The U.S. government has announced a new Section 301 investigation into 60 trading partners over forced labor risks in their supply chains, with South Korea among them. The inquiry will run alongside a separate probe into unfair trade practices linked to overproduction for 16 countries, also including South Korea.

South Korea’s National Assembly moved to address electoral reform and local redistricting today, but the Political Reform Special Committee failed to reach conclusions on key items. The full committee met for only the second time since January, after a two-month gap, and did not produce a final plan on

A Beijing–Pyongyang international passenger train has resumed service for the first time in six years, after the COVID-19 disruption. The 16-car green passenger train includes a rear section of two white cars, and it is mainly used to transport North Korean diplomats to Pyongyang. On Beijing’s platform, a

Japan is signaling a firmer approach to the Takeshima/Dokdo sovereignty dispute with Korea. The report describes a budget committee session on the 12th in which Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae reiterated that Dokdo is Japan’s territory and announced plans to dispatch ministers to Takeshima Day events, saying Japan would

The Korean government, along with Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), unveiled a reform to industrial electricity pricing that shifts charges by time of day. The plan lowers daytime rates and raises nighttime rates, and it will take effect from the 16th of the upcoming month. Under the reform, industrial consumers

Hanwha Aerospace and Krafton, the developer of PUBG: Battlegrounds, have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop what they call “Physical AI” and to explore setting up a joint venture to commercialize the work. The announcement was made on the 13th. The MOU outlines a staged plan: joint research

South Korea’s main opposition party, the People Power Party, has decided to run its candidate for North Gyeongsang Province governor through a two-stage primary process ahead of the June 3 local elections, a plan that has drawn scrutiny over fairness and competitiveness. In the first stage, a preliminary primary

Seoul’s Gangnam Police have added a new charge to actor Lee Jae-ryong’s case, accusing him of obstructing a breath-alcohol test in connection with a drunk-driving incident. Lee, 62, allegedly drove under the influence around 11 p.m. on the 6th near Samseong Jungang Station on Seoul Subway Line

Interbattery 2026 opened at COEX, the convention center in Seoul’s Gangnam district, drawing about 23,000 attendees on its first day. Organizers said this set an all-time high for the event, surpassing last year’s opening-day figure of 21,781 and marking a roughly 5 percent increase. The trade

The United States has opened Section 301 investigations into 16 economies, including South Korea, to examine alleged unfair trade practices such as excess production. The notice was published in the Federal Register by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on Tuesday local time. The countries listed are