South Korea
Follow the latest South Korea news, videos, and analysis from ABC News.
October 7, 2024 at 12:06 PM

South Korean woman sues govt', adoption agency after kidnapped daughter sent abroad

A 70-year-old South Korean woman on Monday sued her government, an adoption agency, and an orphanage over the adoption of her daughter, who was sent to the United States in 1976, months after she was kidnapped at age four
October 7, 2024 at 12:06 PM
Han Tae-soon speaks during a press conference in front of the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 before she sues her government, an adoption agency and an orphanage over the adoption of her daughter. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
October 7, 2024 at 8:30 AM

Philippines, South Korea deepen security cooperation, elevating ties to partnership

South Korea and the Philippines, each faced by increasingly hostile rival nations, have elevated their ties to a strategic partnership, including broader defense and security cooperation between the two U.S. treaty allies
October 7, 2024 at 8:30 AM
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., second right, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, look on as Kim Jong-Uk, second left, Commissioner General of the Korea Coast Guard, and Ronnie Gil Gavan, Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, shake hands during a meeting during a meeting at the Malacanang Palace Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 in Manila, Philippines. (Ezra Acayan/Pool Photo via AP)
October 4, 2024 at 3:34 AM

North Korea's Kim threatens to destroy South Korea with nuclear strikes if provoked

North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has threatened to use nuclear weapons and destroy South Korea permanently if provoked
October 4, 2024 at 3:34 AM
A South Korean national flag flutters in the wind at the Unification Observation Post as North Korean balloons, left, fly in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
October 4, 2024 at 2:06 AM

South Korea adoptees endure emotional, sometimes devastating searches for their birth families

They began a pilgrimage that thousands before them have done — a long flight to their motherland, South Korea, to undertake an emotional, often frustrating, sometimes devastating search for their birth families
October 4, 2024 at 2:06 AM
Maja Andersen, right, an adoptee visiting from Denmark to search for her birth family, and her daughter, Yasmin, attend the Overseas Korean Adoptees Gathering in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
October 3, 2024 at 1:50 PM

In South Korea, deepfake porn wrecks women's lives and deepens gender conflict

South Korea is fighting a deluge of non-consensual, explicit deepfake videos and images primarily targeting women online
October 3, 2024 at 1:50 PM
Citizens stage a rally against deepfake sex crime in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. The banners read "You can't insult us." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
October 1, 2024 at 5:51 AM

81-year-old South Korean falls short in a bid to become oldest Miss Universe contestant

An 81-year-old South Korean fashion model fell short in her bid to become the oldest Miss Universe contestant
October 1, 2024 at 5:51 AM
South Korean Choi Soon-hwa, 81-year-old, poses after winning the best dress award for the 2024 Miss Universe Korea in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
October 1, 2024 at 3:18 AM

South Korean court sentences 3 officers to prison over deadly 2022 Halloween crush

A South Korean court has given three police officers prison sentences over their botched handling of a 2022 Halloween crush in a Seoul nightlife district that killed nearly 160 people
October 1, 2024 at 3:18 AM
Bereaved family members of the victims of the Halloween crush in 2022 react at the Seoul Western District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (Kim Geun-soo/Newsis via AP)
September 27, 2024 at 3:18 AM

South Korea sets a compensation plan for dog meat farmers before the 2027 ban

South Korea has announced plans to compensate farmers and others in the country’s dwindling dog meat industry before a formal ban goes effect in 2027
September 27, 2024 at 3:18 AM
FILE - Dog farmers shout slogans during a rally against the government-led dog meat banning bill in front of the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea on Nov. 30, 2023. The letters read "Guarantee the right to life and freedom of choice of occupation." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
September 27, 2024 at 3:18 AM

South Korea publishes compensation plan for dog meat farmers ahead of 2027 ban

South Korea has announced plans to compensate farmers and others in the country’s dwindling dog meat industry before a formal ban goes effect in 2027
September 27, 2024 at 3:18 AM
FILE - Dog farmers shout slogans during a rally against the government-led dog meat banning bill in front of the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea on Nov. 30, 2023. The letters read "Guarantee the right to life and freedom of choice of occupation." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
September 24, 2024 at 1:26 PM

North Korea vows response to US submarine's visit to South Korea

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to boost the country’s nuclear war capability and take other steps to protest the recent arrival of a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine in South Korea
September 24, 2024 at 1:26 PM
FILE - Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2, 2019. (Jorge Silva/Pool Photo via AP, File)
September 23, 2024 at 4:39 PM

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.
September 23, 2024 at 4:39 PM
South Korea officials said Pyongyang has launched 5,500 balloons across the border since May.
3 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.
3 months ago
VIDEO: US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea as Putin threatens to arm North Korea
4 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.
4 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.
6 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.
6 months ago
VIDEO: Police chase runaway ostrich in South Korea
8 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.
8 months ago
People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin speaks at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on May 31, 2023.
9 months ago

South Korea passes ban on dog meat

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

South Korean assembly bans dog meat trade, consumption

Dog meat consumption in South Korea will be prohibited by law starting in 2027.
9 months 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.
9 months 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.
9 months 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.
9 months 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.
9 months 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.
9 months 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.
9 months ago
South Korea's opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks during his visit to Busan, South Korea, Jan. 2, 2024.
9 months 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.
9 months 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)
10 months 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.
10 months 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.
1 year 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.
1 year ago
More than a hundred cellists have played in front of the Russian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, since March 2022.
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year ago
VIDEO: South Korean President Yoon delivers remarks during joint meeting of Congress
1 year 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.”
1 year ago
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol stole the show with his rendition of Don McClean’s “American Pie.”
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year 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.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Chip and Joanna Gaines attend President Joe Biden's South Korea state dinner
1 year ago

Biden calls relationship with South Korea 'success story'

ABC News’ Elizabeth Schulze provides analysis on the bilateral meeting between President Joe Biden and South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol, as the two leaders celebrate their close relationship.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Biden calls relationship with South Korea a “success story”
1 year ago

Biden touts relationship with South Korea as 'great success story'

The state visit comes as the U.S. and South Korea mark the 70th year of the countries' alliance.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Biden touts relationship with South Korea as 'great success story'
1 year ago

Biden welcomes South Korea's president to White House

This comes ahead of a joint press conference between the two leaders and a state dinner at the White House.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Biden welcomes South Korea's president to White House
1 year ago

Biden welcomes South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to White House

The visit comes as the White House announced steps designed to deter North Korea from launching a nuclear attack on South Korea.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Biden welcomes South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to White House
1 year ago

South Korea exporting arms to Poland amid controversy over lethal aid to Ukraine

South Korea has confirmed the exports deal to Poland will continue after President Yoon Suk Yeol signaled his intentions to possibly send weapons directly to Ukraine.
1 year ago
South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol gives a speech in front of students at Keio University on the sidelines of his visit to Tokyo on March 17, 2023.
1 year ago

South Korea increases its arms exports as Russia-Ukraine war rages on

The country exported a record $17.3 billion in weapons last year, according to South Korea’s Defense Ministry.
1 year ago
The country exported a record $17.3 billion in weapons last year, according to South Korea’s Defense Ministry.
2 years ago

K-Pop stars face challenges of military conscription

ABC News' Joohee Cho reports from South Korea about K-Pop boy band members enlisting in mandatory military service and speaks with K-Pop star Siwon Choi about his experience.
2 years ago
VIDEO: K-Pop stars face challenges of military conscription
2 years ago

North Korea fires 4 ballistic missiles

North Korea launches four new missile tests as a response to joint exercises between the U.S. and South Korea.
2 years ago
VIDEO: North Korea fires 4 ballistic missiles
2 years ago

US, South Korea warn North Korea following missile launches

The U.S. and South Korea issued a warning to North Korea following intensifying missile launches.
2 years ago
VIDEO: US, South Korea warn North Korea following missile launches
2 years ago

South Korean police reveal emergency calls began hours before deadly crowd surge

South Korean police reveal that emergency calls for help began nearly four hours before the deadly crowd surge that killed at least 156 people.
2 years ago
VIDEO: South Korean police reveal emergency calls began hours before deadly crowd surge
2 years ago

The search for answers after deadly South Korean crowd surge

ABC News’ Matt Gutman reports from Seoul with the latest on the investigation into the crowd crush that killed 155 people during a Halloween celebration over the weekend.
2 years ago
VIDEO: The search for answers after deadly South Korean stampede
2 years ago

Calls were made 4 hours before deadly crowd crush, police say

Delayed police responses and an illegal street obstruction were contributing factors to the weekend’s crowd crush in Seoul, officials said on Tuesday.
2 years ago
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol looks at messages of mourners a makeshift memorial for the victims of the deadly Halloween crowd surge, outside a subway station in the district of Itaewon in Seoul on November 1, 2022.