South Korea’s Supreme Court has upheld a seven-year prison sentence for former president Yoon Suk Yeol, confirming lower court rulings related to his failed attempt to impose martial law in 2024. The verdict, delivered on Thursday, rejected appeals from both prosecutors and Yoon’s defense team, stating that no legal errors were found in earlier judgments. Yoon remains imprisoned and is also serving a separate life sentence for leading a rebellion through the declaration of martial law.

The case centered on allegations that Yoon obstructed full cabinet discussions before declaring martial law, used a forged signature of the prime minister, and ordered the destruction of related documents. He was also accused of directing misleading press releases and instructing a military commander to delete secure communications data. Prosecutors had sought a ten-year sentence, while lower courts initially imposed five years, later increased to seven by the appellate court.

Yoon’s lawyers expressed deep regret over the Supreme Court’s decision, claiming the case was resolved without sufficient review. They announced plans to challenge the ruling on constitutional grounds.

South Korea is set to launch its fourth medium-sized Earth observation satellite on Tuesday from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in the United States, using a Falcon 9 rocket operated by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX. According to South Korean media reports, the satellite weighs about 500 kilograms and has completed all functional tests and fueling over the past month. It is now fully prepared for launch.

The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) stated that the satellite will separate from the rocket approximately two hours and 22 minutes after liftoff. About 31 minutes later, it is expected to make its first contact with the ground control center via the Svalbard ground station. The satellite carries several domestically developed instruments, including a camera capable of capturing images of the entire Korean Peninsula every three days.

The satellite will support applications in agriculture and forest management, monitoring of forest changes, disaster response, climate change analysis, and public safety enhancement.

At RoboCup 2026 in Incheon, South Korea, humanoid robots played football autonomously without human control. The event showcased major advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics, as the robots made their own decisions during matches. Human involvement was limited to relaying referee instructions to the robots.

RoboCup, established in 1997, aims to develop a fully autonomous robot football team capable of defeating a FIFA World Cup champion team by 2050. Researchers believe that rapid progress in AI is bringing this goal closer to reality. Spectators also expressed confidence that robot football could become a popular sport with its own fan base in the future.

The competition highlighted the growing intersection of robotics and sports, suggesting that autonomous systems may soon achieve complex teamwork and decision-making comparable to human athletes.

South Korea’s National Assembly has approved Han Seong-sook as the country’s new prime minister. The appointment was formally passed in a vote held on June 30, marking a significant leadership change under President Lee Jae-myung’s administration.

Han Seong-sook is widely recognized for her extensive experience in the technology and business sectors. She previously served as the chief executive officer of Naver, one of South Korea’s leading internet-based companies. Before assuming the prime minister’s role, she worked as the minister for small and medium enterprises, where she implemented initiatives to support industrial development, innovation, and small entrepreneurs.

Analysts believe Han’s background in technology and corporate management could positively influence South Korea’s economy, industrial policy, and innovation-driven growth. Her appointment is viewed as a strategic step toward accelerating the nation’s technology-based economic expansion.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung announced that 24 of the 26 South Korea-linked vessels previously trapped in the Hormuz Strait have successfully exited the area. The ships had been stranded since February 28, following a joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran that escalated tensions in the region. Only two vessels remain in the strait, according to the president’s statement.

The conflict had initially left around 11,000 sailors stranded aboard 600 ships. Under an operation led by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), approximately 115 ships carrying 2,500 crew members managed to leave the strait last week. However, renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran forced the UN-affiliated organization to temporarily suspend the rescue mission.

The situation underscores the continuing volatility in the Hormuz Strait, a critical global shipping route, as international efforts to ensure maritime safety remain disrupted by regional tensions.

South Korea’s World Cup campaign ended in disappointment as head coach Hong Myung-bo resigned after the team failed to advance beyond the group stage. Just 24 hours after their elimination was confirmed, Hong announced his decision at a press conference, taking full responsibility for the team’s early exit. South Korea had started the tournament strongly with a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic but then suffered consecutive defeats to Mexico and South Africa, which sealed their fate.

In his post-match remarks, Hong expressed deep regret for not meeting the expectations of fans and apologized to supporters, saying that as coach he bore all responsibility for the results. He added that although stepping down was difficult, his love for Korean football would remain, and he would continue to support the team as a fan.

The sudden resignation has dealt a major blow to South Korean football, leaving uncertainty over who will take charge of the team as it seeks to rebuild after the disappointing campaign.

South Korea has unveiled a major investment initiative in artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industries. On Monday, President Lee Jae-myung announced plans to invest hundreds of billions of dollars over the next few years to strengthen the country’s leadership in these sectors. The televised announcement was attended by top executives from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the world’s two largest memory chip producers.

President Lee said the initiative aligns his political commitments with national goals for AI and chip development. He emphasized the need for South Korea to secure control over key AI components faster than any other country, identifying semiconductors, physical AI, and AI data centers as the three main pillars of advancement. The plan also aims to revitalize economies outside the Seoul metropolitan area and reduce regional disparities.

According to local reports, the southwestern cities of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province will invest 520 trillion won (about 336.7 billion USD) in the projects, with total planned investments potentially exceeding 1,000 trillion won (651.4 billion USD) in the coming years.

South Korea’s national football coach Hong Myung-bo is facing an official investigation following the team’s early exit from the World Cup. The team failed to advance beyond the group stage after consecutive losses to Mexico and South Africa, finishing third in Group A. The disappointing performance triggered widespread criticism across the country, with President Lee ordering a probe into alleged favoritism in team selection and coaching appointments.

In a message on social media platform X, President Lee expressed shock over the team’s elimination and questioned the integrity of the selection process. He directed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to conduct a thorough investigation and identify weaknesses in the team’s management system. The president also called for reforms to prevent similar failures in the future.

Public frustration has intensified, with a petition demanding the coach’s dismissal quickly gaining support on the National Assembly’s website. Images of posters banning Coach Hong from entering shops and businesses have circulated widely, reflecting growing anger among South Korean football fans.

More than ten Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered South Korea’s Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) on Saturday, prompting Seoul to deploy fighter jets as a precaution, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. The aircraft flew over the East Sea and South Sea before leaving the zone, and no violation of South Korea’s sovereign airspace was reported.

The air defense identification zone is not considered sovereign airspace but a surveillance area where incoming aircraft are identified for security reasons. Normally, foreign military aircraft are expected to notify the relevant country before entering such zones, though this is not legally mandatory. China and Russia did not immediately comment on the incident.

The event underscores ongoing regional military activity involving China and Russia near the Korean Peninsula, though no direct confrontation or breach of airspace occurred.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun announced that a South Korea-operated vessel carrying two million barrels of crude oil is crossing the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with Iranian authorities. According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho told political leaders in Seoul that discussions with Iran had been completed and the ship began its journey the previous day, proceeding through the strait with extreme caution.

Cho stated that this is the first South Korea-controlled ship to pass through the strait since the outbreak of war between Iran and the United States-Israel. The move follows an incident about two weeks earlier when another South Korean-operated vessel, the HMM Namu, was damaged by two projectiles or flying objects in the same area, leaving one crew member slightly injured.

The coordination with Iran indicates Seoul’s cautious approach to ensuring maritime safety for its vessels in a region affected by heightened conflict and security risks.

At the opening ceremony of the World Human Rights Cities Forum 2026 in Gwangju, South Korea, NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan attended as part of the party’s delegation. The sessions of the forum officially began on Wednesday, bringing together participants from various parts of the world. Among the distinguished guests was Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Following the event, Türk expressed his delight at seeing the NCP delegation present. His office continues to work globally alongside nations and communities to combat human rights violations. The report also notes that Türk had previously visited Bangladesh during the period of the interim government.

The World Human Rights Cities Forum 2026 is expected to play an important role in improving human rights conditions in cities across the Asia-Pacific region.

Analysts believe the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could bring indirect benefits to South Korea. Kim Soyoung, an assistant professor at Japan’s Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, told Al Jazeera that if Xi can persuade Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, it would ease pressure on South Korea’s energy supply. The country currently faces challenges due to instability in the strait, through which most of its oil and gas imports from the Gulf region pass.

Seoul is also closely watching whether the United States alters its policy on Taiwan, as any shift could affect the broader security landscape in East Asia. Kim noted that the meeting may influence South Korea’s regional diplomatic strategy and its relations with China, which have improved somewhat under President Lee Jae-myung.

The final round of U.S.-China preparatory talks held in Seoul before the Trump-Xi meeting, attended by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, is seen as a sign of South Korea’s growing diplomatic role.

Delegations from China and the United States have begun trade discussions in South Korea, according to Chinese state media reports released on Wednesday. The meeting is taking place near Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to Beijing. No further details about the discussions have been disclosed.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had earlier confirmed plans to meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, both of whom have previously led multiple rounds of trade negotiations. The talks are believed to be final preparations for potential announcements expected during an upcoming summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Last year, Washington and Beijing imposed reciprocal tariffs exceeding 100 percent on each other’s goods, but in October they agreed in South Korea to suspend the trade war for one year.

Bessent stated that economic security is national security and announced he would travel to Beijing for the Trump-Xi summit, accompanied by more than a dozen business executives, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

South Korea will participate in a high-level multinational defense ministers’ meeting focused on ensuring security in the Hormuz Strait. The decision follows a recent attack on a South Korean-operated cargo vessel in the strategic waterway. The meeting, co-chaired by the United Kingdom and France, is scheduled to take place virtually, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

The South Korean Ministry of National Defense confirmed that Major General Woo Kyung-suk will represent the country at the conference. Discussions are expected to center on maintaining maritime safety and ensuring the smooth passage of vessels through the strait. The move reflects Seoul’s effort to reassess its strategic position in the region following the incident.

The meeting underscores growing international concern over maritime security in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, where disruptions could have significant global trade implications.

A new study in South Korea has found that smartwatches can warn users several minutes before they faint. Conducted jointly by Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital, the research focused on detecting vasovagal syncope, a condition that causes sudden drops in heart rate and blood pressure leading to fainting. The findings, published in the European Heart Journal Digital Health, mark the first successful attempt to predict fainting using a commercial smartwatch.

The study used Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6, which monitored participants’ heart rate variability and biosignals through its photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor. Data from 132 patients suspected of having vasovagal syncope were analyzed using an AI-based prediction model. The system achieved an accuracy rate of about 84.6 percent, with 90 percent sensitivity and 64 percent specificity.

Researchers noted that early warnings could help patients sit down, move to a safe place, or seek help in time, reducing the risk of injury from sudden falls.