On the night of Dec. 3, just minutes after President Yoon Suk Yeol's shocking declaration of martial law, dozens of elite military commandos descended on an obscure office building on the outskirts of Seoul. Their target was the headquarters of the National Election Commission -- the country's otherwise staid bureaucratic body that oversees elections. The raid proved anticlimactic -- the commandos only managed to snap a few photos of internal server systems before retreating, failing t

Politics Dec. 11, 2024

The lyrics of "Into the New World," Girls' Generation's 2007 debut single, echoed through the streets of Yeouido on Saturday evening: "Our rough road is before our eyes. Unknown future and walls. I won't change, I'm not giving up." What could have been a scene from a K-pop concert was, in fact, a massive demonstration being held in response to an unthinkable development in South Korean democracy: a president's shock declaration of martial law. The str

Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2024

When South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shocked the world Tuesday night with an unexpected declaration of martial law — the first the country has seen since achieving full democracy in 1987 — his choice of words offered a revealing glimpse into his worldview. An analysis of key terms from his televised speech suggests a leader who increasingly views politics through an extremist lens and with a siege mentality, experts say. 'Legislative dictatorship' (ipbeob dokjae) &qu

Politics Dec. 5, 2024

"This is no mere criticism -- we're waging war against President Yoon Suk Yeol." These words rang out outside the Korea Press Center in central Seoul Wednesday morning, where media representatives had gathered to decry Yoon's overnight attempt to place press operations under military control as part of his extraordinary emergency martial law decree. The press conference reaffirmed the South Korean media's unequivocal opposition to the martial law decree that, though sh

Social Affairs Dec. 4, 2024

Multiple legal experts characterized President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law as "clearly illegal" and "without justification" on social media posts and in conversation with The Korea Herald. The experts spoke on condition of anonymity due to the delicate nature of the situation. Legal scholars drew parallels to former President Chun Doo-hwan's nationwide martial law declaration on May 17, 1980, which led to the Gwangju Democratic Uprising and the milita

Politics Dec. 4, 2024

Forces have completely withdrawn from South Korea's National Assembly building, the Speaker's office confirmed to local media early Wednesday morning. The withdrawal came shortly after the National Assembly voted unanimously to nullify President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law, with all 190 lawmakers present voting in favor at 1:01 a.m. Wednesday. Earlier footage showed soldiers breaking windows to enter the main parliamentary floor. Forces were positioned at the main e

Politics Dec. 4, 2024

The newly established martial law command, led by Four-Star General Park An-soo, issued its first comprehensive decree Tuesday at 11 p.m., implementing immediate nationwide restrictions. The martial law command's decree outlines extensive controls on civil and political activities. The first provision prohibits all political activities by the National Assembly, provincial assemblies and political parties. Political gatherings and demonstrations are also banned. A second measure bans activit

Politics Dec. 4, 2024

An organization representing road managers and entertainment agency officials has stepped into K-pop's latest industry-shaking drama, calling chart-topping group NewJeans' attempt to terminate their agency contract "preposterous" in a statement released Tuesday. The statement from the Korea Management Association comes days after the quintet announced they were pulling out of their contract with Hybe subsidiary Ador in a late-night press conference Thursday. Group members cit

K-pop Dec. 3, 2024

Korea welcomed 30.1 percent more foreign visitors this October compared to the same month last year, nearly matching pre-pandemic levels of 2019. The state-run Korea Tourism Organization reported Friday that 1,690,263 tourists visited Korea in October 2024, reaching 97 percent of the October 2019 figures. Most markets saw strong growth compared to last year. Chinese visitors led the charge with a 57.2 percent increase, while Taiwan and the Philippines each recorded 35.6 percent growth. Japanese

Travel Nov. 29, 2024

Pandemic-era social distancing rules that once left theaters empty and concert halls silent are now a fading memory, with South Korea's performing arts sector reporting record-breaking revenue of 1.4 trillion won ($1.08 billion) in 2023, up 46 percent from the previous year. The figure represents a 67 percent increase over 2019, before COVID-19 began to spread. The numbers in the latest report released Thursday by the state-run Korea Arts Management Services paint a picture of an industry t

Performance Nov. 29, 2024

Once again, Elon Musk is back to tracking South Korea's nose-diving birth rate. With just 0.72 births per woman in 2023, South Korea has emerged as an extraordinary case study among developed countries grappling with declining fertility rates -- a sort of petri dish for what might lie ahead for societies facing a demographic crisis. These unprecedented numbers have made the country a favorite reference point for Musk, CEO of Tesla and X and US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to le

Social Affairs Nov. 28, 2024

Two student organizations hosted a peace forum and concert at Imjingak, a site near the Demilitarized Zone, the buffer zone between South and North Korea, to commemorate the Korean War and honor its veterans. The groups -- the Mind Shelter Project and Past for Present -- organized the "Youth International Peace Forum and Concert" in the lead-up to UN Veterans International Memorial Day on Nov. 11, building on their inaugural event from last year. The program, themed, "Unforgetting

Social Affairs Nov. 27, 2024

The stereotype of Rotary International as just another elite social club quickly dissolves upon meeting its leadership. In Seoul this week for a leadership training summit, the organization's presidents — past, present and future — spoke with lively conviction about transforming lives through service, their enthusiasm matching their distinguished profiles. The gathering, which brought together 500 district leaders from across Korea, serves as preparation for both upcoming leader

People Nov. 26, 2024

At South Korea's 72nd annual national liberation day ceremony on Aug. 15, 2017, the usual formalities of the occasion gave way to an unexpected moment. As the then-President Moon Jae-in and other officials rose for the national anthem, a small, elderly woman took the stage alone. In a voice that was thin and trembling but remarkably clear, she began to sing Korea's national anthem to the melody of "Auld Lang Syne." Her rendition echoed the defiant spirit of the colonial era,

Social Affairs Nov. 18, 2024

A baby weighing less than a large apple at birth has defied medical odds, heading home after six months of intensive care, Samsung Medical Center in Seoul said Tuesday. Lee Ye-rang weighed a mere 260 grams when she was born on April 22 this year at just 25 weeks and five days, setting a record as South Korea's smallest surviving infant. A typical newborn weighs about 3.2 kilograms. By the time of her discharge on Nov. 5, she weighed 3.19 kilograms. She was breathing on her own, without the

Social Affairs Nov. 12, 2024