North Korea’s Kim Jong Un pledges to lift living standards at rare congress
Kim’s opening speech focused on improving economic activity, with no mention of relations with the US or South Korea.
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S Korea’s former PM found guilty of insurrection, given 23 years in prison
Ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo accused of failing to hold a lawful cabinet meeting following martial law declaration.
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South Korea’s former President Yoon sentenced to five years: What we know
Former leader found guilty of charges related to 2024 martial law decree, but could face death penalty in separate case.
Firefighters respond to a blaze at Guryong village, the final remaining shanty town in Seoul's affluent Gangnam district. [Kim Hong-ji/Reuters]
Residents flee Guryong as fire engulfs the area. [Kim Hong-ji/Reuters]
The fire erupted at about 5am local time (20:00 GMT) on Friday, prompting authorities to elevate the fire alert to the second-highest level. [Kim Hong-ji/Reuters]
Guryong sits at the edge of Seoul's affluent Gangnam district, renowned as South Korea's most exclusive neighbourhood and home to some of the nation's highest real estate prices. [Kim Hong-ji/Reuters]
South Korean Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung directed officials to "mobilise all available personnel and equipment to focus fully on rescuing lives and extinguishing the fire," according to the Yonhap News Agency. [Kim Hong-ji/Reuters]
The dilapidated housing in the village emerged during the 1970s and 1980s, when impoverished residents were displaced from the capital amid significant urban renewal projects, including developments for the Asian Games and the Seoul Olympics. [Kim Hong-ji/Reuters]
The village's makeshift homes are tightly clustered and constructed with highly combustible materials - vinyl sheets, plywood, and styrofoam - creating significant fire hazards, according to the fire department's assessment following a 2023 blaze. [Kim Hong-ji/Reuters]
Most residents have vacated Guryong, though approximately 336 households still remain, according to the Gangnam District city planning department. [Kim Hong-ji/Reuters]
No casualties have been reported, though 47 residents of Guryong Village were evacuated, according to an official at the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters. [Kim Hong-ji/Reuters]
"I was asleep until a neighbour called saying there was a fire. I ran out and saw the flames already spreading," said Kim Ok-im, 69, who has lived in the area for nearly 30 years.
"A few years ago, a flood swept everything away, and now it feels like fire will take the rest," she said, expressing concern about her future living situation if her home were to be destroyed. [Kim Hong-ji/Reuters]
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From: NewsFeed
South Korea’s former president found guilty in martial law case
A South Korean court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in jail.
Published On 16 Jan 2026
South Korea’s ex-president Yoon given 5-year jail term in martial law case
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol found guilty of obstructing justice and other charges related to declaring martial law.
S Korean firefighters tackle huge blaze in last of Seoul’s ‘shanty towns’
No casualties reported as huge fire breaks out in makeshift homes on fringe of Seoul’s upmarket Gangnam district.
North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong says no chance of improved ties with the South
Powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rebukes claims she is open to more “communication”.
South Korea prosecutors seek death penalty for ex-President Yoon
Prosecutors say Yoon, who was impeached over a failed 2024 martial law declaration, threatened ‘constitutional order’.
Seoul calls for freeze of North’s nuclear programme, Chinese mediation
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung proposes a halt to Pyongyang’s nuclear programme in exchange for ‘compensation’.
