N. Korea denies Trump's boasts on bond with Kim

North Korea on Tuesday dismissed former US President Donald Trump's repeated boasts about his close relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a "lingering desire," stating that their personal bond did not bring about "any substantial positive change." The statement, delivered through the state-run Korean Central News Agency, which is tailored more to external audiences than domestic ones, marked Pyongyang's first official reaction to Trump's campaign

North KoreaJuly 23, 2024

Supreme Court nominee faces criticism over daughter's stock gains

Supreme Court justice nominee Lee Suk-yeon’s daughter was found to have made a profit 63 times higher than her original stock investment by selling her shares to her father, according to data released Tuesday. According to official documents Lee submitted to Rep. Huh Young of the Democratic Party, Lee’s daughter, identified by her last name Cho, sold 400 stock shares of a cosmetics R&D firm to her father for 385 million won ($277,636) in May 2023. The 400 shares were part of a to

Social AffairsJuly 23, 2024

New special counsel bill zeroes in on both Yoon, first lady

Lawmakers of the minor liberal opposition Rebuilding Korea Party proposed a bill Tuesday to launch a special counsel probe into both President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee. This is the latest development following disputes and the prosecution's internal strife concerning the legal enforcement institution's decision to interrogate Kim outside of its office, in what Yoon's political enemies have depicted as preferential treatment for the president's wife. Led by Rep. Park Eun-jung, a

PoliticsJuly 23, 2024

What are the charges faced by Kakao founder?

The founder of South Korean tech giant Kakao Corp. was detained Tuesday on charges of stock price manipulation related to the firm's takeover of K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment last year, prosecutors said. The Seoul Southern District Court granted the prosecution’s request for a pretrial detention warrant for Kim Beom-su, also known as Brian Kim, on charges of violating the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, citing concerns about evidence destruction and flight r

Social AffairsJuly 23, 2024

YouTuber apologizes over her actions related to 'housing fraud'

YouTuber Darcie on Tuesday apologized for her actions on what she had initially described as "housing fraud incident," which many people perceived as her trying to shift her own losses from a scam onto another victim. "I'm ashamed to admit that I failed to recognize the severity of the housing fraud issue, and made the mistake of referring to my personal experience as one. I apologize for the inaccurate depiction of my experience," she said in an apology posted via her

Social AffairsJuly 23, 2024

Colombia highlights rural reforms cooperation with Korea

Colombia highlighted recent cooperation in rural reforms with South Korea, marking the 214th Independence Day in Seoul on Monday. Colombia’s Independence Day, which falls on July 20, commemorates the country’s declaration of independence in 1810. Colombia was a colony of Spain from 1549 to 1810. In his remarks, Colombian Ambassador to Korea Alejandro Pelaez Rodriguez thanked Korea for expanding bilateral exchange and supporting the agricultural reform model of land acquisition for re

Foreign AffairsJuly 23, 2024

Unification minister asks US support to free S. Korean detainees in NK

South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho on Monday asked for the United States' support to repatriate South Korean nationals forcibly detained in North Korea and called for enhanced cooperation between the allies in addressing human rights abuses in North Korea. Kim conveyed his appeal during a meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell in Washington, as part of his six-day visit that began Sunday, the Unification Ministry in Seoul said Tuesday. Kim's visit mark

North KoreaJuly 23, 2024

Bodies of two men wash ashore on west coast beach

The bodies of two men were found at a beach in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, the Boryeong Coast Guard said Tuesday. The two men, both identified to be 49-year-old residents of Boryeong, were found dead at around 10:57 p.m. Monday at Doksan Beach in the small coastal city. Officials suspect that they died due to an accident that occurred while they were doing "haerujil," or traditional barehanded fishing. Haerujil refers to shining a light at nighttime and catching the fish that

Social AffairsJuly 23, 2024

Yoon to send special envoys to Czech Republic to discuss follow-up measures for nuclear power project

President Yoon Suk Yeol will send special envoys to the Czech Republic to discuss follow-up measures on the European country's selection of a South Korean consortium as a preferred bidder for a nuclear power plant project, his office said Tuesday. Sung Tae-yoon, the presidential chief of staff for policy, and Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun were to leave Tuesday on a three-day trip to meet Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Sikela, according to the offic

Foreign AffairsJuly 23, 2024

Jamsu Bridge closed due to rising river levels

Jamsu Bridge over the Han River and sections of the Olympic Expressway across southern Seoul were closed Tuesday due to rising river levels caused by heavy rain, city officials said. Torrential rain of up to 30 millimeters per hour, beginning early Tuesday morning, increased water discharge from the Paldang Dam on the eastern upstream side of the Han River, according to the officials. Due to rising water levels in the Han River, both vehicle and pedestrian traffic were prohibited on the submersi

Social AffairsJuly 23, 2024

Ruling party set to hold national convention to pick new leader

The ruling People Power Party was set to hold a national convention Tuesday to elect a new party leader to head the embattled party following the party's crushing defeat in April's parliamentary elections. The party convention comes nearly three months after former interim leader Han Dong-hoon resigned after the general elections to take responsibility for the defeat. Han, running again to become the new PPP chief, is leading the race by a relatively significant margin, according to op

PoliticsJuly 23, 2024

Kim may try to reignite 'bromance' with Trump if he returns to White House: ex-Trump official

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may try to rekindle his "bromance" with former President Donald Trump if he returns to the White House, a former US official said Monday, predicting Kim could propose a deal to limit his regime's nuclear program in return for American troops' pullout from South Korea. H.R. McMaster, who served as national security advisor for Trump from 2017-2018, made the remarks amid speculation that the GOP presidential nominee, if reelected, could seek dire

North KoreaJuly 23, 2024

[Herald Inteview] Tajikistan's hydropower, mining opportunities: state committee chair

Sulton Rahimzoda, Tajikistan's chairman of the State Committee on Investments and State Property Management, encouraged South Korean companies to invest in Tajikistan’s green energy and mining sectors in an interview with The Korea Herald. Tajikistan intends to build a green economy by 2037 and accelerate industrialization for sustainable development and job opportunities. Tajikistan offers opportunities to Korean companies to "green" their investments, according to Rahimzod

Foreign AffairsJuly 22, 2024

Defense chiefs of South Korea, US, Japan to meet in Tokyo to discuss NK threats

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold talks in Tokyo next week to discuss issues such as strengthening their trilateral security cooperation in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, the South's defense ministry said Monday. The gathering scheduled for Sunday comes amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula over North Korea's repeated launches of trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea in a tit-for-tat r

DefenseJuly 22, 2024

Parliamentary committee passes pro-labor 'yellow envelope bill'

A parliamentary committee unilaterally passed a pro-labor bill Monday that aims to limit companies from making claims for damages against legitimate labor union disputes. Lawmakers affiliated with the main opposition Democratic Party and other progressive parties passed the revision to the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, nicknamed the yellow envelop bill, during a plenary session of the parliamentary environment and labor committee. In protest, the ruling People Power Party left

PoliticsJuly 22, 2024

Anti-corruption agency raises meal expense cap for public officials

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced on Monday that it has decided to raise the meal expense limit for public officials from 30,000 won ($22) to 50,000 won, citing the need to reflect the country's steep inflation since the limit was set. This proposal came eight years after the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, also known as the "Kim Young-ran law," was implemented. The antigraft act, named after the former Supreme Court justice who was then head of the co

Social AffairsJuly 22, 2024

Korea, Albania discuss ways for stronger cooperation on security, new techs

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with his Albanian counterpart, Igli Hasani, on Monday and discussed ways of enhancing cooperation on security, new technologies and the overall economy, Seoul's foreign ministry said. During the meeting in Seoul, Cho expressed hope for stronger relations with Albania on a wide range of issues, such as cyber security, artificial intelligence and other advanced technology sectors, as South Korea is working to boost cooperation with major European

Foreign AffairsJuly 22, 2024

People Power Party leader candidates diverge on Trump

As South Korea’s ruling People Power Party counts down to the national convention set for Tuesday, Han Dong-hoon -- the leading candidate for the party’s top post -- was seen promoting his views on former US President Donald Trump in a last-minute move to set himself apart from his main challengers. Han on Sunday posted to Facebook saying, “The South Korea-US alliance is at the core of our country’s progress in diplomacy, defense, economy and science, as well as peace in

PoliticsJuly 22, 2024

Employment rates, wages drop once women become mothers: study

The employment rates and wages of South Korea's female workers significantly dropped after they become mothers, with about one in two mothers leaving their jobs after giving birth, a recent study showed Monday. According to a report released by the Korea Development Institute, women's employment rates decreased by 47.1 percent in the short term -- defined as within four years after childbirth -- and by 43.4 percent in the long term -- defined as five to 10 years after childbirth. Simil

Social AffairsJuly 22, 2024

Biden steps down, Harris steps up: What's next for alliance, beyond?

US President Joe Biden's seismic decision to drop out of the presidential race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee on Sunday has rattled South Korea. The tectonic political shift raises critical questions about whether the steadfast South Korea-US alliance, exemplified by the Washington Declaration and the crucial trilateral cooperation with Japan highlighted at the Camp David summit, will endure despite Biden’s withdrawal. Hours after Biden withdrew fro

Foreign AffairsJuly 22, 2024