Arrest warrant denied for ex-industry minister over reactor shutdown controversy

DAEJEON -- A court rejected the issuance of an arrest warrant Tuesday for a former industry and energy minister in connection with the controversial closure of an aging nuclear reactor. The Daejeon District Court denied the warrant sought by prosecutors against Paik Un-gyu on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of business, citing lack of reason and need to arrest him. "The prosecutors' arguments are not sufficient vindication of Paik's alleged criminality," the court said. &qu

PoliticsFeb. 9, 2021

US remains committed to peace, stability of Indo-Pacific: Pentagon

The United States continues to be committed to the peace and security of its allies in the Indo-Pacific region, a Pentagon official said Monday. The remarks come amid an ongoing review of the US defense posture that the Pentagon official said will determine where more US troops are needed or less. "We will continue to maintain our security commitments to our allies and partners there," Press Secretary John Kirby said when asked if the ongoing defense posture review would lead to an i

Foreign AffairsFeb. 9, 2021

NK leader raps economic agencies for 'passive, self-protecting tendencies'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rapped economic agencies for "passive and self-protecting tendencies" as he held a Workers' Party meeting to finalize this year's plans to carry out policy goals set forth at last month's rare party congress, state media said Tuesday. The North unveiled a new five-year economic development plan at the eighth congress of the party last month, with a focus on self-reliance in the face of the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and global sanctions on its

North KoreaFeb. 9, 2021

AstraZeneca to start supplying COVID-19 vaccines from Feb. 24

AstraZeneca will start delivering the first batch of its COVID-19 vaccine to South Korea starting from Feb. 24, South Korean health authorities said Monday.  The virus response control tower said in a statement that AstraZeneca's vaccine will be supplied in phases from Feb. 24 over the following several days, without elaborating on the amount of doses and other details. The announcement came after Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in a parliamentary meeting that he expects the first phas

Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

Korean students at Harvard demand professor's apology over controversial claims on comfort women

Korean students at Harvard University have strongly criticized a professor over his controversial claim that Japan's wartime sexual slavery was actually voluntary prostitution, demanding its immediate withdrawal and his official apology to victims. Harvard Korean Society made the demand in a statement on its website after Harvard Law School Japanese legal studies professor J. Mark Ramseyer caused controversy with his recently published paper titled "Contracting for Sex in the Pacific War.&

Foreign AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

COVID-19 variants strengthen calls to tighten borders

New COVID-19 variants pose an imminent threat to South Korea’s efforts in curbing the pandemic with a vaccine rollout still weeks away, health authorities say, as experts urged for tighter border restrictions to prevent their arrival here. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency chief Jung Eun-kyeong voiced concerns over these variants, which appear to be more transmissible, saying they are “threatening Korea’s progress in the pandemic.” “Increasingly more c

Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

Ruling party to seek parliamentary resolution condemning military coup in Myanmar

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) will seek the passage of a parliamentary resolution condemning the recent military coup in Myanmar, the party's floor leader said Monday. DP floor leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon also expressed deep regret and concerns over the coup d'etat that took place a week earlier, while disclosing the plan for the parliamentary resolution during a top party council meeting. "The coup by the Myanmarese military is an act of serious provocation that fundamentally threatens

Foreign AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

FM Kang leaves office after years of daunting diplomatic tasks

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha left office Monday after nearly four years at the helm of South Korea's diplomacy grappling with a host of daunting challenges ranging from North Korea's nuclear quandary to historical spats with Japan and an escalating Sino-USrivalry. Having led the ministry since June 2017, Kang described her stint as the nation's first female foreign minister as "most honorable" in her work life and voiced hope that her successor, Chung Eui-yong, will reinvigorate th

Foreign AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

Sungkyunkwan’s business school ranks 35th in world

Sungkyunkwan University’s Graduate School of Business has ranked No. 35 in the world in the 2021 Financial Times Global MBA Ranking. In Asia, the institution ranked seventh, as it maintained the top spot for Korea. The Financial Times Global MBA Ranking is an annual indicator of business schools’ overall status and quality. Unlike other rankings centered on US MBA programs, the FT ranking is global and assesses business schools around the world. Sungkyunkwan University Graduate Sc

Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

Moon says govt. to seek 'bold, sufficient' fiscal steps against coronavirus crisis

President Moon Jae-in said Monday his administration will push for "bold and sufficient" ways to tackle the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The government will do its best to come up with sufficient measures in a bold manner, without losing an opportunity, to overcome the crisis within a range that finance can afford," he said at the start of a weekly meeting with senior Cheong Wa Dae aides. His remarks came amid a brewing controversy over the proposed fourth ba

PoliticsFeb. 8, 2021

Moon appoints new foreign minister

President Moon Jae-in appointed Chung Eui-yong as his new foreign minister on Monday, Cheong Wa Dae announced.   　 Chung, former director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae, will begin his tenure Tuesday. He replaces Kang Kyung-wha, the nation’s first female foreign minister and the longest-serving minister in Moon’s Cabinet.   　 Earlier in the day, the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the National Assembly, in which the ruling Democratic Party holds a maj

Foreign AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

Moon-Biden summit going virtual?

After an official phone call last week, Cheong Wa Dae is pushing for an early summit between President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, in an attempt to breathe life back into the Korean Peninsula peace negotiations, with a virtual meeting emerging as one possibility to advance the date. During the 32-minute conversation early Thursday morning, the two leaders agreed to hold summit talks as soon as possible once the COVID-19 situation has stabilized, according to Seoul’s re

PoliticsFeb. 8, 2021

[Newsmaker] Warrant sought for former energy minister over nuclear plant closure

Former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Paik Un-gyu on Monday faced potential arrest for his role in the controversial closure of South Korea’s second-oldest nuclear reactor. The Daejeon District Court on Monday afternoon started an arrest warrant hearing for Paik on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of business following a request from the prosecution on Thursday. Paik is under investigation for allegedly abusing his authority to negatively influence the viability assessme

Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

Seoul city to test pet cats, dogs for COVID-19

The Seoul metropolitan government will test pet cats and dogs for COVID-19 if they show symptoms, an official said Monday. The new program will start the same day, several weeks after the country reported its first COVID-19 case involving a pet in a kitten in the southeastern city of Jinju. Park Yoo-mi, a disease control official at the city government, said during a virtual press briefing that the tests will be conducted near the animal's home by a team of health workers, including a veterina

PoliticsFeb. 8, 2021

Employment insurance growth hits 17-year low in Jan. amid pandemic

Subscriptions to state employment insurance increased by the smallest number in 17 years in January amid the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the labor ministry said Monday. The number of subscribers reached 13.84 million in January, up 151,000, or 1.1 percent, from the same month last year, according to the ministry's monthly report on the labor market. That figure is the smallest since February 2004, when the increase was 138,000. It is also less than the 155,000 recorded in May 2020

Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

15 USFK-affiliated people test positive for coronavirus

Thirteen American service members and two civilians affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) have tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival here from the United States recently, USFK said Monday. Eleven service members, one civilian and one contractor arrived on international commercial flights at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, between Jan. 21 and Feb. 6, according to USFK. The other two service members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, around 70 kilometers south

Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

3 Filipinos given prison terms for trafficking illicit drugs into S. Korea

CHANGWON -- Three Filipinos have been given prison terms for trafficking illegal drugs into South Korea, a local court said Monday. The Changwon District Court, about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, recently sentenced the three Philippine nationals to three to five years in prison for violating the Narcotics Control Act. The court also handed down prison terms ranging from one to 2 1/2 years, suspended for two to four years, to three other Filipinos on the same charge. The six were indicte

Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

Two minor natural quakes hit N. Korea's eastern region: KMA

Two minor natural earthquakes struck North Korea's eastern region early Monday, South Korea's state weather agency said. The first quake with a magnitude of 3.2 was detected at around 3:37 a.m., 37 kilometers north-northeast of Changjin, South Hamkyong Province, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The epicenter was at a latitude of 40.67 degrees north and a longitude of 127.45 degrees east, the agency said. The second quake of magnitude 2.3 struck about four hours late

North KoreaFeb. 8, 2021

[Newsmaker] S. Korea reports another suspected case of bird flu, total now at 87

South Korea said Monday it is currently investigating yet another suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu, with the country's total confirmed infections staying unchanged at 87. The latest suspected case of the deadly H5N8 strain of avian influenza was reported from an egg farm in Pocheon, 46 kilometers north of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The test result is expected to come out within three days. The farm was raising 160,000 chickens. Since l

Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021

NK paper calls for military role in advancing economy on army founding anniversary

North Korea's official paper said Monday the country's military should play a leading role in major construction and other economic development projects as the country marked the 73rd anniversary of the army's founding. At the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party in January, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un unveiled its new five-year economic development plan focusing on self-reliance amid multiple challenges, including efforts to ward off the coronavirus and crippling sanctions. Kim cal

North KoreaFeb. 8, 2021