Five habitual prank callers have been reported to police for making a combined 8,710 nonemergency calls to the 119 emergency hotline over the past year, disrupting emergency response operations, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Friday. One caller alone made 2,661 phone calls and sent 2,886 text messages between September 2025 and August 2026. The city government said it repeatedly warned the callers to stop but filed criminal complaints after they continued

South Korea's rice production fell 0.9 percent to 3.51 million tons this year, marking a fifth consecutive annual decline and the lowest level since 2020, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Friday. Output dropped 31,000 tons from 3.54 million tons a year earlier, as the rice-planted area shrank 1.1 percent to 670,470 hectares amid government efforts to curb overproduction and encourage farmers to switch to alternative crops. The

President Lee Jae Myung's job approval rating fell 2 percentage points to 39 percent, while disapproval remained unchanged at 50 percent, a Gallup Korea poll showed on Friday. Real estate policy was the most frequently cited reason for disapproval, accounting for 17 percent, followed by the economy and livelihoods at 15 percent and ethical issues and his avoidance of his own trial at 12 percent. Among supporters, the economy and livelihoods were the leading reas

South Korea’s Prime Minister’s Office said Thursday it will respond with zero tolerance to cheating in the national college entrance exam on November 19, after this year’s top scorer in the state tax accountant exam missed just one of 160 questions, fueling suspicions that smart glasses were used. The office said it will quickly draw up government-wide measures to root out cheating using smart devices in state-run exams.

South Korea has appointed Ki Hye-kyung as director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) for a three-year term starting Friday, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said. Ki, a curator and Korean modern art historian, previously spent about 13 years at the MMCA before serving as director of the Busan Museum of Art and a senior official at Seoul's Buk Seoul Museum of Art. She has also taught at Hongik University since 2023. Culture M

Rain that began on the resort island of Jeju on Friday morning is expected to spread across the country later in the day. Most parts of the country are forecast to see rain overnight, with precipitation expected to ease in most areas by Saturday, although it could linger into the weekend in some southern areas. Accumulated rainfall is forecast to range from 10 to 60 millimeters, depending on the region. Daytime temperatures are expected to range from 15 to 20 degree

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) startup Wrtn Technologies will participate as a main sponsor of this year's G-STAR next week, the company said on Friday. At the country's largest game exhibition, which kicks off its four-day run on Nov. 19 at BEXCO in Busan, the startup will promote its AI entertainment platform "Crack" through exhibitions and presentations featuring interactive content creation zones and a large LED display. The main-stage

A fire at a chemical factory in Geumcheon, southwestern Seoul, was extinguished early Thursday, about two hours and 35 minutes after breaking out at 2:24 a.m., according to fire authorities. Firefighters deployed about two dozen vehicles and some 88 personnel to put out the blaze at 4:59 a.m. Four people including factory employees, evacuated on their own, with no injuries reported. The fire damaged three floors of the building, covering about 100 square meters. Pol

South Korea has raised concerns at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over foreign technical regulations that could increase costs for exporters and restrict market access for key industries, including semiconductors, batteries, steel and petrochemicals, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said on Friday. At the WTO's latest Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee meeting in Geneva, Switzerland earlier this week, Seoul sought changes to several Europe

About 10 logistics companies and 23 technology firms is set to gather in Seoul on Friday to explore partnerships in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and automation, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The event will feature technology presentations, case studies and one-on-one business consultations, connecting logistics companies with technology providers to test new solutions at worksites and explore their commercialization. Discuss