Yoon, Trump, in phone call, agree to hold meeting at early date

President Yoon Suk Yeol held a phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday to congratulate him on his "landslide victory," and they agreed to hold an in-person meeting at an early date, according to Yoon's office. Yoon congratulated Trump on his victory with the "Make America Great Again" slogan and expressed hope for continued collaboration with the United States under his leadership, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo told reporters.

Foreign AffairsNov. 7, 2024

People Power Party expresses hope for deeper Korea-US alliance

South Korea's ruling People Power Party on Wednesday expressed hope that US President-elect Donald Trump's second term would serve as an opportunity to forge a "deeper" alliance between Seoul and Washington. "We anticipate the South Korea-US alliance, forged by blood (since the 1950-53 Korean War) will become deeper," the ruling party here said in a commentary released via senior spokesperson Rep. Kwak Kyu-taek. "We sincerely congratulate Republican candidate D

PoliticsNov. 6, 2024

Yoon, NATO chief discuss joint responses against North Korea's troop deployment to Russia

President Yoon Suk Yeol and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Mark Rutte held a phone conversation Wednesday to discuss coordinated responses to North Korea's troop deployment to Russia in support of its war in Ukraine. Yoon held his third phone talks with Rutte in less than a month, following a South Korean delegation's recent visit to NATO, the European Union and Ukraine to discuss North Korea's troop dispatch to Russia. During the call, Yoon said Seoul is

Foreign AffairsNov. 6, 2024

Rock climbing route names accused of being misogynistic

A popular natural rock climbing park in Wonju, Gangwon Province is being criticized for the names of three of its courses being misogynistic. The criticism came to light in a report in local weekly Women News on Monday. The report found names such as “Dolimbbang” which can be read as slang referring to “gang rape," “Hyeongsu,” an older brother's wife or "sister-in-law," and "Hyeongsu II." The names were found on a sign displayed in the

Social AffairsNov. 6, 2024

Return of 'dealmaker' Trump throws S. Korea-US alliance into flux

A second Donald Trump administration is expected to bring shifts and unpredictability to the US-South Korea alliance, potentially increasing pressure on Seoul to take on a larger share of the burden as a US ally, experts said Wednesday. Another key focus will be how Trump might address North Korea's denuclearization, especially amid growing skepticism about Washington's commitment to this goal, as well as his approach to Russia's war in Ukraine, where North Korean troops have been

Foreign AffairsNov. 6, 2024

North Korean leader may seek another summit with Trump, but chances for deal seen as slimmer

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may seek another summit over its nuclear program with US President-elect Donald Trump following his second-term win, but the chances for a meaningful deal appear to be lower, given the North's enhanced nuclear capabilities, analysts said. During his first term, Trump hosted the first-ever summit between American and North Korean leaders with Kim in Singapore in 2018, followed by another summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, the next year. But they failed to produce a dea

North KoreaNov. 6, 2024

Trump likely to reshape US policy on alliance, North Korea under 'America First' credo: experts

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to reorient America's approach to the alliance with South Korea, North Korea's nuclear quandary, trade and other key policy issues, experts said, as he is poised to put his "America First" credo front and center. Trump's second-term administration would return to a diplomatic playbook that could put pressure on US allies to jack up their defense spending and take greater security responsibilities, and curtail the United States

PoliticsNov. 6, 2024

Democratic Party of Korea congratulates Trump on victory

South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party of Korea congratulated Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s re-election as US president Wednesday. “President-elect Trump, while he was in office as the 45th president of the US, set a milestone in the history of the peace in the Korean Peninsula by leading North Korea-US summit,” the party said in a statement. “The Korean Peninsula is now in a more perilous situation than during President-elect Trump’

PoliticsNov. 6, 2024

Trump wins US election, foreshadows policy shift

Republican flag-bearer Donald Trump won the US presidential election on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, amid expectations that his victory could reorient America's approach to the alliance with South Korea, North Korea's military threats, trade and other key foreign policy issues. Former President Trump crossed the Electoral College threshold of 270 votes as he clinched victories in key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, in the general election sho

PoliticsNov. 6, 2024

Yoon congratulates Trump

President Yoon Suk Yeol sent a congratulatory message to Donald Trump on Wednesday evening Seoul time, when he was reported as on the brink of victory. Yoon posted to his official account on social media platform X, "Under your strong leadership, the future of the ROK-US alliance and America will shine brighter. Look forward to working closely with you." ROK stands for Republic of Korea, which is South Korea's official name. "Depending on the election outcome, Yoon is expecte

PoliticsNov. 6, 2024

Vulnerable residents of Gyeonggi Province finally get postal addresses

Gyeonggi Province has newly assigned addresses to a total of 27,297 low-income dwellings that previously did not have their own addresses, officials said Wednesday. These mostly small, often single-room units located in 3,980 buildings are home to some of Gyeonggi Province's most financially vulnerable residents. The lack of addresses has made it difficult for the occupants to access essential government services, including public benefits, and causes inconveniences such as lost or return

Social AffairsNov. 6, 2024

South Korean man busted in Philippines for running illegal IPTV service

A South Korean man in his 50s has been arrested in the Philippines for allegedly running an illegal internet TV service that broadcast Korean content for a profit, police said Wednesday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Police Agency coordinated with Interpol and the Philippine National Police to apprehend the suspect in August, who allegedly operated the illicit IPTV service for mostly Korean nationals in the Philippines. The suspect has been extradited to Korea. Pol

Social AffairsNov. 6, 2024

Gangnam doctor under investigation for illegal propofol administration

Police have launched an investigation into a prominent doctor in Seoul’s Gangnam district for allegedly administering propofol and other controlled substances to patients without properly documenting it in charts. Seongdong Police Station said Tuesday it is investigating a man in his 50s on suspicion of violating multiple laws, including the Narcotics Control Act and the Medical Service Act. The doctor is accused of administering propofol and other narcotics to about 30 patients over hundr

Social AffairsNov. 6, 2024

Cyberattacks suspected in Seoul military website glitches

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense website went down Tuesday afternoon after suffering potential cyberattacks. The Defense Ministry said Wednesday its website was targeted by a suspected distributed denial-of-service attack, which is when service is disrupted by a flood of traffic. The website of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was temporarily inaccessible Wednesday morning, with the Cyber Operations Command investigating whether attacks by foreign sources are responsible. While the JCS

DefenseNov. 6, 2024

What are the achievements overshadowed by Yoon’s rock-bottom approval rating?

President Yoon Suk Yeol is one of South Korea's first heads of state who is struggling to reverse a downward trend in his approval rating before his five-year term has even reached the halfway point. Yoon's approval ratings fell to its lowest ever point last week, as controversies surrounding him and his wife grew. Calls for first lady Kim Keon Hee to apologize over various scandals continued in the National Assembly despite the prosecution's recent decision not to charge her for

PoliticsNov. 6, 2024

From Bush to Biden: How North Korea sees US elections

The timing and manner in which North Korea’s state-controlled media covers US presidential election results have long served as key indicators of Pyongyang’s stance toward an incoming US president. According to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, close attention should be paid to the timing, approach and intended audience of North Korea’s reporting on US election results. Furthermore, the timing of Pyongyang’s first official message to the incoming US administration

Foreign AffairsNov. 6, 2024

Alliance will strengthen regardless of US election results, says Han

South Korea’s ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon said Wednesday that the alliance between Seoul and Washington will strengthen regardless of who wins the latest US presidential election. “The South Korea-US alliance will strengthen regardless of the candidate who is elected president of the United States,” Han said in an emergency intra-party meeting on foreign affairs and security matters. The meeting was held a day after ruling party lawmakers compiled and reviewed

PoliticsNov. 6, 2024

Andy Kim becomes first Korean American elected to US Senate

Andy Kim, 42, a three-term Congress representative from New Jersey, has won the US Senate race, becoming the first Korean American elected to the Senate. Kim, a Democrat, defeated Republican Curtis Bashaw, securing 53 percent of the vote to Bashaw’s 44.7 percent, with 87 percent of ballots counted as of 3 p.m., according to AP. This Senate seat opened in August when former Senator Bob Menendez resigned after being convicted on charges of bribery and acting as an agent of the Egyptian gover

PoliticsNov. 6, 2024

S. Korea to expand scope of deepfake sex crime undercover probes

In an effort to clamp down on the rapid spread of deepfake sex crimes here, investigative authorities will be able to go undercover to catch digital sex offenders in cases where victims are adults and enable online platforms to block sexually explicit content before review, the Korean government said Wednesday. Rolling out a comprehensive package of strengthened measures to handle AI-generated sexual abuse, the government announced plans to push for a revision to the Act on Special Cases Conce

Social AffairsNov. 6, 2024

As Suneung nears, 'magic pills' lure test takers, but experts warn of risks

With only a week left before the national Suneung college admissions exam, some test takers and their parents are reaching out for additional assistance to manage test anxiety jitters: pills that make them brainier. Lee, an 18-year-old third-grade high school student who attends a private school in Incheon's Songdo district, is one of them. "I heard that the anxiety-soothing pills and traditional Korean medicine like 'cheongsimhwan' could ease test anxiety symptoms such as ra

Social AffairsNov. 6, 2024