Most Popular
-
1
Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
-
2
[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
-
3
Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
-
4
Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
-
5
Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
-
6
Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying
-
7
[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country
-
8
[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
-
9
Hanwha, HD Hyundai vie for Poland’s $2.7b submarine program
-
10
First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders
-
S. Korea welcomes Blinken's inauguration as top US diplomat
South Korea welcomes the inauguration of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and expects that the alliance with the United States will develop further, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. "Our government welcomes the official inauguration of US Secretary of State Blinken following the Senate approval," ministry spokesperson, Choi Young-sam, said in a commentary. "We expect the South Korea-US alliance to develop further with the inauguration of the new secretary, who has ample
Foreign AffairsJan. 27, 2021
-
Trump's push for KORUS FTA revision added uncertainty to alliance: CRS
WASHINGTON -- Former US President Donald Trump's push to revise the Korea-US FTA may have hurt the countries' alliance, a congressional report said Tuesday, noting the issue may need to be addressed by the Biden administration. "The modification agreement allayed some of these concerns, but the Trump Administration's statements linking trade and security issues and persistent threats of additional US unilateral import restrictions, particularly on US auto imports, added a degree of uncerta
Foreign AffairsJan. 27, 2021
-
NK state media slams Japan's defense chief for remarks over military parade
North Korea‘s state news agency on Tuesday strongly slammed Japan’s defense chief for his recent remarks over a military parade held in Pyongyang, saying Tokyo is just making a fuss and inciting hostility toward its country. North Korea conducted a massive military parade in central Pyongyang in mid-January, showing off a new submarine-launched ballistic missile and other state-of-the-art weaponry. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said that Tokyo is working to collect and an
North KoreaJan. 26, 2021
-
Health minister tests negative for COVID-19 after exposure to patient
Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday after coming in contact with a ministry employee infected with the virus, his office said. Kwon has been placed under self-quarantine after being exposed to the patient. He will receive a second test a few days later in consideration of the virus‘ incubation period, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said. Earlier in the day, Kwon attended a Cabinet meeting held at the government complex in Sejong, about 120 kilome
Social AffairsJan. 26, 2021
-
Adoptees say ‘we are not a thing’
A group of South Korean adoptees have taken to social media to demand an apology from President Moon Jae-in over his controversial remarks on adoption and are calling for a change in landscape for future adoptees. In the wake of a series of child abuse cases, Moon recently said that adoptive parents should have the right to cancel their adoptions or switch their child. Although Cheong Wa Dae later explained he was referring to a grace period before an adoption is finalized and such foster care
Social AffairsJan. 26, 2021
-
6 in 10 workers will not travel to hometown for Lunar New Year: survey
Six out of ten office workers in South Korea said they will not visit their families in their hometowns during the Lunar New Year holiday due to the spread of the coronavirus, a survey showed Monday. According to a survey of 1,434 officer workers conducted by a job search engine Saramin, 63.4 percent of the respondents said they will not travel to their hometowns in what is normally the busiest time of the year for family get-togethers. This year’s Lunar New Year holiday falls on Feb.
Social AffairsJan. 26, 2021
-
With COVID-19 vaccines just weeks away, S. Korea aims high
With the first COVID-19 vaccines to arrive here in just a few weeks, South Korea is drawing up a national plan to achieve the coveted goal of herd immunity with hopes of exiting the pandemic before the year is over. The government announced in a virtual news conference after a presidential briefing on Monday that it plans to vaccinate 70 percent of the Korean population by the end of September. Herd immunity will be reached by November. This is an expedited time frame compared with the one pr
Social AffairsJan. 26, 2021
-
Seoul city apologizes over ex-mayor's sexual harassment
The Seoul city government apologized Tuesday after the state human rights watchdog deemed the sexual harassment allegations against former Mayor Park Won-soon to be true. In a statement, acting Mayor Seo Jeong-hyup said the city government "humbly accepts" the results of the National Human Rights Commission's investigation into Park's alleged abuse of a secretary, which lasted several years until his death in an apparent suicide in July. "We sincerely apologize to the victim and
PoliticsJan. 26, 2021
-
PM calls for careful preparation of compensation measures for virus-hit businesses
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Tuesday instructed the finance minister to carefully devise measures to compensate small businesses for their losses incurred by the country's strict social distancing measures against COVID-19. In a meeting held with Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki and Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae, Chung told Hong to "carefully prepare for the measures by studying the opinions of on-site (merchants) experiencing difficulties." Chung also directed Hong to "review
PoliticsJan. 26, 2021
-
Infections linked to homeless shelters at Seoul Station
Facilities for homeless people at Seoul Station were temporarily shut down Tuesday after coronavirus infections were traced there, according to the Seoul city government. Three homeless people and two employees linked to the homeless support center and emergency shelter at Seoul Station Plaza had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Tuesday, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Since the first case was reported Jan. 17, some 25 people had been hospitalized or gone into isolati
Social AffairsJan. 26, 2021
-
3 officials from McDonald's supplier get suspended sentences for selling tainted patties
Three officials from a burger patty supplier for McDonald's Korea were given suspended prison sentences by a local court Tuesday for providing patties potentially contaminated with E. coli to the local unit of the global fast-food giant. A managing director of the supplier, whose name was withheld, and two mid-ranking officials in charge of production and quality management, respectively, were indicted without detention in 2018 for allegedly distributing 63 tons of beef patties that tested pos
Social AffairsJan. 26, 2021
-
Moon requests parliamentary hearing report on justice minister nominee
President Moon Jae-in has requested that the National Assembly send a report on its confirmation hearing on the nominee to become justice minister, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. Lawmakers had the hearing on Park Beom-kye on Monday but failed to adopt a formal report on its results amid disputes over whether he is qualified to assume the post. Moon earlier tapped Park, a three-term ruling Democratic Party lawmaker, to lead the ministry. The parliament was supposed to finish all procedures relate
PoliticsJan. 26, 2021
-
[Newsmaker] Belligerence of pro-Moon extremists
A cohort of President Moon Jae-in’s unwavering loyalists who are most active on the internet has long been criticized or even abhorred for going to extreme lengths to attack anyone they think is berating Moon or his administration. For years, members of the pro-Moon legion have threatened to lynch reporters or anyone who appears “disrespectful” of the administration, going after their personal information and hurling verbal abuse on internet forums. Most recently, a pro-Moon
PoliticsJan. 26, 2021
-
Moon shares finance minister's online message on S. Korea's economic performance
President Moon Jae-in shared Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki's social media message Tuesday on South Korea's latest gross domestic product (GDP) data, a rare move seen as meant to encourage Hong publicly. Moon was also apparently seeking to highlight that the country's economy has fared relatively well despite the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier in the day, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said the economy is projected to have contracted 1 percent in 2020 compared with the previous year. Hong wrote
PoliticsJan. 26, 2021
-
Ex-unification minister urges prompt decision on joint military drills
A former unification minister called for a prompt decision from the Moon Jae-in government on whether to hold joint military drills with the US this spring, saying the resolution of this issue would be an important turning point in inter-Korean relations. “North Korea is shameless enough to raise questions about the South’s strategic assets and military training while advancing its own nuclear weapons and missiles. But the ball is in the South’s court now,” Jeong Se-hyun
Foreign AffairsJan. 26, 2021
-
NK raps Australia on human rights in support of China
North Korea, which has often been criticized by the United Nations for recurring human rights abuses, condemned Australia at a UN meeting for committing human rights violations, UN Watch said Tuesday. The group is a Geneva-based organization that follows UN activities. “The deep-rooted racial discrimination and xenophobia rampant in the Australian public sector must come to an end,” North Korea’s UN ambassador said at a United Nations Human Rights Council session Jan. 20. He
North KoreaJan. 26, 2021
-
[News Focus] Korea attains higher percentage of female ministers than US, Japan
SEJONG -- President Moon Jae-in was active in appointing women to his Cabinet during the early part of his term, though the percentage relative to the total has dropped since then. On the back of the current administration’s policy since 2017 favoring greater gender balance among ministers, South Korea overtook the US and some other developed countries in terms of the percentage of women occupying ministerial posts, according to the latest comparison from the Organization for Economic Co
PoliticsJan. 26, 2021
-
[News Focus] Unauthorized alternative schools in blind spot of Korea’s virus control efforts
With the discovery of coronavirus outbreaks at alternative schools that are not accredited or supported by the Ministry of Education, authorities are concerned that these institutions could serve as a catalyst for the ongoing COVID-19 wave to continue or even gain steam. Officials say these institutions may not have abided by the social distancing rules as no government agency or ministry has official jurisdiction over them, enabling them to stay in a disease control blind spot. The
Social AffairsJan. 26, 2021
-
Former SMEs minister runs for Seoul mayor
Park Young-sun, former minister of SMEs and Startups, announced her bid to run for Seoul mayor Tuesday, revealing a new compact city plan to improve the life of Seoulites. “In order to overcome the hardships and difficulties of COVID-19, we need a mayor to make Seoul a G-7 global digital economy city after the pandemic,” Park said at an online meeting at 11 a.m. in Yeouido, vowing to create a safe, fair and warm Seoul through the great transformation. The ruling bloc heavyweig
PoliticsJan. 26, 2021
-
Seoul city govt. to launch 3rd foreign residents council
The Seoul city government plans to launch a new council of foreign residents Tuesday as part of efforts to improve their quality of life here. The council, the third of its kind, will comprise 30 residents aged 18 or older from 20 countries, including the United States, France, Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia, the city government said in a press release. China accounts for the largest number with five members. The city government said it selected the members based on nationality, type of stay and o
Foreign AffairsJan. 26, 2021