Supreme Court dismisses ex-President Lee's appeal against sell-off of his house

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal filed by former President Lee Myung-bak to reverse the prosecution's sell-off of his house aimed at collecting fines he was ordered to pay in a corruption case, sources said Tuesday. Prosecutors had Lee's house in Seoul's Gangnam district auctioned off last year to collect fine money after the Supreme Court finalized a 17-year prison term for Lee for corruption in 2020 along with a fine of 13 billion won ($9.6 million) and a forfeiture of 5

Aug. 23, 2022

Yoon's approval rating inches up for 2nd week

  President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating rose for the second straight week, a poll showed Monday, in a positive sign that his rating may be recovering from unusual lows following his pledge to listen to the people in a press conference marking his first 100 days in office. In the poll of 2,011 voters conducted by Realmeter from Tuesday to Friday, 32.2 percent gave a positive assessment of his job, up 1.8 percentage points from the previous week. It marked the second straight week in whic

Aug. 22, 2022

PPP to start disciplinary talks on lawmaker grilled for insensitive remarks after deadly flood

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) was set to convene its ethics panel later Monday to discuss disciplinary action against a party lawmaker who came under fire for making remarks wishing for more rain during voluntary cleanup work in the wake of massive downpours. Rep. Kim Sung-won drew strong criticism in early August after he was caught on TV cameras saying he wished more rain would fall for better public relations effects of their voluntary work, even though the downpours, believed to be the

Aug. 22, 2022

Ex-presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung wins latest voting in DP leadership race

Former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung won the latest rounds of voting in an ongoing race for the Democratic Party leadership on Sunday, inching closer to the helm of the main opposition party. Lee won some 79 percent of the votes by dues-paying DP members in South Jeolla Province and the metropolitan city of Gwangju in the region. Lee handily beat Park Yong-jin, who earned just over 20 percent of the votes in South Jeolla and Gwangju on Sunday. Lee earlier topped DP votes in North Jeoll

Aug. 21, 2022

Rallies to be banned around ex-President Moon's home

Rallies around the home of former President Moon Jae-in will be banned starting Monday as the Presidential Security Service expanded the guard zone for the former president amid persistent noisy and menacing protests. The decision to ban rallies within 300 meters from Moon's home in Yangsan, about 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, came after President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered the secret service to consider strengthening security for his predecessor following a suggestion from National Assembl

Aug. 21, 2022

Yoon shakes up staff amid crumbling popularity

After a tumultuous first 100 days, President Yoon Suk-yeol’s office announced a set of new hires on Sunday in a first major shake-up of his staff. Most notably, Yoon’s office is bringing back the chief of staff for policy, among the first senior roles eliminated when Yoon was inaugurated in May. Kim Dae-ki, Yoon’s chief of staff, explained at a press briefing that the role was being reinstated for “better coordination” between the presidential office and the Cabi

Aug. 21, 2022

Ex-minister ordered officials to promote unpopular school entry age change plan on mom forums

Former Education Minister Park Soon-ae had ordered ministry officials to leave positive comments on mom forums when her proposal to lower the school entry age drew massive criticism, multiple sources said Sunday. Park, who resigned earlier this month after her proposal to lower the school entry age by one year to 5 infuriated parents, stressed the need to ramp up public relations on the controversial plan after convening a meeting of senior ministry officials, the sources said. She asked partici

Aug. 21, 2022

Presidential Archives searched in probe of NK fishermen repatriation case

Prosecutors investigating the case of the repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in November 2019 raided the Presidential Archives on Friday. The prosecution is investigating allegations that the Moon Jae-in government ordered the early termination of an investigation into two North Korean fishermen and forcibly returned them to North Korea despite their intention to defect. At the time, the government said the two had murdered 16 people and attempted to enter the South to avoid prosecuti

Aug. 19, 2022

Police Bureau chief faces allegation of spying colleagues

The Ministry of Security and Public Administration’s newly launched police bureau is facing further controversy, as allegations mount that its first chief, Kim Sun-ho, began his career by informing on his former labor activist colleagues. Kim attended a plenary session of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee on Thursday and denied allegations of having been a spy, claiming the reason he had quit working for a labor activist group in his 20s was becaus

Aug. 19, 2022

Busan mayor acquitted of election law violations

A district court on Friday delivered a not-guilty verdict to Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon indicted on charges of making a false statement in the run-up to last year's by-election, citing the lack of evidence. Park was indicted for denying news reports that he was involved in the National Intelligence Service (NIS)'s surveillance of environmentalists campaigning against a major river restoration project in 2009, when he was the public relations chief for then President Lee Myung-bak. How

Aug. 19, 2022

Prosecutors raid Presidential Archives over early closure decision for Wolsong 1 reactor

DAEJEON -- Prosecutors on Friday raided the Presidential Archives as part of their investigations into possible illegalities in the controversial decision by the preceding Moon Jae-in government to close an aging nuclear reactor earlier than its legal expiration date. The Daejeon District Prosecutors Office sent prosecutors and investigators to the Presidential Archives in the central administrative city of Sejong to search for documents related to the early closure decision for the Wolsong 1 re

Aug. 19, 2022

Presidential office expresses regret over N. Korea's 'rude' remarks on Yoon

The presidential office expressed regret Friday over the "rude" remarks of the North Korean leader's sister on President Yoon Suk-yeol's offer of economic aid in exchange for denuclearization steps. Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a scathing commentary earlier in the day, calling Yoon's initiative "the height of absurdity" and lambasting the president by name. "We consider it very regrettable that North Korea continues to

Aug. 19, 2022

Ruling party urges gov't to negotiate with US on EV tax credit

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Friday called on the government to launch negotiations with the United States to get South Korean-made electric vehicles eligible for tax benefits under the newly legislated Inflation Reduction Act. Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, PPP's floor leader, said that Korea-made electric cars should enjoy equal tax benefits as those produced in North America in accordance with the free trade agreement between Seoul and Washington. The $430 billion bill, signed into law

Aug. 19, 2022

Yoon taps key associate for top prosecutor post

Lee Won-seok, deputy chief prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, was nominated on Thursday for the post of prosecutor general, ending a monthslong leadership vacuum. The nomination, which is a de-facto appointment, makes Lee the first prosecutor general of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Lee had been linked to the top post for some time, as he has been leading the organization for three months as acting prosecutor general. In announcing Lee’s nomination, the presidentia

Aug. 18, 2022

Presidential office set for shake-up

The presidential office on Thursday announced plans to add a senior secretary position to the secretariat in a move apparently aimed at strengthening the office‘s policy coordination capabilities. 　 “As there has been problems of communication with civil affairs and policy agendas, there needs to be a post that helps the presidential office, Cabinet and people to communicate with each other,” President Yoon Suk-yeol’s Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki said during a press brief

Aug. 18, 2022

Ruling party's interim leader apologizes for turmoil over leadership transition

The interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) apologized Thursday for turmoil from the party's leadership transition, vowing to win back people's support through "reform" and "unity." "The party sincerely apologizes to the people and our supporters and is reflecting on itself for failing to resolve the internal conflict and division and allowing the situation to evolve into a legal fight," Rep. Joo Ho-young told the first meeting of the PPP

Aug. 18, 2022

Yoon says he will closely listen to people's voices

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Thursday his press conference held the previous day to mark his first 100 days in office was intended to show that he will closely listen to the people's voices. "The purpose of yesterday's press conference was that I will closely look into and honor the people's words," he said as he arrived at the presidential office. The press conference was held as Yoon's image has been badly in need of a makeover following weeks of falling approval

Aug. 18, 2022

Lee Jun-seok drama roils ruling party

Lee Jun-seok, the disgraced former leader of the ruling People Power Party, has launched a string of attacks on President Yoon Suk-yeol and his “pro-Yoon” rivals. Lee was unceremoniously dismissed as the party leader on Tuesday, as an interim leadership was sworn in. Lee, who was already suspended from the party by an intraparty ethics committee over a month ago, has made sure not to stay silent. Speaking to reporters outside Seoul’s eastern district court Wednesday, Lee sa

Aug. 17, 2022

Yoon says dialogue with NK needed, but should not be political show

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Wednesday that the South Korean government does not back the use of force in bringing about changes in North Korea, but that guaranteeing regime security is not an element of his “audacious initiative.” Yoon also said that he sees dialogue with the North as “necessary,” but it should not be political showmanship. “Guaranteeing regime security is not something the South Korean government can do,” Yoon said in a press conference

Aug. 17, 2022

Coast Guard searched in probe surrounding civil servant’s death

Prosecutors on Wednesday searched the Korea Coast Guard in the expanding probe into allegations surrounding the 2020 killing of a South Korean civil servant by North Korean soldiers. 　 Officials from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors‘ Office searched the Coast Guard building in Incheon, and secured related documents from the Coast Guard’s security department, which first investigated the case. Electronic documents and messenger data from other departments has been also secured.

Aug. 17, 2022