Se Eun Gong

The country's ruling Democratic Party suffered a devastating defeat in Wednesday's mayoral by-elections, widely considered a bellwether for Moon Jae-in's chances for reelection next year.

Churches resume in-person services and stadiums welcome sports fans as the country once again manages to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

A former secretary of Park's says she endured four years of sexual harassment. The mayor was found dead on Friday in a park, and the allegations have left the country divided about his legacy.

The country had prepared to welcome students back to classrooms on Wednesday, but dozens of new virus cases linked to nightclubs in Seoul have emerged.

By Friday, South Korean authorities had identified 163 patients who tested positive again after a full recovery. The number more than doubled in about a week, up from 74 cases on April 9.

On April 15, legislative elections will go as planned but with new coronavirus safety features, and the government's handling of the virus is a top issue.

Goo Hara, a former member of the K-pop group Kara, was found dead in Seoul on Sunday, the second K-pop celebrity death in less than two months. The 28-year-old star had been a target of cyberbullying.

The country's Constitutional Court overturned the ban enacted in 1953. Despite South Korea's heavily Christian population, in recent years anti-abortion sentiment has softened.

Microcameras installed in public bathrooms for surreptitious filming are an everyday concern for women. Police say the number of "illegal filming" crimes sharply increased between 2011 and 2017.

With tensions easing between North and South Korea, the two sides are reviving cross-border reunions that began in 1985. On Monday, 93 South Koreans will board buses to visit relatives in the North.