Yoon vows no compromise with illegal strikes

As the truckers strike ended last week, President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday said he would hold responsible those workers who didn't comply with the state order to return to work “until the end” of his presidency. Truckers voted to return to work after 16 days of striking on Friday after calling for the government to make permanent a minimum freight rate system that is to expire this year. During the 16 days, the government issued a “work start order” twice, first on c

Dec. 13, 2022

Yoon calls for quick 'normalization' of national health insurance

President Yoon Suk-yeol called Tuesday for a quick "normalization" of the national health insurance system, saying the previous government's expanded coverage led to a waste of financial resources. Yoon issued the call during a Cabinet meeting in what was seen as an indication of his intent to scrap the health insurance policy of the previous Moon Jae-in administration, which centered on expanding coverage and lowering the burden of hospital bills on households. "Normalizatio

Dec. 13, 2022

Yoon invited Assembly speaker to dinner at official residence

President Yoon Suk-yeol invited National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo to dinner at the official presidential residence last week and requested his help with passing the government's 2023 budget plan, sources said Tuesday. The dinner was held last Wednesday and also attended by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Meong-su and Constitutional Court President Yoo Nam-seok, according to the sources. "I understand they held candid talks," a ruling bloc official

Dec. 13, 2022

Yoon calls for bipartisan cooperation to pass 2023 budget plan

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday called for bipartisan cooperation to pass the 2023 budget plan, saying there can be no partisanship in handling people's livelihood matters. Yoon issued the call during a weekly meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at his office, days after the National Assembly missed the legal deadline to pass the national budget amid a standoff between the ruling and opposition parties. "President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed regret over the delay in the passage of

Dec. 12, 2022

Subway stops will be skipped if protests cause severe delays

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said trains would pass without stopping in the case of severe delays at subway stations due to a disabled advocacy group’s protests on Tuesday. Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination announced Monday it would stage subway-riding protests at Seoul's Samgakji Station on Line Nos. 4 and 6 at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. the following day. A city official said, “This does not mean that trains will not stop unconditionally. If a serious train delay occurs

Dec. 12, 2022

Ex-President Lee likely to be pardoned by year-end: reports

President Yoon Suk-yeol appears to be considering granting presidential pardons to politicians and businessmen currently serving jail time, including former President Lee Myung-bak and former South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo, by the end of this year, according to reports quoting multiple sources from the ruling bloc. The Ministry of Justice is expected to open a pardon review committee on Dec. 20 to review the candidates and announce the final list immediately after the Cabinet meet

Dec. 12, 2022

ILO to meet with government over truckers' demands

Senior officials of the International Labor Organization are set to meet with the Korean ministries of labor and transport to discuss matters regarding the local truckers strike on the occasion of attending a local conference in Seoul, the United Nations agency confirmed on Monday. The ILO members, including Tim de Meyer, senior adviser on standards policy, Karen Curtis, chief of the freedom of association branch, and Xavier Beaudonnet, head of the collective bargaining unit, will attend a t

Dec. 12, 2022

Interior minister attended govt. meeting after passage of dismissal motion

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min attended a closed-door government meeting after the opposition-controlled National Assembly passed a dismissal motion against him the previous day, sources said Monday. Lee's attendance has been interpreted as signaling President Yoon Suk-yeol's intention to reject the motion and keep him in office. Yoon has not commented on the motion, but he is known to have consistently opposed the opposition-led push to dismiss Lee to hold him responsible for the gove

Dec. 12, 2022

Yoon’s website expanded amid spat with reporters

The presidential office expanded the press section of its official website Sunday, the latest move by President Yoon Suk-yeol to directly address the public amid a spat over penalizing a major broadcaster for delivering “malicious” and “fake” news. Late last month, Yoon’s office suspended daily media briefings -- the hallmark of his “open presidency” -- three days after an MBC reporter shouted a question to Yoon demanding the president elaborate on &ldqu

Dec. 11, 2022

Motion for firing safety minister heads to Yoon

An opposition party-led motion was passed on Sunday to press President Yoon Suk-yeol to fire Lee Sang-min, the minister of interior and safety, over the government’s response to the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon. The motion, now headed to Yoon for final approval, would put increased pressure on the president to dismiss the safety minister who is also a close aide. Out of the 183 lawmakers present, an overwhelming 182 voted in favor of the motion at Sunday’s plenary s

Dec. 11, 2022

Ex-Yongsan police chief quizzed again in Itaewon crowd crush probe

A special police investigation team questioned a former chief of the Yongsan Police Station on Sunday as part of its investigation into the bungled response to the deadly crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood. The questioning of Lee Im-jae comes about a week after a court denied the investigation team's request for a warrant to arrest him, citing the need to guarantee the right to defend himself. Lee has been booked on charges of professional negligence and manslaughter by neglig

Dec. 11, 2022

National Assembly set to vote on motion calling for dismissal of interior minister

The National Assembly was set to vote Sunday on a motion calling for the dismissal of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min over the bungled government response to the deadly Itaewon crowd crush. The motion, introduced last week by the main opposition Democratic Party, was reported to the National Assembly on Thursday and was scheduled to be put to a vote at a plenary parliamentary session at 10 a.m. A vote must take place within 72 hours after a motion is reported at a plenary session or it is automat

Dec. 11, 2022

NK dogs gifted to Moon find new home in Gwangju zoo

A pair of dogs that were gifted to former President Moon Jae-in by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have found a new home at a public zoo in the southwestern city of Gwangju, officials said Friday. 　 　Moon returned the dogs to the government early last month, citing legal grounds and a lack of support. 　 　The indigenous North Korean Pungsan-breed dogs, one male named Songkang and a female named Gomi, were given by the North‘s leader after an inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang in 2018. 　 　Des

Dec. 9, 2022

Ex-national security adviser indicted over slain official case

Former national security adviser Suh Hoon was indicted Friday on charges of irregularities surrounding the 2020 death of a South Korean government official at the hands of North Korea in the first indictment of a ranking official in the preceding Moon Jae-in government. 　 　The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office has been investigating the death of the fisheries official, who was fatally shot by North Korean coast guard members near the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea, a day

Dec. 9, 2022

Closest aide to opposition leader indicted

The closest aide to the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's leader Lee Jae-myung was handed over to trial on Friday on bribery charges, heightening the possibility of investigating Lee soon. The prosecution indicted Jeong Jin-sang on charges of receiving a total of 240 million won ($184,000) in bribes from Yoo Dong-gyu, the former head of the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation. Yoon was also indicted for giving bribes to Jeong. Jeong was alleged to have received the money from Y

Dec. 9, 2022

PM says government to set criteria this month on lifting indoor mask mandate

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Friday that the government will set criteria within this month on determining whether to lift the indoor mask mandate. "The specific criteria for judgment will be finalized through a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters this month after an open debate and discussion by the advisory committee," Han told a response meeting. The government will advise or ask people to voluntarily wear face masks indoors if COVID-19 contai

Dec. 9, 2022

Yoon holds dinner for national soccer team

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday hosted a formal dinner for the national soccer team in celebration of the team's performance in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, officials said. The banquet was held at Yeongbingwan, a reception hall at Cheong Wa Dae, a former presidential office. It was attended by 22 members of the South Korean national soccer team, including captain Son Heung-min, coach Paulo Bento and other support staff. The celebration dinner was to honor the South Korean team for reaching

Dec. 8, 2022

Justice minister dismisses rumor of running for ruling party leadership

Amid growing speculation that Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon may run for the ruling party leadership early next year, Han dismissed the possibility Wednesday, saying he will continue to do his job as the head of the ministry. Han met with reporters before attending a plenary session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the day and said, "No one has suggested me (to run for the party leadership)." "I have done my best as a justice minister although

Dec. 7, 2022

Minor-party lawmaker convicted for illegal electioneering; parliamentary seat at risk

Rep. Lee Eun-joo of the minor opposition Justice Party was given a suspended prison term on Wednesday for illegal electioneering, a punishment heavy enough to result in the loss of her parliamentary seat if confirmed by the Supreme Court. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Lee, the floor leader of the Justice Party, to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, for violating the Public Official Election Act. Rep. Lee was found guilty of making phone calls to party members while runnin

Dec. 7, 2022

Govt. vows personal protection for truckers not taking part in strike

The government on Wednesday urged striking truckers to return to work immediately, estimating industrial losses from the two-week-long walkout to reach 3.5 trillion won ($2.64 billion). The government also said it will provide personal protection for cargo truck drivers who suffer harm due to their decision not to join the strike, as supply disruptions continued to beleaguer major industries, including steel, petrochemicals and oil refining. The loss estimate and anti-strike measures were releas

Dec. 7, 2022