On 15th anniversary of Roh's death, ruling party calls for bipartisanship

Ruling People Power Party interim leader Hwang Woo-yea on Thursday called for unity in the political sphere backed by a bipartisan alliance to mark the 15th anniversary of liberal late President Roh Moo-hyun’s death. “Former President Roh had always emphasized the spirit of unity and co-prosperity alongside mutual compromise in politics,” the conservative ruling party leader said in a party leadership meeting. “We hope the new leadership will cooperate in carrying out the

PoliticsMay 23, 2024

Yoon to resume diplomatic activity via 3-way summit with Japan, China

President Yoon Suk Yeol is poised to resume his diplomatic activity with Seoul ready to host a forthcoming three-way summit with Japan and China on Monday, according to Yoon's office Thursday. Before the trilateral summit, Yoon and Chinese Premier Li Qiang will sit down for bilateral talks Sunday, followed by in-person talks between Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the same day. Monday's trilateral meeting will be the first dialogue between the leaders of the three Eas

PoliticsMay 23, 2024

New meteorological satellite gets preliminary OK

The Chollian-5 is set to become South Korea’s third geostationary meteorological satellite, as it passed a preliminary feasibility study Thursday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Science and ICT. According to the KMA and the Science and ICT Ministry, a total budget of 680 billion won ($499 million) will be invested in developing the satellite, following the results of the feasibility study. If things go according to the plan, the new satellite will

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024

S. Korea's gender pay gap worst in OECD

South Korea has the worst gender pay gap among the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development according to 2022 data, an OECD estimate showed on Thursday. This marked the 27th year straight that Asia's fourth-largest economy recorded the most severe gender pay gap among the member states. The 2022 figure showed Korea's female workers were paid on average 31.2 percent less than their male counterparts in 2022, or 68.8 percent, the data showed. The d

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024

Seoul Metro’s Line No. 8 to extend its routes in August

Line No. 8 of the Seoul Metro, a subway operator of South Korea's capital city, will extend its services to the Byeollae Station in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, by August, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Thursday. Six new stations will be added along a 12.9-kilometer stretch from Amsa Station, which is currently the last stop for the eastbound subway trains of Line No. 8. Travellers will be able to transfer from Line No. 8 to Gyeongchun Line, and vice versa, at Byeollae Sta

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024

Woman's body found on Haeundae Beach

The body of a woman in her 40s had been found in the waters near the Haeundae Beach in Busan, local coast guard said Thursday. Officials at the Busan Coast Guard said they received a report of what appears to be a person floating in the water at around 8:57 p.m. on Wednesday. Officials found that it was a woman, wearing everyday clothes. Initial inspection of her body showed that she had drowned to death, and that she had no signs of physical trauma. Officials noted that it does not seem likely

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024

Jamsil takes Gangnam's crown as Seoul's busiest subway station

The busiest subway station in the Seoul Metro system in terms of daily users was Jamsil Station on Line Nos. 2 and 8, the main operator of the metro system for the nation's capital and parts of the surrounding cities said Thursday. According to the Seoul Metro, 155,229 people used the Jamsil Station between January and April of this year. The state-run company surveyed the ridership for each station, based on the number of people who either entered or exited the system at the said station.

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024

Drowned cat kicks off animal abuse probe

The municipal government of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, Thursday is investigating an animal abuse case, in which a cat was drowned in what appears to be a deliberate attempt. The Tongyeong station of the Korea Coast Guard received a report at around 8 a.m. Wednesday, of what appeared to be an animal floating around the waters off Misu-dong in Tongyeong. The animal turned out to be a dead cat, whose body was tied to a rope that was bound to rocks beneath the surface. Investigators suspe

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024

[Community Discovery] Jung-gu showcases historic, cultural sites at nighttime festival

Jeong-dong Culture Night will take place near Deoksugung and Jeong-dong Street in Jung-gu, central Seoul, to show off its historic and cultural sites and host various cultural events from Friday to Saturday. This year marks the event’s ninth anniversary since the event was established in 2015 as South Korea’s first "cultural property festival," or a festival against the backdrop of conserved cultural assets. Since then, the festival has gathered more than 200,000 local an

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024

Symphonic music festival in Gwangju to bring together 2,000 musicians in July

The 2024 20th World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Conference Gwangju-Gyeonggi will open in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, in July, hosting more than 2,000 musicians from over 30 countries, according to the municipal government. This year's edition of the biennial symphonic wind music festival will run from July 16-20. The music festival in the suburbs southeast of Seoul will include main concerts, lectures, fringe festivals and exhibitions, among which the main concer

Social AffairsMay 23, 2024

Embryo activist: Baby's lawsuit takes on S. Korea climate inaction

When he was a 20-week-old embryo -- before he even had a real name -- Choi Hee-woo became one of the world's youngest-ever plaintiffs by joining a groundbreaking climate lawsuit against South Korea. His case, known as "Woodpecker et al. vs. South Korea" after Choi's in utero nickname, seeks to prove Seoul's modest climate goals -- reducing carbon emissions by 40 percent of 2018 levels by 2030 -- are a violation of their constitutionally guaranteed human rights. In Asia&#

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

Kim's portrait is publicly displayed in North Korea. Here's a look at what it means

The portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was publicly displayed along with those of his father and grandfather for the first time, sparking speculation about the message it sends. Portraits of leaders are at the core of North Korea’s state-sponsored cult of personality that has buttressed the Kim family’s rule since the country’s foundation in 1948. Almost all homes and public offices in North Korea must have portraits of Kim’s father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Ki

North KoreaMay 22, 2024

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan discuss upcoming trilateral summit with China in phone talks

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul spoke by phone with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, on Wednesday and discussed an upcoming trilateral summit also involving China and other issues of mutual interest, Cho's office said. During the 35-minute talks, Cho expressed hope that the three-way summit will serve as momentum for South Korea and Japan to further develop bilateral ties, as they have through the close communications between their leaders, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a relea

Foreign AffairsMay 22, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korean adoptees embark on journeys to find roots

Growing up in what he described as the "small town" of Umea, Sweden, Jakob Sandberg has rarely felt like an outsider, despite his Asian features setting him apart from the majority of his friends. Rather, it was actually South Korea, his motherland before being adopted to Sweden, where he encountered situations that led him to feel like an alien or “someone weird.” Though he looked different than most of his friends, he recalled his carefree childhood in Sweden. “I ha

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

Overseas Koreans Agency welcomes adoptees seeking connection to motherland

The Overseas Korean Agency hosted the "2024 Overseas Korean Adoptees Gathering" by cordially inviting overseas Korean adoptees to South Korea for a four-day event that kicked off Tuesday. Inviting 96 adoptees from 15 countries, the gathering aims to allow the participants to have a chance to feel more attached to their motherland while having them fully engaged in hands-on programs, such as "Talk-show" and "Info-session." Under the tagline of "Power of Connecti

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

[H.eco Forum] Celebrities advocate doing what we can to combat climate change

Three celebrities known for their involvement in the environmental movement -- actor Kim Suk-hoon, writer Lee Seul-a and Ko Kum-sook, co-founder of zero-waste shop Almang Market -- discussed the small changes they have made to combat climate change at the H.eco Forum held at Some Sevit, Seoul, on Wednesday. The annual forum, held under the theme, “The Transition: Blue, Clean and Green,” featured the celebrities sharing their experiences during a special panel session titled, &ldq

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

[Bridge to Africa] Africa-Korea partnership: Why it matters for future

South Korea has the "potential to be the most trustworthy partner for African countries" by leveraging its unique experience of rapidly transitioning from a developing to an advanced country overcoming historical challenges akin to those faced by the African continent, said Park Jong-dae, a former South Korean ambassador to South Africa and Uganda. "Korea has no history of colonial rule over other countries, and it has navigated a development path similar to what many African nati

Foreign AffairsMay 22, 2024

[H.eco Forum] ‘Struggle for net zero, struggle for survival’

For both developed and developing countries, carbon neutrality is no longer a choice, but a human survival strategy, experts and policymakers told the H.eco Forum 2024 on Wednesday in Seoul. During a panel talk with the theme of “Energy Transition for Net Zero Roadmap,” Yoo Yeon-chul, executive director of the UN Global Impact Network Korea, shared how three core themes shaped recent notable international events, such as the 28th UN Climate Change Conference held in Dubai in 2023 and

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

[H.eco Forum] H.eco Forum calls for transition to clean, carbon-free energy

Amidst pledges and goals, grandiose yet seemingly distant, where do we stand in our much-touted transition to clean energy? This was the central question pondered at this year's H.eco Forum, held Wednesday in Seoul. In its fourth edition this year, the annual event brought together environmental scholars, activists and experts from within and beyond South Korea, as well as ordinary citizens, under the theme, “The Transition: Blue, Clean, and Green,” at Some Sevit in southern Seo

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

Revote on Marine probe bill to be held next week

Outgoing National Assembly Speaker Rep. Kim Jin-pyo said Wednesday that he plans to hold a revote on the vetoed bill mandating a special counsel investigation into alleged state interference in a probe into the death of a young Marine next week. Kim, who is to step down from his current position at the end of this month, said that an extraordinary plenary meeting for the revote will be held on May 28, regardless of the two largest political parties’ different stances towards the vetoed bil

PoliticsMay 22, 2024