Most Popular
-
1
Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
-
2
Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
-
3
Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
-
4
[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
-
5
103 autumn foliage paths in Seoul
-
6
Hanwha, HD Hyundai vie for Poland’s $2.7b submarine program
-
7
Seoul aims to halve current suicide rate by 2030
-
8
First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders
-
9
When two worlds collab: K-pop flexes power with global stars
-
10
Bipartisan panel formed to address livelihood issues amid tension over first lady probe
-
S. Korea awards medals to USFK members to celebrate alliance
South Korea on Thursday presented medals to seven US Forces Korea members who are descendants of Korean War veterans, in an event to mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict, the defense ministry said. Defense Minister Suh Wook hosted the ROK-US Alliance Remembrance and Appreciation Event at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. About 28,500 American troops are stationed in South Korea to
DefenseOct. 29, 2020
-
Another delivery worker dies on duty according to police
Police said Thursday they are investigating the death of a parcel delivery worker on duty earlier this week, which could be the latest in a recent string of deaths among couriers largely blamed on their heavy workload. The man in his 50s, who worked for a subcontractor of Hanjin Express, one of the nation's major logistics firms, collapsed at a Hanjin hub terminal in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul, at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday. He was sent to a nearby hospital but died, according to t
Social AffairsOct. 29, 2020
-
[Newsmaker] Supreme Court upholds 17-year sentence against ex-president Lee
The country’s highest court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling sentencing former President Lee Myung-bak to 17 years in prison for bribery and embezzlement. The Supreme Court also upheld the 13 billion won ($11.4 million) fine and the additional forfeiture of 5.78 billion won that the appeals court handed down in February. “There is no fault in the previous ruling in terms of fact finding on embezzlement or bribery charges,” the court said in a verdict. The top court
Social AffairsOct. 29, 2020
-
Justice ministry begins inspection of Seoul prosecution office over financial scam probe
The Ministry of Justice has begun inspecting the prosecution's decision in 2018 to drop charges against an asset management firm that is now at the center of a snowballing financial scandal, legal sources said Thursday. The ministry's inspection team on Wednesday secured the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office's internal document regarding its 2018 probe into Optimus Asset Management, according to the sources. The move came a day after Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae ordered the ministry to
PoliticsOct. 29, 2020
-
Ruling party urges government to change capital gains tax plans
The ruling Democratic Party appears to be moving against the government over sensitive tax reform issues in response to a public outcry. Speaking on the Democratic Party’s official YouTube channel Thursday, party Chairman Lee Nak-yon hinted that the party would negotiate with the government to alter the proposed changes. “The comments are about the requirements of (being categorized as) major shareholders who are subjected to capital gains tax, to abolish the 300 million won (st
PoliticsOct. 29, 2020
-
Ruling party unveils plan to compete in Seoul, Busan mayoral elections next year
The ruling party on Thursday unveiled a plan to field candidates in the mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan next year. The April 7 by-elections for mayoralties in the country's two largest cities are seen as a major barometer of public opinion ahead of the presidential election in March 2022. But the Democratic Party has long remained unsure whether to take part in the elections, as its internal rule prohibits it from fielding a candidate in a by-election if the by-election is caused by a
PoliticsOct. 29, 2020
-
Health authorities reaffirm no direct link between flu shots, deaths
South Korea's health authorities said Thursday they have found no direct link between flu shots and deaths, urging people to get flu vaccinations before the onset of winter amid the coronavirus pandemic. Public concerns about the safety of flu shots in South Korea remain high, as at least 72 people, mostly elderly in their 70s and 80s, have died after getting flu shots. However, health authorities have pressed ahead with the nationwide flu vaccination program, citing autopsy results that fou
Social AffairsOct. 29, 2020
-
8 more USFK-affiliated people test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in S. Korea
Four American service members and four other US military-affiliated individuals have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon arrival in South Korea from the United States over the past week, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday. The four service members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on US government chartered flights, and two family members and two contractors arrived on international commercial flights at Incheon International Airport, west
Social AffairsOct. 29, 2020
-
US backs Yoo against rival, throwing WTO race up in the air
The World Trade Organization’s leadership race has been thrown up in the air, as the US blocked the Nigerian front-runner and decided to put its weight behind South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, despite her failure to win majority support from the member states. At a meeting in Geneva on Wednesday, the WTO’s selection panel recommended Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next director general, as she won the backing of the vast majority of the multilateral body&rsq
Foreign AffairsOct. 29, 2020
-
Lawmakers postpone audit of Cheong Wa Dae over absence of key officials
The ruling and opposition parties agreed Thursday to put off their annual audit of Cheong Wa Dae's work at the parliament due to the absence of Suh Hoon, director of national security, and some other key aides to President Moon Jae-in. The National Assembly's Steering Committee was scheduled to open the hearing on the presidential office's affairs in the morning of the day. The previous night, however, Suh informed the panel that he could not attend the session, as he is in a two-week self-qua
PoliticsOct. 29, 2020
-
Book launched to celebrate 70 years of Korea-Spain diplomatic ties
A book has been launched to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Spain this year. It covers the past, present and future of bilateral relations, economic cooperation and cultural exchanges. “Our relationship has matured and has been growing, but we cannot be satisfied. We need to be much more ambitious for the future,” Spanish Ambassador to Korea Juan Ignacio Morro said at an event to publicize the book “Spain and Korea: Towards a New Strategic Asso
Diplomatic CircuitOct. 29, 2020
-
State human rights watchdog calls for protection of couriers
A public human rights watchdog on Thursday issued a message of condolence over the deaths of more than a dozen couriers here, and called for legislation to ensure better working conditions. Choi Young-ae, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea’s chairperson, said in a statement that the novel coronavirus pandemic had exposed the injustices experienced by workers in vulnerable sectors. “The demand for delivery services shot up due to the coronavirus situation, which led to a
Social AffairsOct. 29, 2020
-
Rival parties argue over body search on opposition floor leader
Rival parties on Thursday argued over a body search on the People Power Party Floor Leader Joo Ho-young by a member of the Presidential Security Service against his will, Wednesday. When Joo arrived at the office of the National Assembly speaker on Wednesday morning to meet with President Moon Jae-in before his parliamentary speech on the state budget, a PSS official told Joo that he had to be searched. “I told him I am the opposition PPP’s floor leader, but (the PSS official) said
PoliticsOct. 29, 2020
-
[US elections and Korea] Biden will be more rigorous on North Korea, experts say
With the US presidential election just days ahead, Democratic candidate Joe Biden has not said much about his policy on the Korean Peninsula. All he has said so far is that the leader of the North Korean regime is a thug, and he will meet with Kim Jong-un only if Pyongyang agrees to draw down its nuclear capacity as a precondition. During the final presidential debate last week, Biden said that when the Chinese asked why the US was moving its missile defense up so close and continuing its mili
Foreign AffairsOct. 29, 2020
-
Vice FM cautions against 'limiting options' amid US-China rivalry
Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun cautioned Thursday against limiting South Korea's foreign policy options due to an intensifying Sino-US rivalry, stressing that Seoul stay on course to maximize national interests despite the "challenging" global environment. Choi's remarks during a foreign policy forum came amid growing concerns that the increasingly acrimonious competition between Washington and Beijing would constrain maneuvering room for South Korea's diplomacy going forward. &
Foreign AffairsOct. 29, 2020
-
Seoul to give 300,000 won to first-year students in middle, high schools
Seoul will provide all first-year students in the city’s middle and high schools with a one-off stipend of 300,000 won ($265), starting from next year, the city‘s education office announced Thursday. “When children advance to middle or high schools, households have to provide them with new uniforms, textbooks, stationery items and, in the coronavirus situation, smart devices,” said Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, explaining the stipen
Social AffairsOct. 29, 2020
-
Students, consultants nabbed for ghostwriting competition essays used in college entry
Nearly 80 students and college admission consultants have been nabbed on charges of producing ghostwritten essays and other papers for writing competitions, which were later used to embellish college entrance applications, according to police Thursday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it has booked 18 workers at a college admission consulting institute in southern Seoul and 60 students involved in the organized scam that spanned from June 2017 to July of last year. Among the suspects,
Social AffairsOct. 29, 2020
-
S. Korea discovers more Korean War remains in DMZ
South Korea discovered hundreds more bone fragments believed to be from soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War and thousands of artifacts used by troops, including from the United States and China, this year inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the defense ministry said Thursday. The military resumed a demining and excavation operation on Arrowhead Ridge on the border with North Korea in Cheorwon, some 90 kilometers northeast of Seoul, on April 20 after months of hiatus during winter to con
North KoreaOct. 29, 2020
-
More Mt. Bukak trails to be opened to citizens: Cheong Wa Dae
The northern side of an ancient fortress wall on Mount Bukak, just behind the presidential compound in Seoul, will be open to citizens as a new trail course starting in November, 52 years after it became an off-limits zone for security reasons, Cheong Wa Dae announced Thursday. "Mount Bukak will return to the arms of citizens," it said in a press release on the plan to allow them to trek the area beginning Sunday. It's part of Cheong Wa Dae's move to fully open the mountain to the pu
PoliticsOct. 29, 2020
-
Temperatures nationwide drop to lowest this fall
Cold weather hit the nation on Thursday as most areas recorded the lowest morning temperature of this fall and Suwon saw its first ice of the season, weather authorities said. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, most areas posted a morning temperature of below 5 C while some parts of the central region, North Jeolla Province and North Gyeongsang Province saw the mercury drop below zero. In Suwon, just south of Seoul, the morning low at 7 a.m. was 2.2 C, the city's lowest temp
Social AffairsOct. 29, 2020