South Korea

SK’s space program, part of the Lunar Codex, is sending 11 traditional sijo poems, including Kim Dal-ho’s “Dream of a Meteor” and Koo Choong-hoe’s “To the Moon,” to the moon via Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander, set to reach the Mare Crisium in March

Ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol remains barricaded in his official residence with the Presidential Security Service blocking attempts to arrest him on charges of insurrection and abuse of power; authorities are considering measures to enforce the warrant

The National Assembly has impeached Acting President Han Duck-soo, who had assumed the role following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s suspension over a martial law declaration; Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is serving as Acting President amid ongoing turmoil

Novelist Han Kang won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature for her poetic prose addressing historical trauma and humanity’s fragility; her works, including famous 'The Vegetarian and Human Acts', explore violence, love, and resilience

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said he opposed President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration on 3 December and regretted he could not keep Yoon's martial law imposition at bay, adding he feels regretful and remorseful

Dongduk Women’s University has reached an agreement with student representatives to temporarily suspend discussions on transitioning to a coeducational institution; the college's proposal reignited debates over the future of local women’s universities

For the first time since 2017 South Korea did not experience a typhoon landfall this summer, while powerful storms hit the country in the past two years; experts explain it was due to a North Pacific high pressure system that caused extreme heat in August

A large crowd attended a rally against antidiscrimination legislation and legalization of same-sex marriage; organizers - an ad hoc committee of Communion of Churches and Protestant groups - claim "over a million" participated, police estimated 120.000

South Korea demanded the immediate pullout of North Korean troops allegedly deployed in Russia as it summoned the Russian ambassador to protest deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow

Special tourist zones, introduced under the Tourism Promotion Act in 1993 and established to attract foreign visitors to boost local economies, have largely fallen short of their goals, according to latest data from municipal administrations

Seoul will host a large-scale military parade today in celebration of the 76th anniversary of the Korean Armed Forces, with tanks and infantry marching through some of the city’s busiest streets with major roads closed throughout the day

Some 40% of South Korean workers who reported workplace bullying said they faced retaliation from their superiors afterward, a survey by local civic group Workplace Gabjil 119 showed, adding the government is not doing enough to face the problem