Yoon refutes criticism by main opposition party over probes into officials of former govt.

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday refuted criticism from the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) that investigations into officials of the previous administration are politically motivated. "It is not desirable to politically debate about the normal justice system," Yoon said when asked to comment on the DP's contention with probes into officials of the former Moon Jae-in administration and Rep. Lee Jae-myung, who was defeated by Yoon in March's presidential election. Yoon

PoliticsJune 17, 2022

Panel votes not to differentiate minimum wage by industry next year

A tripartite panel tasked with determining next year's minimum wage has agreed not to apply different rates to different industries, maintaining the current system, officials said Friday. The Minimum Wage Commission, which is composed of 27 representatives, nine each from labor, business and the general public, met at the government complex in Sejong for its fourth plenary session this year to negotiate next year's minimum wage. A differentiated minimum wage was adopted in 1988, when t

Social AffairsJune 17, 2022

Yoon says cutting corporate tax could help raise competitiveness

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Friday that the government's plan to cut the corporate tax will help companies raise their competitiveness. Yoon made the remarks as he arrived for work, a day after the finance ministry proposed lowering the maximum corporate tax rate to 22 percent, the average rate in countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), from 25 percent. If the government lowers the corporate tax rate to the average of the OECD nations, it would "

PoliticsJune 17, 2022

NK leader's sister sends medicine to patients with new infectious disease: KCNA

Key aides to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, including his sister, have donated medicine to help people stricken with a new infectious disease in the country's southwestern region, according to Pyongyang's state media Friday. Kim Yo-jong, the leader's younger sister who serves as vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), and other leading officials asked the "primary Party committees of their departments to send medicines

North KoreaJune 17, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 10,000 for 8th day

South Korea's new coronavirus cases remained below 10,000 for the eighth day in a row Friday, as the spread of the coronavirus is apparently slowing down. The country added 7,198 COVID-19 infections, including 68 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,263,643, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The country reported nine COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 24,416. The fatality rate stood at 0.13 percent. The number of critically ill patients c

Social AffairsJune 17, 2022

Govt. to extend quarantine mandate for COVID-19 patients for 4 more weeks: PM

The government will extend the current seven-day quarantine mandate for COVID-19 patients for four more weeks because rolling back the obligation could accelerate a resurgence of the virus, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Friday. The current level of virus spread is within the country's capacity to manage, but infection concerns linger and the number of COVID-19 deaths has not sufficiently reduced, Han said in a virus response meeting. "If the quarantine obligation is eased, the timing of

Social AffairsJune 17, 2022

N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases below 30,000 for 3rd day: state media

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases remained below 30,000 for the third consecutive day, its state media said Friday. More than 23,160 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It did not provide information on whether additional deaths have been reported. As of Wednesday, the death toll stood at 73, with a fatality rate of 0.

North KoreaJune 17, 2022

N. Korea remains unresponsive to US overtures: State Dept.

North Korea continues to remain unresponsive to US overtures for dialogue, a state department spokesperson said Thursday. Ned Price also reaffirmed US commitment to diplomatically engage with North Korea without any preconditions. "You heard from Secretary (Antony) Blinken when he was standing next to his South Korean counterpart earlier this week that our approach is to make clear to the DPRK that we harbor no hostile intent. We seek diplomacy and dialogue in order to advance the prospects

Foreign AffairsJune 17, 2022

US conveyed concerns over N. Korean nuclear test to China: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- The United States has discussed with China the growing concerns over a possible North Korean nuclear test, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday. He also reiterated US concerns over what will be North Korea's seventh nuclear test. "On North Korea, we have expressed our concern that North Korea is preparing to conduct another nuclear test. We have said that publicly. We have communicated that to China," Sullivan said in an online discussion session

Foreign AffairsJune 17, 2022

‘Not defection’: Coast Guard U-turns on South Korean man’s killing by North Korea

INCHEON -- South Korea’s Coast Guard on Thursday reversed its earlier assertion that South Korean government worker Lee Dae-jun, who was killed by North Korean soldiers at sea nearly two years ago, was attempting to defect to the North.　 “After a comprehensive investigation, we have failed to find any evidence to believe that the official had intended to defect to North Korea,” said Park Sang-chun, chief of the Incheon Coast Guard, in a news conference. He offered his condo

North KoreaJune 16, 2022

As tasty as narcotics?

   Korea is known as a relatively drug-free nation, where most people have no experience whatsoever of drugs. But when 31-year-old David from Canada recently browsed restaurant menus on a local food delivery app, he couldn’t help but wonder: Do people know what narcotics are actually like?  From kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), kalguksu (knife-cut wheat flour noodles) to tteokbokki (spicy rice cake), a variety of food and beverage items were being sold with a reference to &ldq

Social AffairsJune 16, 2022

Colonial-era apartment block to be torn down

Chungjeong Apartment, one of the oldest apartment buildings in South Korea, will be torn down, as part of plans for redevelopment in central Seoul, the Seoul city government said Thursday. The city has looked to redevelop the area for about 40 years, but projects have been put off because of disputes over compensation. With the fate of the building decided, delayed plans for the redevelopment area, which includes part of Seodaemun-gu and Jung-gu, are expected to proceed. The five-story buil

Social AffairsJune 16, 2022

FM suggests holding ‘2+2’ ministerial summit with top US commerce chief

South Korea and the US have agreed on strong industrial cooperation and on enhancing supply resilience, Seoul’s Foreign Minister Park Jin said on Wednesday (US time). In his meeting with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Washington, Park also suggested holding “2+2” ministerial summit involving the top commerce chiefs and foreign affairs chiefs of the respective countries. “South Korea and the US have a comprehensive strategic alliance, so we have agreed to cont

Foreign AffairsJune 16, 2022

[Newsmaker] Gender Ministry abolition is ‘definite’: minister

The abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is “definite,” its new minister said Thursday. 　 “Things have changed over time, and the abolition of the ministry will clearly come,” Gender Equality Minister Kim Hyun-sook told reporters at a press event in central Seoul, though she said that there has not yet been detailed discussion on its abolition. Kim is a former lawmaker who has been in office for a month. Abolishing the ministry was one of the biggest

Social AffairsJune 16, 2022

Signs of reenabling another tunnel detected at N.Korean nuclear test site: CSIS

North Korea appears to be at work to reactivate another unused tunnel at the Punggye-ri nuclear testing site, and has completed preparations for an oft-speculated nuclear test in Tunnel No. 3, a Washington-based think tank said Wednesday. Commercial satellite images acquired Tuesday show new indications of construction activity below the entrance to Tunnel No. 4 at the nuclear test site in Punggye-ri in Kilju County of North Hamgyong Province. A new caisson wall is under construction and cons

North KoreaJune 16, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 10,000 for 7th day

South Korea's new coronavirus cases remained below 10,000 for the seventh consecutive day on Thursday as the country moves toward returning to pre-pandemic normalcy. The country added 7,994 COVID-19 infections, including 90 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,256,457, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The country added eight COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 24,407. The fatality rate stood at 0.13 percent. The number of critically ill p

Social AffairsJune 16, 2022

President’s supposed ‘love of English’ raises eyebrows

President Yoon Suk-yeol’s unusual tendency of mixing English words into official comments has sparked controversies in South Korea, with some accusing the country’s leader of toadyism toward the US and the West in general. The most recent case of Yoon’s supposed preference for English expressions occurred during a meeting with leaders of the ruling People Power Party, when he suggested a name change for the recently opened Yongsan Park, formerly a site for the US Forces Korea

Social AffairsJune 16, 2022

S. Korea's vice defense minister attends US-led dialogue on support for Ukraine

South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul has attended a virtual session of a US-led forum on support for war-torn Ukraine, his ministry said Thursday. Hosted by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Wednesday's session of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group involved senior officials from some 50 countries. Participants discussed the situation in Ukraine, and mid- and long-term measures to support the country, according to the ministry. "The defense ministers of the partici

Foreign AffairsJune 16, 2022

New infectious disease outbreak reported in N. Korea; leader Kim sends medicine: KCNA

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases recorded remained below 30,000, while the country reported an outbreak of an "acute enteric epidemic" in its southwestern region Thursday. More than 26,010 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It reported one additional death, with the death toll rising to 73. The count

North KoreaJune 16, 2022

N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases under 30,000 for 2nd day: state media

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases remained under 30,000 for the second consecutive day, its state media said Thursday. More than 26,010 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It reported one additional death, with the death toll standing at 73. The total number of fever cases since late April came to over 4.55 mill

North KoreaJune 16, 2022