Trump wins US election, foreshadows policy shift

Republican flag-bearer Donald Trump won the US presidential election on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, amid expectations that his victory could reorient America's approach to the alliance with South Korea, North Korea's military threats, trade and other key foreign policy issues. Former President Trump crossed the Electoral College threshold of 270 votes as he clinched victories in key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, in the general election sho

Nov. 6, 2024

Yoon congratulates Trump

President Yoon Suk Yeol sent a congratulatory message to Donald Trump on Wednesday evening Seoul time, when he was reported as on the brink of victory. Yoon posted to his official account on social media platform X, "Under your strong leadership, the future of the ROK-US alliance and America will shine brighter. Look forward to working closely with you." ROK stands for Republic of Korea, which is South Korea's official name. "Depending on the election outcome, Yoon is expecte

Nov. 6, 2024

What are the achievements overshadowed by Yoon’s rock-bottom approval rating?

President Yoon Suk Yeol is one of South Korea's first heads of state who is struggling to reverse a downward trend in his approval rating before his five-year term has even reached the halfway point. Yoon's approval ratings fell to its lowest ever point last week, as controversies surrounding him and his wife grew. Calls for first lady Kim Keon Hee to apologize over various scandals continued in the National Assembly despite the prosecution's recent decision not to charge her for

Nov. 6, 2024

Alliance will strengthen regardless of US election results, says Han

South Korea’s ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon said Wednesday that the alliance between Seoul and Washington will strengthen regardless of who wins the latest US presidential election. “The South Korea-US alliance will strengthen regardless of the candidate who is elected president of the United States,” Han said in an emergency intra-party meeting on foreign affairs and security matters. The meeting was held a day after ruling party lawmakers compiled and reviewed

Nov. 6, 2024

Andy Kim becomes first Korean American elected to US Senate

Andy Kim, 42, a three-term Congress representative from New Jersey, has won the US Senate race, becoming the first Korean American elected to the Senate. Kim, a Democrat, defeated Republican Curtis Bashaw, securing 53 percent of the vote to Bashaw’s 44.7 percent, with 87 percent of ballots counted as of 3 p.m., according to AP. This Senate seat opened in August when former Senator Bob Menendez resigned after being convicted on charges of bribery and acting as an agent of the Egyptian gover

Nov. 6, 2024

Amid turbulence, Yoon to address nation in news conference Thursday

President Yoon Suk Yeol will hold a news conference on Thursday at 10 a.m., as the South Korean leader approaches the halfway point of his five-year term on Nov. 10, watchful of challenges at home and abroad. Yoon's news conference comes at a turbulent time due both to heightened external uncertainties -- as the US begins counting ballots from Wednesday here that will determine its next president as well as control of the US Congress -- as well as scandals here involving him and his wife. T

Nov. 5, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Strengthening workplace safety, minority shareholders

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on the Collection of Insurance Premiums for Employment Insurance and Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Proposed by Rep. Cho Ji-yeon (People Power Party) ● In response to the tragic fire at a lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, which resulted in the loss of 23 lives -- 18 of whom were residents of foreign nationality — this proposed amendment aims to tighten the accountability of risk assessment certifications for wo

Nov. 5, 2024

Yoon to hold news conference on Thursday

President Yoon Suk Yeol will hold a news conference on Thursday at 10 a.m. as the South Korean leader approaches the halfway point of his five-year term, Yoon's office announced on Monday. According to the presidential office, Yoon will map out his administration’s policy direction for the future and engage in a sincere discussion of topics that have drawn public interest. Yoon’s aides proposed that he take the opportunity to communicate with the public before he departs for an

Nov. 4, 2024

Ruling party leader condemns North Korea troop dispatch as crime against humanity

Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the ruling People Power Party, on Monday condemned North Korea for participating in Russia’s war in Ukraine. At a meeting of the party's leadership, Han said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sending troops to Russia was a “serious challenge to international peace” and a “crime against humanity.” “The Kim Jong-un regime, with its decision to enter the war, has made it seem like the Korean Peninsula has something to do with the o

Nov. 4, 2024

Amid record-low approval rating, Yoon forgoes Assembly budget address

President Yoon Suk Yeol skipped his 2025 budget address at parliament on Monday as he faces record-low popularity with his domestic agenda now overshadowed by the main opposition party having ramped up the pressure on him based on the recent revelation of a phone conversation suggesting he interfered in an election. On Monday, Yoon's approval rating fell 2.2 percentage points to the lowest point of 22.4 percent since his inauguration in May 2022, according to a poll by Realmeter. The poll o

Nov. 4, 2024

PPP leader urges Yoon to issue public apology over allegations surrounding first lady

Ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon on Monday called on President Yoon Suk Yeol to issue a public apology and reshuffle aides at the presidential office to address growing concerns over allegations surrounding the first lady. Han of the People Power Party made the remarks during a meeting of the party's supreme council, calling for a "complete" personnel overhaul of the presidential aides. "The president should publicly and thoroughly address the concerns of the people, issue a

Nov. 4, 2024

PM to deliver 2025 budget speech at National Assembly

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will deliver the government's 2025 budget speech at the National Assembly on behalf of President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday, Han's office said. It marks the first time in 11 years that a sitting president has not addressed parliament on the annual budget. Yoon presented the budget speech the past two years after taking office in May 2022. Since 1988, it has been customary for presidents to outline their key priorities to lawmakers before submitting the governme

Nov. 4, 2024

Presidential Bio Committee to launch in December

South Korea's Presidential Bio Committee will hold its inaugural meeting in December, with President Yoon Suk Yeol chairing the committee of roughly 20 experts in the field of biotechnology, to bolster the nation's push to achieve a biotechnology breakthrough. Park Sang-ook, senior presidential secretary for science and technology, said in a briefing Sunday that Lee Sang-yup, vice president for research at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, will serve as the vice c

Nov. 3, 2024

Scandal-hit ex-lawmaker denies corruption claims as pressure on Yoon mounts

Former lawmaker and veteran politician Kim Young-sun, a central figure in allegations that President Yoon Suk Yeol meddled in the June 2022 by-elections, denied accusations that she paid for Yoon's political forecasting and alleged poll manipulation expenses in exchange for the ruling party's nomination to run for her seat in the National Assembly. The prosecution interrogated Kim on Sunday regarding what they consider a violation of the Political Funds Act, namely Kim's wiring of

Nov. 3, 2024

Ruling, opposition parties expected to wrangle over 2025 budget deliberations

The National Assembly is set to begin deliberations on the 2025 budget proposal this week, with ruling and opposition parties expected to wrangle over spending on controversial projects. On Monday, the National Assembly is set to begin deliberations on next year's budget of 677.4 trillion won ($509.7 billion), a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year. The ruling People Power Party is expected to advocate the government's focus on discretionary spending due to fiscal deficit, while

Nov. 3, 2024

Govt. to designate 3 cities as nation's first 'hydrogen complexes'

The government said Friday it will designate three cities as the nation's first hydrogen-specialized complexes and support their growth into hydrogen industry hubs. The designation comes after the three cities -- Donghae and Samcheok of Gangwon Province and Pohang of North Gyeongsang Province -- passed preliminary feasibility surveys to carry out hydrogen cluster projects, the government said following a meeting of the government-led Hydrogen Economy Committee. The Donghae-Samcheok project

Nov. 1, 2024

Opposition accuses Yoon of favoritism, election meddling

South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday accused President Yoon Suk Yeol of favoritism and unlawful interference in the 2022 by-election, disclosing a private call between Yoon and his former political consultant Myung Tae-kyun. The party claims the recording reveals Yoon’s involvement in election matters while serving as the incumbent president. In the May 2022 phone recording disclosed to media by the Democratic Party, Yoon, then the president-elect, told

Oct. 31, 2024

Ruling party calls for swift revision of espionage laws

The ruling People Power Party called Thursday for a swift revision of espionage laws to outlaw spying not only for "enemy countries" but for all "foreign countries." PPP leader Han Dong-hoon issued the call during a Supreme Council meeting days after a South Korean national was found to have been detained by China on espionage charges while working for a Chinese chipmaker. "Because the espionage law applies only to North Korea, in the event that a Chinese national is sus

Oct. 31, 2024

Defense minister calls S. Korean observer team dispatch to Ukraine military's 'obvious' task

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said Wednesday that the dispatch of a South Korean team of observers or analysts to Ukraine would be the South Korean military's "obvious" task, as he stressed there would be lessons to be learned. Kim made the remarks, saying that if such a team is not sent to Ukraine, it would constitute a "dereliction of duty." "Throughout the history in many different wars, including the Iraq war, there have been many cases where we have sent monit

Oct. 31, 2024

S. Korean, US defense chiefs condemn N.K. troop dispatch to Russia in 'strongest' terms 'with one voice'

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States condemned North Korea's troop deployment to Russia in the "strongest" terms with "one voice" as they held the allies' annual defense talks at the Pentagon on Wednesday. Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued the condemnation at the 56th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) as Seoul and Washington have confirmed the troop deployment, which is feared to escalate Russia'

Oct. 31, 2024