US stresses push for 'timely, accurate, unbiased' reporting on NK-related UNSC resolutions noncompliance

WASHINGTON -- The United States on Friday underscored its commitment to finding the "best" way to secure "timely, accurate and unbiased" reporting on noncompliance with North Korea-related UN Security Council resolutions as a key sanctions monitoring panel was disbanded four months ago. A State Department spokesperson made the remarks amid ongoing efforts among the US, South Korea, Japan and other countries to find an alternative to the UN expert panel whose mandate expired

Foreign AffairsAug. 31, 2024

Rust Belt senators call on US gov't to reduce import quota for S. Korean oil country tubular goods

WASHINGTON -- Three senators from Rust Belt states have called on the US government to reduce the import quota for South Korean metal products used in the production of oil and gas, saying the reduced demand and high levels of Korean imports are affecting American companies and workers. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and John Fetterman (D-PA) wrote a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Thursday, taking issue with the quota f

Foreign AffairsAug. 31, 2024

S. Korea, US to hold high-level talks on N. Korea deterrence next week

South Korea and the United States will hold vice-ministerial talks in Washington next week on deterrence efforts against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. The fifth meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group will take place Wednesday (local time), with a focus on assessing the progress on the allies' efforts to deter North Korea's military threats, the ministry said in a release. The talks will also addres

North KoreaAug. 31, 2024

Uber CEO says seeing 'double-digit growth' in S. Korea

The head of US ride-hailing giant Uber said Friday that the company was seeing double-digit growth in South Korea and was "committed" to the country, despite currently having a small market share. The popular platform entered the country a decade ago but was met with large-scale protests by taxi drivers, prompting a ban by Seoul city authorities. Officials in the capital also deemed the company's UberX service illegal as private drivers were matched with passengers despite lacking

Social AffairsAug. 30, 2024

Yoon stresses multilateral ties in Indo-Pacific during meeting with US representatives

President Yoon Suk Yeol received a group of United States Congress members to stress trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, the presidential office announced Friday. Yoon told the lawmakers that close cooperation based on common values shared by the three countries is key to overcoming complex global crises, while expressing appreciation for bipartisan US support for the Seoul-Washington alliance. The US delegation led by Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Michigan) told Yoon that the b

PoliticsAug. 30, 2024

S. Korea to hike fees for surgeries, reduce reliance on junior doctors

South Korea will raise medical service fees for essential procedures and surgeries and reduce large hospitals' dependence on junior doctors as part of a medical reform package introduced amid a prolonged medical confrontation between the government and doctors over the quota expansion of medical schools. Noh Yun-hong, who chairs the presidential special committee on medical reform, said Friday that the government would push forward in creating "physician-centered hospitals" nationwide

Social AffairsAug. 30, 2024

North Korean submarines taken down from public list: JCS

North Korean submarines have been removed from the public list of the International Maritime Organization only a day after they were listed, with South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff looking into circumstances surrounding the curious move. The South’s JCS said Friday that the previously listed North Korean submarines could no longer be found on the IMO’s Global Integrated Shipping Information System. “North Korea has withdrawn its registration (of the submarines), and the

PoliticsAug. 30, 2024

Leaders of rival parties to meet over health services disruptions

INCHEON -- Leaders of the ruling and opposition parties will hold their first meeting on Sunday to discuss the doctors’ protest of the government’s reform initiatives and its toll on the country’s health care systems, both parties said Friday. The two main parties failed to reach an agreement over a bill to appoint a special counsel to investigate the on-duty death of a Marine in July last year, and another opposition-led bill for handing out cash to South Koreans to boost cons

PoliticsAug. 30, 2024

History textbook controversy reignites in Korea

Contention over Korean history textbooks with the political left and right divided over perspectives on the past has sparked again, as the Education Ministry on Friday announced the results of a review of new textbooks to be used in schools next year under the new curriculum. A total of 681 textbooks have been approved to be introduced to schools in March next year. Among the history books, seven middle school and nine high school publishers received the government's seal of approval. Every

Social AffairsAug. 30, 2024

Another road crack near sinkhole detected, road controls underway

Another road subsidence was found Friday morning near the area where a sinkhole in western Seoul had occurred the previous day, swallowing an entire car and injuring two people, with one in critical condition. The Seoul Metropolitan Government's road division and police have controlled two nearby lanes since 8:30 a.m. Friday in Seongsan-ro, which runs from Yonsei University to Sacheon Bridge, about 30 meters from the spot where the accident occurred. “We are working with experts to de

Social AffairsAug. 30, 2024

UAE highlights women's empowerment in Seoul

The UAE Embassy in Seoul marked Emirati Women's Day, underscoring the UAE's ongoing commitment to women's empowerment, Wednesday. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, known as the "Mother of the UAE Nation," established Emirati Women's Day in 2015, to be celebrated annually on Aug. 28, as a testament to the United Arab Emirates' dedication to empowering women across all sectors. The occasion coincides with the anniversary of the founding of the General Women's Uni

Foreign AffairsAug. 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] Paraguay eyes nuclear power for future energy: minister

Paraguay is committed to diversifying energy and one sector that the country is looking into in the near future is nuclear energy, said Javier Gimenez, Paraguay's minister of industry and commerce, in an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul, stressing that the Latin American country is seeking investments from South Korean companies in its energy sector. “Korea is a specialist in nuclear energy,” said Gimenez, pointing to nuclear energy as a promising area for South Korea th

Foreign AffairsAug. 30, 2024

Korean American astronaut to launch to space station next year

Jonny Kim, the first Korean American to become a NASA astronaut, will head to the International Space Station in March 2025, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced Thursday. On his first mission to the ISS, Kim will serve as a flight engineer and crew member for the Expedition 72/73. “I’m incredibly honored to represent NASA in our continued commitment to international collaboration and scientific discovery,” Kim wrote via Instagram. Kim will board the Rosc

Social AffairsAug. 30, 2024

Majority of Korean workers engage in or consider side gigs

As the household economy deteriorates, a growing number of Korean workers are either pursuing or contemplating side jobs, with the most popular options involving operating social media services like blogs and YouTube channels, according to a survey released Thursday. In the survey conducted by job research newspaper Flea Market, involving 1,328 workers, 81.5 percent of respondents reported that their household economy had worsened this year compared to the previous year. The primary factor cit

Social AffairsAug. 30, 2024

Seoul City to celebrate 3rd anniversary of 'Seoul Learn'

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold an event on Saturday to celebrate the third anniversary of its free online lecture platform for students here and unveil the program's new identity, officials said Friday. Dubbed "Seoul Learn," the program, launched in August 2021, offers free online lectures to underprivileged students to bridge the achievement gap among students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. It has also provided high-quality education without students hav

Social AffairsAug. 30, 2024

6 in 10 deepfake victims are minors: police

Nearly 6 out of 10 victims of deepfake sexual crimes investigated by South Korean police were found to be minors, according to newly released data Friday. Out of 527 cases of deepfake crimes reported to police between 2021 and 2023, 315 victims, or 59.8 percent, were identified as teenagers, according to data from the National Police Agency submitted to Rep. Yang Boo-nam of the Democratic Party of Korea. This proportion far exceeds other age groups, with those in their 20s at 32.1 percent, follo

Social AffairsAug. 30, 2024

Top court ruling dismisses Seoul education chief

South Korea’s Supreme Court has upheld an 18-month suspended prison sentence for Cho Hee-yeon, the superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, for abuse of power in reinstating five dismissed teachers six years ago. The ruling effectively removes Cho from his position as the longest-serving education chief in the country. The court delivered its verdict on Thursday, confirming the suspended sentence, which means Cho will not serve prison time unless he commits another o

Social AffairsAug. 29, 2024

Yoon approves labor minister's appointment

President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the appointment of Kim Moon-soo as new labor minister Thursday, his office said, as the opposition bloc strongly denounced Kim's view about the Japanese colonial rule. Kim, former head of the presidential Economic, Social and Labor Council, was nominated by Yoon for new labor minister late last month. During Monday's parliamentary confirmation hearing, Kim said Koreans during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule were regarded as Japanese nationals, stic

PoliticsAug. 29, 2024

Families of S. Korean detainees in NK appeal to embassies for support

South Korea's Unification Ministry on Thursday organized a first-ever event where families of South Koreans abducted and held captive by North Korea made a direct appeal to foreign missions in Seoul, urging global support in bringing these decades-old unresolved cases to the UN stage for resolution. The event, titled "Families' Call for International Solidarity: Issues of Abduction, Arbitrary Detention and Forced Disappearance," aimed to garner support for highlighting North

North KoreaAug. 29, 2024

Carbon neutrality law violates basic rights: Constitutional Court

South Korea's carbon neutrality law does not conform with the Constitution because the absence of post-2030 targets violates the basic rights of the people, the Constitutional Court ruled Thursday. In a unanimous decision on Thursday, the court ruled that first paragraph of Article 8 of the country's Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth for Coping with Climate Crisis is unconstitutional. This marks the first court decision in Asia to recognize an inadequate climate respo

Social AffairsAug. 29, 2024