South Korea's economy barely grew in the fourth quarter of 2024, missing market expectations, as domestic demand was hurt in part by the country's worst political crisis in decades, raising bets for more fiscal and monetary support to revive growth.

The data showed private consumption weakened and construction investment remained in contraction in the fourth quarter. Exports edged up on demand for semiconductors and other information-technology goods.

South Korea's economy expanded 1.2% year on year in the fourth quarter, marking its slowest expansion since the second quarter of 2023. Advance figures showed the figure missed the 1.4% expansion expected by economists polled by Reuters,

The Jeju Air flight was bringing passengers home from Thailand after Christmas when it made an emergency landing at Muan airport and exploded after slamming into a concrete barrier at the end of the runway.

South Korea's transport ministry said on Wednesday that it would remove the concrete embankment installed at Muan International Airport following last month's Jeju Air crash, its deadliest domestic air disaster.

South Korea will extend runway safety areas and redesign infrastructure after the crash of a Jeju Air Co. flight last month that killed almost everyone on board, sparking criticism that the design of the airport might have exacerbated the accident.

North Korea’s state media reported on Donald Trump’s inauguration in its first direct acknowledgement of his return to the White House and adopted a neutral tone without referencing the president’s characterization of Pyongyang as a “nuclear power.

The U.S. Pacific Air Forces told Newsweek that the RC-135 spy planes were conducting planned, routine operations.