Author: Jae young

September 15, 2025SEOUL – A South Korean Coast Guard officer who drowned while rescuing a senior citizen from a tidal flat had requested backup before entering the water alone, but no reinforcements were sent, local reports said Sunday.Sgt. Lee Jae-seok, 34, was responding to a report from a private drone surveillance company early Thursday when he arrived alone at Ggot Island in Ongjin, Incheon. He gave his life jacket to the man, who survived. Lee did not.According to a radio transcript from the Incheon Coast Guard, Lee made his first transmission to the Yeongheung Police Substation at 2:16 a.m., saying,…

September 15, 2025SEOUL – US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Sunday voiced “deep regret” over the mass detention of Korean workers in the Sept. 4 immigration raid in Georgia, calling for institutional improvement to prevent a recurrence, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.Landau met with South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Seoul. The two discussed alliance affairs, including resolving the detainee case and improving the visa system, implementing follow-up measures from the Aug. 25 South Korea–US summit, and broader regional and global affairs, the ministry said.The Korea-US vice foreign ministerial meeting took…

September 15, 2025SEOUL – South Korea will launch two simultaneous military exercises on Monday: Freedom Edge, a trilateral outdoor multi-domain drill with the US and Japan, and Iron Mace, a nuclear-attack response planning tabletop exercise with the US.North Korea denounced the defensive exercises — which aim to enhance interoperability and sharpen readiness against North Korea’s mounting missile and nuclear threats — with concurrent press statements from two high-profile officials.Both exercises will be held for the first time since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung administration and the second Trump administration.The five-day drill, Freedom Edge 25, is the premier multi-domain…

September 12, 2025SEOUL – On Sept. 4, the mass arrest of around 300 Korean workers at the Hyundai-LG joint venture in the US state of Georgia jolted Koreans — an unexpected image of compatriots in shackles that many read as an affront to dignity and a breach of trust at the alliance’s core.The pictures of workers in chains quickly reopened older wounds. The Korea-US alliance has survived war, coups and market shocks, yet it has also known moments when Koreans felt their faith was traded away to larger designs. Those memories matter because alliances ultimately rest on the belief that…

September 12, 2025SEOUL – Last week’s immigration raid by US authorities at the construction site of Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution’s joint battery venture HL-GA in Georgia set off alarms for Korean companies already investing billions of dollars to establish manufacturing footholds in America.Although 316 Korean nationals were in the process of being released from detention to come back home on a chartered flight on Friday, the aftermath of the unprecedented mass arrests has sent shock waves through not only affected companies, but also through the Korean government and public.Q. Who were the Koreans detained?Of the 475 total detainees…

September 12, 2025SEOUL – South Korea’s intelligence agency assessed that Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, may have strengthened her position as his likely successor during their recent visit to China, lawmakers said Thursday.The National Intelligence Service delivered the assessment during a closed-door session of the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee, according to Reps. Park Sun-won of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Lee Seong-kweun of the main opposition People Power Party, who serve as the committee’s executive secretaries.The agency viewed the trip as “part of a process to complete a succession narrative centered on Kim…

September 12, 2025GANGNEUNG – Two months have passed since Gangneung, Gangwon Province, began suffering the effects of a record-breaking drought, yet the situation shows few signs of improvement, and citizens are turning to desperate measures to conserve every drop of water.In online communities such as “mom cafes,” or online boards frequented by mothers, users were found exchanging survival tips on how they are managing amid the prolonged drought.One user wrote that her family has begun collecting urine in plastic bottles and flushing only once water is available.“My husband said he would save it up until the water supply returns, and…

September 12, 2025SEOUL – President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday expressed concerns that a recent US immigration raid on a Hyundai-LG electric vehicle battery plant construction site in Georgia could make South Korean companies hesitant to invest in the US.The raid, which detained more than 300 South Korean nationals, could have a “considerable impact” on South Korea’s investment in the US due to uncertainty over business operations, Lee said at a news conference marking his 100th day in office.“South Korean firms doing business in the US must be left baffled now,” said the 60-year-old president, who took office June 4.Lee…

September 11, 2025SEOUL – South Korea’s stock market is surging to unprecedented heights as President Lee Jae Myung marks his first 100 days in office, with the benchmark Kospi touching an all-time high Wednesday.The rally is stoking expectations that Lee’s pledge to usher in a “Kospi 5,000” era could be more than rhetoric, as investors bet on the government’s policy support to boost the stock market.During his presidential candidacy, Lee pledged to make the Kospi reach over 5,000 points, eliminating the “Korea discount,” referring to the relatively low valuation of companies listed here.Backed by the investor momentum, the Kospi posted…

September 11, 2025SEOUL – Lee Byung-hun became the first Korean actor to receive the Special Tribute Award at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday, marking a milestone for Korean cinema at the festival’s 50th anniversary celebration.The award was presented by director Park Chan-wook at the TIFF Tribute Awards gala held at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. Lee joined an elite group of honorees including Jodie Foster, Guillermo del Toro and filmmaker Hikari.“I began my acting career 35 years ago in television dramas. But in my heart, I always had a love for film,” Lee said in English…