Opposition party chief calls for reconsideration of prosecution reform bill

The chief of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) said Sunday his party will reconsider a bipartisan proposal on prosecution reform to review flaws in the bills aimed at scrapping the prosecution's investigative powers. The ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the PPP on Friday agreed to pass the compromise legislation within this month, prompting Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo and other several senior prosecutors to offer to resign in protest. PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok said he shared d

PoliticsApril 24, 2022

Pandemic, violence and women: What data doesn’t tell

The shadow pandemic. This is what the United Nations called violence against women in a November report last year, in which over two-thirds of women surveyed from 13 countries said that domestic violence has increased during the pandemic where they live. The pandemic’s impact on women in South Korea is harder to gauge, as the country was not included among the surveyed countries in the report. According to South Korea’s National Police Agency, arrests for domestic violence, whic

Social AffairsApril 24, 2022

Bus union strike threatens major public transit disruption in Seoul

Seoul could be headed for a major public transit disruption this week, with the Seoul Bus Union set for a general strike Tuesday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday, the Seoul Bus Union is planning a general strike early Tuesday morning if wage negotiations do not come through. The general strike, if it takes place, could further disrupt public transit across the city, after a disability advocacy group recently resumed staging subway protests, demanding improvements for

Social AffairsApril 24, 2022

S. Korea downgrades disease level of COVID-19 with 4-week transition period

COVID-19 will be downgraded in South Korea’s four-tier infectious disease categorization system starting Monday, following the recent pandemic downturn. Eating inside movie theaters, indoor gyms and religious facilities has been allowed, starting on the same day. The government’s downgrading of the COVID-19 infectious level comes with a four-week transition period, during which the government will see if it will finally downgrade the COVID-19 infectious level. For the next four

Social AffairsApril 24, 2022

Korea International School’s counselling supports students through college applications and beyond

Korea International School offers comprehensive counselling with emphasis on social-emotional growth and academic development that guides high school students through the challenges of their teenage years to aid them in the college application process. High school principal Aimmie Kellar observes that since the pandemic began, “We’re having more conversations with families. Parents talk with us about taking care of the whole child.” KIS counselors provide a common language to

Social AffairsApril 24, 2022

[Newsmaker] Cleaner Earth: Healing ozone hole, less smog, more eagles

With climate change, plastic pollution and a potential sixth mass extinction, humanity has made some incredible messes in the world. But when people, political factions and nations have pulled together, they have also cleaned up some of those human-caused environmental problems, including healing the ozone hole, clearing perpetually smoggy air and saving many species from the brink of extinction. "We can be good at cleaning up our messes, it's whether or not we choose to be and what we prio

Social AffairsApril 24, 2022

Yoon’s delegation departs for Tokyo, seeks to revive long-strained relationship

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s policy consultation delegation to Tokyo began its five-day trip Sunday, marking the incoming administration’s first move aimed at improving bilateral relations. During the trip, the seven-person delegation, headed by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Rep. Chung Jin-suk of the People Power Party, will meet with Japanese authorities to discuss and coordinate policies, while seeking to revive the long-strained relationship between the two countries. B

Foreign AffairsApril 24, 2022

At least 5 lawmaker seats up for grabs in June elections

A miniscule version of the parliamentary elections will be held in June on the sidelines of local elections, as incumbent legislators are to give up their lawmaker seats to run for local administration posts. At least five constituencies are to be up for grabs in the by-elections slated for June 1, and as many as 10 legislative seats are expected to be available for new figures to take over. The opening hints at the possible return of key heavyweights to the main stage and a change in political

PoliticsApril 24, 2022

Confirmation hearings for Yoon’s Cabinet picks to start this week

Parliamentary confirmation hearings for President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s Cabinet picks are to kick off Monday, with Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo taking the stand for a two-day hearing. The Democratic Party of Korea, which has vowed a tough vetting for all nominees, is likely to focus on Han’s career after he retired from the public sector. Prime minister is the only Cabinet post that requires parliamentary approval in South Korea. Han’s hearing is to be followed by tho

PoliticsApril 24, 2022

8 insurers fined W1.76b for collusion

South Korea's antitrust regulator said Sunday it has decided to impose a combined fine of 1.76 billion won ($1.42 million) on eight insurance companies for colluding to fix bidding prices. KB Insurance Co., six other non-life insurers and a local insurance consultancy colluded for the rental housing-related insurance bidding put forward by state housing developer Korea Land & Housing Corp. (LH) in 2018, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC). They colluded to intentionally offer low bi

Social AffairsApril 24, 2022

Yoon to commute to office from private home while official residence is renovated

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol expected to commute to the new presidential office in central Seoul from his private home for about a month after his inauguration while his official residence is renovated, officials said Sunday. Yoon has decided to remodel what is now the foreign minister's residence into his official residence in line with his plan to move the presidential office and residence out of Cheong Wa Dae in an effort to connect better with the people. Renovation work on the foreign mi

PoliticsApril 24, 2022

New infections below 100,000 for 4th day amid ebbing omicron wave

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 100,000 for the fourth day in a row Sunday, with most of the country's virus restrictions set to be lifted this week amid the slowdown of the omicron wave. The country added 64,725 new COVID-19 infections, including 36 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,895,194, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The omicron wave has been on the decline after the country's daily infections reached the p

Social AffairsApril 24, 2022

U.S.’ approval rating jumps to 59 percent in S. Korea: poll

The United States’ approval rating in South Korea jumped at one of the steepest rates among Asian countries in 2021, a poll showed Friday. The approval rating of U.S. leadership in South Korea climbed to 59 percent last year from 30 percent a year earlier, according to Gallup. The increase marks the second highest among 33 Asian countries where the poll was conducted between April 2021 and January 2022. “Ratings of U.S. leadership showed substantial improvement in 13 Asian coun

Foreign AffairsApril 23, 2022

President-elect Yoon mourns passing of U.S. Korean War veteran

South Korea’s President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday commemorated the work of a late U.S. Korean War veteran for his service to both South Korea and the U.S. and to their alliance. Yoon also expressed his “deepest respect” to Col. William Weber, who died on April 9 at the age of 96. “He devoted his life to ensuring the world not to forget the significance of the Korean War and promoting humanity of Korean War veterans as president of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Fo

PoliticsApril 23, 2022

New virus cases below 100,000 for 3rd day amid ebbing omicron wave

South Korea’s daily tally of new coronavirus cases stayed below 100,000 for the third day in a row Saturday as the omicron wave is gradually subsiding. The country added 75,449 new COVID-19 infections, including 29 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 16,830,469, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The new tally is down 5,609 cases from a day earlier and down 32,467 from a week earlier. It marks the lowest number for a Saturday since Feb. 12.  T

Social AffairsApril 23, 2022

S. Korea verifying report of death of volunteer fighter in Ukraine

South Korea's foreign ministry said Friday that it is ascertaining the veracity of intelligence that at least one of its nationals participating in the Ukraine war as a volunteer fighter has died. Currently, four South Korean nationals are known to have entered Ukraine without government authorization to join the war, the ministry said. "The government recently obtained intelligence from relevant countries that there are deaths among our nationals participating as volunteer soldiers in t

Foreign AffairsApril 22, 2022

Unification minister nominee calls for bipartisan NK policy

Unification Minister nominee Kwon Young-se on Friday called for a bipartisan policy on North Korea. "Only when a bipartisan North Korea policy is drawn up on the foundation of a national consensus will it be possible to pursue policies in a sustainable and consistent manner," he said at a seminar organized by the national unity committee under President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition team. Kwon said the reunification of Germany demonstrated the need to pursue bipartisan policies i

North KoreaApril 22, 2022

N. Korean leader commends Moon’s efforts in rare letter. What’s behind it?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has exchanged letters with South Korea’s outgoing President Moon Jae-in and expressed gratitude toward Moon for his effort to improve inter-Korean relations, the North Korean state media reported Friday. The state-run Korean Central News Agency, which mainly targets the external audience, swiftly reported that Kim on Thursday replied to Moon’s personal letter delivered Wednesday. “Dear respected comrade Kim Jong-un highly appreciated Moon&rsq

North KoreaApril 22, 2022

[Newsmaker] Top prosecutors offer to resign en masse in protest over reform legislation

Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo, his deputy and the chiefs of all six high prosecutors' offices across the nation offered to resign en masse Friday after the ruling and opposition parties agreed on legislation that would reduce and eventually scrap the prosecution's investigative powers. The unprecedented move came after the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition People Power Party reached agreement on prosecution reform legislation in a breakthrough compromise that defused tensions over

PoliticsApril 22, 2022

People Power Party convenes ethics committee over claims Lee Jun-seok accepted sexual favors

Lee Jun-seok is facing possible penalties from his own People Power Party over allegations he accepted sexual favors as bribes on two instances in 2013. At a meeting on Thursday evening, the party voted unanimously in favor of convening an ethics committee to decide whether a disciplinary action against Lee is warranted.  When the allegations first surfaced in December last year, the party decided not to consider the matter through its ethics committee process, with the preside

PoliticsApril 22, 2022