At the Milano Cortina Games, three medals bear the mark of Venerable Hosan, abbot of the Bongseon Temple. All South Korean athletes in this discipline competed at the Dalma Open Championship, a tournament launched in 2002 by the Jogye Order. Born to support a marginal sport, it is now the country's leading snowboarding training venue. Like young people on snowboards, “In Buddhism, too, we seek ultimate liberation,” the monk said.
In some counties, local residents are organising campaigns to apply to host new nuclear reactors in an attempt to cope with economic and demographic decline. In return, municipalities receive subsidies and funds for infrastructure development. However, some associations fear that the concentration of power plants will increase the risk of accidents.
With families shrinking due to demographic decline and more individualised social relationships, more people are opting for one-day ceremonies, without receptions to pay homage to the deceased, which were traditional signs of respect and social prestige. Contributing factors include the high costs of such ceremonies, as well as the need for less ostentatious rituals.
At the trial for the attempted imposition of martial law in December 2024, special prosecutors have requested the maximum sentence for the deposed former head of state. A verdict is expected in February. South Korea has not carried out capital executions since 1997. The precedent was set with Chun Doo-hwan, whose death sentence was commuted to life in prison (followed by a pardon).
The South Korean president's trip to China marked a significant diplomatic rapprochement between Seoul and Beijing after years of frostiness, but leaves fundamental strategic issues unresolved. Despite attempts to engage on the Pyongyang dossier, the Chinese government avoids any reference to denuclearisation. Economic agreements signed by Korean conglomerates on rare earths and strategic minerals
Twelve months after the dramatic night when his predecessor Yoon tried to impose martial law, the current president praises the resilience of South Korean democracy and nominates the Korean people for the Nobel Peace Prize. Twenty-five members of parliament from the then ruling party also issued a public apology. Meanwhile, the trials continue: 14 years sought for corruption for the former first lady.
