South Korea

World News

South Korea Tests Missile As President Speaks Of Need To 'Dominate' North

1:21pm June 23, 2017

by Bill Chappell

Military strength is needed for dialogue with North Korea to work, President Moon Jae-in says. Officials say the Hyunmoo-2 missile, with a range of nearly 500 miles, hit its target accurately.

An undated aerial photo of the Olympic venues in PyeongChang, South Korea.

World News

Rural South Korean County Prepares For Role As 2018 Winter Olympics Host

5:43am June 22, 2017

by Lauren Frayer

Only a handful of tourists come to PyeongChang, usually to hike green hills dotted with Buddhist temples or visit a small nearby ski station. All that is about to change.

Elise Tries animal cafes, from cats to raccoons, with mixed results.

Video: Animal Cafes Are Cool, But Does A Raccoon Cafe Go Too Far?

9:53am June 02, 2017

by Elise Hu

In NPR's Elise Tries series, correspondent Elise Hu tests out new experiences in East Asia. In this inaugural episode, she visits a South Korean animal cafe. Things don't go as smoothly as planned.

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Students try out a Samsung Electronics Galaxy S8 Plus smartphone at a shop in Seoul, South Korea, on April 27. Many post-college grads in South Korea spend years studying for tests in the hopes of winning a job at a company like Samsung.

World News

South Korean Youth Struggle To Find Jobs After Years Of Studying For Tests

8:09am May 28, 2017

by Lauren Frayer

For many Korean youth, the possibility of a job-for-life with a big conglomerate is the only option. As the economy slows, there aren't enough jobs for all the college graduates.

Lee So-yeon, a North Korean defector, used to be a signal corpsman in North Korea's army.

World News

'I Was Shocked By Freedom': Defectors Reflect On Life In North Korea

8:13pm May 26, 2017

by Lauren Frayer

Now in Seoul, North Korean defectors recall life inside one of the world's most secretive regimes, talking of brainwashing, required military service — and the jolt of seeing the outside world.

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People watch a TV news program showing a file image of a previous missile launch conducted by North Korea at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul. North Korea on Sunday test-launched a ballistic missile that landed in the Sea of Japan, the South Korean, Jap

World News

North Korea Launches Missile, Trump Speculates On Russia Response

6:49am May 14, 2017

by Marie Andrusewicz

The launch comes after South Korea's new president had promised to engage in constructive dialogue with Pyongyang. A White House statement highlighted the missile's proximity to Russia.

South Korean presidential candidate Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea reacts to exit polls suggesting his victory, in the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday.

World News

Liberal Wins South Korean Presidency As Opponents Concede

11:33pm May 09, 2017

Moon Jae-in, a lawyer, former student protester and son of North Korean refugees, vows to hold talks with North Korea and improve the South Korean economy.

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South Korean presidential candidate Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party campaigns in Goyang, South Korea, on May 4.

World News

Leading South Korean Presidential Candidate Moon Aims To Negotiate With North

9:50am May 06, 2017

by Lauren Frayer

Liberal human-rights lawyer Moon Jae-in holds a double-digit lead in polls heading into Tuesday's vote. He says he would seek a less confrontational stance toward North Korea, a big change in policy.

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A video of a dancing Pikachu getting tackled by men in suits in Songdo, South Korea went viral on Friday.

Music & Culture

WATCH: Deflating Pikachu Gets Tackled, Hustled Off Stage By Suited Men

9:26pm May 05, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

A video from the Pokémon World Festival near Seoul shows 15 Pikachu dancing to Hairspray when the ringleader's costume starts deflating. Then a group of men forcefully spirit the dancer away.

Protest banners hang in rural Seongju county, where the U.S. has installed a missile defense system known by its acronym, THAAD. Residents oppose the installation, and it's become an issue in South Korea's upcoming presidential election. The front-runner

Korean Village's Message To THAAD Missile Defense System: 'Go Away'

4:37pm May 04, 2017

by Lauren Frayer

From a golf course in South Korea, the U.S. can now shoot down North Korean missiles. But residents don't want a missile defense system in their backyard — and neither does China.

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