Most Popular
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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Hanwha, HD Hyundai vie for Poland’s $2.7b submarine program
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First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders
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4 in 10 young South Koreans take up 'irregular' jobs: data
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[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
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Seoul aims to halve current suicide rate by 2030
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'1 million' Christians join anti-LGBTQ+ marriage rally
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Biegun urges N. Korea to return to nuclear talks
US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, Washington’s point man on North Korea, on Thursday urged Pyongyang to return to denuclearization talks, stressing that diplomacy is the “only” and “best” way. Biegun, who is in Seoul this week to meet with officials here, delivered a lecture at a local think tank reflecting on his more than two-year stint of spearheading the talks to denuclearize Pyongyang, while admitting to disappointment in a lack of progress, despit
Foreign AffairsDec. 10, 2020
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Nat'l Assembly passes contentious bill on new investigative organ amid opposition protests
The National Assembly passed a contentious bill Thursday that would expedite the launch of a new investigative body handling high-profile corruption cases amid fierce protest from conservative opposition lawmakers. The revision bill on the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) law passed a plenary session in a 187-99 vote. One lawmaker abstained. The proposal was tabled at the last plenary meeting of the regular parliamentary session Wednesday, but the main oppositio
PoliticsDec. 10, 2020
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Ministry opens disciplinary proceedings against prosecutor general
The Ministry of Justice convened a hearing Thursday to decide the level of disciplinary action against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl over a series of alleged irregularities, in an unprecedented move that highlights a long-simmering conflict between the top prosecutor and Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae. Yoon absented himself from the meeting, which started at 10:30 a.m. at Gwacheon Government Complex and will determine whether he is subject to disciplinary action over allegations raised by the
Social AffairsDec. 10, 2020
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Biegun says diplomacy 'best' and 'only' course to resolving NK challenges
US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said Thursday that diplomacy remains the "best" and "only" course to address the North Korean nuclear quandary, calling for Pyongyang to return to dialogue. Biegun, who doubles as Washington's top nuclear envoy, made the remarks during a lecture in Seoul recapping his yearslong, unfinished negotiations with the North, which he cast as being marked by "setbacks, disappointments and missed opportunities." "As we look
North KoreaDec. 10, 2020
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COVID-19 cases top 40,000 amid 3rd wave of infections in S. Korea
South Korea's total virus caseload topped 40,000 on Thursday, about 11 months after reporting its first confirmed case in late January, as health authorities warned that the tally is expected to rise further amid the third wave of the virus infections. The country reported 682 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, raising the total to 40,098, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). South Korea confirmed its first novel coronavirus case on Jan. 20. Health authorities are con
Social AffairsDec. 10, 2020
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Ministry mulling adjustments to Panmunjom tours over virus concerns
The unification ministry considers adjusting a recently resumed tour program to the truce village of Panmunjom amid toughened social distancing measures against the coronavirus, a ministry official said Thursday. The official did not specify what the adjustments might be, but observers say they could include scaling down or suspending the tours altogether in consideration of a recent spike in daily infection cases. "We will announce plans soon for tours starting next week in consideration
North KoreaDec. 10, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Cram schools prepare lawsuit over 'unfair' virus restrictions
Local cram schools are planning to take legal action against the government, saying they have been treated unfairly in being forced to close their doors under stricter social distancing schemes. Directors for a number of cram schools in the capital region, which includes Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, are preparing to file a lawsuit against the government for forcing after-school study institutes to halt operations amid Level 2.5 social distancing. The cram school directors are in searc
Social AffairsDec. 10, 2020
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Over 40% of newlyweds had no kids last year: data
More than 4 out of every 10 newlywed couples in South Korea had no children last year, data showed Thursday, amid the country's chronic low birthrate and the trend of late marriages. Of 998,000 first-time and newly married couples -- who had been legally married in the five years up to Nov. 1, 2019, 42.5 percent had no kids, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. This marked a rise from 40.2 percent in 2018, when such newlyweds reached 1.05 million. South Korea is struggling with
Social AffairsDec. 10, 2020
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Experts call for expanding hallyu infrastructure at home
Despite the rising status of hallyu, or the wave of Korean pop culture, across the world, relevant support infrastructure at home has failed to catch up, hallyu experts said Thursday, calling for the immediate construction of a K-pop concert arena and hallyu big data center, among other measures. The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI), a think tank affiliated with the culture ministry, said the construction of a hallyu big data center will elevate the cultural hallyu industry to higher
PoliticsDec. 10, 2020
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Military to dispatch hundreds of officers to support antivirus work
The defense ministry said Thursday it will dispatch over 300 military officials to help with the government's handling of the resurgence of the new coronavirus. Starting Friday, a total of 362 officers from the Army's special warfare command will be sent to public health centers in the Seoul metropolitan region to help their antivirus work, including contact tracing and data management, according to the ministry. The move comes as South Korea is struggling to stem the spread of COVID-19, with
DefenseDec. 10, 2020
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N. Korea likely to propose beefed-up 'self-reliance' drive at party congress: think tank
North Korea is likely to propose a beefed-up drive for "self-reliance" at the upcoming party congress to bolster its faltering economy under the strain of global sanctions and the fallout from the global pandemic, a Seoul-based think tank said Thursday. The Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University also said that the January-February period will be a "golden time" to make progress in the stalled nuclear talks and inter-Korean ties. The North is expected to ho
North KoreaDec. 10, 2020
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Moon's approval rating dips again, reaches new low of 37.1%: poll
President Moon Jae-in's job approval rating has dropped again this week, dipping further from last week's all-time low figure, a poll showed Thursday, with a rift between the justice minister and the top prosecutor deepening and new virus cases soaring across the nation. In a Realmeter survey on 1,509 voters nationwide from Monday through Wednesday, 37.1 percent of respondents said they supported Moon. The figure represents a 0.3 percentage point dip from the 37.4 percent approval rating from
PoliticsDec. 10, 2020
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E-scooters allowed to use bike lanes amid safety concerns
Electric scooters and other motor-based personal transportation vehicles will be allowed to start using bicycle lanes across the country Thursday, the government said. Under the amended laws on road traffic and bicycle use approved by the National Assembly in May, personal mobility devices, which refer to transporters that weigh below 30 kilograms and have a maximum speed of 25 kph, like electric scooters, are permitted on bike lanes. Those below the age of 13 are banned from riding them for s
Social AffairsDec. 10, 2020
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Korea to expand COVID-19 testing amid 'biggest' wave of pandemic
South Korea’s health authorities said Thursday that they would expand anonymous COVID-19 testing and enable anyone to be tested for the virus regardless of symptoms, as the country struggles to flatten the curve. Korea added 682 coronavirus cases -- 646 locally transmitted and 36 originating from overseas -- in the 24 hours ending Wednesday at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Thursday’s daily case count marks a slight decrease from a day e
Social AffairsDec. 10, 2020
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[Graphic News] Portion of single-member households tops 30% last year
Single-member households in South Korea surpassed 30 percent of the total for the first time in 2019, data showed, amid a delay in marriage and a rapidly aging population. One-person families accounted for 30.2 percent of the total last year, up 29.3 percent from the previous year, according to data by Statistics Korea. Households consisting of a single member totaled 6.15 million in 2019, up from 5.85 million the previous year, the statistics agency said. (Yonhap)
NationalDec. 10, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Justice ministry holds disciplinary session over prosecution chief's alleged wrongdoing
The Ministry of Justice held a meeting Thursday to discuss disciplinary measures against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl over alleged irregularities, after delaying the session twice amid backlash. Last month, Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae suspended Yoon for six counts of alleged wrongdoing, including surveillance of the judiciary, the first time a justice minister has taken such a step in the country's history. Yoon, who fiercely refuted all allegations against him, has been restored after wi
PoliticsDec. 10, 2020
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S. Korea on alert over spreading bird flu, more highly pathogenic cases likely in store
South Korea on Thursday reported more suspected highly pathogenic avian influenza cases from poultry farms, raising concerns that the bird flu outbreak is spreading nationwide despite enhanced measures. Authorities are investigating a suspected case in Naju, 355 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The samples were gathered from a slaughterhouse. The farm had killed all of its 22,000 ducks to be sold at market, but they were discarded aft
Social AffairsDec. 10, 2020
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N. Korea-China trade hits all-time low in Oct. amid pandemic
North Korea's trade with China nose-dived to a record low in October due to Pyongyang's border closure with its ally to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, a report showed Thursday. Exports and imports between the two countries came to $1.7 million in October, down a whopping 99.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the report by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). The October reading was the lowest monthly tally and down 92 percent from the previous month. North Korea
North KoreaDec. 10, 2020
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US defense chief nominee vows to work with allies
WASHINGTON -- Lloyd Austin, US President-elect Joe Biden's pick for defense secretary, pledged Wednesday to work with and help protect US allies. "I understand the important role in the Department of Defense and the role that it plays in maintaining stability and deterring aggression and defending and supporting critical alliances around the world, including in the Asia-Pacific, and Europe and around the world," the retired US Army general said at a press conference in Wilmington, Del
Foreign AffairsDec. 10, 2020
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Parliament passes key economic proposals, contentious bills stalled amid opposition protest
The National Assembly on Wednesday approved a number of bills, including those related to corporate governance, police overhaul and labor reform. But a highly contentious proposal aimed at facilitating the launch of a new investigative agency for high-profile corruption failed to pass due to objection by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). The ruling Democratic Party (DP) said it will proceed with the bill Thursday when an extraordinary session opens. More than 110 bills were passed
PoliticsDec. 9, 2020