State auditor accuses Moon gov't of leaking THAAD-related intelligence to activists, China

The state auditor has referred senior officials of the former Moon Jae-in administration to the prosecution on suspicions of leaking intelligence related to the THAAD US missile defense system to activists and China, an official with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday. Former National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong, former Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, and two other officials who served in the preceding administration were referred to the Supreme Prosecutors Office by the Board of Audit

PoliticsNov. 19, 2024

Telegram designates child protection officer to respond to sexually exploitative materials: S. Korean regulator

Telegram designates child protection officer to respond to sexually exploitative materials: S. Korean regulator The global messaging service Telegram has designated an officer in charge of protecting underage users from illicit content amid criticism over its passive response against sexually exploitative materials circulating on the platform, South Korea's media regulator said Tuesday. The Korea Communications Commission said Telegram made the designation and set up an email account as a h

Social AffairsNov. 19, 2024

US, Russia exchange barbs over Biden's reported decision to allow Ukraine to hit Russian territory

The United States and Russia traded barbs Monday over President Joe Biden's reported decision to allow Ukraine to use US-provided longer-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia, amid concerns about an escalation of Moscow's protracted war in Ukraine. US officials repeated accusations that Russia was to blame for an escalation in the wake of its introduction of North Korean troops onto the battlefield, while the Kremlin accused the Biden administration of moving to "continue

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

MIKTA leaders call for adherence to UN Charter amid concerns over NK-Russia military cooperation

MIKTA leaders call for adherence to UN Charter amid concerns over NK-Russia military cooperation The leaders of South Korea and four other middle-power countries called Monday for all UN members to comply with the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions, as concerns deepened over North Korea's troop dispatch to help Russia in its war against Ukraine. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Turkish President Recep

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

Yoon decries N. Korea-Russia military cooperation at G20 summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol strongly condemned the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia at the Group of 20 summit in Brazil on Monday, Yoon's office said. Yoon used the G20 sessions to urge Pyongyang and Moscow to immediately cease their "illegal" military cooperation and called for international unity to issue a stern warning against such moves, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said. The condemnation by Yoon came shortly after Russian Fo

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

N. Korea warns of 'retaliatory response' over S. Korea-US-Japan's summit agreement

North Korea warned Tuesday that trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan would prompt more "retaliatory responses," days after the leaders of the three nations decided to establish a secretariat to bolster three-way cooperation. The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) carried the message in a commentary after President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued a joint statement in

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

Presidential office stresses importance of high-level communication with China

The presidential office said Monday that maintaining high-level communication is crucial to strengthening ties between South Korea and China, hoping to build on the momentum from the recent bilateral summit in Peru. While President Yoon Suk Yeol has focused on reinforcing South Korea's security alliance with the United States over the past 2 1/2 years, he said in a recent interview during his visit to Brazil that South Korea does not see US-China relations as a matter of choosing sides. Whe

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

N. Korea's Kim urges extensive promotion of relations with Russia: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has met with Russia's visiting natural resources minister and called for "more extensive and diversified" promotion of cooperative relations between their countries, state media reported Tuesday. The previous day, Kim met with Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Alexander Kozlov, who led a government delegation to North Korea for the 11th meeting of the countries' intergovernmental committee for cooperation in trade, economy, scie

North KoreaNov. 19, 2024

Campbell calls defense cost deal with Seoul 'extraordinarily generous,' hopes Trump govt. will grasp its 'wisdom'

Campbell calls defense cost deal with Seoul 'extraordinarily generous,' hopes Trump gov't will grasp its 'wisdom' US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Monday portrayed a recently concluded defense cost-sharing deal with South Korea as "extraordinarily generous and gracious," and expressed hope that the incoming Trump administration will appreciate its "wisdom." Campbell made the remarks during a forum amid concerns that after President-elect

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

Yoon pledges $10m in humanitarian aid to address hunger crisis in Africa

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that South Korea will provide $10 million worth of humanitarian aid to address the hunger crisis in Africa as part of a global initiative led by the Group of 20 major economies. Yoon made the pledge as a member of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which was launched at the start of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It marks the first year the African Union joined as a regular member. "As a founding member, South Korea will actively j

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

Effort to stop NK military support for Russia needs to go in parallel with denuclearization push: FM

Any attempt to end North Korea's military support for Russia's war in Ukraine needs to proceed in parallel with a push to denuclearize the North, Seoul's chief diplomat said Monday, stressing Pyongyang's backing for Moscow is reshaping security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific and Europe. In a message to an annual forum, Cho voiced optimism that the South Korea-US alliance will continue to "thrive" under the incoming Trump administration, despite concerns that Preside

Foreign AffairsNov. 19, 2024

[Graphic News] Most firms favor raising retirement age

A recent survey by online recruiter Saramin showed that 8 out of 10 companies favor raising companies' retirement age. Conducted among 461 firms, 79.8 percent of respondents were in favor of raising the retirement age, with an average ideal age of 65.7 years. Over half of those surveyed, 57.9 percent, saw age 65 as optimal retirement age, citing the value of retaining experienced employees. Furthermore, 52.9 percent indicated openness to hiring workers in their 50s and 60s, to benefit fro

Social AffairsNov. 19, 2024

S. Korea reports season's 3rd avian influenza case

South Korea has confirmed the season's third case of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm west of Seoul, a provincial government said Monday. The case was reported at the chicken farm in Incheon's Ganghwa County, 51 kilometers west of Seoul. Authorities culled over 15,000 chickens at the farm, and plan to slaughter an additional 17,000 chickens raised at nearby farms. The latest case follows Korea's confirmation of the season's second highly pathogenic AI case

Social AffairsNov. 18, 2024

UN committee voices concerns over negative impact of NK's abandonment of reunification policy

A United Nations committee has voiced concern over the potential negative impact on North Korea's human rights situation following the North's decision to abandon its policy of seeking reunification with South Korea, a draft report showed Monday. The UN General Assembly Third Committee, which deals with human rights and humanitarian affairs, made the reference to the shift in the North's state policy in the latest draft resolution regarding the human rights violations in the reclu

North KoreaNov. 18, 2024

Audit agency refers ex-security adviser to probe over delayed deployment of THAAD

The state audit agency said Monday that it referred a former national security adviser and three others to the prosecution as they had abused their powers to intentionally delay the deployment of an advanced US missile defense system in a southeastern county. According to the Board of Audit and Inspection, Chung Eui-yong, who also served as foreign minister under the former Moon Jae-in administration, and other senior government officials were found to have intentionally delayed the publication

DefenseNov. 18, 2024

Opposition leader's wife appeals against election law violations

The wife of the main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung has filed an appeal against a court ruling that fined her for providing free meals during Lee's run in the party primary for the 2022 presidential election, people familiar with the matter said Monday. Kim Hye-kyung submitted the appeal to the Suwon District Court, south of Seoul, through her legal counsel, after she was found guilty of providing meals worth 104,000 won ($74.43) to the wives of three former and current pa

PoliticsNov. 18, 2024

Yoon says S. Korea's relations with US, China not about choosing sides

President Yoon Suk Yeol said South Korea's relations with the United States and China are not about choosing sides, pledging to working closely with both great powers amid Donald Trump's imminent return to the White House, according to interviews published Monday. Yoon expressed hope for constructive relations between Washington and Beijing in a written interview with Brazilian newspapers -- Folha de S.Paulo and O Globo -- as he visited Rio de Janeiro to attend the Group of 20 summit.

PoliticsNov. 18, 2024

Oh Hee-ok, last female Korean independence fighter, dies at 98

At South Korea's 72nd annual national liberation day ceremony on Aug. 15, 2017, the usual formalities of the occasion gave way to an unexpected moment. As the then-President Moon Jae-in and other officials rose for the national anthem, a small, elderly woman took the stage alone. In a voice that was thin and trembling but remarkably clear, she began to sing Korea's national anthem to the melody of "Auld Lang Syne." Her rendition echoed the defiant spirit of the colonial era,

Social AffairsNov. 18, 2024

Korean man caught in Peru airport carrying 320 tarantulas

A 28-year-old Korean man was apprehended at Jorge Chavez International Airport near Lima during an apparent attempt to smuggle out hundreds of arthropods, including 320 tarantulas, on Nov. 8. According to Peru’s nature protection agency, the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR), the man was carrying 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants, some of which were protected species. All of the creatures were native species of the Peruvian Amazon and were confirmed to have

Social AffairsNov. 18, 2024

Korean livestreamer arrested in Thailand for attacking massage shop owner

A South Korean man was arrested in Pattaya, Thailand for allegedly assaulting a massage shop owner who objected to him livestreaming his visit, according to local media. The Bangkok Post reported on Thursday that the incident occurred earlier the same day at 12:36 a.m. at a massage shop in Bang Lamung district. The man had reportedly visited the shop several times and livestreamed without permission. The shop owner, 43, initially tolerated the man’s behavior, considering he was a tourist.

Social AffairsNov. 18, 2024