North Korean man caught by South after crossing border
South Korea has caught a North Korean man who crossed through a heavily fortified zone between the two countries filled with land mines, barbed wire, and other measures to prevent people from passing between the two countries. South Korea is now allegedly investigating whether the man tried to defect. The
Iran denies seized Korean ship and crew are being held as hostages
On Tuesday, Iran denied claims that it was using a South Korean ship and holding its crew as hostages. However, Iranian forces did seize the tanker in the Gulf and pressed Seoul to release $7 billion in frozen funds. The ship, MT Hankuk Chemi, was near the Strait of Hormuz
South Korea warns of first potential lockdown as coronavirus numbers continue to rise
In South Korea, health officials have warned of the government enacting the country’s first lockdown since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic due to an alarming increase in new infections per day. South Korea has been considered as a model for effective Covid-19 response measures, earning praise after halting the
North Korean diplomat who went missing in Italy two years ago has defected to South Korea
According to new reports, high ranking North Korean diplomat Jo Song Gil, who went missing in Italy in November of 2018, has defected to South Korea with his wife. Jo left the North Korean embassy in Rome, where he was employed as acting ambassador, and defected to South Korea where
Kim Jong-un apologizes for killing of South Korean official
Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s authoritarian leader, extended a rare personal apology after North Korean law enforcement killed a South Korean official allegedly attempting to defect. The man was found by troops floating on a raft in North Korean waters, rescued, and then questioned. At some point during or after the
South Korea official shot dead by North Korean troops after crossing border
On Thursday, Seoul disclosed that a South Korean government worker was shot and killed by North Korean forces after crossing a maritime border into the region. According to Lt. Gen. Ahn Young-ho, a top official in South Korea, the man went missing in waters roughly 1.9 kilometers south of the
What is Kim Yo Jong’s exact role in North Korean politics? Top South Korean officials appear divided
Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s younger sister, allegedly became the second most powerful North Korean figure after Kim Jong Un dictated some of his authorities to his younger sibling. However, the South Korean government disputes this claim, stating that Kim Yo Jong will not be named as a successor
South Korea’s Coronavirus Response Under Pressure as Doctors Plan Strike
On Friday, South Korea’s largest physician association plans to strike, protesting against a government proposal to increase the number of doctors after South Korea experienced severe staffing shortages at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak within the country. According to the Korean Medical Association, a group that represents 130,000 doctors,
South Korea Slumps Into a Recession
South Korea’s economy has fallen into a recession following its second quarter of contraction. This is likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic taking a heavy toll on the country, which is heavily reliant on exports. Gross domestic product within South Korea shrank by 3.3% in the second quarter, according to
Seoul mayor missing, his phone turned off, search underway
Police in Seoul are searching for missing mayor Park Won-soon after leaving a message for his daughter that sounded suspiciously like a will. Won-soon’s phone is now shut off, and he did not show up for work yesterday. His daughter stated that she contacted the police because she could not