Stories from Seoul · South Korea

South Korean industrial production increased by 0.3% in March, marking the second consecutive month of growth following a 2.1% rise in February. Soil experiments confirmed the film is environmentally friendly, with 34.4% decomposing within approximately 15 days. The material is being positioned as an alternative to polyethylene film amid prolonged high oil prices caused by Middle East tensions. The study, published in the journal Green Chemistry, shows the film effectively blocks ultraviolet rays. It also limits soil moisture loss to approximately 5% over a two-week period. The research focuses on the chemical and environmental sectors. A special committee investigating allegations of parliamentary manipulation has adopted a final report led by the Democratic Party.

Krafton has announced a May 14 early access release date for Subnautica 2. The announcement follows a surge in the company's Q1 2026 financial results driven by PUBG performance.

People Power Party leaders Jang Dong-hyeok and Song Won-seok maintained separate schedules throughout Thursday, fueling rumors of internal party fractures.

A study by the Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute analyzed drunk driving accidents from 2020 to 2024. The number of accidents fell from approximately 17,000 to 11,000 cases over the five-year period, representing a 36 percent reduction.

Kim So-young is on trial for a series of murders involving the use of benzodiazepine-based psychotropic drugs in Seoul. Prosecutors allege Kim spiked alcohol or hangover relief drinks with the substances between October last year and January this year to incapacitate three men.

A special committee in South Korea adopted a report led by the Democratic Party following clashes between ruling and opposition parties. The committee identified 31 witnesses for potential perjury or oath-breaking charges. The Democratic Party reported that the special committee confirmed the reality of manipulated indictments and will pursue a special prosecutor. The party intends to move quickly to pursue a special counsel investigation. Conversely, the People Power Party criticized the move, claiming statements from former chairman Kim Seong-tae and former vice chairman Bang Young-cheol proved the allegations of manipulation were baseless. The People Power Party further described the push for a special counsel as a self-pardon attempt by President Lee Jae-myung.

US Forces Korea Commander J.B.O. Boranson stated there are no plans to reduce US troop levels in South Korea. The commander is instead pursuing modernization of US Forces Korea to address rapidly changing strategic challenges.

A soldier, identified as Person A, fabricated a story about transportation difficulties to avoid returning to his unit on his scheduled return date. The individual's girlfriend, a nurse, allegedly participated by calling a commanding officer to relay false information.

A major investment strategy has overtaken BlackRock in terms of total Bitcoin holdings. The strategy acquired 3.7 trillion KRW worth of Bitcoin over a single week. Strategy has purchased an additional 3,273 Bitcoin, valued at approximately 376 billion KRW.

The incident occurred on December 12, 2024, in Jung-gu, Seoul, during a movement involving former President Yoon Suk-yeol. The charges relate to unauthorized road occupation following an emergency drill on October 3, 2024.