Total births have decreased over the past decade, shrinking from 471.000 in 2011 to 261.000 in 2021, while the rate of premature births grew from 6% to 9,2%; figures are published in new statistics from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs

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