Democrats poised to go big on affordable childcare

North Korea appears to have conducted a test broadcast of its propaganda loudspeakers in areas along the inter-Korean border Thursday, a week after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister issued a warning. Residents in the South Korean border city of Paju said that loudspeaker broadcasts from North Korea began at 6 a.m., adding the volume was relatively low, but the sounds were audible from the early morning. "At 6:30 a.m., I heard music for a brief moment, followed by faint sounds resembling ghostly wails," said a resident of Daeseongdong, the only civilian village inside the Demilitarized Zone. On Oct. 22, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the North Korean leader, warned that propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts targeting South Korea would be ready along the inter-Korean border within this month. Her warning came a day after she inspected the North's border fortification work and threatened to take military action against South Korean troops over their firing of warning shots at North Korean soldiers crossing the border. A resident of Tongilchon village in Paju said he heard broadcasts

Recent U.S. visa problems involving two lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) have drawn criticism over how Washington treats representatives of a key ally. The issue comes as relations between Seoul and Washington hit "turbulence," as described by U.S. Ambassador to Korea Michelle Steel, following a series of differing opinions over matters including the timeline of wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer, joint military exercises, the projects making up Korea's $350 billion investment commitment, intelligence sharing and Korea's regulations on American firms such as Coupang. Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the DPK, chair of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, said he received a visa refusal notice ahead of a planned visit to the country from Sunday to Thursday. The delegation, Jin and lawmakers from other parties, was due to visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii and meet its commander, Adm. Samuel Paparo. In a Facebook post Wednesday, Jin called the decision an affront to the Assembly. “It disregards the standing of Korea’s National Assembly

Washington considers the participation of Korean companies all but essential to its nuclear expansion, a U.S. government official familiar with the matter said in Seoul Thursday, as the two countries look to build reactors at home and in third countries. “I think it's almost mandatory that we will have Korean companies involved,” the official said, after attending the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in Incheon. “We would like to have Korean companies participate in moving forward the renaissance in U.S. and around the world,” the official added. “We do need Korean companies, who have very good experience in this area already, to help in that process.” The official said the 123 Agreement, the bilateral pact governing civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries, does not prevent Korean firms from participating. Requirements attached to exported technology amount to standard export-control matters rather than a barrier under the agreement itself, the official noted. The Korean industry is already embedded in several U.S. projects. SK is among the la

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may have conveyed Pyongyang's position on potential talks with the United States during his recent visit to China, Seoul's spy agency told lawmakers Thursday. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) made the assessment during a closed-door parliamentary intelligence committee audit, according to Rep. Youn Kun-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Rep. Yoo Yeong-ha of the main opposition People Power Party. The NIS also said Kim may have had a purpose for his visit to China beyond commemorating Beijing's participation in the Korean War, noting that he was accompanied by senior diplomats, such as Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, rather than military officials. "China could gently convey Kim's stance to the U.S., but it does not seem like China has the intention of actively mediating talks (between Washington and Pyongyang)," the NIS was quoted as saying, without providing specific grounds for such an assessment. Kim took a one-day trip to Dandong on Saturday, meeting Wang Huning, China's top political adviser, and visiting a war memorial amid Pyong

Czech Ambassador to Korea Ivan Jančárek delivers a speech during an event commemorating Independent Czechoslovak State Day in Seoul, Tuesday. Emphasizing that economic cooperation remains the cornerstone of Korea-Czech relations, the ambassador described the Dukovany nuclear power plant project, which does not yet have a confirmed contract, as more than a construction project, calling it a long-term investment in energy security, technological excellence and mutual trust. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan highlighted the two countries' ties culminating as they established strategic partnership in 2015, noting that over 110 Korean companies have invested in the Central European country. Korea Times photo by Kim Bo-kyoung

The unification ministry is in talks with relevant government agencies on whether to co-sponsor this year's U.N. General Assembly resolution on North Korean human rights, a ministry official said Thursday. "It is difficult to comment on the specifics at this stage," the official told reporters, adding that the government's position will be finalized "soon." The resolution is under review at the Third Committee of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, which runs through next month. Seoul co-sponsored the most recent resolution adopted in March by the U.N. Human Rights Council, which condemned North Korea's "systematic, widespread and gross" violations. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has voiced concern that co-sponsoring such a resolution could provoke North Korea, which sees it as one of the most serious expressions of Seoul's hostile policy. The foreign ministry later said the government was reviewing various options, including co-sponsoring the resolution, as part of efforts to continue international cooperation on improving human rights in North Korea. "South Korea had co-sponsor

Japan’s election of its first female prime minister reflects years of deliberate effort to promote women’s participation in politics, Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima said Wednesday. Mizushima spoke at a forum marking the 10th anniversary of Women Corporate Directors (WCD) Korea in Seoul, under the theme "Visionary Boards and Inclusive Growth: Shaping the Future of Asia-Pacific Boards.” Congratulating the organization's achievements in advancing board diversity, Mizushima highlighted Japan's longstanding commitment to gender equality, citing the enactment of the Basic Act for Gender Equal Society in 1999 and the Sixth Basic Plan for Gender Equality introduced early this year to promote women in leadership. Stressing the importance of empowering the next generation, he noted that Japan's foreign ministry launched the Next Generation Gender Network program in 2025 to nurture young leaders and strengthen cross-border cooperation, particularly in Asia. "Our ultimate goal remains clear: to build a society where women have a strong voice, actively participate in decision-mak

North Korea fired about a dozen short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, the South Korean military said, in an apparent cold rebuff to Seoul's offer for talks aimed at easing border tensions sparked by a recent land mine blast. The missiles were launched from the Wonsan area on the North's east coast at around 12:30 p.m. and flew about 250 kilometers, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, adding that further analysis of other specifications was under way with coordination with the United States. Short-range ballistic missiles have a range of 300-1,000 km. A military official said the latest missile launch is believed to have involved the North's KN-25 super-large 600-millimeter multiple rocket launcher, which Pyongyang claims can be fitted with its Hwasan-31 tactical nuclear warheads. There also exists a possibility that the North conducted a mixed-salvo drill combining various offensive assets alongside the ballistic missiles, such as cruise missiles, drones or rocket artillery systems smaller than the 600-mm launcher, according to the South Korean military. The la

FUKUSHIMA, Japan — For years, Chung Hyun-suk, a Korean living in Fukushima, Japan, devoted herself to teaching Korean language and culture, building ties between local residents and her home country. But the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan in 2011 transformed her mission from cultural exchange to disaster relief and, eventually, community welfare. Chung, 65, founded Fukukan Net, a nonprofit organization promoting cultural exchanges, between Korea and Japan in 2001, when opportunities to learn Korean language and culture in Fukushima were limited. The organization thrived amid the first Korean wave in the early 2000s, buoyed by the popularity of the hit drama "Winter Sonata." At its peak, its Korean language program attracted some 400 students, while Chung continued funding much of its activities out of her own pocket alongside her work as a university lecturer. But everything changed on March 11, 2011, when the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami devastated the region. "Every day, refugees flooded in and people were dying from the tsunami, includin

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun departed for the United States on Thursday to attend a Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting and hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on key bilateral issues, officials said. Cho is scheduled to visit Atlanta through Monday to attend the two-day G20 gathering, where participating countries will discuss ways to jointly address geopolitical crises, energy and food security, supply chains, and other global challenges, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. South Korea is set to assume the G20 presidency in 2028 and plans to work with member countries to ensure continuity in discussions on global issues, ministry officials added. During his visit, Cho is also expected to meet with Rubio to discuss developments on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's recent visit to China and the prospects for renewed dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, as well as pending bilateral issues. Kim visited the Chinese border city of Dandong on Saturday amid efforts by Pyongyang and Beijing to deepen ties. Cho has said the two count

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday offered his condolences over a train crash in Spain that killed at least 68 people. Lee wrote on social media platform X that he feels "deep sadness" that the collision on Wednesday led to many casualties, including several injured Koreans. "I pray for the souls of those who lost their lives and extend my deep condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and the people of Spain amid their great sadness," he wrote. "I also sincerely wish for the quick recovery of those injured." Two high-speed trains collided on a railway linking Madrid and the southern region of Andalusia on Wednesday morning, killing at least 68 people, according to news reports. Lee confirmed there were "some" Koreans injured in the crash, saying the Korean Embassy in Spain has sent a consul to the scene to provide consular assistance.

Two Korean nationals were among hundreds of people killed or injured in a tragic train collision in Spain, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. At least 68 people were killed in the collision between two high-speed trains near Urda in Spain's Toledo province Wednesday, according to media reports. The two trains were carrying more than 500 passengers. A total of 11 Korean passengers had been confirmed aboard the trains involved in the accident as of 6:40 a.m. Thursday, according to the ministry. One of the two injured passengers sustained minor injuries and was discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment, while the other remains hospitalized, it added. "Our embassy in Spain is maintaining close contact with local authorities and continuing to check for any additional Korean casualties," the ministry said. The accident occurred when a high-speed train operated by Spain's state-owned rail operator Renfe struck a stationary train, though investigation is under way into the exact cause of the collision, according to reports.