Stories from Seoul · South Korea

Seoul Metro announced it will take strict measures against the misuse of discounted transit cards.

A second-instance verdict for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is expected on May 7. This case relates to actions taken during a period of martial law. The source did not specify the country or the name of the former prime minister. Han faces charges including involvement in an insurrection. The first-instance verdict, delivered in January, resulted in a 23-year prison sentence. This upcoming sentencing hearing will be broadcast live to the public.

Samsung is increasing prices for its smartphones and tablets in the United States due to a global shortage of memory chips. Price hikes for the Galaxy Flip 7 and Galaxy S25 Edge with 512GB of memory will range from $80.

An individual has returned 12 trillion won in inheritance taxes over a five-year period. This amount represents the total inheritance tax owed from the estate of a former chairman.

Seoul National University will select 30,949 students through regular admissions for the 2028 academic year. The university's regular admissions intake rose to 54,432 students, an increase of 1,800 from the previous year.

The combined market capitalization of SK Group's listed companies reached 1,139.75 trillion won as of April 30. This represents an 89.6 percent increase from 601.01 trillion won at the end of last year.

A company estimated that a multi-day strike will result in at least 640 billion won in damages. A multi-day strike has caused disruptions, with some processes being halted. Residents are reporting ongoing disruptions as electricity supply has been cut for three days following a fire in an underground electrical room.

A scandal involving audio recordings of a politician, identified as No Hee-chan, has entered mainstream discussion. The recordings, which are eight years old, reportedly reveal the extent of Samsung's influence within South Korea's legal and government structures. A TV news network and a prominent magazine have also obtained the tapes. The situation has reportedly tarnished Samsung's reputation. The BBC reported that tapes obtained in what is being called the X-File scandal have gone mainstream. The tapes are reportedly linked to a Samsung-related scandal. A lawmaker named Wei Chan has been charged with violating wiretapping laws after publishing transcripts of private conversations related to the Samsung scandal. Wei Chan may also lose his job following the publication of the transcripts to his blog.

Former lawmaker Han Jin-gyu and former MBC announcer Lee Seong-bae have been confirmed as candidates. They will face candidate Choo Mi-hee of the Democratic Party. Choo Mi-hee shared a photo of a former lawmaker's office on social media to express her resolve.

Jung Myung-seok was moved to a medical cell in July of last year after previous scrutiny regarding his housing conditions. According to information confirmed by a National Assembly office, he was moved back to a medical cell recently as public interest declined.