National
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Dark web drug ring with 4,000 buyers busted
SEOUL, July 26 (AJU PRESS) - Prosecutors have indicted drug dealers and distributors after uncovering a dark web store with about 4,000 buyers, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (SPO) said Friday. The dark web is a clandestine part of the internet, consisting of websites inaccessible through common browsers or search engines. Due to its anonymity, it is often used for the illegal trade of goods and services including firearms, drugs, stolen items, and even human t
July 26, 2024 -
Defense chiefs of S. Korea, US, Japan to meet in Tokyo next week
SEOUL, July 26 (AJU PRESS) - The defense chiefs of South Korea, U.S. and Japan will gather for talks in Tokyo next week to bolster trilateral cooperation and tighten security on the Korean Peninsula. They last met on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last month where they agreed to rotate hosting their talks. In the trilateral meeting, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik will sit for talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Japan's
July 26, 2024 -
Peruvian Embassy in Seoul celebrates Independence Day
SEOUL, July 26 (AJU PRESS) - Envoys and special guests gathered at a hotel in central Seoul on Thursday to celebrate the 203rd anniversary of Peru's Independence Day, hosted by the Peruvian Embassy in Seoul. During the opening ceremony, Peruvian Ambassador to Korea Paul Duclos highlighted the 60th anniversary of the South American country's diplomatic relationship with Korea, which was commemorated in 2023. Peru celebrates its independence from Spain, achieved by Jos&ea
July 26, 2024 -
Children in Seoul feel happier after pandemic blues, survey shows
SEOUL, July 25 (AJU PRESS) - Children and teenagers living in Seoul are feeling happier compared to a few years ago during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent survey released by the Seoul Metropolitan government on Thursday. The biannual survey of Seoul's 2,520 households with children aged 18 and under showed that their level of happiness was 2.3 points on a 3-point scale, up 22 percent from an average of 1.88 points in 2021. During the pandemic, al
July 25, 2024 -
Aging Korea sees daycare centers vanish while elderly facilities increase
SEOUL, July 25 (AJU PRESS) - Amid Korea's super-low birth rate, an increasing number of daycare centers are closing down while facilities catering to the growing elderly population are on the rise. According to statistical data released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday, some 28,954 daycare centers across the country closed last year, down nearly 2,000 from 30,923 the previous year. The massive closure is mainly attributed to the country's rapidly shrinki
July 25, 2024 -
Korea's birth rate increases for two consecutive months for first time in nearly a decade
SEOUL, July 24 (AJU PRESS) - Korea saw an uptick in the number of newborns for the second consecutive month in May, marking the first such increase in nearly a decade, according to Statistics Korea data released on Wednesday. Some 19,049 babies were born in April this year and 19,547 babies the following month, up 2.8 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively, compared to the same months a year ago. It marked the first time since October 2015 that the country saw an increase in the nu
July 24, 2024 -
Actor Yoo Ji-tae speaks out on N. Korean human rights situation at US conference
SEOUL, July 24 (AJU PRESS) - South Korean actor Yoo Ji-tae addressed North Korea's dire human rights situation at a conference in Washington D.C. on Monday (local time). "I urge you to extend your hands to the darkest places," Yoo said at the International Dialogue on North Korean Human Rights co-hosted by the Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy and the Ministry of Unification. "It is not injustice itself but our indifference that nurtures inj
July 24, 2024 -
Han Dong-hoon assumes role as new leader of PPP
SEOUL, July 24 (AJU PRESS) - Han Dong-hoon, the justice minister-turned-politician who was newly elected as the leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), began his official duties on Wednesday by visiting the National Cemetery in Seoul. Visiting the cemetery has become a customary practice for many politicians before assuming their roles, as they pay respects to deceased political figures, war veterans, and freedom fighters who contributed to the country's development. T
July 24, 2024 -
Smallest Olympic squad in decades reflects Korea's youth sports woes
SEOUL, July 24 (AJU PRESS) - With the countdown to the Summer Olympics in Paris ticking down this week just ahead of its opening on Friday, Korea is fielding some 144 athletes in 22 disciplines. This is the smallest squad the country has assembled since 1976 when it sent around 50 athletes to Montreal, Canada. It is also a significant decrease from about 230 athletes who competed at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021. The nation's sports crisis is particu
July 24, 2024
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PHOTOS: Paris kicks off Olympics with outdoor spectacle despite glitches
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Korea pins hopes on key disciplines as Paris Olympics open with riverfront ceremony amid rail chaos
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PHOTOS: Retro street in central Seoul faces uncertain future
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PHOTOS: Seoul Summer Beach transforms Gwanghwamun into urban water park
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PHOTOS: Incheon Airport gears up for summer travel boom
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From lovebugs to nutrias: Korea grapples with growing threat of alien species
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Dark web drug ring with 4,000 buyers busted
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Defense chiefs of S. Korea, US, Japan to meet in Tokyo next week
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Actor Yu Ah-in booked on allegations of sexually assaulting man in his 30s
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Amid e-commerce settlement dispute, Tmon begins refunds after customers occupy office