S.Korean, Chinese nuclear envoys commit to ‘close strategic communication’ on N.Korea

The chief nuclear envoys of South Korea and China on Tuesday discussed ways to cooperate in managing the situation on the Korean Peninsula and committed to continue “close strategic communication” to resolve North Korean issues. Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, held his first face-to-face talks with his Chinese counterpart, Liu Xiaoming, in the morning at the Foreign Ministry building in Seoul. Liu, special representative of the

Foreign AffairsMay 3, 2022

Moon Jae-in signs controversial prosecution bills into law

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday promulgated the two controversial bills on prosecution reform despite fierce opposition from the public and related sectors, seeing further progress on his vow to overhaul the law enforcement agency. At the last Cabinet meeting of his five-year term held 2 p.m. Tuesday, Moon officially signed the two prosecution reform bills that passed the final vote at the National Assembly, completing the Democratic Party of Korea’s push to strip most of the remaining i

PoliticsMay 3, 2022

[Newsmaker] Nominee bows out amid snowballing accusations

Kim In-chul, the nominee for deputy prime minister and education minister, became the first Cabinet pick for the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to step away from the confirmation process. After a series of allegations surrounding his term as president of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and his family were raised, Kim said he will no longer seek the post. “I am to withdraw today,” Kim told the press in front of the Korea Institute of Educational Facility Safety in Yeouido, west

Social AffairsMay 3, 2022

Transition team sets out 110 national tasks for Yoon administration

Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidential transition committee announced 110 national tasks on Tuesday. The tasks include reversing the phase out of nuclear power, cut real estate taxes, and improve welfare for soldiers. The team estimated that the new government would require an additional 209 trillion won ($165 billion) over the next five years to implement the plans. Yoon Suk-yeol’s government will scrap Moon’s nuclear phase-out policy and work to strengthen the nuclear industry.

PoliticsMay 3, 2022

Moon set to hold Cabinet meeting to promulgate prosecution reform legislation

President Moon Jae-in, in his final days in office, is set to hold his last Cabinet meeting Tuesday, in a bid to promulgate two controversial bills on prosecution reform. The Cabinet meeting will be held at 4 p.m., hours after the ruling Democratic Party (DP) railroaded the last-remaining bill on prosecution reform through the National Assembly amid opposition protest, completing its push to reduce and ultimately remove the prosecution's investigative powers. One of the laws is aimed at limiting

PoliticsMay 3, 2022

National Assembly passes remaining bill for prosecution reform

The ruling Democratic Party railroaded the last-remaining bill on prosecution reform through the National Assembly amid opposition protest Tuesday, completing its push to reduce and ultimately remove the prosecution's investigative powers. The revision to the Criminal Procedure Act, the remaining half of the ruling DP's prosecution reform legislation, was passed in a 164-3 vote, with seven abstentions in just three minutes after the opening of a parliamentary plenary session. The revision calls

PoliticsMay 3, 2022

[Graphic News] Messenger phishing scams soar in 2021 amid pandemic

　Phishing scams involving instant messages in South Korea spiked in 2021 due to increased not-in-person activities amid the coronavirus pandemic, data showed. 　The amount in damages from messenger phishing came to 99.1 billion won ($80.3 million) last year, up 166 percent from the previous year, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service. 　The figure accounted for nearly 59 percent of last year‘s total damages of 168.2 billion won resulting from phishing. 　Phishing is

NationalMay 3, 2022

New COVID-19 cases rise to over 50,000 amid moves to return to normalcy

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases rose to over 50,000 on Tuesday from a nearly three-month low the previous day, as the country has sought to regain normalcy amid a recent gradual decrease in infections. The country reported 51,131 new COVID-19 infections, including 45 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,346,753, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Tuesday's count more than doubled from the previous day's 20,084. But it was still a marked drop from a week ear

Social AffairsMay 3, 2022

S. Korea, US to begin two-week combined air drills next week: sources

South Korea and the United States plan to kick off regular combined air force drills next week, informed sources said Tuesday, in yet another move to highlight their defense posture especially against North Korea's evolving missile threats. The allies are set to begin the two-week Korea Flying Training on Monday, the eve of the inauguration of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who has vowed to bolster the Seoul-Washington security alliance under his slogan of "peace through strength."

DefenseMay 3, 2022

Top nuclear envoys of S. Korea, China hold talks on N. Korea

The chief nuclear envoys of South Korea and China met in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss security situations on the Korean Peninsula amid concerns about North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats. Liu Xiaoming, Beijing's special representative on Korean Peninsula affairs, was on his first visit to Seoul since assuming the post in April 2021 at a time of heightened tensions over Pyongyang's recent spate of missile launches and reported signs of preparations for another nuclear test. In his fir

Foreign AffairsMay 3, 2022

US-S. Korea alliance an incredibly important relationship: Psaki

WASHINGTON -- The US-South Korea alliance is an incredibly important relationship that is vital to many issues in the region and around the world, a White House spokesperson said Monday of reasons for President Joe Biden's planned trip to Seoul. Jen Psaki also noted North Korea will be a "prominent part" of the agenda for Biden's upcoming trip that will also take him to Japan. "I would note that we have an incredibly important, vital relationship with South Korea. We work on a ran

Foreign AffairsMay 3, 2022

US continuing increased surveillance of N. Korea: Pentagon

WASHINGTON -- The United States is continuing to closely monitor North Korea for signs of additional provocations while sharing such intelligence with South Korea, a US Department of Defense spokesperson said Monday. John Kirby said the US is also always looking for ways to get better information about the reclusive country. US Indo-Pacific Command was ordered to intensify its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) collection activities in waters near the Korean Peninsula in early M

Foreign AffairsMay 3, 2022

[Diplomatic Circuit] Ecuador and S.Korea ‘complimentary economies’ with room for more cooperation: Ecuadorian top envoy

South Korea and Ecuador are complimentary economies with potential for wider cooperation, Ecuadorian Ambassador Adrian Kao said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. “There is a natural fit for deeper engagement between Ecuador and Korea,” Kao said, inviting Korean companies and institutions to consider Ecuador as a partner and to invest in Ecuador. Kao said that more than 20 Korean companies operated in Ecuador in infrastructure construction, consulting, natural resources,

Diplomatic CircuitMay 3, 2022

Police raid Woori Bank headquarters over embezzlement probe

Police raided the headquarters of Woori Bank, one of South Korea's largest commercial banks, on Monday as one of the bank's employees is suspected of embezzling more than 60 billion won ($47 million).    Police confiscated computers and documents of the employee during the four-hour raid, officials said.    According to the bank, the employee, who has worked at Woori Bank for more than 10 years, took out a total of 61.45 billion won through three withdrawals, in 2012, 201

Social AffairsMay 2, 2022

Transition team denies claims Yoon's wife offended FM's wife

The transition team of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol denied allegations Monday that Yoon's wife ordered the foreign minister's wife to leave her residence while she took a look inside to determine whether it was fit for a presidential residence.    Rep. Woo Sang-ho of the ruling Democratic Party made the claim on TBS radio Monday, saying the wife of Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong had to stand outside in the garden while Yoon's wife, Kim Keon-hee, toured the top diplomat's official r

PoliticsMay 2, 2022

Herald Corp. to host H.eco Forum on May 26

More than 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans, which play a vital role in sustaining life for all on this planet. In the face of climate change, the ocean is the center of many life-threatening challenges such as rising sea levels, water scarcity and changes in sea temperature. This year, Herald Corp. will host the second edition of H.eco Forum, an annual event focused on environmental issues, on Nodeul Island on May 26, under the theme of “The Climate Crisis and

Social AffairsMay 2, 2022

Yoon’s transition team meets with bereaved family of S. Korean man killed by N. Korea

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s transition committee on Monday met with family of a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was shot dead by North Korean troops near the western sea border on Sept. 21, 2020. Ahn Cheol-soo, the chief of the presidential transition committee, spoke with the official’s older brother Lee Rae-jin and an attorney representing his family at around 12: p.m. at the committee’s office in Jongno, central Seoul. In a letter delivered to Ahn on Mo

Social AffairsMay 2, 2022

Korea’s experience in forest restoration to be shared for global sustainable forestry

President Moon Jae-in says he believes Korea’s experience in forest restoration and international forest cooperation can contribute to sustainable forest management around the world, in a message to mark Seoul’s hosting of the 15th World Forestry Congress, He suggested three ways in which Korea would contribute to the international community. “First, we will actively participate in the international community’s efforts to restore tropical and subtropical forests and

Social AffairsMay 2, 2022

World Forestry Congress to open discussion on forests, climate change

The World Forestry Congress, a five-day gathering that kicked off on Monday in Seoul, is where all stakeholders in the industry are meeting to review and discuss policies on forests and the environment under the theme of “Building a Green, Healthy and Resilient Future with Forests,” according to the secretary-general of the congress. The congress, held every six years, is the largest and most significant gathering of members of the world’s forestry sectors, providing a venue

Social AffairsMay 2, 2022

People still wear masks despite end of outdoor mask mandate

People seemed reluctant to take off their masks, although the country’s outdoor mask mandate was lifted on Monday. For various reasons, it was difficult to find people not wearing masks than those wearing them. “It is rather inconvenient to take off a face mask outside and put it back on when entering an indoor space,” said a 32-year-old female graduate student surnamed Cho in Seoul when asked why she still wore a mask outside, even though the mask rule had been scrapped. Ch

Social AffairsMay 2, 2022