Is Yoon Suk-yeol the South Korean Trump?

Is Yoon Suk-yeol the South Korean Trump? That is what his opponents and critics seem to think for the many parallels the conservative candidate from the People Power Party has with former US President Donald Trump. Both have made remarks that would be offensive to other countries, praised heavily controversial political figures, gone after foreigners and shown a poor understanding of feminism. On top of using anti-China rhetoric, the two also like to speak to their base on social media and a

PoliticsMarch 2, 2022

Russian forces escalate attacks on Ukraine's civilian areas

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Russian forces escalated their attacks on crowded urban areas Tuesday, bombarding the central square in Ukraine's second-biggest city and Kyiv's main TV tower in what the country's president called a blatant campaign of terror. "Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed after the bloodshed on the square in Kharkiv. In the US, President Joe Biden planned to use his first State of the Union address Tuesday evening to vow to make R

Foreign AffairsMarch 2, 2022

Minor presidential candidate Kim withdraws from race to support ruling party's Lee

Kim Dong-yeon, the presidential candidate of the minor New Wave Party, dropped out of the race Wednesday to support ruling party candidate Lee Jae-myung. Kim, who served as President Moon Jae-in's first finance minister, announced the withdrawal a day after he reached an agreement with Lee of the ruling Democratic Party to have policy coalitions and operation of a joint government. "It was not an easy decision for me," Kim said. "Please understand this was a difficult decisio

PoliticsMarch 2, 2022

3 sailors rescued after fishing boat sinks in eastern waters

ULJIN -- Three sailors were rescued with cardiac arrest Wednesday morning after their fishing boat sank in the waters off the eastern county of Uljin, Coast Guard officials said. The 7.93-ton vessel went down in waters off Osan Port in Uljin, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at around 7:06 a.m., according to officials. The three crew members were sent to a nearby hospital upon rescue, and the Coast Guard plans to investigate the exact damage and the cause of the accident. (Yonhap)

Social AffairsMarch 2, 2022

Daily infections surpass 200,000 for 1st time amid omicron's spread

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases surpassed 200,000 for the first time Wednesday as the highly transmissible omicron variant continues its frenetic spread across the nation. The surge came after the government temporarily suspended the enforcement of the vaccine pass system Tuesday, citing the lack of staff handling the pandemic. The country reported a record high of 219,241 new coronavirus infections, including 219,173 local cases, raising the total caseload to 3,492,686 according to the

Social AffairsMarch 2, 2022

NK ambassador to UN denounces US over Russia's Ukraine invasion

NEW YORK/SEOUL -- North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song blamed the United States for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying Washington's "hegemonic policy" is threatening the peace and security of other sovereign states. Kim made the remarks at an emergency session of the UN General Assembly held in New York on Tuesday (New York time), as dozens of other speakers urged Russia to stop its military attacks on Ukraine. "The US and the West, in defiance of Russia's reas

North KoreaMarch 2, 2022

S. Korean envoy to UN urges Russia to end aggression, vows further assistance to Ukraine

WASHINGTON -- The chief of the South Korean mission to the United Nations on Tuesday called on Russia to immediately stop its invasion of Ukraine while saying his country will provide additional humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine. Ambassador Cho Hyun also called on the United Nations to act quickly, noting South Korea would not have existed had it not been for UN assistance some 70 years ago when the country was invaded by North Korea. "We are gathered here today at one of the

Foreign AffairsMarch 2, 2022

Presidential candidates set for final TV debate

The four main presidential candidates are set to face off in their final TV debate Wednesday. The debate comes a week before the election and two days before the start of early voting over two days. The two-hour session will be hosted by the National Election Commission, the state election watchdog, and focus on social issues, such as welfare policies and the demographic crisis. All four candidates -- Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party, Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Po

PoliticsMarch 2, 2022

External pressure alone will not denuclearize N. Korea: former USFK chief

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Yonhap) -- External pressure alone will not be enough to convince North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to give up his nuclear ambitions, a former head of US Forces Korea (USFK) said Tuesday, stressing the need for what he called an internal pressure to change. Retired Gen. Walter Sharp also pointed to the need for South Korea and the US to work with China to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons. "I personally believe that there's no amount of external pressure that is goin

Foreign AffairsMarch 2, 2022

Human rights crises in N. Korea and others require international attention: Blinken

WASHINGTON -- Human rights crises in countries such as North Korea demand the United Nations and its member states' efforts to address them, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday while urging the international community to condemn what he called Russia's unlawful and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. "Even as we focus on the crisis in Ukraine, it is far from the only part of the world where the council's attention is needed," Blinken said in a virtual meeting with the UN Huma

Foreign AffairsMarch 2, 2022

Lee forms ‘policy alliance’ with minor candidate

Presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Kim Dong-yeon, a nominee of the New Wave, on Tuesday agreed to form a “policy alliance” to vie against the opposition blocs in the presidential race. Lee met with Kim, who served as the finance minister under the incumbent Moon Jae-in administration, and both agreed to together pursue reforms in the electoral and political systems, according to a joint statement. The two candidates said they will r

PoliticsMarch 1, 2022

Mongolia eases COVID-19 restrictions

Mongolia lowered COVID-19 restrictions level from Orange to Yellow, the embassy said in a press statement Wednesday. According to the Mongolian Embassy, 92 percent of the country’s total adult population are fully vaccinated and 52 percent of target group of citizens have received third shots. The embassy said 90,000 citizens had got fourth shots so far, and the Cabinet made the decision to ease pandemic restrictions based on an assessment of infection and protection risks. “With

Diplomatic CircuitMarch 1, 2022

British Embassy leads discourse on diversity and inclusion in business

British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks spoke to business leaders at the Business Roundtable Discussion on Diversity and Inclusion in Seoul Friday. 　 The event was co-hosted by the British Embassy and the British Council, in partnership with the British Chamber of Commerce Korea and United Nations Global Compact. Business leaders discussed the value of diversity and inclusion in business. Crooks shared the UK’s experience of implementing the 2010 Equality Act, and spoke about the UK&r

Diplomatic CircuitMarch 1, 2022

'Livable future' at risk: UN report

A landmark UN report warned on Monday that time had nearly run out to ensure a "liveable future" for all, detailing a horrifying "atlas of human suffering" and warning that far worse was to come. Species extinction, ecosystem collapse, insect-borne disease, deadly heatwaves and megastorms, water shortages, reduced crop yields -- all are measurably worse due to rising temperatures, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said. In the last year alone, the world has

Social AffairsMarch 1, 2022

Russian invasion convoy masses near Ukraine capital

KYIV (AFP) -- A huge Russian military convoy was massing on the outskirts of Ukraine's capital Tuesday as fears grew the invading forces were set to launch devastating assaults aimed at taking control of Kyiv and other major cities. Satellite images showed a long build-up of armoured vehicles and artillery starting 29 kilometres (18 miles) north of the city, as Moscow defied mounting global pressure and a wave of international sanctions that have smashed Russia's economy. Initial ceasefire tal

Foreign AffairsMarch 1, 2022

Lee condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday strongly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying it is shocking that a UN Security Council member carried out such an incursion in direct violation of the UN Charter. Lee of the ruling Democratic Party made the remark during a discussion hosted jointly by the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, saying South Korea's government should join international sanctions o

PoliticsMarch 1, 2022

S.Korea will join international efforts to ‘curb’ Russian invasion: Vice FM

The South Korean vice foreign minister committed to the country’s active participation in the international community‘s concerted efforts to “curb” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while strongly condemning Russian aggression. Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon on Monday delivered his statement at the UN Conference on Disarmament’s three-day High-Level Segment, which kicked off on the same day in Geneva, Switzerland. “The Korean government stron

Foreign AffairsMarch 1, 2022

Yoon’s strategy to favor young men over women has polarized polls. Will it backfire?

Along with the parties’ excessive dirt digging, the topic of gender divide has overshadowed policies and pledges in this year’s presidential election, as candidates ramp up gender-biased rhetoric to form their campaign narratives. In a bid to secure votes from the undecided electorate in their 20s and 30s who are sensitive to gender-related issues, presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party has taken the side of young men, laying out pledges in t

PoliticsMarch 1, 2022

NK propaganda machine calls for strong armed forces on uprising anniversary

A North Korean propaganda outlet on Tuesday marked the anniversary of a 1919 uprising against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule with calls for loyalty to the leader and strong armed forces. Meari, a propaganda website, said the March 1 Independence Movement gave lessons that such an uprising can succeed only when led by "an outstanding leader" and that armed forces are the only way to deal with armed aggressors. "Our people risked sacrifices and fought bravely but could not overcome t

North KoreaMarch 1, 2022

Moon urges Japan to face history and be humble before it

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday urged Japan to face history and sympathize with the wounds of its neighboring countries in a ceremony to mark the March 1st Movement on Tuesday. Moon and his wife Kim Jung-sook attended the 103rd anniversary ceremony of the March 1st Movement at the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. The memorial hall, which was created as part of Moon’s presidential pledge, opened for the first time on the day. “Coopera

PoliticsMarch 1, 2022