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

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

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

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