Police drop charges against presidential press aide over election law violations

SEONGNAM -- Police decided Friday not to refer Kim Eun-hye, senior presidential secretary for press affairs, to the prosecution over allegations she violated the election law by underreporting personal assets. The Bundang Police Station in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, made the decision, citing the facts that she had previously reported the same amount of assets three times as a lawmaker and that she had already clarified the mistakes to the election authorities. The Gyeonggi Province chapter o

Nov. 18, 2022

'The climate has no borders': Activists seek climate accountability

The K-Green Foundation and Jeski Social Campaign, which hosted an exhibition along with the message "The Climate Has No Borders," said responsibility for the climate crisis is a task for mankind and it does not belong to a specific country. Through the exhibition, they are asking delegates from each country who participated in COP27 to ask themselves "why they gathered here" and "what they should discuss first." Choi Yul, chairperson of the K-Green Foundation, who h

Nov. 18, 2022

Yoon says banning MBC reporters from Air Force 1 was to ‘protect Constitution’

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Friday that banning MBC reporters from the presidential plane departing for the summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Group of 20 was an act to “protect the Constitution.” The presidential office told MBC reporters they would not be allowed to board the presidential plane on Nov. 9, two days before Yoon embarked on his six-day trip to Cambodia and Indonesia. When asked by a reporter on the matter while heading to the presidential offic

Nov. 18, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Trilateral cooperation, now is the time to buckle down

It is true that Korea, China, and Japan have had ups and downs and sometimes conflicts throughout their long history. However, the risks of the traditional and non-traditional security areas faced by the three countries in the rapidly changing international order are essentially the same to the security and development of each country. In order to solve these challenges, common consensus and cooperation from the three countries are required. Vision and philosophy based on the keynote of '

Nov. 17, 2022

Yoon in hot water over strained media relations

President Yoon Suk-yeol is once again facing controversy over his interaction with the media during an overseas trip. Yoon returned home Wednesday from a trip to Cambodia and Indonesia where he attended a series of multilateral and bilateral summits. However, his actions on the international stage are again being overshadowed by actions taken by himself and his office in dealing with the media. Yoon’s six-day trip kicked off Friday amid a prolonged confrontation with MBC. The relationship

Nov. 16, 2022

Bill to gut city funding for TBS eFM passed despite protests

The Seoul city council has passed a controversial bill that would essentially gut the city’s funding for TBS eFM, Seoul’s only English-language radio network. During a plenary session Tuesday afternoon, the council, controlled by the ruling People Power Party, rammed the bill through a vote. Opposition members boycotted the vote in protest. The legislation, slated to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, would deprive TBS, short for Traffic Broadcasting System, of around 30 billion won ($22.7

Nov. 16, 2022

[Newsmaker] What porn? ‘Poverty porn’ reference to first lady sparks furor

  A South Korean opposition lawmaker is in the hot seat after he used the phrase “poverty porn” to describe first lady Kim Keon-hee who released photos of her philanthropic work while accompanying President Yoon Suk-yeol’s visit to Southeast Asia. Rep. Jang Kyung-tae of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea said Wednesday that he will “consider expressing regret” if the first lady was upset by his recent comment, while fending off the ruling People Power Party&

Nov. 16, 2022

Govt. to consider cutting national health insurance fees for bereaved families of Itaewon tragedy

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Wednesday the government will consider cutting national health insurance fees for the bereaved families of Itaewon crowd crush victims and those who were injured in the tragedy. "Until all the difficulties of the bereaved families are resolved, we will carefully support them," Han told a response meeting. The Oct. 29 tragedy killed at least 158 people and injured 196 others as huge crowds of people flocked to Seoul's Itaewon to celebrate Halloween.

Nov. 16, 2022

Ruling party chief slams list naming Itaewon tragedy victims

Ruling party leader Chung Jin-suk condemned an online media outlet on Tuesday for disclosing a list of victims in the Itaewon crowd crush without the consent of bereaved families. "Disclosing the victims' list without the consent of bereaved families is again inflicting wounds in their pains," Rep. Chung of the People Power Party wrote on Facebook, stressing that legal countermeasures are necessary. "The People Power Party and I will not turn a blind eye to the tragic pain of

Nov. 15, 2022

PM to attend APEC summit in Bangkok

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will visit Bangkok later this week to attend an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Han's office said Tuesday. Han will leave for Bangkok on Thursday for the APEC summit, which is slated for Friday and Saturday, the office said in a statement. During the summit, Han is expected to discuss measures to strengthen trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as sustainable growth, it said. On the sidelines of the summit, Han is expected to hold bil

Nov. 15, 2022

First lady meets with Indonesian environmental activists

BALI -- First lady Kim Keon-hee met with a pair of environmental activists in Bali and talked about their shared love for eco-friendly products, the presidential office said Tuesday. The meeting with the Wijsen sisters -- Melati and Isabel -- took place Monday during Kim's visit to the island with President Yoon Suk-yeol. Yoon is due to attend a Group of 20 summit in Bali on Tuesday. "An issue that's no less important than nuclear war is the issue of climate and the environment,&q

Nov. 15, 2022

Opposition accuses first lady of 'playing Audrey Hepburn'

First lady Kim Keon-hee is once again drawing fire from the opposition bloc this time over her activities in Cambodia, where she accompanied President Yoon Suk-yeol for the ASEAN meeting. During her trip, she declined to attend a cultural event arranged by the Cambodian government for the spouses of attending state leaders. Instead, she visited a young heart patient at a hospital as well as at the patient’s home. Her actions were made public through a series of photographs, which oppositio

Nov. 14, 2022

Yoon says global complex crisis depends on digital transformation

President Yoon Suk-yeol presented “digital transformation” as a solution to the global complex crisis in his keynote speech on Monday at the B20 Summit involving representatives of companies from 20 major countries held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. B20 Summit established in 2010 has served to channel the voice and aspirations of the global business community to G20 leaders. Yoon delivered a keynote speech on the theme of the role of companies in overcoming the global complex c

Nov. 14, 2022

Dispute over Assembly probe into Itaewon disaster worsens

The ruling and main opposition parties remain at loggerheads over the Itaewon tragedy, with the two sides refusing to give way in discussions over a parliamentary investigation. On Monday, ruling People Power Party Floor Leader Rep. Joo Ho-young and Democratic Party of Korea Floor Leader Rep. Park Hong-keun met with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo to discuss the issue, but parted ways after only confirming their differences. Park urged the ruling party to participate in the parliamentary i

Nov. 14, 2022

Yoon, Japan's Kishida to hold summit in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- President Yoon Suk-yeol will hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of regional gatherings in Cambodia on Sunday, his office said. A presidential official told reporters the summit was fixed Saturday, as both leaders are in Phnom Penh to attend various summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The two sides agreed on the need for a summit given the importance of security cooperation in the wake of North

Nov. 12, 2022

Yoon voices hope for swift reactivation of S. Korea-China-Japan cooperation

PHNOM PENH -- President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday voiced hope for a swift reactivation of trilateral cooperation mechanisms among South Korea, China and Japan.   Yoon made the remark during a summit involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and South Korea, China and Japan, known as the ASEAN Plus Three, which brought together the leaders of nine ASEAN countries, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.  "South Korea will pla

Nov. 12, 2022

Yoon leaves for Southeast Asia for ASEAN, G-20 summits

President Yoon Suk-yeol left for Cambodia on Friday on the first leg of a two-nation tour that will include his attendance at various summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Group of 20. In Phnom Penh, Yoon is scheduled to attend a South Korea-ASEAN summit, an ASEAN Plus Three summit and the East Asia Summit during a three-day stay, with other bilateral and multilateral meetings expected to take place on the sidelines. Yoon told reporters earlier he will hold a trila

Nov. 11, 2022

S. Korea, Saudi Arabia discuss investment expansion during ministerial talks

South Korea and Saudi Arabia agreed Thursday to deepen economic ties and boost business cooperation in various areas, including smart city, hydrogen and bio industries, Seoul's industry ministry said. Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang and Saudi Arabia's Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih reached the consensus during their talks in Seoul, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. During the talks, Lee proposed enhanced bilateral cooperation, as large-scale investment has

Nov. 10, 2022

New head of UN human rights office in Seoul urges N. Korea to improve rights situation

The new head of the U.N. human rights agency's office in South Korea on Thursday called on North Korea to use resources for improving its dire human rights situations instead of focusing on provocative acts, like missile launches. James Heenan, representative of the U.N. Human Rights Office in Seoul, made the remarks during his introductory meeting with reporters here amid heightened tensions on the peninsula caused by a string of North Korea's missile provocations. The Office of the U

Nov. 10, 2022

[Photo News] Up and away

The second prototype of South Korea’s first homegrown KF-21 fighter completes its inaugural test flight on Thursday morning at the base of South Korea’s Air Force 3rd Training Wing in the city of Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. The first prototype of the KF-21 Boramae fighter conducted its first test flight in July. South Korea’s Air Force and Korea Aerospace Industries aim to conduct around 2,200 test flights until 2026 with six KF-21 fighter prototypes. (Defense Acquisi

Nov. 10, 2022