Rappler's latest stories on The Koreas
Seoul mayor's funeral held despite objections
Despite the controversy over Park Won-soon's death, the Seoul City government organizes a 5-day funeral for him and sets up a memorial altar outside City Hall
South Korea court slashes ex-president's jail term by 10 years
She now faces a total of 22 years behind bars and she would be in her late 80s by the time her sentence is up
Kim Jong-un's sister says 'no need' for another U.S.-North Korea summit
'There is no need for us to sit across with the US right now,' say the Kim Yo-jong, sister of the North Korean leader. She says 'it is too obvious that it will only be used as boring boasting coming from someone's pride.'
Seoul mayor in apparent suicide after #MeToo allegations
(UPDATED) He won 3 elections while promoting gender and social equality
Seoul mayor missing after '#MeToo allegations'
A police complaint – allegedly involving sexual assault – was filed against Park Won-soon by a former Seoul City employee on Wednesday, July 8
Late K-pop star Goo Hara's ex-boyfriend jailed for sex video blackmail
Choi Jong-bum has been sentenced to jail for a year
South Korea police apologizes over botched serial killer case
At the time a record number of police officers for a single case were mobilized to try to find the killer, investigating some 21,000 individuals and comparing the fingerprints of around 20,000 more without success
South Korea, U.S. mark 70th anniversary of Korean War
The fighting ended with an armistice that was never replaced by a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula divided by the Demilitarized Zone and the two Koreas still technically at war
Pirates kidnap 6 off Benin – authorities
Seoul's foreign ministry says 5 of its nationals were seized along with a Ghanaian
South Korea trade minister runs for WTO top job
South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee is the 5th candidate officially in the race to replace World Trade Organization Director-General Robert Azevedo
North Korea's Kim suspends military plans against South – KCNA
The North also begin removing loudspeakers from border areas, which they had started setting up just two days ago to broadcast anti-South propaganda
South Korea reports 46 new virus cases as it tackles 'second wave'
In the last month South Korea sees around 35 to 50 new coronavirus cases a day, mostly in the Seoul metropolitan area where half of the population lives
Ex-Trump aide Bolton says North Korea's Kim laughing at U.S. president
(UPDATED) Former US national security advisor John Bolton also says he does not consider Trump to be fit for office and hopes he is a one-term president
North Korea says millions of leaflets readied against South
More than '3,000 balloons of various types capable of scattering leaflets deep inside South Korea, have been prepared,' says the Korean Central News Agency
North Korea preparing anti-South leaflet campaign – KCNA
'Enraged' North Koreans are now 'pushing forward with the preparations for launching a large-scale distribution' of 'leaflets of punishment' into the South, according to a KCNA report
Seoul's unification minister resigns over North Korea tensions
South Korean president President Moon Jae-in accepts 'Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul's offer to resign'
North Korea vows to step up border military activities
The demolition of the liaison office in the Kaesong Industrial Zone, just across the border in Northern territory, comes after Pyongyang vehemently condemns Seoul over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by defectors into the North
Kim Yo Jong: North Korean leader's increasingly powerful sister
The North has never had a woman leader but speculation swirls over Yo Jong as a potential successor in the event of the death of her brother
North Korea blows up inter-Korean liaison office near border with South
(4th UPDATE) After an emergency meeting, Seoul's National Security Council says it would 'react strongly' if Pyongyang 'continues to take steps that aggravate the situation'
U.S. embassy in Seoul removes Black Lives Matter banner
The Black Lives Matter banner is taken down on June 15, with CNN quoting an anonymous source saying the request to do so came from the office of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
North Korea warns South to drop 'nonsensical' denuclearization talk
South Korea is the target of a wave of angry statements recently from the North, which accused Seoul of allowing defectors to launch leaflets critical of leader Kim Jong-un into its territory
North Korea denounces U.S. two years after Singapore summit
The latest broadside contains some of the harshest criticism Pyongyang has sent Washington's way in recent months, and casts doubt over the future of the two sides' long-stalled nuclear talks process
North Korea warns U.S. to stay out of inter-Korean affairs
A North Korean official says Washington should 'hold its tongue and mind its internal affairs first' if it wanted to avoid experiencing a 'hair-raiser' and ensure the 'easy holding' of November's presidential vote
Some 'starving' in North Korea as virus measures deepen food crisis – U.N. expert
Before the coronavirus crisis, more than 40% of people in North Korea are already considered food insecure, with many suffering malnutrition
North Korea to cut communication lines to South
Calls by the South to the North on their hotlines now go unanswered
Head of Korea 'comfort women' shelter found dead amid probe
The 60-year-old woman is believed to have taken her own life, police say
South Korea approves remdesivir for virus patients
A South Korean government review of remdesivir research says it has proven 'clinically meaningful' in cutting patients' recovery times
South Korea plans $29-billion virus stimulus
The South Korean government is eyeing a 35.3-trillion-won ($29-billion) package, its 3rd in response to the coronavirus pandemic
BLACKPINK’s Lisa was swindled by manager, YG Entertainment apologizes
The agency says that the person has left the company, and that they are taking ‘preventive measures’ to keep it from happening again
South Korea's GDP to shrink faster – central bank
The Bank of Korea predicts the world's 12th biggest economy will shrink at least 2% in the April-June period
South Korea re-imposes some social restrictions to combat new virus cases
The new cases – mostly centered in the Seoul metropolitan area where half the South Korean population lives – prompts officials to strengthen social distancing rules that were eased on May 6
South Korea taps domestic tourism to revive industry
'Can we find tourism with eased social distancing? The brief answer is ‘yes’ but it’s going to be in domestic tourism and in a very limited way, very careful way,' says Korean tourism expert Wangoo Lee
South Korea predicts economy will shrink, cuts interest rate
The Bank of Korea sees a 0.2% economic contraction for 2020. It also says 'the employment situation has deteriorated.'
South Korea sees largest spike in virus cases in nearly 2 months
An outbreak at a warehouse of e-commerce firm Coupang in Bucheon, west of Seoul, has seen 69 cases, says the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
South Korea sees biggest jump in virus cases in 7 weeks
Officials announce 40 new cases – taking its total to 11,265 – with most new infections from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area. This is the largest increase since 53 infections were announced on April 8.
U.N. says both Koreas broke armistice in DMZ shooting
But the United Nations Command's investigation is 'unable to definitively determine' whether the North's gunshots were fired 'intentionally or by mistake'
North Korea discusses new policies for increasing 'nuclear war deterrence' – KCNA
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un discusses with the Central Military Commission 'crucial measures... for considerably increasing the firepower strike ability' of the military
Korean football club hit with record fine over sex dolls in stands
The K-League says the sex toy controversy 'damaged the integrity of the league'
South Korea prosecutors demand 35-year jail term for ex-leader Park
Park Geun-hye, the country's first female president, is being retried in the High Court on the bribery, abuse of power and spy agency charges
South Korean football league to investigate 'sex doll' row
A top Korean football club comes under fire for using sex dolls to fill empty seats in the stadium
Schools reopen in South Korea as coronavirus fears ease
While final-year students are required to come to school every day, younger pupils will shift between online and offline classes to ensure school buildings are not overcrowded
Park grabs first pro win at 'virus-proofed' Korean golf event
Park Hyun-kyung rules the first high-level women's golf event as action returns in South Korea for the first time in months
K-pop stars' gang rape, spycam jail terms cut
Singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young's sentence has been cut to 5 years, while Choi Jong-hoon, a former member of boyband FT Island will serve 2.5 years
South Korea deploys mobile data, police to tackle nightlife cluster
The spike of new cases, driven by the cluster in venues in Seoul's Itaewon district forces authorities to delay this week's planned re-opening of schools
Nightlife cluster gives South Korea largest case rise in a month
85 cases are so far linked to a 29-year-old man who tested positive after spending time at 5 clubs and bars in the Itaewon area
Seoul closes bars and clubs over fears of second virus wave
(UPDATED) Gyeonggi province – which surrounds Seoul – also orders more than 5,700 entertainment facilities to suspend operations for two weeks
North Korea lashes South as Kim praises China's Xi
Kim Jong-un sends Chinese leader Xi Jinping a diplomatic communication congratulating him for China's 'success' in controlling the novel coronavirus epidemic
SM Entertainment opens global auditions for aspiring K-pop stars
Do you think you have what it takes to be SM Entertainment's newest star?
Schools to reopen as virus fears ease in South Korea
The decision about schools comes ahead of South Korea's expected loosening of social distancing rules on Wednesday, May 6
Seoul says Kim Jong-un not believed to have received surgery – report
An unnamed official says Seoul had enough grounds to draw the conclusion
