BUSAN -- At Saenggok Industrial Complex in Gangseo-gu, Busan, a plastics recycling factory bustles with activity. Though Busan, South Korea's second largest port city, is already home to several companies and research institutions specializing in recycling, Yuil Industries is a pioneer. The factory here introduced the first optical automatic sorting machine for plastics recycling, which sorts plastics based on their type, color and composition much more quickly than previous methods. The fa

Social Affairs Dec. 20, 2024

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reportedly mentioned the possibility of declaring emergency martial law last year, calling it a last resort, according to testimony by former defense counterintelligence chief Yeo In-hyung during prosecution questioning. According to Kyunghyang Shinmun, a local daily, Yeo testified that Yoon first mentioned “taking emergency action” to address “difficult social issues” in late December 2023. Yeo interprets “emergency action&rdquo

Politics Dec. 19, 2024

Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu, central Seoul, is celebrating the return of the holiday season with its annual media art festival, which drew up to 620,000 visitors last winter. Seoul Light DDP, jointly hosted and organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Design Foundation, showcases media artworks by projecting them onto the 222-meter-long exterior of the DDP. This year’s festival, which kicks off on Thursday, will run through Dec. 31, under the theme “5 Cheers!.&

Social Affairs Dec. 19, 2024

The Presidential Security Service refused to comply with a search and seizure warrant regarding access to the presidential office's computer servers, according to a joint investigation unit probing the Dec. 3 martial law declaration, Wednesday. According to the interagency investigation unit, the Presidential Security Service submitted an official statement to the investigators at 4:50 p.m., citing “military secrets” and “official confidentiality” as reasons for its

Social Affairs Dec. 18, 2024

South Korea’s prosecution will transfer the martial law case surrounding President Yoon Suk Yeol and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, amid controversy over “overlapping investigations.” On Wednesday, the CIO announced that it had concluded with the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office that it will now take over the case involving Yoon and Lee. The move comes 10 days after the CIO requested the prosecution tran

Social Affairs Dec. 18, 2024

The prolonged cold temperatures are set to intensify nationwide starting Wednesday, with temperatures feeling as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius set to continue until the end of December. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, morning lows on Wednesday will range between minus 12 C and 1 C nationwide, with temperatures in some parts of the Greater Seoul area feeling as low as minus 14 C. Daytime temperatures will hover between minus 1 C and 7 C -- but such temperatures are expecte

Social Affairs Dec. 17, 2024

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces mounting pressure to appear for questioning as the interagency investigation unit probing the Dec. 3 martial law declaration attempted to summon him on Monday, the same day prosecutors also issued a second summons. The joint investigative unit, consisting of the Korean National Police Agency’s National Office of Investigation, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the Criminal Investigation Command of the Defense Minis

Social Affairs Dec. 16, 2024

The Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) started its full-scale entry into Vietnam’s water market on Friday after taking over shares in its water supply and wastewater treatment facilities. According to K-water, the public enterprise signed a memorandum of agreement with Vietnamese water treatment companies Phu My Vinh and GS Minh Hung-Sikico concerning the acquisition of shares in water supply and wastewater treatment facilities currently operating in industrial complexes near Ho C

Social Affairs Dec. 15, 2024

After the motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol passed at the National Assembly on Saturday, questions linger as to how criminal investigations targeting Yoon will go forward, with the president currently booked on charges of insurrection, mutiny and abuse of power for his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3. During Saturday’s plenary session, the motion to impeach Yoon passed with 204 lawmakers voting in favor of the motion, 85 voting against, three abstentions and eight

Politics Dec. 14, 2024

On a cold Friday evening, university students filled the streets of Sinchon in Seodaemun-gu, western Seoul, urging for the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and the severe punishment of those involved in his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. At around 6 p.m., the streets of Yonseiro in Sinchon, generally filled with busking performances by young performers at this hour, began to swell with students instead, who held signs reading “Yoon Suk Yeol, step down immediately&rdq

Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2024

Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Kim Bong-sik were to face pretrial hearings Friday afternoon for alleged violations of the Constitution over allegations of rebellion and insurrection. According to the Seoul Central District Court, the pretrial hearings for the two police chiefs were to be held at 3 p.m., a day after police filed arrest warrants for both Cho and Kim for violations of the Criminal Act concerning insurrection-related d

Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2024

Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho confessed that he was told by President Yoon Suk Yeol in person to send personnel to 10 locations three hours before the declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, according to the police's special investigation team. During the police investigation, Cho testified that he was told to come into a presidential safe house and was handed a one-page document by Yoon. The document, according to Cho, listed key locations that would require police per

Politics Dec. 12, 2024

A joint investigative body was formed on Wednesday to investigate President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law, amid concerns over overlapping investigations into the high-profile case that deals with allegations of insurrection of a sitting president. The Korean National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation said it would work together with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the Defense Ministry "to leverage the stren

Politics Dec. 11, 2024

The Justice Ministry said Monday that it had issued a travel ban on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, shortly after he was booked over his short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3, a rare move against a sitting president. The decision came after a number of investigative agencies, including the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, requested that the embattled president be banned from traveling overseas hours after the police said they were considering the measure

Social Affairs Dec. 9, 2024

Seven people have been confirmed dead after their boat capsized off the coast of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, the Pohang Coast Guard Station said Monday. According to the Coast Guard, a 29-ton Geumgwang fishing vessel carrying eight crew members collided with a cargo ship before capsizing at around 5:43 a.m. Out of the eight crew members on the fishing vessel, only seven have been found by the Coast Guard, as a search is still underway to find the remaining crew member. As for the cargo

Social Affairs Dec. 9, 2024