Police probe bomb threat against Yoon's inauguration ceremony

Police launched an investigation into an online posting talking about a bomb attack at the inauguration ceremony of President Yoon Suk-yeol, officials said Tuesday. An unidentified person wrote the posting on a popular community website, Bobaedream, Monday night, seeking an accomplice to detonate a grenade at the ceremony, the National Police Agency said. The suspect also mentioned Yun Bong-gil, a national independence fighter who killed high-ranking Japanese officials by setting off a bomb du

Social AffairsMay 10, 2022

[Graphic News] Number of obese people more than double over past 4 years

　The number of obese people in South Korea more than doubled between 2017 and 2021, a trend exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, data showed.  　According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of overweight patients increased from 14,966 in 2017 to 31,170 last year. 　The number of obese men increased by 3.4-fold to 9,676 and that of female patients grew by 1.7 times to 20,494. 　By age, those in their 30s had the largest proportion at 22.1 percent, followed

NationalMay 10, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases rise amid eased virus curbs

South Korea's new coronavirus cases bounced back to above 40,000 on Tuesday amid the government's eased virus curbs to move the country back to pre-pandemic normalcy. The country added 49,933 new COVID-19 infections, including 23 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,614,895, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally is up from 40,064 on Sunday and 20,601 on Monday. The jump came as family and religious gatherings increased last week as Child

Social AffairsMay 10, 2022

New S. Korean govt. to hold top commanders' meeting this week

South Korea will hold its first meeting of top military commanders under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration this week, sources said Tuesday, amid concerns about North Korea's apparent preparations for a nuclear test. Lee Jong-sup, set to take office as new defense minister later in the day, plans to preside over the gathering Wednesday via video links, with the attendance of top officers from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and other military institutions, according to the sources. Yoon b

DefenseMay 10, 2022

N. Korean leader sends 'Victory Day' message to Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his country's "firm solidarity" with Russia in a congratulatory message sent to President Vladimir Putin over Moscow's celebration of its "Victory Day" holiday, the North's state media reported Tuesday. In the message sent the previous day, Kim congratulated Putin on the anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, according to the Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party, and the Korean Cen

North KoreaMay 10, 2022

Cheong Wa Dae to open to public at noon

Cheong Wa Dae was set to open to the public later Tuesday, immediately after incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony, ending its 74-year-old role as the site for the presidential office and residence in line with Yoon's pledge to relocate the top office. The compound, including the main office building, the Nokjiwon garden and the state guest house of Yeongbin-gwan, will be open to visitors who have made online reservations in advance from noon to 8 p.m. and then from 7 a.m. to

PoliticsMay 10, 2022

N. Korea will be at 'front and center' of Biden's trip to S. Korea, Japan: Psaki

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden looks forward to having discussions on North Korea with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts when he travels to the region later this month, a White House spokesperson said Monday. Jen Psaki also said the North Korean issue will be at the "front and center" of his discussions. "I would note that when the President goes to South Korea, (and) Japan, North Korea, especially given the recent tests, will be front and center in the agenda and d

Foreign AffairsMay 10, 2022

Yoon to take oath of office as S. Korea's new president

Yoon Suk-yeol is set to be sworn in as South Korea's new president Tuesday, marking the start of a tough battle to avert an economic crisis, win the cooperation of an opposition-controlled parliament and rein in an increasingly menacing North Korea. Yoon kicked off his five-year term at midnight in the underground bunker of the new presidential office building in Yongsan by receiving a briefing from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed his appreciation for the hard

PoliticsMay 10, 2022

US calls for emergency meeting of UNSC to discuss N. Korean missile launch: report

WASHINGTON -- The United States on Monday called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) this week to discuss North Korea's latest missile provocation, a news report said. The US requested the emergency meeting be held on Wednesday, the AFP reported, quoting unidentified diplomats. The move comes after North Korea fired an apparent submarine-launched ballistic missile on Saturday (Seoul time) in its 15th missile launch of the year. Ned Price, spokesperson for the US state depa

Foreign AffairsMay 10, 2022

Biden's trip to S. Korea, Japan to highlight US focus on Indo-Pacific: Campbell

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden's upcoming trip to Seoul and Tokyo seeks to send a clear message that the US continues to remain committed to addressing various challenges in the region, a White House official said Monday. Kurt Campbell, Indo-Pacific policy coordinator at the National Security Council, added the US also recognizes that larger and most pressing challenges for the country and the rest of the world lie in the Indo-Pacific region. "The overriding message that we are seekin

Foreign AffairsMay 10, 2022

US looks forward to continued cooperation with S. Korea under Yoon: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States looks forward to continuing to work with South Korea under President Yoon Suk-yeol in tackling various challenges facing the US-South Korea alliance, a state department spokesperson said Monday. "The US-ROK alliance is the linchpin of peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and we look forward to continuing US-ROK cooperation in tackling the most pressing global challenges," the spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency, asking not to be identified

PoliticsMay 10, 2022

Yoon begins term at midnight with military briefing

New South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol began his five-year term at the start of Tuesday in an underground bunker set up at his office building by receiving a briefing from the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the commander-in-chief. Yoon was briefed at midnight in the situation room of the national crisis management center of the new presidential office in Yongsan, joined by top security officials, including new National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han and Defense Minister nominee Lee Jong-sup. Outgoing

PoliticsMay 10, 2022

Moon appeals for resumption of inter-Korean dialogue in farewell speech

Outgoing President Moon Jae-in appealed for the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue Monday as he delivered a farewell address on his last day in office amid heightened tensions over North Korea's repeated tests of weapons. "Peace is a condition of survival for us, a condition of prosperity," Moon said. "I sincerely hope that efforts for denuclearization and institutionalization of peace will continue with the resumption of dialogue between the South and the North." Taking

PoliticsMay 9, 2022

Partisan snarl grips confirmation hearing for Yoon’s justice minister pick

The confirmation hearing for President Yoon Suk-yeol’s arguably most contested Cabinet pick, Justice Minister nominee Han Dong-hoon, was gripped by partisan tensions. During the hearing held on the eve of Yoon’s inauguration, Han argued that the Democratic Party of Korea-led prosecutorial reforms -- which entail expanding police powers while curtailing those of the prosecution -- would end up hurting the public while aiding criminals. Han was also pressed to give his position&nbs

Social AffairsMay 9, 2022

Will Korea, Japan be able to reset fraught ties?

A Japanese foreign minister arrived in South Korea for the first time in four years on Monday ahead of the presidential inauguration ceremony for Yoon Suk-yeol, raising hopes for possible improvements in relations with the incoming conservative administration. According to Yoon’s office, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is traveling to Seoul for two days from Monday, and will attend the inauguration ceremony on behalf of the Japanese government on Tuesday. On Monday, Ha

Foreign AffairsMay 9, 2022

S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases up week-on-week for two straight days

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases increased week-on-week for the second consecutive day, government data showed Monday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 20,601 new COVID-19 infections during the 24 hours of Sunday. The total caseload rose to 17,564,999. The daily tally reported on Monday was up 517 from 20,084 a week ago, showing a week-on-week increase for the second straight day. On the previous day, the country’s daily COVID-19 i

Social AffairsMay 9, 2022

Moon calls for national unity in his final speech as president

As he steps down from his five-year term, President Moon Jae-in said in his retirement speech Monday that he “put down his heavy burden” but hoped to see the momentum his administration had created continue. He also called on the incoming Yoon Suk-yeol government to resume dialogue efforts with the North and “move toward national unity” shattered since the election. The Moon Jae-in administration began in May 2017 with overwhelming support from the public after form

PoliticsMay 9, 2022

Will Lee try again for presidency like Moon did?

Lee Jae-myung, one of the main figures in today’s South Korean politics, has officially announced his bid to return to the political stage, indicating a step toward the next presidential race slated for 2027. Lee, the former Gyeonggi Province governor and presidential candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea, on Sunday declared he would run in the parliamentary by-election for a constituency in Gyeyang-gu of Incheon, which has been left vacant from Song Young-gil resigning from the pos

PoliticsMay 9, 2022

Yoon to start his five-year term with JCS briefing, inauguration ceremony

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol takes office on Tuesday morning, starting a new chapter of South Korea for the next five years. Officials said Monday that Yoon will start his term as the 20th president of South Korea at the underground bunker of his new presidential office in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. He will receive a briefing from the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the new commander-in-chief for the South Korean armed forces. The underground bunker will serve as the situation room for the national

PoliticsMay 9, 2022

Industry minister nominee vows 'reasonable use' of nuclear energy for zero emissions

South Korean Industry Minister nominee Lee Chang-yang vowed Monday to utilize nuclear power as a tool for the country's energy security and zero-emission goals and to actively support its exports. During a parliamentary confirmation hearing, Lee, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, stressed his vision of seeking balanced energy use for the best interest of the people and nurturing such key industry fields as chips and batteries by easing regulations and support

PoliticsMay 9, 2022