Fire at Seongnam Multifamily Home Kills 1; Another in Cardiac Arrest A fire at a multifamily home in Seongnam, south of Seoul, left one person dead and another in cardiac arrest, authorities said. Fire officials said the blaze broke out at about 4 a.m. on Wednesday at a four-story building in Sinheung-dong, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam, in Gyeonggi province. Firefighters extinguished the fire about two hours later, but a man in his 30s who lived on the third floor died. A man in his 40s from the fourth floor was taken to a hospital in critical condition after su January 29, 2026

Fire at Recycling Company in Incheon Extinguished; No Injuries Reported A fire at a recycling company in Gajwa-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, was extinguished in about an hour after breaking out at about 5:56 a.m. on the 9th. No injuries were reported. Fire authorities deployed about 30 pieces of equipment and about 80 personnel and finished putting out the blaze at about 7 a.m. Authorities are investigating the cause and the extent of the damage.* This article has been translated by AI. January 29, 2026

Fire Reported in Incheon’s Seo District; Heavy Smoke Reported Near Gajwa-dong A fire broke out in Incheon’s Seo District, officials said. In a disaster alert text message sent on the 29th, the district office said a fire near 173-222 in Gajwa-dong was producing heavy smoke as of 6 a.m. It urged nearby residents to move farther from the site and drivers to detour. * This article has been translated by AI. January 29, 2026

Guri Mayor Baek Kyung Hyun Lays Out Six Policy Priorities for 2026 Guri Mayor Baek Kyung Hyun used a New Year news conference on Tuesday to present what he called six operating directions for 2026: welfare, the economy, urban infrastructure, transportation, culture and the environment. Baek framed the agenda as a question of direction rather than speed, arguing that city policy should focus on where Guri is headed. On welfare, he emphasized what he described as a tighter safety net, treating support as a system rather than a one-time benefit. He pointed January 29, 2026

Yangpyeong County head cites 88.3% pledge completion, outlines 2026 priorities Yangpyeong County Gov. Jeon Jin-seon told reporters on Jan. 28 that his administration has carried out 88.3% of its campaign pledges and will steer county policy in 2026 around four priorities: safety, the environment, tourism and health. About 100 news outlets attended the New Year briefing at the county hall. Jeon reviewed major projects and outlined plans, while stressing that the county’s focus is on building policies that last beyond a single term. Jeon cited the 88.3% pledge-implem January 29, 2026

Anseong Mayor Kim Bo-ra Questions Eligibility Limits in Proposed Regional Doctor Program South Korea’s government is pushing to introduce a “regional doctor program” to address uneven distribution of medical workers. The plan aims to fill gaps in essential care in rural areas, smaller cities, and island and mountainous regions where staffing is scarce. Support for the idea is broad, but the debate has focused on how the program is designed. On Tuesday, Anseong Mayor Kim Bo-ra raised questions in a social media post. Kim said she supports the program in principle but asked whe January 29, 2026

Gyeongju to Allow Pets in Restaurants and Bakeries Starting in March GYEONGJU, South Korea — Starting in March, restaurants and other food-service businesses in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province, will be allowed to admit pets if they meet specified hygiene and safety standards. Gyeongju City said Tuesday the system allowing customers to bring pets into food-service establishments will take effect March 1. The city said the move is intended to improve convenience for pet owners while also protecting the choice of customers who do not have pets. The po January 29, 2026

Pohang City Council Speaker Kim Il-man Announces Run for Mayor Kim Il-man, speaker of the Pohang City Council, officially announced his candidacy for Pohang mayor on the 28th in front of the “Goddess Statue” in Songdo, saying the city’s next decade should be guided by “one blueprint,” not fragmented projects. He adopted the campaign slogan “Only Pohang, only citizens, therefore Kim Il-man,” and set “a self-sufficient city where citizens are happy, a Pohang that feels good to live in” as his municipal administration slogan. “Politics is ultimately a January 29, 2026

North Gyeongsang Provincial Council Approves Support for Daegu Integration North Gyeongsang Province’s council approved a measure backing administrative integration with the city of Daegu, even as opposition sentiment has been rising in the province’s northern region. The North Gyeongsang Provincial Council said it passed a motion titled “Submission of the council’s opinion on the integration of North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu Metropolitan City” at the first plenary meeting of its 360th extraordinary session on Jan. 28. The vote was 46 in favor, 11 against January 29, 2026

Busan’s City Treasury Deposit Rate Lags at 2.46%, Near Bottom Among Major South Korean Cities Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, is posting one of the lower treasury deposit rates among the nation’s metropolitan governments, newly released data show. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety, publishing a nationwide comparison for the first time, disclosed figures that allow side-by-side analysis of local governments’ treasury interest rates. According to the “local government treasury rate integrated status” posted Tuesday on the Local Finance Integrated Disclosure System January 29, 2026