Top court confirms 2-yr prison term for ex-environment minister in power abuse case

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed a two-year prison sentence for a former environment minister of the Moon Jae-in administration, charged with abusing her ministerial power to force ranking officials from the previous administration to resign from public posts. Kim Eun-kyung was indicted on charges of forcing 13 executives at environment ministry-affiliated public institutions who were appointed by the previous Park Geun-hye administration to resign from their seats between 2017 and 2018.

PoliticsJan. 27, 2022

NSC expresses strong regret over N. Korea's latest projectile launch

The presidential National Security Council (NSC) held an emergency meeting Thursday and expressed strong regret over North Korea's latest projectile launch, the presidential office said. North Korea fired two apparent short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea earlier in the day, in the North's sixth show of force this month. The standing members of the NSC said it is "very regrettable that North Korea's repeated missile launches are contrary to the request of Korea and the intern

PoliticsJan. 27, 2022

N. Korea to assume rotational presidency of UN disarmament conference

North Korea will lead the United Nations' Conference on Disarmament in a rotational one-month presidency later this year, the world body has said. North Korea is among six countries -- along with China, Colombia, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ecuador -- that will assume this year's chairmanship for four weeks each in alphabetical order. This first session began Monday under China's presidency, with North Korea's turn set for May 30 to June 24. The North's presidency is expect

North KoreaJan. 27, 2022

Top court confirms 4-yr prison term for ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk's wife

The Supreme Court finalized a four-year prison term Thursday for the wife of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk for college admission fraud involving their daughter and other charges, bringing an end to one of South Korea's most divisive scandals in recent years. Chung Kyung-sim, a former professor of Dongyang University, was indicted in 2019 on 15 counts of charges, including forging a presidential citation from her university and getting a false internship certificate to use for her daughter's a

Social AffairsJan. 27, 2022

PPP proposes Yoon-Lee debate on top of TV debate

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) proposed Thursday that the two leading presidential candidates hold a one-on-one debate on top of an expanded televised debate. Rep. Sung Il-jong, the party's lead negotiator for arranging TV debates, made the proposal in a press conference at the PPP headquarters, a day after a court stopped the country's three major broadcasters from hosting a one-on-one debate between its candidate Yoon Suk-yeol and ruling Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-m

PoliticsJan. 27, 2022

Seoul monitoring situation after N. Korea hit by suspected cyber attack

The Seoul government is keeping tabs on North Korea following reports it was hit by a suspected cyber attack the previous day, an official said Thursday. On Wednesday, Reuters said the North's internet appears to have suffered a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, citing cybersecurity researchers. Major North Korean websites, such as its foreign ministry and the Rodong Sinmun sites, appeared to be experiencing partial failure in connections but were operating normally as of Thursday m

North KoreaJan. 27, 2022

Military reports 104 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Thursday reported 104 additional COVID-19 cases, including 101 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 4,284. Of the new military cases, 79 are from the Army, 15 from the Air Force, two from the Marine Corps, two from units under the direct control of the ministry, and two from the Combined Forces Command. There were also cases from the Navy, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the Defense Me

Social AffairsJan. 27, 2022

N.Korea fires two apparent short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea

North Korea on Thursday fired two apparent short-range ballistic missiles at a low altitude from a seashore city in South Hamgyong Province toward its east coast. “We are aware of the ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners,” the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement, adding the launch does not pose an “immediate threat” to US personnel, territory or allies. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military ha

North KoreaJan. 27, 2022

S. Korea's daily COVID-19 cases surpass 14,000 amid rapid omicron spread

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases hit over 14,000 on Thursday, breaking the record for a third consecutive day as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads across the country at an unprecedented speed. The country reported 14,518 COVID-19 infections, including 14,301 local infections, bringing the total to 777,497, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. South Korea posted the first five-digit daily tally of 13,012 on Wednesday, following the previous record high of 8

Social AffairsJan. 27, 2022

S. Korea holds talks on joining DEPA pact

South Korea held talks Thursday with the three member states of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) to join the world's first plurilateral digital pact. The DEPA, which came into effect in January last year, is an agreement signed by Singapore, New Zealand and Chile to establish key rules on digital trade issues, such as digital identities, cross-border data flows and artificial intelligence. South Korea said the pact could serve as an extensive platform for establishing a global

Foreign AffairsJan. 27, 2022

Many 'promising things' can happen if N. Korea comes to dialogue table: Lambert

Many promising things can happen for North Korea if Pyongyang returns to the dialogue table with the US, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Japan and Korea Mark Lambert said Wednesday. The US diplomat also stressed that the US has "no reservations" regarding dialogue with North Korea. "We have made it very clear to Pyongyang. We will go anywhere. We will talk about anything. There are no reservations we have," he said in a webinar hosted by the Center for Strategic and

Foreign AffairsJan. 27, 2022

Senior diplomats of S. Korea, Russia hold phone talks over N. Korea

Senior diplomats of South Korea and Russia talked over the phone Wednesday to discuss North Korea's recent missile launches and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said. Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, spoke with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov amid rising tension after the North last week hinted at lifting its yearslong self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests. "Th

North KoreaJan. 26, 2022

S. Korea confirms highly pathogenic bird flu case in southwestern region

South Korea reported another case of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a duck farm on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases in poultry to 26 this winter season. The latest case was reported at the farm raising around 25,000 ducks in Buan county, 280 kilometers south of Seoul in North Jeolla Province, according to the agriculture ministry. The government has alerted local poultry farm owners to increasing outbreaks of avian influenza as of late, urging them to immediately report an

Social AffairsJan. 26, 2022

S. Korea, UAE hold high-level talks on forming joint bidding team for nuclear energy projects

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates held a high-level meeting on Wednesday and agreed to establish a joint bidding team for nuclear energy projects in third-party countries, the foreign ministry said. The agreement was reached in the fourth session of their high-level consultation on nuclear energy, led by Seoul's Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon and Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, the UAE minister of energy and industry, held through video links, according to the ministry. Both

Foreign AffairsJan. 26, 2022

‘Tech-driven flexibility’: What are Lee Jae-myung’s plans for pandemic?

South Koreans can expect a mellower third year of the pandemic, enabled by greater use of technology, with Lee Jae-myung in charge, according to the frontwoman for the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate’s COVID-19 response team. Rep. Shin Hyun-young, who is leading the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s COVID-19 emergency response headquarters, told The Korea Herald that “Lee Jae-myung will make the most of technology to allow for a flexible response to t

PoliticsJan. 26, 2022

Seoul faces conundrum over option of North Korea preemptive strike

If South Korea faces an imminent attack from nuclear-armed North Korea, what is the most viable military option to defend the country and prevent incalculable and irreparable damage? Seoul-based experts say South Korea would have no option but to consider launching a preemptive strike, although the anticipatory use of force would come with a certain price. That price could far outweigh potential gains, experts say. But the bigger problem is Pyongyang‘s mounting artillery, missile and nuc

DefenseJan. 26, 2022

Backstage staff member wins 2022 Unsung Hero Award

A backstage staff worker at Stage Art Center was named the winner of the 2022 Unsung Hero Award, arranged by the Shinil Educational Foundation. The foundation held the awards ceremony at the Seoul Cyber University on Monday, shining a spotlight on those who have been working in the performing arts scene off the stage. The awards are given to both individuals and groups. Lee Byeong-seob, who works at Stage Art Center, a public institution that rents out costumes, props and stage settings to pr

Social AffairsJan. 26, 2022

S. Korea‘s daily COVID-19 cases surpass 13,000 amid omicron wave

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases topped 13,000 as of midnight Tuesday due to the rapid spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant. It was the first time that South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases surpasses 10,000 in 737 days since the country saw its first confirmed COVID-19 case on January 20. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Wednesday, the country added 13,012 COVID-19 cases, posting a dramatic increase from that of the previous

Social AffairsJan. 26, 2022

Lee Jae-myung calls to end mudslinging in presidential race

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday called for an end to mudslinging, in an apparent bid to improve his stagnant support ratings. Lee declared that he would stop all denunciations of other candidates, as he fears voters are displeased with the presidential race being riddled with accusations and denunciations against one another. "I understand that the people are deeply concerned with the 'negative' moves intensified during the pres

PoliticsJan. 26, 2022

Court grants injunction to call off one-on-one debate between Lee, Yoon

The planned televised debate between the two leading presidential candidates has been called off, with a Seoul court granting the injunction filed by Ahn Cheol-soo, a minor opposition candidate who had been excluded from the event. Seoul Western District Court on Wednesday ordered the three local broadcasters not to hold or broadcast a debate for the two presidential candidates leading the race -- Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Part

PoliticsJan. 26, 2022