Oh Se-hoon chosen to become unified opposition candidate for Seoul mayor

Ex-Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon beat software mogul-turned-politician Ahn Cheol-soo on Tuesday to become the single opposition candidate for the upcoming Seoul mayoral by-election, as opinion polls project a possible election victory for the opposition bloc. Oh, who is running on the ticket of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), was declared the winner of a bipartisan primary against Ahn, the leader of the conservative minor People's Party (PP), according to the primary results. The victor

PoliticsMarch 23, 2021

Child grooming for sexual abuse to be punished in S. Korea

Online grooming, or luring minors through the internet to sexually illicit businesses, will be subject to criminal punishment in South Korea starting in September, a government ministry said Tuesday. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said the revised act on the protection of children and juveniles against sexual abuse will take effect on Sept. 24. Under the revised law, those who repeatedly send online messages incurring sexual shame or hate to children or trick them into doing some s

Social AffairsMarch 23, 2021

Kim calls for communication, unity with China against 'hostile forces' all-round challenges'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for stronger strategic communication and unity with China to address "hostile forces" in a message to Chinese President Xi Jinping, state media said Tuesday. Kim sent the message "to notify the accounts of the 8th Congress of the WPK, as required by the times that call for intensifying the strategic communication between the two parties on the basis of deep comradeship," the Korean Central News Agency said, without mentioning when the

North KoreaMarch 23, 2021

S. Korea's nuclear armament will only justify N. Korea's nuclear ambition: Vincent Brooks

Arming South Korea with its own nuclear weapons against threats from North Korea would only help justify the North's ongoing pursuit of nuclear weapons, and thus making it impossible to denuclearize the North, a former commander of US Forces Korea said Monday. Vincent Brooks argued the US must instead periodically reaffirm its commitment to the joint defense of South Korea and strengthen its extended nuclear deterrence for South Korea. "My opinion is that the provision of nuclear weapons

Foreign AffairsMarch 23, 2021

US court action begins for N. Korean extradited by Malaysia: Justice Department

WASHINGTON -- Court proceedings began here Monday for a North Korean national suspected of money laundering, the US Department of Justice said. The suspect, Mun Chol-myong, "made his initial appearance today in federal court in the District of Columbia, where he was indicted on May 2, 2019," the department said in a press release. "The indictment further alleges that Mun was affiliated with the DPRK's primary intelligence organization, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, which is

Foreign AffairsMarch 23, 2021

US remains committed to denuclearizing N. Korea, engaging allies and partners: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- The United States will continue to work closely with its allies and partners, including China and Russia, to denuclearize North Korea, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. The White House adviser also said the North continues to remain unresponsive to US overtures for dialogue. "We have not yet heard directly from them through diplomatic channels," he said in an interview with MSNBC. The US earlier said it has reached out to North Korea through "

Foreign AffairsMarch 23, 2021

China's Xi tells N. Korea's Kim that he upholds political settlement of Korean Peninsula issue

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday, in a verbal message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, that Beijing will uphold a political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue, according to Chinese state media Xinhua. Xi also said he wants to make efforts for solid development of relations with North Korea. Xi's messages were delivered by senior Chinese diplomat Song Tao to Ri Ryong-nam, North Korea's new ambassador to China, during their meeting in Beijing earlier in the day, Xinhua reporte

North KoreaMarch 22, 2021

Justice minister dismayed at outcome of prosecutors' meeting to dismiss alleged perjury in ex-PM case

Justice Minister Park Beom-kye on Monday expressed dismay over senior prosecutors' decision to close the alleged perjury case involving former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, exposing a rift that has lingered for years between the ministry and the prosecution. While accepting the outcome, Park criticized the decision as tantamount to "protecting their own family." He said it is "questionable" if the meeting of prosecutors held to review the case properly reflected the int

PoliticsMarch 22, 2021

Vice FM Choi calls for world's commitment against racial discrimination

Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon called Monday for the world to reaffirm its commitment against racial discrimination amid concerns over a reported rise in anti-Asian sentiment related to the new coronavirus. Choi made the call in a pre-taped speech for the UNESCO Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination, as the Korean community in the United States mourns the deaths of four women of Korean descent killed in last week's shootings in Atlanta. "Given the recent upsurge of

Foreign AffairsMarch 22, 2021

Korea says AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine safe, allays blood clot worries

Korean public health authorities said Monday that AstraZeneca vaccinations should go on in the country, echoing rulings from regulators elsewhere that the benefits outweigh the risks of side effects. In a news briefing, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said that it continues to recommend the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, especially considering the immediate threats of the pandemic.  Still, it admitted that the vaccine’s link to rare bl

Social AffairsMarch 22, 2021

Moon tries to ease public concern about AstraZeneca vaccine's safety

President Moon Jae-in reassured the people here Monday that the AstraZeneca vaccine in use against COVID-19 is safe, saying he will get a dose of it in person this week. He stressed that the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine "have been reaffirmed internationally." Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recommended that AstraZeneca vaccine shots continue. It is considered "at this time" that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks,

PoliticsMarch 22, 2021

S. Korea reports 36 more cases of COVID-19 variants, total now at 249

South Korea on Monday reported 36 more new cases of COVID-19 variants, including 26 local infections, further escalating concerns over the spread of the more transmissible strains. Of the additional cases, 33 people were confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus variant believed to have originated in Britain, followed by the South Africa variant with two and the Brazil variant with one, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The new variant cases were i

Social AffairsMarch 22, 2021

Defense minister visits UAE, India to expand ties

South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook is visiting the UAE and India this week to expand exchanges, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday. From Monday to Wednesday, Suh is staying in the UAE and will meet with his UAE counterpart, Mohammed al-Bowardi, and other key military officials to discuss strengthening cooperation. Suh will also visit South Korea’s special warfare unit deployed there. The UAE asked the South to field a special operation team from the unit in 2010, when its

DefenseMarch 22, 2021

[Herald Interview] Colombia eyes stronger ties with Korea in agriculture, culture, environment

For many South Koreans, coffee is the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Colombia.   　 As one of the largest coffee producers in the world, Colombia enjoys a presence in cafes here with fresh, high-quality coffee beans that feed this coffee-loving nation.   　 Along with coffee, there are many more areas where the two countries can share what they have to offer, said visiting high-ranking officials from Colombia last week. These include agriculture, trade, culture and

Foreign AffairsMarch 22, 2021

[Newsmaker] Oh, Ahn start poll to decide who will run for Seoul mayor

The opposition’s two strongest candidates have begun a two-day poll starting Monday to decide which of them should run in the Seoul mayoral by-election on April 7 to defeat the ruling party. Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party will conduct surveys of 1,600 people each, and add up the results to be announced by Wednesday. Should they be able to finish earlier, the final candidate may also be revealed on Tuesday

Social AffairsMarch 22, 2021

S. Korea to seek other ways to engage with NK as overseas spectators banned from Tokyo Olympics: ministry

The unification ministry said Monday it will look for opportunities to move forward the Korea peace process amid dimmed prospects for engaging with North Korea through the Tokyo Olympics following Japan's decision to ban foreign spectators. South Korea has been seeking ways to create opportunities to reengage with North Korea through events such as the Tokyo Olympics, which are scheduled for July and August this year. "We will continue to seek ways to move forward the peace process on the

North KoreaMarch 22, 2021

[News Focus] Foreign workers still face COVID-19 tests outside Seoul

Foreign workers in many parts of South Korea are still being required to undergo COVID-19 testing even after Seoul withdrew its own order Friday. Testing mandates remain in force in other regions, apparently due to less influence from white-collar foreign workers, who tend to be more vocal and active on social issues. The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday withdrew its earlier order to require coronavirus testing for all foreign workers after facing backlash from diplomatic circles, commu

Social AffairsMarch 22, 2021

Unification minister renews support for private sector efforts to resume aid to N. Korea

Unification Minister Lee In-young on Monday renewed his support for private sector efforts to resume humanitarian assistance to North Korea despite strained cross-border ties and Pyongyang's tight border controls due to the global pandemic. Lee made the remarks in a meeting with Lee Jong-kul, head of the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, a pro-unification civic group, after North Korea recently threatened to disband a party organ handling cross-border affairs in anger over join

North KoreaMarch 22, 2021

S. Korea denies report on government-level talks with Britain on aircraft carrier tech

The arms procurement agency on Monday denied a media report that the South Korean and British governments have begun informal talks on technology cooperation for aircraft carriers. On Monday, the Daily Telegraph reported that the country's "advanced systems and designs" could be exported to South Korea, as its trade officials "have begun informal discussions with Korean counterparts about areas of technology the country could be interested in," citing industry sources. The

DefenseMarch 22, 2021

Defense ministry vows to expand security cooperation with Japan

South Korea will seek to expand security cooperation with Japan, the defense ministry said Monday, following a recent visit by the US state and defense secretaries to its two Asian allies stressing the importance of trilateral cooperation among the three countries. Three-way cooperation was a key agenda item of last week's Asia trip by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, during which they "pledged to continue promoting mutually beneficial, forward-looki

DefenseMarch 22, 2021