Policemen and firemen chase zebra in residential area east of central Seoul

SEOUL -- A never-seen-before scene of hide and seek between emergency workers and a zebra at a residential area some 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) east of central Seoul. The striped horse escaped from the Seoul Children's Grand Park Zoo to roam about a nearby area. According to police, the zebra escaped from the zoo at about 2:40 p.m. (0540 GMT) on March 23 and was seen running and jogging around a residential area near the zoo. The police said that policemen and firemen are rollin

March 23, 2023

London Business School professor urges companies to come up with specific purpose in polycrisis era

SEOUL -- Alex Edmans, a finance professor at London Business School, urged companies to utilize their strengths to overcome the global polycrisis, which refers to multiple social crises such as inflation, COVID-19, and the Russia-Ukraine war. At a conference held in Seoul, the British scholar highlighted LG Electronics commercializing a robot that disinfects surfaces using ultraviolet light amid the COVID-19 pandemic. LG Electronics' autonomous quarantine robot was commercializ

March 21, 2023

Eastern city Wonju to test-operate electric bicycle rental service

SEOUL -- The test operation of electric bicycle rental service will begin in Wonju some 86.8 kilometers (53.9 miles) east of Seoul. In South Korea, public bicycle rental service has steadily gained popularity among urbanites who wish to travel short distances of a few kilometers instead of using crowded buses or subway trains. One of the most well-known bike-sharing or bike rental services in South Korea is Seoul Bike, also known as "Ttareungi", run by Seoul City. As of J

March 20, 2023

S. Korea lifts mask mandate on public transportation including buses and subways

SEOUL -- South Korea has lifted the mask mandate on public transportation such as buses, subway trains, and taxis. It is no longer needed to wear masks anywhere in the country except for several medical facilities vulnerable to infection including nursing homes. The government said in a statement that the obligation to wear masks in public transportation, supermarkets, and pharmacies located in public spaces would end on March 20. It's been about two years and five months since

March 20, 2023

[SUMMIT] ​S. Korean President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida agree to resume 'shuttle diplomacy'

SEOUL -- During a summit meeting in Tokyo, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio have reached a consensus on resuming "shuttle diplomacy," a diplomatic action in which international leaders frequently visit each other's country to strengthen diplomatic relations. Yoon met Kishida at his official residence on March 16 for two meeting sessions during his two-day visit to Japan. The two leaders attended the first 23-minute-long m

March 16, 2023

[SUMMIT] President Yoon heads to Japan for summit meeting with Prime Minister Kishida

SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol has departed for a two-day visit to Japan to attend a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. Yoon and his delegation including staff members departed from Seoul Airport in Seongnam south of the capital city on an Air Force presidential jet at around 9:50 a.m. (0050 GMT) on March 16. After arriving in Japan, Yoon's first schedule will be to attend a meeting with South Korean residents in Tokyo before participatin

March 16, 2023

S. Korean President to have dinner with Japan's Prime Minister at Omurice restaurant during summit

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk-yeol will visit Japan on March 16 for two days to meet Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio for a summit meeting. The two leaders will engage in discussions to find solutions to improve bilateral relations and have dinner at an Omurice restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo's shopping district filled with department stores and restaurants. It would be the first visit by a South Korean president to Japan in about four years since ex-President Moon Jae-in attended

March 15, 2023

Almost half of S. Koreans think opposition leader Lee Jae-myung should resign: survey

SEOUL -- A survey showed that almost half of South Koreans think Lee Jae-myung, the chairman of the main progressive opposition Democratic Party of Korea, should resign. In February 2023, a state prosecutor's office sought an arrest warrant for Lee over corruption allegations that involve land development projects and suspicious donations from corporations. In a survey of 1,064 South Koreans aged 18 or older, conducted by pollster Hangil, about 48.6 percent said Lee should resi

March 13, 2023

Massive Fire at Hankook Tire factory destroys some 400,000 tires in 13 hours

SEOUL -- A massive fire erupted at Hankook Tire's second plant in the central city of Daejeon destroying some 40,000 tires and leaving the factory complex inoperable. The fire that broke out at 10:09 p.m. (1309 GMT) on March 12 was brought under control after 13 hours. Ten workers and one firefighter were hospitalized for inhaling smoke but their conditions were not critical. According to the emergency headquarters, the fire is speculated to have started during the curing proce

March 13, 2023

​Startup minister Lee Young attends Saudi Arabia's biggest startup event

SEOUL -- South Korea's Minister of SMEs and Startups attended "Biban 2023," Saudi Arabia's largest startup conference event held at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center, along with South Korean small and medium-sized companies and startups. Biban 2023 is an annual startup event held in Saudi Arabia. This year, some 350 speakers and about 10,500 audiences will attend the conference to share ideas about the establishment of healthy and mutually benefi

March 10, 2023