South Korean shops turn to robots, self-service to escape labour woes

July 2, 2026 4:50 PM

South Korean shops turn to robots, self-service to escape labour woes

Unstaffed coffee shops, ramen eateries and flower outlets are spreading across South Korea as owners turn to robots and self-service to overcome rising labour costs in a business model that relies on the widespread honesty of users. Such stores, usually open 24 hours, were estimated to number 9,000 nationwide by the end of 2024, the National Fire Agency said, while payments provider Samsung Card said their number probably grew four times by 2025 from 2020. "The population of baristas in their ...

EAM Jaishankar calls for reinventing global cooperation in a fragmented world at Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2026

June 25, 2026 3:49 PM

EAM Jaishankar calls for reinventing global cooperation in a fragmented world at Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2026

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on Thursday called for a renewed framework of international cooperation to address the challenges of an increasingly fragmented global order, while delivering the keynote address at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2026 in South Korea. Addressing delegates at the international forum, Jaishankar said that while fragmentation has become a defining feature of the contemporary world, it is not entirely negative. He said the shift away from concentr...

EAM Jaishankar to visit Mongolia, South Korea to deepen strategic and economic ties

June 22, 2026 10:13 AM

EAM Jaishankar to visit Mongolia, South Korea to deepen strategic and economic ties

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will embark on a four-day official visit to Mongolia and South Korea from June 22 to 25, aimed at strengthening India's strategic partnerships and expanding cooperation across key sectors including trade, technology, defence and connectivity. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), EAM Jaishankar will visit Mongolia on June 22-23, where he is scheduled to meet the country's leadership and hold bilateral talks with Mongolian Foreign Minist...

South Korea to overhaul election process after ballot shortage shocks country

June 8, 2026 3:26 PM

South Korea to overhaul election process after ballot shortage shocks country

South Korea will overhaul its election process after shortages of ballot papers at last week's local elections fuelled a public outcry, the presidential office said on Monday. While the public outcry over the incident has not yet grown to a level that could jeopardize President Lee Jae Myung or his party's majority in parliament, some protesters have accused Lee's liberals of playing a part in what they called "election fraud." Lee has said the issue exposed by the incident was a matter of dem...

Rajnath Singh to visit Vietnam, South Korea to deepen defence and Indo-Pacific cooperation

May 18, 2026 1:11 PM

Rajnath Singh to visit Vietnam, South Korea to deepen defence and Indo-Pacific cooperation

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on an official visit to Vietnam and South Korea from May 18 to 21, with discussions expected to focus on defence cooperation, industrial partnerships and maritime collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region. Rajnath Singh will visit Vietnam from May 18 to 19 before travelling to South Korea for a three-day visit till May 21. Ahead of his departure, the Defence Minister said the visit would help further expand bilateral engagement with the two Asian nation...

South Korea prosecutors seek 30-year jail term for ex-President Yoon in drone case, Yonhap says

April 24, 2026 9:37 AM

South Korea prosecutors seek 30-year jail term for ex-President Yoon in drone case, Yonhap says

South Korean prosecutors sought a 30-year jail term for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, in a case alleging he ordered a drone operation over Pyongyang to help create a pretext for his December 2024 declaration of martial law, Yonhap news agency said. The Seoul Central District Court is expected to rule on the case at a later date. The trial is one of eight Yoon is currently involved in after he was ousted last year following his brief declaration of martial law, which sent shockwaves...

South Korean President departs for Vietnam after concluding India visit

April 21, 2026 5:42 PM

South Korean President departs for Vietnam after concluding India visit

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday concluded his three-day State Visit to India and departed for Vietnam, marking the end of a high-level diplomatic engagement aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the visit yielded “tangible outcomes” across key sectors and placed the India–South Korea partnership on a stronger, forward-looking footing. He noted that the visiting leader was seen off by Minister of State Ha...

Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal hold talks with Korean leaders to boost economic ties

April 21, 2026 11:53 AM

Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal hold talks with Korean leaders to boost economic ties

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal held a series of high-level meetings with South Korean leaders and business executives in New Delhi on Monday, focusing on strengthening economic cooperation and expanding trade and investment ties between the two countries. The engagements coincided with the three-day state visit of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to India. Sitharaman met Lee Eog-weon, Chairman of South Korea’s Financial ...

President Murmu hosts South Korean President, highlights scope for youth opportunities and high-tech collaboration

April 21, 2026 12:11 PM

President Murmu hosts South Korean President, highlights scope for youth opportunities and high-tech collaboration

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday hosted South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, where she also held bilateral discussions and a state banquet in his honour during his three-day visit to India. Welcoming President Lee on his first visit to the country, President Murmu appreciated his efforts in strengthening India-South Korea relations, particularly his role as Chair of the Korea-India Parliamentary Friendship Group. She noted that the visit, coming within the fir...

India, South Korea Set Sail on New Maritime Partnership

April 20, 2026 10:22 PM

India, South Korea Set Sail on New Maritime Partnership

India and South Korea are set to deepen cooperation in shipbuilding, shipping, and maritime logistics under a broader framework being advanced during the South Korean President’s ongoing visit to India, aimed at strengthening strategic and economic ties between the two Indo-Pacific partners. Outlining what he described as a “new voyage” in bilateral ties, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) P Kumaran said the partnership has entered an advanced industrial phase. He noted ...