Stories from Seoul · South Korea

A vinyl manufacturer has reduced its operations to less than half capacity due to a sharp decline in naphtha supply. Naphtha prices have risen 50 percent in the month since the war began and are projected to double next month.

South Korea and Ghana signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to expand cooperation in climate change, artificial intelligence, and maritime security. Police have referred a case involving a child's death to prosecutors.

A major strategy has overtaken BlackRock in terms of total Bitcoin holdings. The entity reportedly consumed 3.7 trillion won worth of Bitcoin over a single week.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense announced that its fifth satellite has completed its testing phase. The announcement was made in a statement released today. This marks the first successful deployment of this specific satellite type by a private entity.

This initiative aims to transition police vehicle fleets toward electric mobility. They characterized the US actions as an infringement on South Korean judicial sovereignty and an intervention in internal affairs. The lawmakers claim US officials are attempting to link the investigation into e-commerce giant Coupang's user data leak to bilateral diplomatic or security cooperation. Electric vehicle sales in South Korea reached 107,000 units by mid-February. One in five new cars sold in the country is now an electric vehicle. Tesla accounted for half of all electric vehicle sales during this period. The total number of electric vehicles currently operating in South Korea has exceeded 1 million units. Increased sales are attributed to high oil prices and a wider variety of available models, including SUVs and commercial vehicles.

Thirteen passengers were rescued within approximately 30 minutes after an elevator stopped at Seoul Asan Hospital in Songpa-gu, Seoul. The elevator was carrying passengers when the malfunction occurred around 2:20 PM. The hospital plans to investigate the exact cause of the incident. The warehouse mentioned in a separate report contained shoe materials and tires. The rescue operation took about 30 minutes to complete.

A passenger car and an SUV collided at an intersection in Sinjeong-dong, Seoul, around 11:00 AM. The collision caused the SUV to overturn, resulting in smoke rising from the vehicle. District office employees on the scene used hammers to break the windows and rescue the driver. No casualties were reported due to the rapid response of nearby officials. Local district office employees responded quickly to the scene, preventing further damage or casualties. The incident was reported by YTN reporter Choi Seung-hoon.

Demolition work has commenced at a building damaged by fire to facilitate a forensic investigation. Safety engineers plan to move vehicles from the third floor and rooftop before proceeding with the removal. Police estimate the demolition process will take approximately 45 days. Due to collapse risks, forensic examination of the first floor will be decided based on the progress of the demolition. Investigators intend to use sky vehicles to observe the interior and conduct searches for remains and personal effects.

Former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Seong-tae appeared before a National Assembly special committee investigating allegations of manipulated indictments. Kim denied allegations of being an accomplice to President Lee Jae-myung. He refuted Democratic Party claims that $8 million sent to North Korea was for stock price manipulation or used for parties. Kim expressed emotion and apologized to the President during his testimony. Kim noted he had previously visited a police station following verbal abuse. He refused to answer most questions from the People Power Party, citing his ongoing trial. The hearing also faced disruptions regarding alleged contact with Seo Yong-gyo.

Fire authorities in Seoul conducted searches for several deer reported to have escaped from a farm. The Seoul Guro Fire Station responded to a report at approximately 6:00 PM today regarding the sighting. A similar report was received earlier at 1:00 PM, but the animals have not yet been located. The deer reportedly escaped from a farm located approximately 3km away from the mountain area.