Residents of a South Korean island attacked by North Korea in 2010 fear it could become a flashpoint again. They hid in air raid shelters in early January after North Korea conducted artillery drills.
A gift accepted by the country's first lady has set off very public debates about ethics and revealed ruling party divisions just weeks before legislative elections.
The bill would make the slaughtering, breeding, trade and sales of dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027 and punish such acts with 2-3 years in prison.
The new round of artillery drills near the two countries' disputed sea boundary came a day after the North's similar exercises prompted South Korea to respond with its own firing drills.
The rival Koreas fired artillery rounds into the sea as part of provocative drills along their disputed sea boundary Friday, in violation of the fragile 2018 inter-Korean agreement.
Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck, authorities said, during a visit to the city of Busan. No motive for the attack was immediately available.
South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, who played a rich entrepreneur in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, was found dead on Wednesday. Police suspect he died by suicide.
Since the collapse of nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington in 2019, analysts see a major shift in North Korea's foreign relations. It has turned increasingly to Moscow.
South Korea had no military reconnaissance satellites of its own in space and has partially resorted to the United States' spy satellites to monitor moves by North Korea.
The South Korean announcement — which will likely infuriate North Korea — came hours after the North claimed to have placed a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.
Experts point to economic difficulties from prolonged international sanctions, but the closures may signal a possible change in North Korea's foreign policy that is more focused on Moscow and Beijing.
A South Korean company has begun production at a huge solar panel factory in Georgia. The move by the company Qcells comes even as industry leaders say surging Asian imports could dampen efforts to make more solar components in the U.S.
At the recently concluded Games, South Korean athletes and journalists said North Koreans refused to engage with them. Some even avoided customary handshakes or photo sessions atop the podium.
Many South Korean teachers say they have suffered from parents' harassment and excessive demands. This summer, they came out to the streets voicing anger and demanding protection for their rights.
