Seoul mayor confident in 2036 Olympics bid

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon voiced strong confidence in the city's ability to host a profitable and successful 2036 Summer Olympics, citing Seoul's well-established infrastructure and robust public safety measures as key factors that would contribute to the event's success. In a Facebook post on Sunday titled "Again, the Seoul Olympics," Oh reiterated his commitment to bringing the Olympics back to Seoul, a pledge he first made two years ago. After visiting the Paris Olympics

Social AffairsAug. 12, 2024

[ASEAN Plus Korea] Philippines foreign minister says strategic partnership with S. Korea close

The Philippines and South Korea are on the verge of establishing a strategic partnership, said Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday. Philippine Foreign Secretary Manalo was in Seoul to meet Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. The talks focused on expanding cooperation in areas such as supply chains and climate change. Both sides also emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, an

Foreign AffairsAug. 12, 2024

N. Korea slams S. Korea to divert public attention over flood damage: unification ministry

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took swipe at South Korean media reports on flood damage in the North in an apparent attempt to divert public attention from the emergency situation, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday. During a visit to flood-hit areas of Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Pyongan last week, Kim lashed out at South Korean media reports that floods in areas along the Amnok River generated massive casualties. Kim rebuked South Korean media outlets as the m

North KoreaAug. 12, 2024

DP urges Yoon to withdraw appointment of new chief of Independence Hall of Korea

The main opposition Democratic Party urged President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday to withdraw the appointment of the new chief of the Independence Hall of Korea amid criticism of his controversial views accused of justifying Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. The appointment of Kim Hyoung-suk as head of the museum focusing on the country's independence movement during the colonial rule has sparked criticism over some of his past remarks seen by critics as "New Right" and pro-Japanese

PoliticsAug. 12, 2024

Pilot program to bring in 300 immigrant workers annually for power line construction

The government will bring in 300 immigrant workers annually through a pilot visa program to address workforce shortages in power transmission line construction, officials said Monday. Under the two-year trial program, the government will issue E-7 work visas to 300 foreign workers annually, who will be employed in the country's power line construction industry, the justice and industry ministries said. The industry is struggling to hire new workers due to its dangerous and demanding work en

Social AffairsAug. 12, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Bank branch closure notice, 'dark patterns' regulation

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Banking Act Proposed by Rep. Park Hong-bae (Democratic Party of Korea) ● As financial services move to online platforms, many banks have been closing their offline branches. This bill aims to prevent user inconvenience of digitally vulnerable people by mandating prior notice of bank branch closures. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Minimum Wage Act Proposed by Rep. Song Eon-seog (People Power Party) ● The inflexible application of the minimum wage

PoliticsAug. 12, 2024

S. Korea, US to begin key summertime military exercise next week

South Korea and the United States will begin a major combined military exercise next week to strengthen their joint defense readiness in the face of evolving North Korean military threats, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise is set to take place from Aug. 19-29, featuring the main computer simulation-based command post exercise, concurrent field training and civil defense drills. The move comes amid heightened cross-border tensions due to Pyongyang

DefenseAug. 12, 2024

Conservatives split over Yoon potentially clearing key liberal to run

Conservatives are divided over reports President Yoon Suk Yeol may fully restore the political rights of once-prominent liberal politician Kim Kyung-soo, allowing him to run for public office. Kim, a key ally of former Democratic Party of Korea President Moon Jae-in, was already pardoned last December from serving the remaining five months of his two-year jail term. In 2021, he was sentenced to two years in jail in the Supreme Court for trying to sway voters online by manipulating comments on ne

PoliticsAug. 11, 2024

6 in 10 low earners not registered for pension: report

Despite the government's efforts to reduce the blind spot for the national pension, only four out of 10 people in the low-income bracket are enrolled in the national pension system, a study showed Sunday. According to the National Pension Research Institute, among the people aged 20 to 59 in the last tier of the income group, those who earn less than two-thirds of the median income of 2021, only 40.96 percent enrolled in the national pension system. The enrollment rate increased a mere 2.15

Social AffairsAug. 11, 2024

Korea mulls more sprinklers underground in wake of EV fire

In response to a recent surge in fires caused by electric vehicles in underground parking lots across South Korea, the government is reportedly considering regulatory changes, including installing additional sprinklers and expediting the fire department's response times. The Ministry of Environment was set to hold a meeting Monday to have the National Fire Agency explain how to mitigate the risks associated with EV-related fires. Discussing major measures starting from the Monday meeting, t

Social AffairsAug. 11, 2024

N. Korea sends some 240 trash-filled balloons toward S. Korea: JCS

North Korea has sent around 240 balloons carrying trash toward South Korea and about 10 of them landed in the South, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. As of 10 a.m., there had been no balloons detected floating midair, after North Korea launched such balloons Saturday, according to the South Korean military. A very few balloons landed in northern areas of Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul, as North Korea appears to have sent them despite winds blowing in northern and northeastern directions.

North KoreaAug. 11, 2024

[Photo News] In memory of comfort women

A memorial event to commemorate the upcoming International Memorial Day for Comfort Women on Aug. 14, was held at the House of Sharing in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday. Hosted by Gyeonggi Province, the event was themed "Yellow Butterfly -- A Promise to Next Generation" and included a cultural festival, a commemorative ceremony, and a wreath-laying at the statues of the victims. Attendees participated in symbolic activities like folding yellow butterflies and creating replicas

Social AffairsAug. 10, 2024

SK Telecom's e-prescription service ruled legal by top court

The Supreme Court recently confirmed the ruling that said the SK Telecom Co. did not violate the law with its electronic prescription service that the company provided 14 years ago, court officials said Friday. In a verdict reached last month, South Korea's highest court upheld the lower court's ruling that cleared SK Telecom of violating the Personal Information Protection Act and the Medical Services Act. The e-prescription service in question was launched by the largest wireless c

Social AffairsAug. 10, 2024

Seongsu Station to install 2 extra stairways to address overcrowding

Two extra sets of stairs are to be installed at Seoul's notoriously crowded Seongsu Station, the Seoul Metro said Thursday, in a bid to resolve overcrowding issues in the popular area. One of the new stairways will be installed next to the existing stairs leading to Exit No. 2, and the other next to the existing stairs leading to Exit No. 3, according to Seoul Metro's officials. Construction of the new stairs at the Line No. 2 station will be completed before October next year, by wh

Social AffairsAug. 10, 2024

No. of foreign doctors in S. Korea on rise amid medical walkout

The number of foreign medical doctors in South Korea has been on a steady increase, data showed Saturday, amid a prolonged walkout by doctors and trainee doctors here over a government-proposed spike in the medical school quota. The report comes amid plans by the health ministry to allow foreign medical doctors to practice medicine in the country when needed, even before they obtain local licenses. According to the data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the r

Social AffairsAug. 10, 2024

S. Korea, US to hold 6th round of defense cost-sharing talks in Washington next week

South Korea and the United States will hold their sixth round of negotiations in Washington next week to determine Seoul's share of the cost for stationing the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea (USFK), the chief US negotiator said Friday. Linda Specht, US lead negotiator for security agreements at the State Department, released a statement on the plan to hold the negotiations in the US capital from Monday through Wednesday. South Korea's delegation is led by Lee Tae-woo, a senior diploma

DefenseAug. 10, 2024

N. Korean leader rejects international aid for flood damage

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged to bring victims of recent heavy downpours to the capital city of Pyongyang to take care of them without outside help, state media said Saturday. Kim made a two-day trip on Thursday and Friday to Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Pyongan to meet flood victims staying at a temporary shelter and offered support, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. He announced "an emergency system" to bring children, the elderly, disable

North KoreaAug. 10, 2024

DP claims gov't pressure behind death of senior official of anti-corruption agency

The main opposition Democratic Party vowed Friday to reveal the truth behind the recent death of a senior official of the state anti-corruption agency, saying government pressure led to his death. Until recently, the official of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission had served as acting chief of the agency's anti-corruption bureau and oversaw inquiries into politically sensitive cases, including first lady Kim Keon Hee's acceptance of a luxury handbag and opposition leader Le

PoliticsAug. 9, 2024

N. Korea unilaterally applies for taekwondo's inscription as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

North Korea has unilaterally applied to list taekwondo, a traditional Korean martial art, as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, the UNESCO website showed Friday. The North submitted an application to the UNESCO headquarters in March to include taekwondo on the ICH list, according to the UNESCO website. UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is expected to decide on the application in 2026, after assessing taekwondo's qualificat

North KoreaAug. 9, 2024

Yoon visits military headquarters on last day of summer vacation

President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the headquarters of the armed forces in the central city of Gyeryong on Friday to inspect security posture and examine preparations for upcoming joint military drills between South Korea and the United States, his office said. Yoon's visit to the Gyeryongdae military headquarters, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul, came on the last day of his five-day summer vacation. During the visit, Yoon met with the top commanders of the Army, Air Force and Navy at a wa

PoliticsAug. 9, 2024