N.K. again close to bottom in global freedom index: report

North Korea was again assessed as one of the most repressive countries in the world in an annual report by the US-based freedom watchdog, receiving only three out of 100 points on the freedom index. In the report, titled "Freedom in the World 2024," published by Freedom House, North Korea was given zero points out of 40 in terms of political rights and 3 points out of 60 in terms of civil liberties. The only countries behind the North in the index were Syria with 1 point, South Sudan w

North KoreaMarch 1, 2024

Vote on bill to probe first lady lays bare Democratic Party of Korea split

The bill to launch a special counsel investigation into allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Keon-hee was struck down in a National Assembly vote late Thursday, amid a loud protest from the Democratic Party of Korea’s primary losers challenging the results of the nominations for the April general election. The ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party convened a plenary session to vote on the special counsel bill, which was sent back to the Assembly for a re-vote

PoliticsMarch 1, 2024

Police raid striking doctors' homes, offices, after deadline passes on return-to-work order

As the Thursday deadline the government set for striking doctors to return to work passed, most residents stayed off work Friday, leading the government to introduce stronger measures. Police raided the offices of the Korean Medical Association in Seoul and Gangwon Province the same day, as doctors affiliated with the organization were accused of violating medical laws regarding the ongoing mass walkout by trainee doctors. The police reportedly seized mobile phones and computers from the homes o

Social AffairsMarch 1, 2024

Yoon touts improved Japan ties on Independence Movement Day as gateway to 'new world'

President Yoon Suk Yeol hailed Seoul's thawing relationship with Tokyo as a chance to move the two East Asian countries toward a "new world," stressing that now is the time for South Korea to leave historical grievances in the past. Yoon described Japan, which ruled South Korea for 35 years until the end of World War II, as South Korea's "partner in the pursuit of common interests for global peace and prosperity," at the March 1 Independence Movement Day celebration held at Y

PoliticsMarch 1, 2024

Man jailed for fraud after faking lottery forecast program

A Korean man in his 40s was sentenced to one year in prison for swindling hundreds of millions of won from another man by persuading the victim to invest in a program that the man said aids in winning the lottery, a court said Friday. According to a Daejeon court, the perpetrator met the victim through social media in 2019. The man presented fake receipts that showed he had won the first and second prizes in the lottery through a "lottery number forecast" program he claimed to have dev

Social AffairsMarch 1, 2024

Address by President Yoon Suk Yeol on the 105th March 1st Independence Movement Day

My fellow citizens, 7 million overseas Koreans, decorated patriots who fought for the nation’s independence, Today, we celebrate the 105th March First Independence Movement Day. With utmost reverence, I pay a heartfelt tribute to our fallen patriotic forefathers and patriots who devoted themselves to the cause of our country’s freedom and prosperity. I extend my sincerest gratitude to our independence heroes and the bereaved families who lost their loved ones. Fellow Koreans, One h

PoliticsMarch 1, 2024

Cooperation among N. Korea, Russia, China, Iran raises possibility of 'simultaneous conflicts': US general

WASHINGTON, -- Growing military cooperation among North Korea, Russia, China and Iran raises the possibility of "simultaneous conflicts with multiple nuclear-armed adversaries," a top US general warned Thursday. Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of US Strategic Command, made the remarks during a session of the Senate Armed Services Committee, stressing that his command will "always" be "ready to fight tonight." "We are confronting not one, but two nuclear peers

Foreign AffairsMarch 1, 2024

S. Korea, US voice 'deep concern' over NK's definition of S. Korea as 'hostile' country

  WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States expressed "deep concerns" Thursday over North Korea's definition of the inter-Korean relationship as one between two hostile states and its potential attempt at changing the status quo in the Yellow Sea, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Their position was announced in a statement after Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell had a breakfast meeting in Washington. The previous day, Cho held his firs

Foreign AffairsMarch 1, 2024

Ex-judge, ex-prosecutor recommended as anti-corruption agency chief

A former veteran judge and a former prosecutor have been recommended as candidates for the head of the anti-corruption agency, a nomination committee said Thursday. Oh Dong-woon, a former judge at the Seoul High Court, and Lee Myong-sun, who served as the chief prosecutor at the Anyang Branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, were tapped as the nominees for Chief Prosecutor of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, according to the committee. With the nomin

PoliticsFeb. 29, 2024

2 special probe bills, including one involving first lady, scrapped in revote after Yoon's veto

Two opposition-led special investigation proposals, one of which involves allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee, were scrapped Thursday in a revote after President Yoon Suk Yeol vetoed them last month. The results have widely been expected as two-thirds support is required for vetoed bills to pass through the Assembly again, and the ruling People Power Party (PPP), which is against the measures, holds 113 seats in the 297-member parliament. The bills, which the main opposition Democratic P

PoliticsFeb. 29, 2024

Parties agree to hold revote on special investigation bills

The floor leaders of South Korea's two main parties on Thursday agreed to hold a revote on the two special investigation bills vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol on Jan. 5. The revote on the two bills, one of which pushes for a probe into a stock manipulation scandal linked to first lady Kim Keon Hee, was to take place during a plenary session scheduled in the afternoon. “We plan to deal with the revote of the two special investigation bills (during the plenary session scheduled later

PoliticsFeb. 29, 2024

Most doctors refuse to end strike on last day of ultimatum

Only 294 of 9,000 striking junior doctors on strike returned to work on Thursday morning, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday. Thursday is the final day of the back-to-work deadline set by the government, with officials warning that the doctors could have their licenses suspended if they fail to heed the ultimatum. The Health Ministry has said the government is prepared to take legal steps beginning March. On Wednesday, the Health Ministry said that its officials had visited the hom

Social AffairsFeb. 29, 2024

[KH Explains] Inside main opposition Democratic Party of Korea’s bitter faction war

The Democratic Party of Korea’s primary race for the April 10 legislative election is being tainted by a furious faction fight. As the party begins to select candidates to run for the upcoming election, nearly a dozen have left the main opposition party. Among them are long-time loyalists who have stuck with the party through thick and thin for several decades. The faction to suffer the biggest blow was a group of lawmakers who were collectively deemed as the “pro-Moon faction”

PoliticsFeb. 29, 2024

Court rules against ban on doctors revealing sex of unborn child

Parents will now be legally able to find out the sex of their unborn children before 32 weeks of pregnancy in South Korea. The South Korean Constitutional Court on Wednesday found the restriction on revealing the sex of fetuses unconstitutional, nullifying the related law provision immediately. The South Korean Medical Act Article 20 (2) stipulates doctors who reveal an immature fetus’ sex to anyone, including the mother, would have their license suspended face up to two years of impriso

Social AffairsFeb. 29, 2024

30-year jail term sought for mother, acquaintances who beat infant to death

South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday requested a 30-year prison term for a 29-year-old woman indicted for beating her son to death, with the same punishment sought for her two acquaintances who took part in the abuse. Officials from Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office requested the court to sentence the mother, her 30-year-old male acquaintance and her 27-year-old female acquaintance for the charge of death resulting from child abuse. Such an offense is punishable with five years to life

Social AffairsFeb. 29, 2024

Watchdog blocks additional parody videos of president

The Korea Communications Standards Commission on Thursday decided to block two parody videos of President Yoon Seuk Yeol, a week after it blocked a viral fake compilation video of the South Korean leader. The KCSC convened a meeting earlier in the day and passed the decision to block two doctored videos of Yoon from a 2022 speech which made it appear as if he was confessing to corruption and incompetence. The decision was based on the Regulations for the Review of Information and Communications,

Social AffairsFeb. 29, 2024

Cho, Blinken pledge 'watertight' response to any NK provocations

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States on Wednesday concurred on "watertight responses" to any North Korean provocations amid escalating hostilities from the Kim Jong-un regime directed toward South Korea, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met for their first foreign ministerial meeting in Washington since Cho assumed office in January. The bilateral discussion covered a wide array of t

Foreign AffairsFeb. 29, 2024

[KH Explains] Why doctors refuse to bend despite lack of public support

The recent mass walkout by junior doctors has led to unprecedented disruptions in South Korea’s otherwise well-regarded medical system. Both the government and doctors’ groups have refused to bend over plans to increase the number of places at medical schools. Both sides amped up their publicity efforts rather than actively seeking a compromise, as the government’s Thursday deadline for junior doctors to return to work loomed. The government has reiterated the need for medica

Social AffairsFeb. 29, 2024

More than half of people in 24 countries dissatisfied with their democracy: report

A survey by a US-based think tank on Thursday showed growing criticism of how democracy is working across 24 nations, with a median of 59 percent expressing dissatisfaction with how their democracy is functioning and a small minority even being open to a form of military rule. Between Feb. 20 and May 22, 2023, the Pew Research Center surveyed 30,861 adults in 24 countries including South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Sweden,

PoliticsFeb. 29, 2024

Every penny counts: W100,000 stolen from W1 bank verifications

A hacker managed to steal 100,000 won ($75) from a local bank by exploiting the online banking verification system which confirms a person’s identity through deposits of 1 won. The suspect is accused of making 100,000 verification requests over the course of a week, swindling 1 won with each request. According to a report from local media outlet Edaily, the suspect, whose identity is being withheld, appeared to have employed an automated program, given the substantial number of ID verifi

Social AffairsFeb. 29, 2024