South Korea

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

Smoking accounted for more than 80% of in-flight illegal acts reported by South Korea's 10 carriers in the past five years; under South Korean law, a fine of up to 10 million won ($7,500) is imposed for in-flight smoking, including e-cigarettes

New balloons likely carrying trash, launched by North Korea, could travel to northern Gyeonggi Province, just north of Seoul and mark a resumption of its trash-balloon campaign after a near monthlong halt

A nationwide civil defense drill has been announced for 22 August beginning with an air-raid warning at 2:00pm and ending with a lifting siren; authorities will restrict the movement of residents and the operation of vehicles for approximately 15 minutes

The law banning breeding or slaughter in dog farms and the distribution of dog-sourced meats, came into effect yesterday, as the country is working to compensate over 5.600 shops in the domestic dog farm industry on the verge of the shutdown

To preserve Jejueo language, native of beloved Jeju Island, and promote learning among young generations, the Jeju Dialect Institute launched an online dictionary with over 20.000 definitions and a collection spanning from literature to songs and videos

Heavy rainfall has been affecting the South Chungcheong and the North Jeolla provinces for 36 continued hours, causing floods and triggering landslides that have resulted in at least four casualties and damage; media report over 3.500 people displaced

May and June saw efforts to enhance relations with China and engageme across multiple fronts in Asia and Africa, to foster economic cooperation and security and navigate complex international dynamics, says SK Report of Asan Institute for Policy Studies