North Korea has fired two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan which is known as the 'East Sea' in Korea. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a meeting with his South Korean counterpart in Seoul amid renewed tensions in the region and called for peace stability in the northeast.

North Korea launches 2 ballistic missiles into Sea of Japan

South Korea's capital says it will give pet dogs and cats free coronavirus tests if they come into contact with infected humans and show symptoms.

A Seoul official told an online briefing that pets found infected with the virus must be quarantined at their homes or a city-run facility for 14 days. Officials are ready to conduct free tests of pets starting Monday.

The central government last week released guidelines on virus tests on pets, after a cat in the southeastern city of Jinju became the country's first animal confirmed to have COVID-19. The cat belongs to a mother and daughter who were among dozens of confirmed patients associated with a Jinju religious facility.

There is, however, no evidence that animals transmit the deadly coronavirus to humans. But the pets are being tested because they are in close contact with humans. Other local governments plan to launch similar tests for pets in line with the central government's guidelines.

Meanwhile, South Korea's tally of newly confirmed coronavirus cases fell below 300 on Monday for the first time in more than two months.

South Korea's capital says it will give pet dogs and cats free coronavirus tests if they come into contact with infected humans and show symptoms. A Seoul official told an online briefing that pets found infected with the virus must be quarantined at their homes or a city-run facility for 14 days.

South Korea's capital says it will give pet dogs and cats free coronavirus tests if they come into contact with infected humans and show symptoms. A Seoul official told an online briefing that pets found infected with the virus must be quarantined at their homes or a city-run facility for 14 days. Officials are ready to conduct free tests of pets starting Monday. The central government last week released guidelines on virus tests on pets, after a cat in the southeastern city of Jinju became the country's first animal confirmed to have COVID-19. The cat belongs to a mother and daughter who were among dozens of confirmed patients associated with a Jinju religious facility. There is, however, no evidence that animals transmit the deadly coronavirus to humans. But the pets are being tested because they are in close contact with humans. Other local governments plan to launch similar tests for pets in line with the central government's guidelines. Meanwhile, South Korea's tally of newly confirmed coronavirus cases fell below 300 on Monday for the first time in more than two months.

Seoul to give free COVID-19 tests to pets

A South Korean startup has developed an AI-powered dog collar that can detect five emotions in canines by monitoring their barks using voice recognition technology.

South Korean smart dog collar tells owner what's in a bark

South Korean researchers say they have designed an inexpensive, inflatable negative pressure ward for isolating and treating patients with infectious diseases like COVID-19, after the pandemic exposed shortages of beds around the world.

S.Korea unveils inflatable isolation ward for COVID-19 patients

A cold wave warning is set to be issued in Seoul on Wednesday for the first time in about three years, as the capital and central parts of the nation came under the grip of the season`s coldest weather. 
 
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said that the cold wave warning will take effect for the whole of Seoul at 9 p.m., marking the first such warning since the previous one was issued on January 23, 2018, Yonhap news agency reported. 
 
The cold wave warning is issued when the morning low is below minus 15 degree celsius for more than two consecutive days, or when the temperature drops sharply and major damage is expected. 
 
The warning was already issued for many areas in Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang provinces at 9 p.m. Tuesday, and the number of affected areas is expected to grow Wednesday. 
 
Incheon, west of Seoul; many southern cities, including Daegu and Gwangju; and the southwestern provinces of Jeolla are to come under a cold wave alert, which is issued when the morning low is below minus 12 degree celsius for more than two days, by Wednesday night, the KMA said. 
 
Morning lows in central regions fell below minus 15 degree celsius, with Seoul`s daily lowest temperature at minus 12 degree celsius. 
 
The KMA said snow will fall in Seoul between 6 p.m. and midnight, further pushing down temperatures later this week. 
 
On Thursday, daytime highs will remain below minus 10 degree celsius in the greater Seoul area, while morning lows will further plummet to minus 17 degree celsius in Seoul and surrounding areas and minus 23 degree celsius in Chuncheon of Gangwon Province on Friday. 
 
The KMA explained that the upcoming cold spell will be caused by a southward inflow of cold air from near Siberia. Temperatures will remain below the 30-year averages until next Tuesday and return to the seasonal averages next Wednesday, the KMA said. 
 
Meanwhile, a cold wave warning is to be issued for mountain areas of Jeju Island, the southern resort island known for its balmy winter weather, at 9 p.m. 
 
It will be the first time in 57 years that Jeju Island will come under a cold wave warning. The last such warning was issued on the island in 1964. 
 
According to the KMA, temperatures are forecast to dip to around minus 10 degree celsius at the middle slopes of Mount Halla and minus 15 degree celsius near the top of the Jeju mountain on Thursday. The mercury will stay in the range of minus 2 degree celsius to 2 degree celsius on the island`s coastal areas on the day. 
 
A heavy snow advisory has already been issued for Jeju`s mountain areas.

A cold wave warning is set to be issued in Seoul on Wednesday for the first time in about three years, as the capital and central parts of the nation came under the grip of the season`s coldest weather.

A cold wave warning is set to be issued in Seoul on Wednesday for the first time in about three years, as the capital and central parts of the nation came under the grip of the season`s coldest weather. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said that the cold wave warning will take effect for the whole of Seoul at 9 p.m., marking the first such warning since the previous one was issued on January 23, 2018, Yonhap news agency reported. The cold wave warning is issued when the morning low is below minus 15 degree celsius for more than two consecutive days, or when the temperature drops sharply and major damage is expected. The warning was already issued for many areas in Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang provinces at 9 p.m. Tuesday, and the number of affected areas is expected to grow Wednesday. Incheon, west of Seoul; many southern cities, including Daegu and Gwangju; and the southwestern provinces of Jeolla are to come under a cold wave alert, which is issued when the morning low is below minus 12 degree celsius for more than two days, by Wednesday night, the KMA said. Morning lows in central regions fell below minus 15 degree celsius, with Seoul`s daily lowest temperature at minus 12 degree celsius. The KMA said snow will fall in Seoul between 6 p.m. and midnight, further pushing down temperatures later this week. On Thursday, daytime highs will remain below minus 10 degree celsius in the greater Seoul area, while morning lows will further plummet to minus 17 degree celsius in Seoul and surrounding areas and minus 23 degree celsius in Chuncheon of Gangwon Province on Friday. The KMA explained that the upcoming cold spell will be caused by a southward inflow of cold air from near Siberia. Temperatures will remain below the 30-year averages until next Tuesday and return to the seasonal averages next Wednesday, the KMA said. Meanwhile, a cold wave warning is to be issued for mountain areas of Jeju Island, the southern resort island known for its balmy winter weather, at 9 p.m. It will be the first time in 57 years that Jeju Island will come under a cold wave warning. The last such warning was issued on the island in 1964. According to the KMA, temperatures are forecast to dip to around minus 10 degree celsius at the middle slopes of Mount Halla and minus 15 degree celsius near the top of the Jeju mountain on Thursday. The mercury will stay in the range of minus 2 degree celsius to 2 degree celsius on the island`s coastal areas on the day. A heavy snow advisory has already been issued for Jeju`s mountain areas.

Cold wave warning to be issued in Seoul for first time in 3 years

Dressed in South Korea's traditional costume 'Hanbok', two divers at a Seoul aquarium made New Year bows to visitors from underwater on Sunday (January 3).

Divers in 'Hanbok' send underwater New Year greeting from Seoul aquarium

South Korea reported a record 1,097 new coronavirus cases on Sunday including an outbreak in a Seoul prison that infected 188 as the country's latest wave of COVID-19 worsens.

Prison reports major COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea

This holiday season, a cat cafe in Seoul is allowing visitors to cuddle up with around 130 feline friends, some dressed up in red-and-white Santa costumes, ready to wish people a "meow-y Cat-mas."

Santa cats spread Christmas cheer in Seoul

Experts have said a major disease outbreak in North Korea could cause a humanitarian disaster because of its fragile health care system.

North Korea: Kim Yo Jong slams Seoul over questioning zero-virus claim

Green activists Kim Yona and Lee Dong-I use the bottle caps to make a tube-squeezing device - something they hope consumers will find useful and be able to keep, rather than toss out after just one use.

South Korean "sparrows" try to cap surge of throwaway plastic

South Korea's Seoul Metropolitan Government released Halloween video and posters earlier this week to ensure residents stick to guidelines and avoid a resurgence in cases during the weekend.

'Don't end up a real ghost', warn S.Korea officials worried about virus resurgence

Like thousands of other Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused to join the military because of their religious beliefs, Lee Seung-ki will serve time in a South Korean prison.

But unlike those before him, Lee will not enter as a convicted criminal. He will be among the first conscientious objectors in South Korea allowed to perform alternative service — jobs like cook, ​janitor and clinic assistant​​ — behind prison walls.

For three years starting Monday, Lee and 63 others will work, eat and sleep in prisons, though they will live apart from the inmates and will be allowed several weeks of leave. And unlike Jehovah’s Witnesses who served prison terms for their beliefs, they will have no criminal record to trail them for the rest of their lives.

Alternative service is a seismic shift in a country that considers conscription crucial to its defense against North Korea, with which it is still technically at war. Military duty is seen as a revered rite of passage for able-bodied young men, who are required to spend 21 months in uniform, usually between the ages of 18 and 28.

South Korea has imprisoned more conscientious objectors than any other country. Its Military Service Act requires up to three years in prison for those who refuse the draft without “justifiable” reasons. For decades, hundreds of young men, almost all of them Jehovah’s Witnesses, were put behind bars each year, usually for 18 months. As inmates, they did much of the same work that Lee will be doing.

“The difference is that the old objectors did it for 18 months wearing a prisoner’s uniform, but we will do it for three years as legalized conscientious objectors,” Lee said. “I am grateful that I am finally given this chance to serve the country without ​violating my conscience.”

A historic 2018 ruling by the Constitutional Court found that imprisoning conscientious objectors was unconstitutional because there were no alternative forms of service, and it ordered the government to create some. In December, parliament passed legislation that allowed for civilian service in prisons “and other areas of public interest” — though for now, at least, prison work is the only option the government is offering.

Human rights groups were critical, saying that the three-year requirement made South Korea’s alternative service the longest in the world.

Conscientious objectors “are confronted with little more than an alternative punishment,” Arnold Fang, an East Asia researcher for Amnesty International, said in December. “Confining people to work in a prison — and for almost twice as long as the typical military service — does not respect their right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.”

Still, for Jehovah’s Witnesses, alternative service is a hard-won victory.

In the decades after the Korean War, when South Korea was ruled by military dictators, male Jehovah’s Witnesses of draft age who refused to serve were dragged into military boot camps and stockades, where they were vilified as “traitors,” beaten and in some cases killed, according to reports from a presidential commission in 2008.

One member of the church, Kim Keun-hyeong, 27, said he knew from an early age that he would end up in prison unless he abandoned his beliefs. His older brother, also a Jehovah’s Witness, was imprisoned for refusing military service. When Kim disobeyed his enlistment order, he, too, was put on trial on charges of dodging the draft.

But his case was suspended in 2013, when he joined 27 others to mount the legal challenge that led to the Constitutional Court’s ruling.

“I respect ​the decision of ​those who join the military,” Kim said. “But I also wanted my decision not to join the military for my religious conviction to be respected, as well.”

After the court’s ruling, officials and lawmakers weighed various forms of civilian service, like working in nursing homes, fire stations or hospitals. Some argued that if alternative service was not long and rigorous enough, young men would try to evade the draft under the pretext of ethical principles, compromising the country’s ability to deter North Korea’s 1.1 million-strong military.

In their prison work, conscientious objectors will be exempt from guard and prisoner-escort duty, which involves carrying firearms. But like soldiers, they will live together in barrackslike facilities.

The question of who should be excused from military service has long been a sensitive topic in South Korea.

“It’s a sacred duty to defend our country, but that doesn’t mean that everyone has to ​carry a weapon,” Noh Woong-rae, a senior lawmaker in the governing party, said this month. He floated the idea that K-pop stars, like members of BTS, should be exempted from the draft.

For decades, top athletes have been excused from military service on the grounds that they enhanced national prestige. K-pop fans say it is unfair that world-class pop stars are denied that privilege.

In a report to parliament this month, the Military Manpower Administration, which oversees the draft, offered a compromise: It would let top K-pop stars postpone their service so that they could perform for a few more years at the peak of their careers.

Such a revision would be a godsend for the oldest member of BTS, Kim Seok-jin, who turns 28 in December and must enlist within the following year.

But South Korea cannot afford too many exemptions. After decades of low birthrates, it will soon lack enough young men to maintain its conscript military at 620,000 members, defense officials say. (The military accepts female volunteers — about 13,000 are now serving — but there has never been serious discussion of drafting women.)

There is still much hostility in South Korea toward men seen as draft dodgers. Yoo Seung-jun, 43, once one of the most popular K-pop singers, saw his career crash and burn in 2002, after he was accused of evading military service by becoming an American citizen. He has since been barred from entering South Korea.

Like thousands of other Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused to join the military because of their religious beliefs, Lee Seung-ki will serve time in a South Korean prison.

Like thousands of other Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused to join the military because of their religious beliefs, Lee Seung-ki will serve time in a South Korean prison. But unlike those before him, Lee will not enter as a convicted criminal. He will be among the first conscientious objectors in South Korea allowed to perform alternative service — jobs like cook, janitor and clinic assistant — behind prison walls. For three years starting Monday, Lee and 63 others will work, eat and sleep in prisons, though they will live apart from the inmates and will be allowed several weeks of leave. And unlike Jehovah’s Witnesses who served prison terms for their beliefs, they will have no criminal record to trail them for the rest of their lives. Alternative service is a seismic shift in a country that considers conscription crucial to its defense against North Korea, with which it is still technically at war. Military duty is seen as a revered rite of passage for able-bodied young men, who are required to spend 21 months in uniform, usually between the ages of 18 and 28. South Korea has imprisoned more conscientious objectors than any other country. Its Military Service Act requires up to three years in prison for those who refuse the draft without “justifiable” reasons. For decades, hundreds of young men, almost all of them Jehovah’s Witnesses, were put behind bars each year, usually for 18 months. As inmates, they did much of the same work that Lee will be doing. “The difference is that the old objectors did it for 18 months wearing a prisoner’s uniform, but we will do it for three years as legalized conscientious objectors,” Lee said. “I am grateful that I am finally given this chance to serve the country without violating my conscience.” A historic 2018 ruling by the Constitutional Court found that imprisoning conscientious objectors was unconstitutional because there were no alternative forms of service, and it ordered the government to create some. In December, parliament passed legislation that allowed for civilian service in prisons “and other areas of public interest” — though for now, at least, prison work is the only option the government is offering. Human rights groups were critical, saying that the three-year requirement made South Korea’s alternative service the longest in the world. Conscientious objectors “are confronted with little more than an alternative punishment,” Arnold Fang, an East Asia researcher for Amnesty International, said in December. “Confining people to work in a prison — and for almost twice as long as the typical military service — does not respect their right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.” Still, for Jehovah’s Witnesses, alternative service is a hard-won victory. In the decades after the Korean War, when South Korea was ruled by military dictators, male Jehovah’s Witnesses of draft age who refused to serve were dragged into military boot camps and stockades, where they were vilified as “traitors,” beaten and in some cases killed, according to reports from a presidential commission in 2008. One member of the church, Kim Keun-hyeong, 27, said he knew from an early age that he would end up in prison unless he abandoned his beliefs. His older brother, also a Jehovah’s Witness, was imprisoned for refusing military service. When Kim disobeyed his enlistment order, he, too, was put on trial on charges of dodging the draft. But his case was suspended in 2013, when he joined 27 others to mount the legal challenge that led to the Constitutional Court’s ruling. “I respect the decision of those who join the military,” Kim said. “But I also wanted my decision not to join the military for my religious conviction to be respected, as well.” After the court’s ruling, officials and lawmakers weighed various forms of civilian service, like working in nursing homes, fire stations or hospitals. Some argued that if alternative service was not long and rigorous enough, young men would try to evade the draft under the pretext of ethical principles, compromising the country’s ability to deter North Korea’s 1.1 million-strong military. In their prison work, conscientious objectors will be exempt from guard and prisoner-escort duty, which involves carrying firearms. But like soldiers, they will live together in barrackslike facilities. The question of who should be excused from military service has long been a sensitive topic in South Korea. “It’s a sacred duty to defend our country, but that doesn’t mean that everyone has to carry a weapon,” Noh Woong-rae, a senior lawmaker in the governing party, said this month. He floated the idea that K-pop stars, like members of BTS, should be exempted from the draft. For decades, top athletes have been excused from military service on the grounds that they enhanced national prestige. K-pop fans say it is unfair that world-class pop stars are denied that privilege. In a report to parliament this month, the Military Manpower Administration, which oversees the draft, offered a compromise: It would let top K-pop stars postpone their service so that they could perform for a few more years at the peak of their careers. Such a revision would be a godsend for the oldest member of BTS, Kim Seok-jin, who turns 28 in December and must enlist within the following year. But South Korea cannot afford too many exemptions. After decades of low birthrates, it will soon lack enough young men to maintain its conscript military at 620,000 members, defense officials say. (The military accepts female volunteers — about 13,000 are now serving — but there has never been serious discussion of drafting women.) There is still much hostility in South Korea toward men seen as draft dodgers. Yoo Seung-jun, 43, once one of the most popular K-pop singers, saw his career crash and burn in 2002, after he was accused of evading military service by becoming an American citizen. He has since been barred from entering South Korea.

In South Korea, draft resisters still go to prison. But now it’s a job.

Kim Eun-hee, a South Korean fan who opened a BTS-themed café in Seoul, wants to complete her collection of memorabilia of the band by bidding more than $120,000 to buy shares in the group's music label Big Hit Entertainment in South Korea's hottest IPO, which could even shake money-markets.

Fans of boy band BTS join swarm of Ants chasing South Korea's hit IPO

An Italian-themed restaurant in Seoul is now promising the safe delivery of food to tables, keeping in line with coronavirus-proof social distancing measures, not done by humans, but by robots.

A.I. robot serves customers at Seoul restaurant amid coronavirus restrictions

Local authorities in South Korea's capital Seoul announced a ban on gatherings in the city due to surging cases of the novel coronavirus. Due to which government is facing accusations of curbing religious freedom. The new outbreak is turning into a battle.

South Korea: COVID-19 forces ban on gatherings in Seoul Churches

A spike in new coronavirus cases in South Korea has prompted authorities to reimpose tighter social distancing curbs in Seoul, but that didn`t stop thousands of demonstrators from protesting against President Moon Jae-in`s policies.

For the second day in a row in over four months, the country has reported a sudden jump in locally transmitted cases, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.

The KCDC reported 166 new cases as of Friday, of which 155 were domestic, prompting authorities to re-introduce anti-virus measures as they worried about the spectre of a fresh wave of the disease.

The tougher rules come as thousands staged demonstrations in downtown Seoul, despite a ban on rallies in the capital city, with some conservative groups protesting against President Moon`s recent real estate market policy and a series of sex scandals involving leaders of his administration.

The protests, with some carrying placards reading "Expel Moon Jae-in", coincided with the National Liberation Day from Japan’s 1910-1945 colonisation of the peninsula.

South Korea used invasive tracing and widespread testing to contain its first outbreak of the novel coronavirus, but Asia’s fourth-largest economy has experienced persistent outbreaks in recent weeks, mostly in the densely populated capital area.

The new cases took South Korea’s tally to 15,039 with 305 deaths by Friday midnight. The recent spike in infections are emerging in multiple clusters, including church gatherings and restaurants.

Over 100 infections were linked to members of a Seoul church alone and those who came into contact with the churchgoers. The authorities are testing 4,000 members of the church, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told a briefing.

The authorities decided to upgrade the social distancing guidelines to second stage for Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a meeting on Saturday.

"We are facing a desperately dangerous situation that could lead to another wave of epidemics if we cannot overcome this crisis," said Chung.

Health authorities had categorized social distancing rules in three stages - stage 1 being the least intense and stage 3 the toughest, where schools and businesses are urged to close.

Second stage limits indoor gatherings to below 50 and outdoor gatherings to below 100, and bans spectators in sports matches, disappointing fans who had just gone back into baseball and soccer stadiums after a five-week delay to the season.

A spike in new coronavirus cases in South Korea has prompted authorities to reimpose tighter social distancing curbs in Seoul, but that didn`t stop thousands of demonstrators from protesting against President Moon Jae-in`s policies.

A spike in new coronavirus cases in South Korea has prompted authorities to reimpose tighter social distancing curbs in Seoul, but that didn`t stop thousands of demonstrators from protesting against President Moon Jae-in`s policies. For the second day in a row in over four months, the country has reported a sudden jump in locally transmitted cases, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. The KCDC reported 166 new cases as of Friday, of which 155 were domestic, prompting authorities to re-introduce anti-virus measures as they worried about the spectre of a fresh wave of the disease. The tougher rules come as thousands staged demonstrations in downtown Seoul, despite a ban on rallies in the capital city, with some conservative groups protesting against President Moon`s recent real estate market policy and a series of sex scandals involving leaders of his administration. The protests, with some carrying placards reading "Expel Moon Jae-in", coincided with the National Liberation Day from Japan’s 1910-1945 colonisation of the peninsula. South Korea used invasive tracing and widespread testing to contain its first outbreak of the novel coronavirus, but Asia’s fourth-largest economy has experienced persistent outbreaks in recent weeks, mostly in the densely populated capital area. The new cases took South Korea’s tally to 15,039 with 305 deaths by Friday midnight. The recent spike in infections are emerging in multiple clusters, including church gatherings and restaurants. Over 100 infections were linked to members of a Seoul church alone and those who came into contact with the churchgoers. The authorities are testing 4,000 members of the church, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told a briefing. The authorities decided to upgrade the social distancing guidelines to second stage for Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a meeting on Saturday. "We are facing a desperately dangerous situation that could lead to another wave of epidemics if we cannot overcome this crisis," said Chung. Health authorities had categorized social distancing rules in three stages - stage 1 being the least intense and stage 3 the toughest, where schools and businesses are urged to close. Second stage limits indoor gatherings to below 50 and outdoor gatherings to below 100, and bans spectators in sports matches, disappointing fans who had just gone back into baseball and soccer stadiums after a five-week delay to the season.

Thousands protest against Moon Jae In as South Korea capital scrambles to curb virus resurgence

Many people in South Korea are reducing their income in a bit to realize the dream to buy a house. Even with unemployment spiking due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, people are giving up their jobs so that they can make themselves eligible for a quota to buy a house. Watch report.

Your Story: Rising house prices hurt South Koreans, Housing prices in Seoul soar

North Korea’s report did not specify whether the person had tested positive for COVID-19, only that he had shown symptoms

North Korea points finger at Seoul for Coronavirus

South Korea has repealed the permission given to two defector groups for sending anti-North leaflets across the border in the aftermath of Pyongyang furiously denouncing their activities and blowing up a liaison office. Revoking the groups' operational permits does not render them illegal, but will make it harder for them to raise money and deny them access to benefits for registered organisations.

The leaflets -- usually attached to hot air balloons or floated in bottles -- criticise North Korean leader Kim Jong-un over human rights abuses and his nuclear ambitions.

But by sending them, the two groups "severely hindered" the government's "efforts for unification", Seoul's unification ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also raised tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Inter-Korean relations have been in deep freeze following the collapse of a summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump early last year over what the nuclear-armed North would be willing to give up in exchange for a loosening of sanctions.

Both Koreas used to regularly send leaflets to the other side, but agreed to stop such propaganda activities -- including loudspeaker broadcasts along the frontier -- in the Panmunjom Declaration signed by Kim and the South's President Moon Jae-in at their first summit in 2018.

Last month Pyongyang issued a series of vitriolic condemnations of South Korea over the leaflets. It also upped the pressure by blowing up an inter-Korean liaison office on its side of the border and threatening military measures.

Seoul officials previously banned leaflet activities in border areas and filed a police complaint against the groups.

South Korea has repealed the permission given to two defector groups for sending anti-North leaflets across the border in the aftermath of Pyongyang furiously denouncing their activities and blowing up a liaison office.

South Korea has repealed the permission given to two defector groups for sending anti-North leaflets across the border in the aftermath of Pyongyang furiously denouncing their activities and blowing up a liaison office. Revoking the groups' operational permits does not render them illegal, but will make it harder for them to raise money and deny them access to benefits for registered organisations. The leaflets -- usually attached to hot air balloons or floated in bottles -- criticise North Korean leader Kim Jong-un over human rights abuses and his nuclear ambitions. But by sending them, the two groups "severely hindered" the government's "efforts for unification", Seoul's unification ministry said in a statement. The ministry also raised tensions on the Korean peninsula. Inter-Korean relations have been in deep freeze following the collapse of a summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump early last year over what the nuclear-armed North would be willing to give up in exchange for a loosening of sanctions. Both Koreas used to regularly send leaflets to the other side, but agreed to stop such propaganda activities -- including loudspeaker broadcasts along the frontier -- in the Panmunjom Declaration signed by Kim and the South's President Moon Jae-in at their first summit in 2018. Last month Pyongyang issued a series of vitriolic condemnations of South Korea over the leaflets. It also upped the pressure by blowing up an inter-Korean liaison office on its side of the border and threatening military measures. Seoul officials previously banned leaflet activities in border areas and filed a police complaint against the groups.

Seoul revokes permits of North Korean defector groups

Park Won-soon, mayor of South Korea's capital Seoul, was found dead around midnight, hours after his daughter filed a missing report to police Thursday evening.

South Korea: Missing Seoul mayor found dead at MT Bugak

Seoul mayor Park Won-soon, who suddenly went missing, has been found dead, police said, early on Friday.

On Thursday, a&nbsp;massive search operation began in South Korea after the mayor of Seoul, Park Won-soon was reported missing.&nbsp;

The incident came to light when the mayor's daughter called the police and said her father left "a will-like" message before leaving their house 4-5 hours earlier.&nbsp;

Reportedly, the mayor was facing sexual misconduct allegations.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-court-rejects-child-porn-site-operators-us-extradition-311061">South Korea court rejects child porn site operator's US extradition</a>

The daughter did not inform the police about the content of the message, a police official at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-and-us-ask-north-korea-to-implement-pre-planned-denuclearisation-plans-308433">South Korea and US ask North Korea to implement pre-planned denuclearisation plans</a>

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said they were searching around Sungbuk-dong, a district in northern Seoul, where Park's phone signal was last detected, adding that the phone is currently switched off.&nbsp;

The police said nearly 150 officers were deployed along with a drone and a dog to search the mayor.&nbsp;

Kim Ji-hyeong, an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, confirmed Park did not come to the office on Thursday due to unspecified reasons and cancelled all his schedules.&nbsp;

Park has been the mayor of Seoul since 2011 and is seen as a potential liberal contender for the presidential elections in 2022.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Seoul mayor Park Won-soon, who suddenly went missing, has been found dead, police said, early on Friday. On Thursday, a massive search operation began in South Korea after the mayor of Seoul, Park Won-soon was reported missing.

Seoul mayor Park Won-soon, who suddenly went missing, has been found dead, police said, early on Friday. On Thursday, a massive search operation began in South Korea after the mayor of Seoul, Park Won-soon was reported missing. The incident came to light when the mayor's daughter called the police and said her father left "a will-like" message before leaving their house 4-5 hours earlier. Reportedly, the mayor was facing sexual misconduct allegations. Also read | South Korea court rejects child porn site operator's US extradition The daughter did not inform the police about the content of the message, a police official at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said. Also read | South Korea and US ask North Korea to implement pre-planned denuclearisation plans The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said they were searching around Sungbuk-dong, a district in northern Seoul, where Park's phone signal was last detected, adding that the phone is currently switched off. The police said nearly 150 officers were deployed along with a drone and a dog to search the mayor. Kim Ji-hyeong, an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, confirmed Park did not come to the office on Thursday due to unspecified reasons and cancelled all his schedules. Park has been the mayor of Seoul since 2011 and is seen as a potential liberal contender for the presidential elections in 2022.

South Korea: Missing Seoul mayor found dead

An augmented reality (AR) mirror at the new Seoul flagship boutique of cosmetics powerhouse Amorepacific makes easy work of seeing if that scarlet shade of lipstick or long-lash mascara suits you - without touching your face.

Through the looking glass: South Korean 'augmented reality' mirror allows touchless cosmetics shopping

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been intensifying in recent weeks. Pyongyang said that it had prepared various methods including the use of 3,000 balloons to deliver the leaflets "deep inside South Korea." Seoul said it would respond depending on the delivery equipment used.

North Korea vows to send anti-Seoul leaflets:  North Korea South Korea tensions

The US embassy in Seoul tweeted a picture of its mission building draped with a huge Black Lives Matter banner to show support to the anti-racism campaigns across the world.&nbsp;

"The U.S. Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change. Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive &amp; just society," the embassy tweeted on Saturday, along with the picture of the banner in black and white.

The American Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris retweeted the message and wrote: "The USA is a free and diverse nation... from that diversity we gain our strength."

Last year, the embassy was seen displaying a rainbow banner in support of the LGBTQ community.

A sweeping global reassessment of history and racism triggered by the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while detaining him.

The US embassy in Seoul tweeted a picture of its mission building draped with a huge Black Lives Matter banner to show support to the anti-racism campaigns across the world.

The US embassy in Seoul tweeted a picture of its mission building draped with a huge Black Lives Matter banner to show support to the anti-racism campaigns across the world. "The U.S. Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change. Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive & just society," the embassy tweeted on Saturday, along with the picture of the banner in black and white. The American Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris retweeted the message and wrote: "The USA is a free and diverse nation... from that diversity we gain our strength." Last year, the embassy was seen displaying a rainbow banner in support of the LGBTQ community. A sweeping global reassessment of history and racism triggered by the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while detaining him.

US embassy in Seoul displays 'Black Lives Matter' banner in support of anti-racism protests

seoul

Seoul, News on Seoul, stories on Seoul, articles on Seoul, Seoul stories at Wion, Seoul news, Seoul latest news