Asia South Korea 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
Asia South Korea Over 8.300 South Korean medical students will repeat a year due to a prolonged class boycott against increased enrollment quotas; despite government offers to reverse the policy if they returned by March, most persisted; 46 students were expelled
Asia South Korea 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
Asia South Korea 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
Asia South Korea 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
Asia South Korea 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
Asia South Korea South Korea and the US held joint live-fire drills near the inter-Korean border ahead of the Freedom Shield exercise with over 160 military assets, including F-35A jets and Apache helicopters; North Korea condemned the drills as invasion rehearsals
Asia South Korea Supporters and opponents of President Yoon Suk Yeol held rallies on Geumnam-ro, Gwangju, a symbol of the 1980 democratic uprising; around 3.000 pro-Yoon protesters and 1.000 opposition members gathered, reflecting ongoing political tensions in South Korea
Asia South Korea Elementary school enrollment fell to 334.145 students in 2025, the lowest since 2008, due to declining birth rates; Seoul saw a 9,3% decrease, and some schools, like Jungang Elementary in Gwangju, enrolled only one student
Asia South Korea Thermal cameras and radar systems for bird detection will be installed at all airports in the country, with the aim of preventing incidents such as the one that occurred at Muan on 29 December 2024, that caused 179 casualties
Asia South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol, indicted on insurrection charges following his 2024 martial law declaration, would face life imprisonment or death penalty if convicted; Yoon, currently detained, argues the martial law was a warning to resolve political deadlock
Asia 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
Asia South Korea 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