Yoon makes eleventh-hour merger plea to Ahn Cheol-soo

Presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party on Sunday made a public proposal for a one-on-one negotiation with Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party to unify candidacies, while revealing that the last-minute efforts he had so far made were rejected by Ahn. “Until this time, I have been doing my best for candidacy unification with Ahn Cheol-soo, with a sincere attitude,” Yoon said in a press conference Sunday. “I have ma

PoliticsFeb. 27, 2022

Military reports 843 more COVID-19 cases

The military on Sunday reported 843 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its domestic personnel to 17,736. The new cases included 490 from the Army, 107 from the Navy, 102 from the Air Force and 85 from the Marine Corps. There were also 46 cases from units under the direct control of the defense ministry, 12 from the ministry and one from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Currently, 4,949 military personnel are under treatment. (Yonhap)

DefenseFeb. 27, 2022

Top S. Korean, US nuclear envoys discuss N. Korea's missile launch

Senior South Korean and US government officials handling North Korea affairs had phone consultations Sunday on Pyongyang's latest missile test, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and his American counterpart Sung Kim shared their assessments of the North's move and expressed "deep concern and regret," it said. Earlier in the day, the North lobbed a ballistic missile into the East Sea in its eighth show of

North KoreaFeb. 27, 2022

[Herald Interview] Coast Guard chief lays down plans to boost Korea’s maritime security

The newly minted Korea Coast Guard Commissioner Jeong Bong-hoon, who celebrated his 50 days in office on Jan. 24, is busy devising a blueprint for the Coast Guard. With a background in security and investigation, he has detailed broad ideas for Korea’s future as maritime power. It took over an hour for Jeong to discuss plans he intends to pursue as chief of the Coast Guard. The following is the full transcript of the interview. Q: How was your first two months in office? A: To serve the

Social AffairsFeb. 27, 2022

New cases below 170,000 for 2nd day; critically ill patients rise

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases stayed below 170,000 for the third straight day Sunday, but critical cases from the virus continued to rise at a fast pace amid the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant. The country reported 163,566 new coronavirus infections, including 163,414 local cases, raising the total caseload to 2,994,841, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally slightly decreased from the 166,207reported Saturday. Daily infections exc

Social AffairsFeb. 27, 2022

NSC holds emergency meeting over N. Korea's launch of unidentified projectile

The presidential National Security Council (NSC) on Sunday expressed grave regret over North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile, calling for Pyongyang to immediately stop acts that threaten peace on the Korean Peninsula. National security adviser Suh Hoon presided over the NSC meeting, shortly after North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile that marked the North's eighth show of force this year. NSC members "expressed deep concern and grave regret over North Korea's launch of a b

North KoreaFeb. 27, 2022

N. Korea fires unidentified projectile eastward: S. Korean military

North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Sunday, South Korea's military said, in the recalcitrant regime's eighth show of force this year. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from around the Sunan area in Pyongyang at 7:52 a.m., and that the missile flew about 300 kilometers at a top altitude of 620 km. The latest launch, the first in just under a month, came 10 days ahead of South Korea's presidential election and amid the armed conflict in Ukraine

North KoreaFeb. 27, 2022

Ex-Culture Minister Lee O-young dies at 89

Former Culture Minister Lee O-young, one of South Korea's most revered literary critics and novelists, died of cancer Saturday at the age of 89. Lee, born in 1933 in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, served as the country's first cultural minister in 1990-1991 under the Roh Tae-woo administration. With his various literary works, he was respected as one of the most prominent "intellectuals of this era" in South Korea. In 1956, Lee caused a stir in the literary critics circle when he

Social AffairsFeb. 26, 2022

Xi expresses gratitude to NK leader over congratulatory Olympic messages

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has expressed gratitude for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's messages about the Beijing Winter Olympics and voiced hopes for developing the two nation's friendly ties, the North's state media said Saturday. Xi sent a letter Monday to the North's leader to deliver his thanks to Kim for having sent congratulatory messages for the opening and the "successful" closing of the Winter Games, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Xi said Kim's

North KoreaFeb. 26, 2022

Top diplomats from S. Korea, US condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States on Saturday "strongly condemned" Russia's invasion of Ukraine and reaffirmed their support for Ukraine, the foreign ministry here said. In their phone talks, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated their "steadfast support" for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, and urged Moscow to cease its military actions on Ukraine immediately, the ministry said

Foreign AffairsFeb. 26, 2022

New cases below 170,000 for 2nd day; COVID-19 deaths at all-time high

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases stayed below 170,000 for the second straight day Saturday, but the daily death count hit an all-time high amid the fast spread of the omicron variant. The country reported 166,209 new COVID-19 infections, including 166,068 local cases, raising the total caseload to 2,831,283, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally slightly rose from the 165,890 reported Friday. Daily infections exceeded the 100,000 mark for the first t

Social AffairsFeb. 26, 2022

Those opposing end-of-war declaration ‘anti-state,’ Lee Jae-myung insists

Presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung’s comment on endorsing an end-of-war declaration resurfaced during a televised presidential debate Friday night, in which Lee accused those against the move of being “anti-state” and thereby denouncing the diplomatic views of his presidential race competitors. Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor centrist People’s Party asked Lee to elaborate on what he meant by saying those against the end-of-war declaration are not just being pro-Japanese, bu

PoliticsFeb. 25, 2022

Lee, Sim attack Yoon over security, citing Ukraine crisis

Liberal leaning presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Sim Sang-jeung of the minor progressive Justice Party bombarded Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition conservative People Power Party over security issues, citing the Ukraine crisis in a televised debate on Friday night. Over the topic of establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula and unification with North Korea, Sim criticized Yoon’s stance on South Korea’s possible participation in

PoliticsFeb. 25, 2022

Yoon-Lee exchange tit-for-tat on Ukraine crisis

Presidential nominees Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party and Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea exchanged criticisms on each others’ “inadequate capabilities,” over the Ukraine crisis during a televised presidential debate on Friday. “The Ukraine crisis is leading the prices of raw materials and energy sources to skyrocket, and it may create insecurity in the finance sector. It is also a threat factor to Korea’s national se

PoliticsFeb. 25, 2022

Yoon calls ruling party’s electoral reform scheme ‘a false promise’

Presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party denounced the ruling party’s pledge to pursue electoral reform as a “false promise” aimed at gaining public attention, during a televised presidential debate Friday. When Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said he would introduce a new government system aimed at devolving powers concentrated in the presidential office and stressed the need for a mult

PoliticsFeb. 25, 2022

Yoon and Lee again exchange fire on key allegations during TV debate

The two major presidential candidates again dedicated much of their given times on a televised debate Friday night to denounce each other on key allegations, as the tight race continues between them with less than two weeks left until voting day. Presidential nominee Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party concentrated fire on voicing claims that Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is the mastermind behind the controversial land development scandal currently un

PoliticsFeb. 25, 2022

Moon administration was myopic in picking nominees, Lee Jae-myung says

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea picked close-mindedness and lack of efforts toward political integration as the reasons behind what brought criticism toward the incumbent Moon Jae-in administration. But he insisted that the Moon government was not entirely a failure in itself, seemingly expressing partial support for the administration associated with his own party. The response was made to a question from Ahn Cheol-soo of the People&rs

PoliticsFeb. 25, 2022

Ahn attacks Yoon for being ‘idealistic’

Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate for the minor opposition People’s Party, attacked Yoon Suk-yeol of the major opposition People Power Party for being unrealistic about leading a government in a situation where opposition parties are the majority. “If (the Democratic Party of Korea) attempts to disturb the government because it has 180 seats in the National Assembly, I believe it goes against the orders of the Constitution,” Yoon said during a TV debate held Friday,

PoliticsFeb. 25, 2022

Ahn says merger talks have failed while Yoon insists he is working on it

Presidential nominee Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party insisted that talks for a candidacy merger between him and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party will not continue unless his call for a public survey is not agreed to. Rep. Sim Sang-jung, the presidential nominee of the minor progressive Justice Party, asked whether Ahn and Yoon are still working on merging their candidacies. Ahn said the negotiation has already fallen through, and that talks woul

PoliticsFeb. 25, 2022

WHO creates global training hub for vaccines, medicine in S. Korea

South Korea is providing training to poorer countries wishing to produce their own vaccines and treatments as the World Health Organization’s global training hub. The country’s Ministry of Health and Welfare told reporters Friday the training hub has been established with the aim of combatting inequity in access to tools to combat health crises, including vaccines. Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said in a statement that the South Korean training hub is part of the WHO plan to

Social AffairsFeb. 25, 2022