USFK F-16 fighter jets join multinational drills in Thailand

A group of F-16 fighter jets operated by the US Forces Korea departed South Korea last month to join a multinational exercise in Thailand, the aircraft's unit has said. The unspecified number of F-16s assigned to the US 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, 178 kilometers south of Seoul, left the country on Feb. 22 to take part in the annual Cobra Gold exercise, the unit recently said. The exercise led by the United States and Thailand began last Tuesday and is set to end later thi

DefenseMarch 5, 2024

UN chief appoints new resident coordinator for N. Korea

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appointed a new UN resident coordinator for North Korea in a personnel decision confirmed by the reclusive regime, his spokesperson said Monday. Joe Colombano of Italy assumed his role on Friday, Stephane Dujarric said, in a development that raised hopes for Pyongyang to allow the entry of other personnel from key UN agencies, such as the World Health Organization and the UN Development Program. There has been no presence of international UN staff in the

Foreign AffairsMarch 5, 2024

N. Korea warns US-S. Korea to pay 'dear price' for joint military drills

North Korea on Tuesday denounced an annual joint military exercise that South Korea and the United States launched this week, warning they will pay a "dear price" for what it called their large-scale war drills. An unnamed spokesperson at the North's defense ministry issued a statement condemning the annual Freedom Shield exercise that began Monday for an 11-day run to strengthen deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. "The large-scale war drills st

North KoreaMarch 5, 2024

Police clear Olympic fencing medalist of charges in ex-fiance's fraud

Police said Monday they have decided to clear Olympic fencing medalist Nam Hyun-hee of charges that she was an accomplice in the fraud by her former fiance. Nam, the silver medalist in women's foil at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, came under public scrutiny after her former fiance, Jeon Cheong-jo, was charged for swindling about 3 billion won ($2.25 million) from 27 people under the pretext of investment between 2022 and 2023. Nam broke up with the fiance after Jeon was found to be legally a w

Social AffairsMarch 4, 2024

N. Korea deletes state media articles using unification references

North Korea has removed articles with unification references from the website of its state-run media outlet, after leader Kim Jong-un called South Korea the North's "primary foe" and vowed not to seek unification with the South. As of Monday, a majority of the articles containing references to unification, such as "peaceful reunification," "great national unity" and "northern half," appear to have been deleted from the website of the North's Kore

North KoreaMarch 4, 2024

Jeonju city, civic groups at loggerheads over willow tree 'massacre'

A Jeonju city government development project for Jeonju Stream has raised criticism from local civic and environmental groups, with complaints over the cutting down of a grove of hundreds of beloved willow trees that have been a vital part of the stream's famous scenery near Namcheon Bridge. Some 30 members of environmental groups and civil organizations based in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, held a protest in front of Jeonju City Hall Monday, urging the city to "publicly apologize fo

Social AffairsMarch 4, 2024

NIS warns of rise in North Korean hacking threats against South Korean chipmakers

South Korea’s spy agency on Monday warned of a recent uptick in North Korean hacking threats against South Korean semiconductor firms. The National Intelligence Service said North Korean hackers have been ramping up hacking efforts targeting South Korean semiconductor equipment makers since the latter half of 2023. The NIS said the North Korean hackers mainly focused on companies whose servers are connected to the Internet and who had their vulnerabilities exposed. The North Korean hackers

PoliticsMarch 4, 2024

Why Jongno is known as Seoul’s center of politics

The race to win the Assembly seat for Jongno, long known as the center of politics in Seoul, officially kicked off Monday as the Democratic Party of Korea candidate, Kwak Sang-eon, set to work after a contentious primary. Kwak is the son-in-law of the late liberal President Roh Moo-hyun. The party decided to hand him the nomination for the symbolic Seoul district over other competitive figures such as Jeon Hyun-hee, who served as the head of the anti-corruption watchdog under President Moon Jae-

PoliticsMarch 4, 2024

Constitutional Court upholds 52-hour work limit

The Constitutional Court has unanimously upheld the constitutionality of a law restricting the workweek to a 52-hour maximum, the court said Monday. In its decision delivered Thursday, the nine-member court unanimously ruled that the Labor Standards Act, Article 53, Section 1, specifying that the 52-hour workweek system is legitimate and appropriate as it is designed to protect the health and safety of workers by reducing actual working hours and discouraging overtime work on holidays. Under the

Social AffairsMarch 4, 2024

1st sighting of the rare tundra swan reported in Ulsan

Bird watchers in Ulsan have reported sightings of two tundra swans, marking the first time the rare bird species has been found within the city, authorities said Monday. The birds were found looking for food in the fields of Onyang-eup and Onsan-eup in Ulju-gun, Ulsan, on Feb.7, according to the Ulsan Metropolitan Government. The swans were first caught on camera by Lee Jae-ho, a member of the local youth bird watchers' club, who later accompanied photographer Yun Gi-deuk to photograph the

Social AffairsMarch 4, 2024

[Election 2024] Will election untie Yoon's hands?

The general election on April 10 will not only be an election for a new parliament of 300 legislators but also a decisive moment for the presidency of Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been struggling to advance his agenda since his narrow election victory two years ago. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, led by Yoon's presidential election opponent Rep. Lee Jae-myung, currently holds a simple majority. The ruling party, on the other hand, has only 113 out of the 300 parliamentary seats. T

PoliticsMarch 4, 2024

Seoul starts to suspend license of 7,000 unreturned doctors

The South Korean government on Monday started taking legal steps against some 7,000 trainee doctors who refused to return to work by moving to suspend their licenses for at least three months. Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said during Monday’s briefing that those who defy the government’s return-to-work orders would be notified of their license suspension on Tuesday. Health authorities have begun on-site investigations at 50 training hospitals to determine the exact number

Social AffairsMarch 4, 2024

US-led minerals partnership to set up forum to include non-members

Members of the US-led Minerals Security Partnership agreed to establish a forum to promote effective cooperation on critical mineral supplies with non-member countries that are significant producers of minerals, South Korea's Foreign Ministry announced Monday. Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun participated in the Representatives Meeting of the MSP chaired by US Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose Fernandez in Toronto on Sunday. During the meet

Foreign AffairsMarch 4, 2024

Ex-defense minister named ambassador to Australia

Former South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup has been named as the country's new ambassador to Australia amid growing defense and arms industrial cooperation between the two countries. Lee, who served as defense minister from May 2022 to October 2023, played a crucial role in the exportation of Redback infantry fighting vehicles manufactured by South Korea’s Hanwha Defense. Lee also held the position of vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2017 to 2018. Lee's acad

Foreign AffairsMarch 4, 2024

Ruling party chief calls for TV debate with main opposition leader

The ruling party chief on Monday called on the main opposition leader to engage in a televised debate ahead of the April 10 legislative election, saying that it’s “what many people want.” People Power Party Interim Chair Han Dong-hoon told reporters that he is ready to face off against the Democratic Party of Korea Chair Lee Jae-myung in a debate, while hinting that the opposition leader has been avoiding it on purpose. “I believe it is what several media and many people

PoliticsMarch 4, 2024

What's next for protesting doctors?

South Korean government on Monday refused to give in to doctors' protests against its plan to increase the medical school enrollment quota, as the threat of the mass suspension of medical licenses for striking trainee doctors loomed over the country. Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said the government is moving to take "irreversible" measures against trainee doctors who left work, warning of suspensions of their medical licenses for at least three months. "If (the li

Social AffairsMarch 4, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Tax relief for birth benefits, green light for local logistics facilities

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act Proposed by Rep. Yoon Doo-hyun (People Power Party) ● To ensure consumers are protected after the abolition of the Mobile Device Distribution Improvement Act, this amendment transfers provisions related to selective contract discounts and prohibitions on compulsory subscriptions to add-on services to the Telecommunications Business Act. It also promotes free competition among mobile communications businesses and enhances use

PoliticsMarch 4, 2024

Ex-DP lawmaker to join PPP amid growing factional rift as April 10 elections near

A four-term lawmaker previously affiliated with the main opposition Democratic Party joined the ruling People Power Party on Monday as a factional rift in the Democratic Party deepened over candidate nominations for the April 10 parliamentary elections. Rep. Kim Young-joo, a deputy National Assembly speaker, quit the Democratic Party last month, protesting the party's inclusion of her in a list of underperformers to be disadvantaged in election nominations amid allegations the party is side

PoliticsMarch 4, 2024

S. Korea, US begin key annual military drills amid NK threats

South Korea and the United States kicked off a major combined military exercise Monday to reinforce deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats amid concern Pyongyang could use the maneuvers as a pretext for provocations. The annual Freedom Shield exercise got under way for an 11-day run amid heightened tensions over Pyongyang's continued saber-rattling, including artillery firings near the western sea border and a series of missile launches. The springtime exercise ma

DefenseMarch 4, 2024

Top 0.1% of Korea's employees averaged 685m won each in yearly bonuses: report

Of all the South Korean employees who reported having received bonuses from their companies in 2022, individuals in the top 0.1 percent got an average of 685.26 million won ($513,000) each, a National Tax Service report showed Saturday. According to a report made public by Rep. Yang Gyeong-suk of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, 9.79 million South Korean workers reported receiving bonuses, with the median figure among them being 4.34 million won. While the median figure marked an i

Social AffairsMarch 3, 2024