An artificial intelligence program has gotten a near-perfect score on the Korean language test of the state-run college entrance exam, according to the company behind the software. Korean startup company Markr AI said the o1-Preview model, developed by OpenAI, got all but one question right in the Korean language section of this year's Suneung, held in Nov. 14 and was used for 2025 college admissions. This gave the AI a score of 97 out of possible 100 points, which corresponds to a "

Technology Dec. 17, 2024

A Constitutional Court justice said Tuesday that the court has requested President Yoon Suk Yeol provide his written answers for his impeachment trial by next week, while the prosecution once again requested his presence for the ongoing investigation into insurrection and abuse of power charges. Kim Hyung-du, one of the six justices currently serving on the Constitutional Court's bench, told reporters that the court on Monday notified Yoon that it has received the National Assembly's i

Politics Dec. 17, 2024

The person behind the operation of Noonoo TV, a recently shut down online video streaming network that distributed pirated K-dramas, has been indicted on charges of large-scale copyright violations, the government said Monday. According to the Culture Ministry's Copyright Bureau, the unnamed Korean national is currently in custody, with the first court hearing scheduled for Jan. 6. The suspect was caught on Nov. 9, in an anti-piracy crackdown which saw collaborations between domestic and

Social Affairs Dec. 16, 2024

A 47-year-old woman claiming to have been wrongly jailed for patricide for over two decades is seeking to clear her name in a retrial, with a verdict expected to be reached on Wednesday. The Haenam branch of the Gwangju District Court will hold a sentencing hearing on the case in which Kim Shin-hye is challenging the Supreme Court ruling that sentenced her to life in prison for the murder of her father and the disposal of his body in 2000. In the retrial, the prosecution has requested the cour

Social Affairs Dec. 16, 2024

South Chungcheong Province, home to the populous Yoon family clan, was once an ardent base of support for President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon, of the Papyeong Yoon clan, was celebrated as the first of his clan to be elected president of South Korea. But since his impeachment by the National Assembly on Saturday, banners have been hanging in support of his ouster in the same places that once boasted of the "son of Chungcheong." A substantial portion of the residents in Yoon’s “h

Social Affairs Dec. 16, 2024

In a sign the local real estate market is in distress, the number of court seizures of property due to debt delinquency has marked the highest figure since 2013, Supreme Court data showed Monday. According to the Internet Registry Office of the Supreme Court, there were 129,703 applications for auction of court-seized real estate filed this year through November. This already marks the highest figure since 148,701 in 2013. The figure for actual auctions of court-seized property marked 105,61

Economy Dec. 16, 2024

  Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae said Saturday that the Constitutional Court will "conduct a swift and fair trial" after a motion for the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol was passed by the National Assembly the same day. A meeting of the court's justices will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, he said. Attention now turns to the proceedings, which could face difficulties in part because it is short of a full complement of justices. Only six of its nine positions are currently filled.

Politics Dec. 14, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol has officially become the third South Korean president to face an impeachment trial, following the National Assembly’s passage Saturday of a motion to initiate the process for his removal from office. While Yoon is widely seen as having brought disgrace upon himself due to his ill-fated martial law attempt on Dec. 3, he now joins a long list of troubled Korean presidents. Here are six presidents whose careers have been ended in disgrace or tragedy. 1. Park Geun-

Social Affairs Dec. 14, 2024

With President Yoon Suk Yeol continuing to exercise presidential rights with key appointments, the ruling party's floor leader on Friday requested that he veto bills recently passed by the opposition-controlled parliament, including for a contentious law that would mandate government intervention on rice prices. Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the People Power Party said in a press conference that the president should reject the bills passed on Nov. 28, accusing the main opposition Democratic Part

Politics Dec. 13, 2024

As thousands of protesters gather to demand President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, dedicated websites are popping up with information on where to find rest areas, bathrooms and even meals paid for by supporters in the general public. An anonymously created website called "Siwido Bapmeokgo (Torch Map)," whose name translates to "Eat First, Then Protest,” shows eateries and cafes near the protest sites where citizens hav

Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2024

The National Archives ordered the preservation of investigative records related to the 2022 deadly crowd crush in Itaewon and the 2023 death of a Marine during a search and rescue mission, the state body said Friday. Under the order, records for the ongoing investigation concerning the deceased Marine corporal shall be preserved for the next five years. Article 27-3 of the Public Records Management Act states that the head of the state archives body can order a record to be preserved if deemed n

Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2024

South Korean consumers generally report more satisfaction with budget mobile carriers than with the nation’s three major providers, mainly thanks to their cheaper service plans, a recent survey showed Friday. According to a biannual report by local market researcher Consumer Insight, the average consumer satisfaction for the low-cost providers was 693 out of 1,000, compared to 675 for the big three carriers. The low-cost providers were led by Liv Mobile with a score of 719, followed by F

Companies Dec. 13, 2024

The US government on Thursday offered rewards of up to $5 million for information related to North Korean IT workers and companies engaged in illegal activities including money laundering and "certain cyber activity that supports the DPRK's (North Korea's) weapons of mass destruction.” North Korean IT companies Yanbian Silverstar Network Technology Co., based in China, and Volasys Silverstar, based in Russia, are accused of deploying workers to be hired for remote and free

North Korea Dec. 13, 2024

Cho Kuk, the leader of the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party, was sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court on Thursday on charges including fabrication of official documents and interference in a state audit of a high-ranking Busan city official. The two-year prison term will cause the 59-year-old to immediately lose his seat in the National Assembly along with his eligibility to run for public office. The Supreme Court's sentencing proceeded as scheduled after the top co

Politics Dec. 12, 2024

With the Dec. 3 martial law decree nullified in just six hours, South Koreans dodged a bullet, possibly quite literally. Criminal investigations into President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration have uncovered plans and details suggesting the situation could have unfolded very differently had the National Assembly failed to stop the president. What if the attempt had succeeded? What would South Korea look like under Yoon’s martial law? Here is a scenario based on the martial law

Politics Dec. 11, 2024