The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) announced on April 13 that it has recommended the Ministry of Science and ICT to rethink plans to mandate facial recognition for activating mobile phones and to establish alternative methods. The proposal, driven by concerns over financial fraud such as voice phishing

The South Korean government unveiled on the 13th the regional medical school quota allocations for the 2027–2031 academic years. The plan expands quotas at 32 regional medical schools outside Seoul, with the nationwide total rising from 3,058 in 2024 to 3,548 in 2027 and to 3,671

Korean antitrust chief Joo Byung-ki said on the 12th that on-site inspections are currently being conducted at gas stations in Busan, Gyeongbuk (North Gyeongsang Province), and Jeju, where there is suspicion of price coordination or collusion among nearby stations. He spoke at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District during

A government briefing in Seoul on March 13, led by Jung Kyung-sil, head of the Health Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, outlined steps to address a sharp drop in public health physicians. The plan targets medical deserts and seeks to expand a nursing-qualified role known as

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a set of ambassadorial appointments on the 12th, including naming Baek Tae-ung, a 63-year-old law professor at the University of Hawaii, as ambassador to the OECD in Paris. Baek Tae-ung brings a highly independent career path. He was once a student leader

Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Korea’s longstanding drugmaker founded in 1973 as Hanmi Pharmaceutical Industry, stands at a pivotal crossroads after a high-profile clash between a major shareholder and the company’s current leadership. The dispute culminated in the departure of Park Jae-hyun, the veteran CEO who had been steering the group

As South Korea moves toward the planned Jeollanam-do–Gwangju Integrated Special City, the two regional education offices held their first practical meeting with the Ministry of Education to map out four core tasks for unifying education administration. The session took place in the ministry’s main conference room and was

European reactions to the March U.S.–Germany summit show lingering tensions, centering on Spain and the attitude of German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz toward Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The German news weekly Der Spiegel reports that Sánchez has largely cut off personal contact with Merz, despite Merz repeatedly

Hyundai Heavy Industries and Eco Prime Marine Pacific signed a memorandum of agreement on the transfer of assets for the Gunsan shipyard on the 13th, marking a bid to revive the long-idled facility in North Jeolla Province. The Gunsan yard had stood idle for nine years amid a downturn in

A faction of South Korea’s ruling party is calling for accountability from broadcaster Kim Eo-jun after a controversy over a so-called “prosecution cancellation deal” was aired on his YouTube program. The Democratic Party’s pro-Lee Jae-myung group, known as the Nationwide Innovation Council, said Kim Eo-jun and his show