without a foreign hitter. The Twins announced Thursday they will place infielder Robel Garcia on waivers. The Twins have locked down the No. 2 seed in the regular season and earned a bye to the penultimate round … Read more