South Korea's central bank on Thursday kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged, prioritizing financial stability in its first policy meeting of the year as the won hovered around 16-year lows.

S. Korea recorded 387 deaths tied to disasters in 2024, with a heatwave accounting for 108 fatalities, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said.

A Seoul court says an independent counsel has demanded a death sentence for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Seoul has denied any involvement in the recent incursion but has left open the possibility that civilians may have flown the drone, a position reiterated by its national security adviser.

This South Korean twist on the viral Dubai dessert first took off last September, after Jang Won-young from the girl band Ive posted a photograph of the chewy cookie on Instagram. While they currently sell for between 5,000 ($3; £2.5) and 10,000 won, prices are expected to climb due to strong demand.