[News Focus] Lee tells Yoon that he has governed without political dialogue

In their first meeting ever after President Yoon Suk Yeol seized power in 2022, main opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday told the conservative president that his two years in office has been a "time of dominance and ruling with the absence of politics." Ahead of their first official one-on-one meeting held Monday afternoon behind doors, Lee kicked off the event by thanking Yoon for setting up the meeting and expressed hope that it would become a cornerstone to present "

PoliticsApril 29, 2024

Yoon, Lee end first talks with differences, agree to meet more

President Yoon Suk Yeol held talks Monday with Democratic Party of Korea Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung for the first time since taking office in May 2022, seeking the possibility of bipartisan cooperation after the opposition party's sweeping victory in the general election earlier this month. Lee, Yoon's former presidential rival, said his party would cooperate with the ruling bloc with regard to thorny issues such as the government's standoff with the medical circles that has left th

PoliticsApril 29, 2024

Police to open alleged stalking probe over pastor over Dior bag scandal

South Korean authorities announced Monday that they would investigate a Korean American pastor named Choi Jae-young, who gifted first lady Kim Keon-hee a 3 million won ($2,295) Dior bag, on allegations of stalking. National Office of Investigation chief Woo Jong-soo said at a press conference held at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul that “Last year, Choi was accused of stalking (Kim), and (the police) completed a brief legal review of the case. The police determined that furth

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024

S. Korea, Africa craft vision statement for first-ever summit

High-ranking officials from South Korea and Africa convened Monday to deliberate on a pivotal vision statement, aimed at fostering a better-structured and strengthened partnership between the two sides. The statement is poised to be unveiled as the defining outcome of the first-ever Korea-Africa summit in South Korea. The Senior Officials' Meeting in preparation for the two-day summit on June 4 and 5 took place in Seoul, with resident and nonresident ambassadors and high-level representativ

Foreign AffairsApril 29, 2024

Med school professor convicted for fake COVID-19 'vaccine card'

A medical professor was recently handed a suspended prison term for making and distributing cards, falsely claiming that they would function as a vaccine to prevent and even cure COVID-19. Seoul Central District Court sentenced the defendant surnamed Kim to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, for violating the Medical Devices Act. "It was necessary to punish (the defendant) as his actions presented risks for the public health, endangering the people's lives and safety,&quo

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024

Forklift exam draws more test-takers in 50s seeking new skills

A record number of South Koreans in their 50s took exams last year for government-issued occupational certifications, with forklift licenses topping the list. The trend reflects a surge in interest in pursuing second careers and highlights the significant difficulty many face in finding new employment related to one's previous experience. According to the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, the number of test-takers in their 50s exceeded 218,000 in 2023, accounting for 12.2 percen

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024

Liberal bloc moves to rewrite student rights ordinance

The debate over Seoul Metropolitan Government's abolition of its student human rights ordinance is set to expand to the National Assembly as the opposition Democratic Party of Korea plans to draft student rights legislation that would take precedence over regional offices’ decisions. The Democratic Party, which holds a parliamentary majority, on Monday criticized the People Power Party's removal of Seoul's student rights ordinance, calling it "political regression"

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024

From sleeping to space-out contests, Seoul to host 120 events at Han River

Parks near the Han River in Seoul will play host to 120 cultural, leisure and recreational events, including a sleeping contest and a space-out competition, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday. Starting with the 2024 Han River Festival in May, the city government announced during Monday’s press briefing that the festivities will last until the end of the year. According to city government officials, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to host 25 percent more events

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024

Ex-deputy prime minister takes helm of troubled ruling party

Hwang Woo-yea, who was deputy prime minister for former President Park Geun-hye, was tapped Monday as the temporary leader of the ruling People Power Party that is still reeling in the aftermath of its painful defeat in the April 10 general election for the National Assembly. Hwang, 77, is to take the helm of the People Power Party leadership until a new one is picked at a party convention that remains at least a few months away. The new ruling party leader-to-be was a judge in Seoul before he s

PoliticsApril 29, 2024

Seoul to deploy more military doctors to fill med prof void

The Korean government said Monday it would deploy additional medical personnel to maintain health care services as medical professors are due to resign or take weekly breaks starting this week. During Monday’s government response meeting, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said the government would mobilize “all possible measures” to support the emergency medical system by dispatching more health care staff, such as public health doctors or military medical doctors, so that patients

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024

ReWorld Forum hosts large, small firms to discuss energy transformation plans

Officials from large and small firms, business experts and government officials gathered at the ReWorld Forum 2024 in Seoul on April 24 to exchange ideas on how South Korea should realize RE100 and work toward decarbonization. RE100 is the global corporate renewable energy initiative of businesses committed to achieving 100 percent renewable electricity. According to the SDX Foundation, the non-profit organization responsible for hosting the event, the forum saw around 400 participants. ReWorld

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024

[Bridge to Africa] Tanzania marks Independence Day, lauds Korea’s support

The Tanzanian Embassy celebrated the country's 60th Independence Day while lauding Korea’s unwavering support over the years on Friday. The occasion marked the formation of the United Republic of Tanzania on April 26, 1964, when Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to form a single nation. Tanganyika gained independence from British rule in December 1961, followed by Zanzibar’s freedom through a revolution on Jan. 12, 1964. "Tanzania" symbolizes the unity between the mainlan

Foreign AffairsApril 29, 2024

Police investigating 10 men after suspected gang fight near Haeundae Beach

Police in Busan on Monday said they are investigating 10 men in their 30s in connection to a violent incident that took place near Haeundae Beach last week. Police suspect the men are members of a local gang. According to the Busan Haeundae Police Station, a fight broke out between two men in the entertainment district near the beach on April 24. The situation escalated as the two men called for back up and more men joined in the brawl about 90 minutes later. The men reportedly fought in group

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024

Medical tourists to Korea rises to record high of 606,000

South Korea attracted a record number of 606,000 foreign national patients in 2023, mainly for dermatological treatments and plastic surgery, the Health Ministry said Monday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that the number of foreign national patients visiting Korea has hit a record high at 606,000, up 2.4 times from a year earlier, 248,000. This is the highest ever since 2009 when the ministry started to compile the number of foreign patients. Also, this figure is 1.2 times higher

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024

Latvia celebrates 20th anniversary of EU, NATO membership

Latvia on Wednesday commemorated the 20th anniversary of its European Union and NATO memberships with a salon concert and business briefing. Delivering welcoming remarks at the event, Latvian Ambassador to Korea Aris Vigants introduced the progress made by Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania over the past decade, highlighting political systems and economic reform, particularly in shedding the remnants of the Soviet occupation. “Nobody is perfect, but at least we can always strive for perfection,

Foreign AffairsApril 29, 2024

N. Korea installs mines on inter-Korean road within DMZ

North Korea has installed land mines on an inter-Korean road within the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, a South Korean military official said Monday, the latest in a series of moves to shut down cross-border roads. The military detected the North laying mines on the unpaved road inside the DMZ late last year near Arrowhead Hill in Cheorwon, 85 kilometers northeast of Seoul, according to the official. The path was created under a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement to connect the S

North KoreaApril 29, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Multilateral off-board trading, industrial transformation support

Pending Bill: Partial Amendment to the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act Proposed by Yun Chang-hyun (People Power Party) ● Under the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, only regulations concerning issuance apply to investment contract securities due to their atypical characteristics and limited distribution potential. However, unlike before, online transaction platforms have made it easier for investors to trade investment contract securities. Therefore,

PoliticsApril 29, 2024

Govt. to deploy more medical staff as senior doctors at 5 major hospitals take weekly breaks

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Monday that the government plans to deploy more medical staff as senior doctors at five major hospitals in Seoul decided to take a weekly day off starting this week. Cho also renewed a pledge to accomplish medical reform, although a mass walkout by trainee doctors has crippled public health services at major hospitals for more than two months. The government will "further strengthen the emergency treatment system by sending more medical personnel to preven

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024

N. Korea decries US shipment of long-range tactical missiles to Ukraine as 'mean' policy

North Korea condemned the United States on Monday for sending longer-range tactical missiles to Ukraine for use in its fight against Russia, claiming that Washington cannot turn the tide of the war with such a "mean" policy. The White House confirmed last week that the US has sent a "significant" number of Army Tactical Missile Systems missiles to Ukraine for use inside the Ukrainian territory following Russia's use of North Korean ballistic missiles against Kyiv. An unn

North KoreaApril 29, 2024

[Graphic News] Korean farming households fall below 1m for first time in 2023

The number of farming households in South Korea fell below 1 million for the first time ever in 2023, and half of farmers were aged 65 or older, data showed. The number of farming households came to 999,000 as of December 2023, down 2.3 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the first time that the figure has fallen below the 1 million mark since 1949 when the agency began compiling related data, though the data has a margin of error of about

Social AffairsApril 29, 2024