South Korea

A nationwide ban on smartphones in elementary, middle, and high schools will start on 1 March 2026 to curb youth addiction and improve focus; it prohibits the use of phones in class, with exceptions for emergencies or approved educational purposes

Police raided HYBE, the agency behind BTS, the globally famous K-pop group, as part of a probe into alleged unfair share trading by chairman Bang Si-hyuk; He’s accused of misleading investors before HYBE’s 2020 IPO, the initial public offering of stock

In Incheon’s Songdo district, a 63-year-old father allegedly shot and killed his son at a birthday party with a crude homemade gun and fled; Police arrested him in Seoul and found 15 improvised explosives at his home, forcing evacuation for 100 residents

After a 17-month boycott over the government’s plan to boost med school admissions, medical students announced their return to classes; They urged academic support and reforms in training, while trusting Parliament and the government to guide improvements

Full support for AI as a key growth driver was pledged by President Lee Jae Myung, who launched a major data center project in Ulsan with SK Group and AWS, part of an “AI highway” to help make Korea a global AI leader, backed by tax breaks and reforms

New liberal President Lee Jae‑myung won a snap election, pledging to revive democracy and restart the economy, tackle cost‑of‑living pressures, deregulate markets, and pursue pragmatic diplomacy, strengthening U.S. ties engaging North Korea and China

54,9% of South Koreans are in a state of prolonged resentment, 12,8% severe, with nearly 70% of respondents answering that they believe the world is unfair, according to latest survey by Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Health

The presidential election have been officially scheduled for June 3, following the Constitutional Court's impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol; Candidate registration closes May 11, with campaigns starting May 12

The military deployed 600 soldiers and 49 helicopters to combat wildfires in southeastern provinces, as nearly 7.000 personnel and over 300 helicopters have been involved to curb fires scorched 48.000 hectares, causing 30 deaths and at least 40 injuries

A 79-year-old man, believed to be a supporter of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, self-immolated on 7 March near the Seoul City Hall; He had scattered pro-Yoon printouts before the act and this is the second such incident after a similar case in January