South Korea
Follow the latest South Korea news, videos, and analysis from ABC News.
2 hours ago

South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law

South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol has avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law
2 hours ago
Protesters stage a rally demanding South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment following the president's short-lived martial law declaration in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (Seo Dae-yeon/Yonhap via AP)
December 7, 2024 at 8:36 PM

South Korea's president avoids impeachment after ruling party boycotts vote

As lawmakers debated to impeach South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol, all but two members of Yoon’s own People Power Party walked out of the National Assembly session.
December 7, 2024 at 8:36 PM
Protesters stage a rally demanding South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment following the president's short-lived martial law declaration in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. Slogans read "Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol."
December 7, 2024 at 10:22 AM

South Korean president faces impeachment vote after imposing martial law

The country's dominant opposition party moved to impeach Yoon on Wednesday, submitting a motion a day after his declaration of martial law set off political chaos.
December 7, 2024 at 10:22 AM
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol answers a reporter's question during a press conference at the Presidential Office in Seoul, Nov. 7, 2024.
December 6, 2024 at 4:01 AM

South Korea's ruling party now believes it is 'necessary' to suspend President Yoon

Relieving South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol of his duties would "protect the Republic of Korea and its people,” the ruling party's leader said.
December 6, 2024 at 4:01 AM
People watch a TV screen broadcasting a news report on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law and the following announcement that he will lift the martial law, after parliamentary vote, at a railway station in Seoul, Dec. 4, 2024.
December 5, 2024 at 8:01 PM

South Korean president accepts defense minister's resignation

President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declared martial law late Tuesday, before withdrawing troops hours later.
December 5, 2024 at 8:01 PM
People take part in a protest calling for the resignation of South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol at the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 4, 2024.
December 4, 2024 at 4:46 PM

South Korean president faces calls to resign

Retired Gen. Robert Abrams joined ABC News Live to discuss President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declaring martial law late Tuesday, before withdrawing troops hours later.
December 4, 2024 at 4:46 PM
VIDEO: South Korean president faces calls to resign
December 4, 2024 at 4:23 PM

South Korean president faces fallout after failed martial law attempt

ABC News’ Ian Pannell reports on the fallout after President Yoon Suk Yeo declared martial law on Tuesday night, a decision which lawmakers unanimously voted to be overturned.
December 4, 2024 at 4:23 PM
VIDEO: South Korean president faces fallout after failed martial law attempt
December 4, 2024 at 4:00 PM

South Korean president faces impeachment after martial law declaration

President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declared martial law late Tuesday, before withdrawing troops hours later.
December 4, 2024 at 4:00 PM
Lawmakers and South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party members hold placards reading "Yoon Suk Yeol should resign!" during a rally against President Yoon Suk Yeol at the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 4, 2024.
December 4, 2024 at 12:49 PM

US has 'grave concern' as South Korea imposes, then overturns, martial law

Officials from the White House, Pentagon and State Department all said they were in close contact with their South Korean counterparts as they assessed the situation.
December 4, 2024 at 12:49 PM
People gather outside the National Assembly, after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, Dec. 4, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea.
December 4, 2024 at 5:49 AM

US expresses 'grave concern' after South Korea’s president imposes martial law

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing growing calls to resign, after he imposed martial law Tuesday, claiming opposition leaders are trying to overthrow the government.
December 4, 2024 at 5:49 AM
US expresses 'grave concern' after South Korea’s president imposes martial law
December 4, 2024 at 3:09 AM

South Korean president backs down after martial law declaration

ABC News’ Joohee Cho reports from Seoul on the sudden declaration of martial law in South Korea, as well as the responses that may have informed President Yoon Suk Yeol's reversal on Tuesday.
December 4, 2024 at 3:09 AM
South Korean president backs down after martial law declaration
December 4, 2024 at 1:56 AM

South Korean president's chief of staff resigns after martial law lifted

President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declared martial law late Tuesday, before withdrawing troops hours later.
December 4, 2024 at 1:56 AM
South Korean soldiers try get into the national assembly, Dec. 4, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea.
December 3, 2024 at 7:16 PM

South Korean parliament votes to lift martial law following president's declaration

President Yoon said he declared martial law due to the opposition's actions.
December 3, 2024 at 7:16 PM
VIDEO: South Korean parliament votes to lift martial law following president's declaration
December 3, 2024 at 5:02 PM

South Korean president declares martial law

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an "emergency martial law" in a televised speech on Tuesday, the Yonhap news agency reported.
December 3, 2024 at 5:02 PM
VIDEO: South Korean president declares martial law
November 29, 2024 at 9:26 AM

Customers at Starbucks can sip coffee and observe a quiet North Korean village

Coffee drinkers can sip their beverages and view a quiet North Korean mountain village from a Starbucks shop at a South Korean border observatory
November 29, 2024 at 9:26 AM
North Korea's Kaephung county is reflected on the newly opened Starbucks store's window at the observatory of the Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
November 25, 2024 at 8:46 AM

Seoul court acquits South Korean opposition leader on charges of instigating perjury

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has been acquitted on charges he persuaded a witness to lie in court to understate Lee's past criminal conviction, in a rare moment of relief from broad legal troubles that threaten to derail his political c...
November 25, 2024 at 8:46 AM
South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, center, arrives at a court in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (Kim Hong-ji/Pool Photo via AP)
1 month ago

North Korea trash balloon lands in South Korea president's compound, security says

A North Korean "trash balloon" landed inside the South Korean presidential compound in the capital Seoul on Thursday amid rising tensions between the two neighbors.
1 month ago
A North Korean "trash balloon" landed inside the South Korean presidential compound in the capital Seoul on Thursday amid rising tensions between the two neighbors.
2 months ago

North Korea sending troops to aid Russia: South Korean intelligence

ABC News' Britt Clennett reports on this potential threat and the response from the U.S.
2 months ago
VIDEO: North Korea sending troops to aid Russia: South Korean intelligence
2 months ago

BTS member J-Hope finishes mandatory military enlistment in South Korea

K-pop idol J-Hope was discharged from the military on Thursday, becoming the second member of BTS to finish mandatory enlistment in South Korea.
2 months ago
WONJU, SOUTH KOREA - OCTOBER 17: J-Hope of BTS reacts after being discharged from military service at the army's 36th Infantry Division on October 17, 2024 in Wonju, Gangwon-do province, South Korea. J-Hope is the second BTS member to complete the 18-month mandatory military service, which is required for all able-bodied male citizens in South Korea before they turn 28. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)
2 months ago

South Korea fires warning shots after North Korea blows up border roads

South Korea's military said Tuesday it detected explosions on two cross-border roads connecting the country to North Korea.
2 months ago
South Korea's military said Tuesday it detected explosions on two cross-border roads connecting the country to North Korea.
2 months ago

South Korea fires warning shots after North Korea blows up border roads

South Korea's military said Tuesday it detected explosions on two cross-border roads connecting the country to North Korea.
2 months ago
A TV screen reports North Korea has blown up parts of northern side of inter-Korean roads during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.
2 months ago

South Korean author Han Kang awarded Nobel Prize in literature

The poet and novelist was praised by the Nobel committee for her “intense poetic prose.”
2 months ago
The poet and novelist was praised by the Nobel committee for her “intense poetic prose.”
2 months ago

South Korea threatens military response for North Korean 'trash balloons'

South Korea officials said Pyongyang has launched 5,500 balloons across the border since May.
2 months ago
South Korea officials said Pyongyang has launched 5,500 balloons across the border since May.
5 months ago

US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea as Putin threatens to arm North Korea

A nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, reached port in Busan for planned drills with South Korea and Japan.
5 months ago
VIDEO: US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea as Putin threatens to arm North Korea
6 months ago

BTS members embrace bandmate Jin after he's discharged from South Korean military

RM played the trumpet as fellow BTS members J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook lined up to embrace Jin, who was discharged from his mandatory service in the South Korean military.
6 months ago
RM played the trumpet as fellow BTS members J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook lined up to embrace Jin, who was discharged from his mandatory service in the South Korean military.
8 months ago

Police chase runaway ostrich in South Korea

An ostrich escaped from a zoo in South Korea on Tuesday and ran wild in the streets for about an hour until being safely captured, officials say.
8 months ago
VIDEO: Police chase runaway ostrich in South Korea
10 months ago

South Korean ruling party lawmaker attacked in Seoul, aide says

Bae, a member of the People Power Party and a former TV journalist, was hit with a palm-sized rock on the back of her head, an aide said.
10 months ago
People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin speaks at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on May 31, 2023.
1 year ago

South Korea passes ban on dog meat

South Korea's National Assembly passed the bill by a 208-0 vote.
1 year ago
South Korea's National Assembly passed the bill by a 208-0 vote.
1 year ago

South Korean assembly bans dog meat trade, consumption

Dog meat consumption in South Korea will be prohibited by law starting in 2027.
1 year ago
Animal rights activists attend a protest rally supporting the government-led dog meat banning bill at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.
1 year ago

South Korean opposition leader in ICU after attack at press conference

South Korean Democratic Party Leader Lee Jae-myung was hospitalized after being attacked during a press conference in Busan, South Korea, police said.
1 year ago
South Korean opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks to reporters as he visits the site of a new airport in Busan on Jan. 2, 2024.
1 year ago

South Korean opposition leader stabbed, rushed to hospital

South Korean Democratic Party Leader Lee Jae-myung was hospitalized after being attacked during a press conference in Busan, South Korea, state media reported.
1 year ago
South Korean Democratic Party Leader Lee Jae-myung was hospitalized after being attacked during a press conference in Busan, South Korea, state media reported.
1 year ago

South Korean opposition leader stabbed, rushed to hospital

South Korean Democratic Party Leader Lee Jae-myung was hospitalized after being attacked during a press conference in Busan, South Korea, state media reported.
1 year ago
South Korea's opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks during his visit to Busan, South Korea, Jan. 2, 2024.
1 year ago

Lee Sun-kyun, star of Oscar-winning film 'Parasite,' dies, police say

"Parasite" actor Lee Sun-kyun has died, police in South Korea confirmed to ABC News.
1 year ago
South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun arriving at a police station in Incheon for police questioning in December 2023 (Photo by Yonhap / YONHAP / AFP)
1 year ago

North Korea redeploys troops to surveillance posts along DMZ, South Korea says

The North Korean military has been spotted re-installing surveillance posts according to surveillance footage provided by the South Korean military Monday.
1 year ago
North Korean military personnel are seen in a guard post within the DMZ in an undated photo released by the South Korean Military on Nov. 27, 2023.
1 year ago

South Korea fights off unprecedented bedbug infestation

South Korean officials have been detecting and exterminating bedbugs for the last two weeks as a major disinfection of transportation and public facilities is on the way.
1 year ago
FILE PHOTO: A bed bug is seen on a glove of a biocide technician from the company Hygiene Premium who treats an apartment against bed bugs in L'Hay-les-Roses, near Paris, France, September 29, 2023.
1 year ago

South Korea fights bedbug infestation

The first bedbug outbreak was reported in October at a public bath house in Incheon.
1 year ago
The first bedbug report was in October at a public bath house in Incheon.
1 year ago

Biden holds milestone summit with Japan and South Korea

The president's historic summit in Camp David is where Japan and South Korea agreed to expand security and economic ties.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Biden holds milestone summit with Japan and South Korea
1 year ago

Biden holds landmark trilateral meeting with Japanese, Korean leaders

ABC News’ Selina Wang is at Camp David where President Joe Biden is set to hold a trilateral meeting with Japanese and South Korean leaders.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Biden holds landmark trilateral meeting with Japanese, Korean leaders
1 year ago

US nuclear-armed submarine makes rare appearance in South Korea

ABC News’ Martha Raddatz reports on the U.S. nuclear submarine in South Korea on “This Week.”
1 year ago
VIDEO: US nuclear-armed submarine makes rare appearance in South Korea
1 year ago

Exclusive: Inside the US nuclear missile sub in South Korea

Martha Raddatz reports from inside the first U.S. nuclear sub to visit South Korea, in four decades.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Exclusive: Inside the US nuclear missile sub in South Korea
1 year ago

ABC News Exclusive: Inside the US nuclear ballistic missile submarine in South Korea

Martha Raddatz reports from the first such sub to visit near North Korea.
1 year ago
Commander Lee "Randy" Fike talks with ABC's Martha Raddatz aboard the USS Kentucky, a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine, anchored at the Busan Naval Base in Busan, South Korea, July 20, 2023.
1 year ago

Inside look of nuclear US submarine in South Korea

ABC News’ Martha Raddatz goes aboard the U.S.S. Kentucky, a nuclear ballistic missile submarine and first of its kind to travel to the country in more than four decades.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Inside look of nuclear US submarine in South Korea
1 year ago

North Korea fires 'unidentified ballistic missile,' South Korean military says

North Korea fired "an unidentified ballistic missile" toward the East Sea on Thursday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
1 year ago
A TV screen shows a report of North Korea's missile launch with a file image during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, June 15, 2023. North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile off its east coast on Thursday, hours after South Korean and U.S. troops ended a fifth round of large-scale live-fire drills near the Koreas' heavily fortified border.
2 years ago

Seoul musicians protest Ukraine war with music

More than a hundred cellists have played in front of the Russian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, since March 2022.
2 years ago
More than a hundred cellists have played in front of the Russian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, since March 2022.
2 years ago

State dinner surprise: South Korean president sings 'American Pie'

Yoon's visit marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S. and South Korea’s alliance.
2 years ago
President Joe Biden reacts as South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol sings the song American Pie by Don Mclean in the State Dining Room of the White House, April 26, 2023, following the State Dinner.
2 years ago

Group of North Koreans defect, cross border into South Korea

A group of North Koreans crossed the Northern Limit Line in a fishing boat on May 6, South Korean authorities confirmed Thursday.
2 years ago
A South Korean Navy Incheon-class frigate (back) is seen from a ferry traveling to South Korea's eastern island of Ulleungdo in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, on November 3, 2022.
2 years ago

South Korean President Yoon delivers remarks during joint meeting of Congress

ABC’s Elizabeth Schulze reports on South Korean President Yoon’s message of democracy before a joint meeting of Congress, as well as the latest GDP report and the GOP House vote on the debt ceiling.
2 years ago
VIDEO: South Korean President Yoon delivers remarks during joint meeting of Congress
2 years ago

South Korean president sings 'American Pie' at White House State Dinner

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol stole the show with his rendition of Don McClean’s “American Pie.”
2 years ago
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol stole the show with his rendition of Don McClean’s “American Pie.”
2 years ago

Yoon tells Congress the US-South Korea alliance is 'stronger than ever'

The U.S. and South Korea are marking the 70th anniversary of their alliance as they face North Korean aggression and Chinese expansion in the Indo-Pacific region.
2 years ago
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waves before addressing Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., April 27, 2023.
2 years ago

Chip and Joanna Gaines attend President Joe Biden's South Korea state dinner

The "Fixer Upper" stars, along with other celebrities like Angelina Jolie and her son Maddox, were in attendance at the White House event for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
2 years ago
VIDEO: Chip and Joanna Gaines attend President Joe Biden's South Korea state dinner