S. Korea to ensure full operation of THAAD base at early date: defense chief

South Korea will ensure the full-capacity operation of a military base that hosts the US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptor system at an early date, the South Korean defense chief said Monday. The US THAAD missile defense battery has been temporarily deployed on the now-shuttered Lotte Skyhill golf course in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, since 2017. The normal operation of the military base had been hampered by the yearslong postponed full-scale environmental im

DefenseMay 23, 2022

Korea to build reciprocal supply chain for chips, batteries in Indo-Pacific

President Yoon Suk-yeol promised to build a reciprocal supply chain for semiconductors and batteries in the Indo-Pacific region and share experiences and cooperate in all fields covered by the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework at the first IPEF summit on Monday. The US-led economic alliance was launched on Monday, with South Korea joining as an initial member. This is a follow-up to the Korea-US summit on Saturday, with the presidents of both countries pledging close cooperation through the ec

Foreign AffairsMay 23, 2022

[Newsmaker] S. Korea’s new PM pledges to seek political unity, bolster economic recovery while cutting red tape

South Korea’s new Prime Minister Han Duck-soo officially began his term on Monday, 48 days since he was nominated by President Yoon Suk-yeol. At his inauguration, Han stressed he would seek cooperation with the country’s major parties and that the government will make all-out efforts to help the country’s economic recovery, while hinting at cutting red tape in the future. “Without national unity and political cooperation (among the government and major political partie

PoliticsMay 23, 2022

Concerns remain over disposable cup deposit despite 6-month pushback

The postponement of the deposit refund scheme for single-use plastic has appeased owners of small businesses for the time being, but concerns remain. On Friday, the Ministry of Environment announced that it will postpone the launch of the new deposit system for single-use cups until Dec. 1. The new scheme was set to kick off on June 10, requiring franchise cafes, bakeries and fast-food franchises with more than 100 branches to charge a 300 won ($0.24) deposit per single-use cup to customers.

Social AffairsMay 23, 2022

Seoul’s IPEF move aimed to expand presence in Indo-Pacific, reduce dependence on China: experts

As South Korea joined the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity on Monday, observers here view the move signals a shift of foreign policy to expand the country’s global presence on the side of the United States, and reduce dependence on China. On Monday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol virtually attended the launch of the IPEF held in Tokyo, along with 12 other leaders of the founding member countries, including Japan and Singapore. In his speech, the president vow

Foreign AffairsMay 23, 2022

Chinese leverage in election sparks debate on foreigner suffrage

In the upcoming June 1 local elections, a total of 126,668 foreign residents will be eligible to vote, according to the electoral rolls finalized Friday. The figure is an increase of some 20,000 from four years earlier, according to the National Election Commission. Of them, 99,969 are Chinese nationals, accounting for nearly 79 percent of the total. Amid a rise of anti-Chinese sentiment and resurgence of the right wing in South Korea, this dominance by the neighboring country is prompting s

PoliticsMay 23, 2022

[Herald Interview] Ex-university chief dreams of Jeju as global destination

Heo Hyang-jin, the candidate for the ruling People Power Party in the upcoming Jeju Province gubernatorial election, bids to transform the island into a global tourism hub by adding new attractions for travelers with diverse tastes. Revitalizing the island’s tourism sector, he believes, is one of the most important tasks for the next governor, as the province and its residents have sustained losses from the prolonged pandemic and social distancing rules. “Surveys have shown that ma

PoliticsMay 23, 2022

[Herald Interview] Jeju’s natural assets should be protected, Oh Young-hun says

While Jeju Island is loved by many for its appeal as a tourist destination, the province has also incurred sizable damage for years from much of its areas overhauled for new hotels, resorts and attractions. Even though the island invites more than 15 million visitors a year, such a strategy is no longer viable, raising the need to find new ways to promote sustainable growth, argues Oh Young-hun of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea in his bid to become the next governor of Jeju Provi

PoliticsMay 23, 2022

Ruling party pressures health minister nominee to step down

The floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Monday pressured the widely unpopular health minister nominee, Chung Ho-young, to step down amid concerns that his appointment could hinder the party's chances in the upcoming local elections. "I listened to many lawmakers in the party, and many of them showed objections to Chung's appointment," PPP floor leader Rep. Kweon Seong-dong told reporters after the party's election committee meeting. "He needs to d

PoliticsMay 23, 2022

S. Korea joins US and others in condemning Russia for Ukraine invasion

South Korea, the United States and five other countries on Monday condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in the latest diplomatic pressure on Moscow to end the unprovoked war of aggression. Russia's war in Ukraine has destabilized the global economy and global supply chains and caused a rise in food insecurity and volatility in energy markets. The seven countries, which included Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan and New Zealand, also urged Russia to immediately cease its use of force an

Foreign AffairsMay 23, 2022

Military to begin reserve forces' training next month after 2-year hiatus

South Korea will resume an annual field training program for its reserve forces in a scaled-back manner next month after two years of suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the state military recruitment agency said Monday. Starting June 20, some 500,000 reservists will be called upon to complete the program, consisting of field drills and an online session lasting eight hours each, according to the Military Manpower Administration. In the pre-pandemic era, most reservists were required to

DefenseMay 23, 2022

S. Korea's stronger tech alliance with US not targeted at specific country: vice FM

South Korea does not seek to alienate any specific country amid an aggressive campaign to bolster the "economy and tech alliance" with the United States under the new Yoon Suk-yeol administration, a senior government official stressed Monday. First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong said the government will make simultaneous efforts to strengthen economic and technology partnerships with China, in particular, amid a view that Beijing may feel antagonized or left out due to the conserv

Foreign AffairsMay 23, 2022

PM vows national unity, pledges swift implementation of extra budget

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Monday he will make utmost efforts for national unity, while pledging swift implementation of an extra budget aimed at compensating small merchants hit by losses caused by stricter virus curbs. "I will take the lead in national unity and cooperation of politics to resolve matters of people's livelihood, economic recovery, sustainable growth and materialize the safety of people," Han said in his inauguration speech. Han said the government is prepared to

PoliticsMay 23, 2022

Yoon congratulates Son Heung-min on becoming 1st Asian scoring champion in Premier League history

President Yoon Suk-yeol congratulated Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean attacker Son Heung-min on Monday on becoming the first Asian player to win the scoring title in the Premier League. Son scored twice in Tottenham's 5-0 rout of Norwich City at Carrow Road in Norwich, England, on Sunday (local time), and finished the 2021-2022 season with a career-high 23 goals. The player shared the Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, who scored late in his team's 3-1 win over Wolverha

PoliticsMay 23, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit 17-week low as omicron wave recedes

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to a 17-week low Monday, as the omicron-driven surge has slowed in recent weeks. The country added 9,975 new infections, including 17 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,967,672, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's tally dropped by more than 3,300 cases from a week earlier and was the lowest since the 8,570 cases reported on Jan. 25 in a steady downward trend in new infections. South Korea's

Social AffairsMay 23, 2022

[Graphic News] Half of older adults in Seoul have no experience using kiosks

　Half of older adults in Seoul have no experience using digital kiosks, a survey showed, despite a rising number of businesses adopting such self-service electronic machines amid the pandemic. 　The poll released by the Seoul Digital Foundation, a digital arm of the city government, showed 45.8 percent of people aged 55 or older living in Seoul said they have used kiosk machines, compared with 94.1 percent of those aged less than 55. 　Noticeably, 29.4 percent of those aged between 65 and 74 ha

NationalMay 23, 2022

Hanwha Systems teams up with Italian defense firm for advanced radar export

Hanwha Systems Co., the defense and ICT unit of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group, said Monday it has partnered with an Italian defense company to cooperate on the export of an advanced radar system as it eyes to further expand its overseas foothold. The memorandum of understanding signed with Leonardo S.p.A. commits the two firms to work on developing an integrated solution that combines Hanwha's active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar antenna devices with Leonardo's signal proces

DefenseMay 23, 2022

Yoon's first approval rating over 52%: Realmeter

More than 52 percent of South Koreans gave a positive assessment of President Yoon Suk-yeol's handling of state affairs in the first poll on Yoon's approval rating since he took office on May 10, the pollster Realmeter said Monday. In the poll of 2,528 people aged 18 or above nationwide conducted from Monday to Friday of last week, 52.1 percent said Yoon did a good job, while 40.6 percent said he did not. Yoon's approval rating was high among the ruling People Power Party (PPP) su

PoliticsMay 23, 2022

Biden says he and Yoon 'married up'

In meeting with first lady Kim Keon-hee for the first time this past weekend, US President Joe Biden had a few good words to say, according to sources Monday. Biden was greeted by first lady Kim Keon-hee when he arrived at the National Museum of Korea for a state dinner Saturday. He told President Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim the two men had something in common: Both had "married up." Kim said she hoped to see him again soon, and Biden replied that he hoped to meet her when she visited the Un

PoliticsMay 23, 2022

N. Korea reports 167,650 new suspected COVID-19 cases, one more death

North Korea said Monday around 167,650 new cases of fever and another death have been confirmed, as the country stages what it calls an anti-epidemic war. More than 167,650 people showed symptoms of fever, with one additional death reported, over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. The daily number of fever cases has remained below 200,000 for the second con

North KoreaMay 23, 2022