The most powerful typhoon to hit the country in years battered the south, dumping almost a meter of rain, destroying roads and power lines; 20.000 homes were left without electricity as people fled to safer ground, but the damage nationwide was limited

The new National Assembly of 300 members selected in last week's general election will have no independent members for the first time in over five decades: 58 candidates without political party affiliation ran in 254 constituency, but none prevailed

An activist group led by ecologist Shin Joon Hwan would like to gradually replace all cherry trees of the Yoshino, or Tokyo cherry, variety with a type it claims is native to the country, since cherry trees are symbolic of Japanese colonial rule

Housing supply measures to favor households with newborns up to 2 years old came into effect to curb housing costs, one of the factors bringing the country’s fertility rate to the world's lowest level; 70.000 units per year are offered in the operation

Doctors and trainees, on strike for days, who do not return to work today 1 March will be punished with at least a three-month suspension of their medical licence and other legal action, Minister of the Interior declared