Page 10 - South Korea

Fire breaks out at construction site in South Korea's Busan, 6 dead

A fire broke out at a resort construction site in the South Korean city of Busan Friday, killing at least four people, fire officials said. About 100 workers managed to evacuate from the site and about 90 firefighters were trying to put out the blaze, which was reported at around 10:20 am, according to Busan's fire agency. It wasn't immediately clear whether workers were still trapped inside. The agency said six people were taken to hospitals in cardiac arrest and four of them were pronounced dead. Four other people sustained minor injuries. Television footage showed gray-black smoke and flames rising from the site and a helicopter approaching the building as part of rescue efforts. The country's acting president, Choi Sang-mok, instructed officials to deploy all available personnel and equipment to put out the fire.

N Korea razing facility that hosted war-separated families' reunion: Seoul

North Korea is demolishing a South Korea-built property that had been used to host reunions of families separated during the 1950-53 Korean War, the South's government said Thursday, as it continues to eliminate symbols of engagement between the war-divided rivals. Relations between the Koreas are at their worst in years, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continuing to flaunt his expanding nuclear weapons program and declaring to abandon long-standing goals of inter-Korean reconciliation, while describing the South as a permanent enemy. The 12-story building at the North's scenic Diamond Mountain resort, which has 206 rooms and banquet facilities for hosting meetings, had been used for family reunions since 2009. The Koreas last held a family reunion in 2018, after Kim initiated diplomacy with Seoul and Washington in an effort to leverage his nuclear program for economic benefits. Negotiations derailed in 2019 after a failed summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump, who w

S Korea's top think tank lowers growth projection, citing Trump's tariffs

South Korea's top economic think tank slashed its growth forecast for the country's economy for the second time in four months on Tuesday, expressing concern about the impact of US President Donald Trump's expanding tariffs. The Korea Development Institute now projects South Korea's economy to grow by 1.6 per cent in 2025, which is 0.4 percentage points lower than its previous estimate announced in November. Kim Jiyeon, a KDI economist, said the deterioration of the trade environment following Trump's inauguration was a major factor. South Korea is also grappling with political instability caused by the impeachment and criminal indictment of President Yoon Suk Yeol after he briefly imposed martial law in December. Domestic demand remains weak due to slowing consumer spending and a declining job market, and the pace of exports is slowing with most key industries aside from semiconductors struggling to find momentum, said Jung Kyuchul, who heads KDI's macroeconomic analysis department

North Korea's Kim Jong slams US-South Korea-Japan security partnership

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said an elevated US security partnership with South Korea and Japan poses a grave threat to his country and vowed to further bolster his nuclear weapons program, state media reported Sunday. Kim has previously made similar warnings, but his latest statement implies again that the North Korean leader won't likely embrace President Donald Trump's overture to meet him and revive diplomacy anytime soon. In a speech marking the 77th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army on Saturday, Kim said the US-Japan-South Korea trilateral security partnership established under a US plot to form a NATO-like regional military bloc is inviting military imbalance on the Korean Peninsula and raising a grave challenge to the security environment of our state, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Referring to a series of new plans for rapidly bolstering all deterrence including nuclear forces, he clarified once again the unshakable policy of more

South Korea joins list of countries blocking DeepSeek access to ministries

The South Korean government's actions are part of a broader international trend of tightening controls on DeepSeek

South Korea temporarily bans DeepSeek over security concerns: Reports

Last month, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers called on Australians to be cautious when using the Chinese AI model while U.S. officials are also looking at DeepSeek's national security implications

OpenAI and chat app Kakao to jointly develop AI products for South Korea

OpenAI CEO Altman also said many Korean companies will be important contributors to the ecosystem of the US Stargate data centre project

Samsung chief Jay Y Lee found not guilty in controversial merger case

Case highlights long-running legal risks for Lee, who faces growing questions about his ability to lead Samsung Electronics, the world's top memory chip and smartphone maker

Here's why South Korea's growth is a casualty of its political impasse

Politics is getting in the way, a reminder that big economies don't just run themselves

Here's what to expect after S Korean prez's indictment on rebellion charges

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has become the country's first leader to be indicted, less than two weeks after he was the first to be detained. The impeached, jailed president, who had been holed up in his presidential compound for weeks after issuing a shocking martial law decree last month, now faces rebellion charges that are punishable by the death penalty or life in prison. It's part of a tortuous saga that has plunged South Korea into political turmoil and further riven an already divided society. And it's not the only legal headache Yoon faces. A separate proceeding will determine whether to formally dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him. As Seoul prepares for double court hearings, continuing chaotic protests and increasingly harsh rhetoric from pro-and anti-Yoon forces, here's what to expect next: What happens now? Yoon will stay in jail. He will be brought from a detention facility to a Seoul court for hearings in the rebellion trial, which is expected to la

S Korean prosecutors indict impeached Prez Yoon Suk Yeol over martial law

South Korean prosecutors on Sunday indicted the impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his imposition of martial law last month, news reports said. Yonhap news agency reported that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indicted Yoon over rebellion in connection with his December 3 decree that plunged the country into massive political turmoil. Other South Korean media outlets have carried similar reports. Repeated calls to the prosecutors' office were unanswered. Yoon was earlier impeached and arrested over the martial law decree. The Constitutional Court is separately deliberating whether to formally dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him. Yoon, a conservative, has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, calling his martial law a legitimate act of governance meant to raise public awareness of the danger of the liberal-controlled National Assembly which obstructed his agenda and impeached top officials. During his announcement of martial law, Yoon called the assembly a den

Appliances, display biz to add 50% to India topline in 3 yrs: Samsung

Consumer electronics major Samsung expects its appliances and display business to scale up substantially in India, contributing to half of the topline in the next three years, J B Park, President & CEO of Southwest Asia has said. The current penetration of consumer electronic products in India is still low, a major market for the South Korean Chaebol, however, it is expected to scale up, helped by factors such as the rise of the Indian economy and middle class. Samsung is aggressively expanding its play into the consumer electronics segment by democratising the latest features such as AI in the appliances and display segment (QLED and OLED TVs), which is helping it to gain significant market share in the premium segment. "The consumer electronic penetration in the Indian market is still very low. I think consumer electronics will have much bigger growth, which will increase our revenue portion of the category against mobile phones," said Park. However, penetration of India's ...

S Korea's Yoon defends martial law in first public appearance since arrest

South Korea's impeached president denied Tuesday that he ordered the military to drag lawmakers out of the National Assembly to prevent them from voting to reject his martial law decree last month, as he appeared for the first time before the Constitutional Court that will determine his fate. Yoon Suk Yeol's presence at the court was his first public appearance since becoming South Korea's first sitting president to be detained over his short-lived declaration of martial law, which plunged the country into political turmoil. After abruptly imposing martial law on Dec 3, Yoon sent troops and police officers to encircle the National Assembly, but enough lawmakers managed to enter to vote unanimously to reject his decree, forcing Yoon's Cabinet to lift the measure early the following morning. Yoon, a conservative, has since argued that his dispatch of troops was not meant to block the assembly but instead was a warning to the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which has used its

Himanta pitches for investing in Assam before South Korean industrialists

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday pitched before industrialists in South Korea the locational, strategic and policy advantages of Assam, inviting them to invest here. He also emphasised the Centre's focus on the Northeast and the commitment of top business houses of the country to push for industrial growth in the region. "Advantage business ties! I began the day in Seoul by speaking to over 140 business leaders at the Advantage Assam roadshow, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in South Korea," Sarma posted on X. The chief minister had reached Seoul on Sunday on a three-day trip to woo investors for the 'Advantage Assam 2.0' business summit, scheduled here on February 25 and 26. "Their enthusiasm towards being a part of #AdvantageAssam2 was phenomenal. The Korean business community was buoyed by India's position as the world's fastest growing major economy and the unique opportunities Assam can offer to them to access this market," he added. Sarma presented be

South Korea's Yoon shuns questioning as security raised after court rampage

Authorities said security was being beefed up at the Seoul Detention Centre where Yoon is being held as a pre-trial inmate and at the Constitutional Court which is holding an impeachment trial

S Korea president arrested over martial law decree, his supporters riot

South Korea's impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was formally arrested early Sunday, days after being apprehended at his presidential compound in Seoul, as he faces possible imprisonment over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month. Yoon's arrest could mark the beginning of an extended period in custody for him, lasting months or more. The Seoul Western District Court granted law enforcement's request for an arrest warrant for Yoon following an hourslong deliberation, saying he was a threat to destroy evidence. Yoon and his lawyers on Saturday appeared before the court's judge during a hearing and argued for his release. Yoon, who has been in detention since he was apprehended on Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residential compound, faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which set off the country's most serious political crisis since its democratization in the late 1980s. The Corruption Investigatio

Impeached South Korean President Yoon argues for release before court

South Korea's impeached president on Saturday argued for his release before a Seoul judge as the court reviewed whether to grant a law enforcement request for his formal arrest. Yoon, who has been in detention since he was apprehended on Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residence, faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on December 3, which set off the country's most serious political crisis since its democratisation in the late 1980s. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and the military, requested the Seoul Western District Court to grant a warrant for Yoon's formal arrest. Yoon's lawyers said he spoke for about 40 minutes to the judge during the nearly five-hour closed-door hearing. His legal team and anti-corruption agencies presented opposing arguments about whether he should be held in custody. The lawyers did not share his specific ...

Bird feathers, blood likely found in engines of South Korea's crashed jet

About four minutes before the fatal crash, one of the pilots had reported a bird strike and declared an emergency before initiating a go-around and attempting to land on the opposite end of the runway

South Korea's impeached Prez refuses questioning again as detention looms

In order to hold Yoon in custody for longer, investigators are expected on Friday to ask a court to approve a detention warrant for up to 20 days, legal experts said

S Korean investigators question impeached Prez Yoon in insurrection probe

His arrest, the first ever for a sitting president in South Korea, is the latest head-spinning development in one of Asia's most vibrant democracies