Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
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Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying
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[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country
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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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N. Korea slams Seoul-Washington joint air exercise
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[Herald Interview] K-pop’s 'best years are ahead of us': Spotify’s general manager for Asia Pacific
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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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[Newsmaker] Moon in hot water over adoption comments
Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday was busy correcting President Moon Jae-in’s recent comments about adoption as civic groups and opposition lawmakers called for an official apology. On Monday, the president was hosting a New Year’s press conference when a reporter asked him what the government was doing to prevent child abuse, in light of the recent death of a 16-month-old toddler who allegedly suffered months of abuse at the hands of her adoptive parents. After unveiling a new set of gui
Jan. 19, 2021
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Moon to join WEF's virtual meeting next week
President Moon Jae-in will attend an online meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) next week and deliver a keynote speech on responding to the global health care and economic crisis, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. The WEF, an international body for public-private cooperation, has invited Moon to its Davos Agenda event to be held from Jan. 25-29, along with the leaders of more than 10 other countries. They include Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Geneva-base
Jan. 19, 2021
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PM urges public to maintain vigilance amid drop in virus infections
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Tuesday called for the public to adhere to strict social distancing rules despite a downward trend in the number of new daily coronavirus cases nationwide. "We seem to have recovered a small level of normalcy of our daily lives, but COVID-19 still continues to threaten us from unseeable places," Chung said during an interagency meeting on the COVID-19 response held at the government complex in Seoul. The current third wave of COVID-19 here reached its
Jan. 19, 2021
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Moon hopes Biden will turn tide of talks with NK
President Moon Jae-in on Monday expressed high expectations in working with the upcoming Joe Biden administration, saying the launch of the new US government will become a “turning point” in resuming the stalled US-North Korea and inter-Korean talks. “I think the launch of the Biden administration is a turning point for beginning US-North Korea, inter-Korean talks anew. The talks should inherit and develop from the achievements from the Trump administration,” Moon sai
Jan. 18, 2021
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Discussions on corporate profit sharing heat up amid pandemic-driven economic polarization
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) has set out to find ways to get lucrative companies to share some of their profits with small businesses vulnerable to losses amid the coronavirus pandemic, but it is facing vehement objection from the business community and opposition lawmakers. Last week, a DP task force addressing the growing economic bipolarization from the pandemic began discussions on how to promote profit sharing between the supposed corporate winners and losers amid an economy weighed do
Jan. 18, 2021
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Race for Seoul mayor heats up as political heavyweights announce bids
The race for the upcoming Seoul mayoral by-election is all but set, with the ruling and opposition parties likely to finalize their candidates by the end of this week. The competition has heated up with the addition of each new runner, the latest being former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who declared his candidacy on the ticket of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Sunday. All eyes are now on the decision of Park Young-sun, minister of SMEs and Startups, who is widely expected to throw
Jan. 18, 2021
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Moon rules out immediate pardons for ex-presidents, divides parties
President Moon Jae-in on Monday ruled out pardoning two former presidents in the near future, but left open the possibility of pardons down the line when backed by public consensus. Moon said Monday during a New Year’s press conference that he is not considering pardoning the previous two presidents, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, both of whom are serving prison sentences for corruption. “Two former presidents being incarcerated is a lamentable situation for the country, and as t
Jan. 18, 2021
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Moon says S. Korea will seek dialogue with Japan over solution to wartime sexual slavery
President Moon Jae-in said Monday that South Korea will seek dialogue with Japan to find a solution to Tokyo's wartime sexual slavery amid renewed tensions following a recent court ruling on the thorny issue. During his New Year's press conference, Moon also renewed his call for a diplomatic solution to the issue of Japan's colonial-era forced labor, while stressing his two-track approach separating historical issues from efforts to forge "future-oriented" bilateral ties. His remarks
Jan. 18, 2021
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Moon hopes stalled NK nuke diplomacy will pick up from Singapore Declaration
President Moon Jae-in on Monday expressed hope for the stalled diplomacy on North Korea's denuclearization to move forward from the agreement reached in the Singapore summit between Washington and Pyongyang. "The Singapore Declaration achieved under the Trump administration was a very important declaration in terms of denuclearization and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula," Moon said during a New Year's press conference held at Cheong Wa Dae, referring to the agreement produc
Jan. 18, 2021
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Without consensus, ‘pardons cannot be a tool for national unity’
This is an excerpt from President Moon Jae-in’s New Year press conference. -- Ed. Q. What is your position on pardons for former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye? A. I have pondered long on the issue of the pardon as it was considered the most important question today, but I have decided to tell you my thoughts frankly. Two former presidents being incarcerated is a lamentable situation for the country, and as there are reports of the two being in ill-health, I am concerned f
Jan. 18, 2021
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Moon believes S. Korea will achieve faster herd immunity formation than other nations
President Moon Jae-in forecast Monday that South Korea will be able to achieve the formation of collective herd immunity against the new coronavirus faster than other countries under the government's inoculation program. "South Korea will definitely not lag behind (in achieving herd immunity), but rather will be able to achieve it much faster compared to other nations when considering the inoculation period and the time frame in achieving herd immunity," Moon said during a New Year's
Jan. 18, 2021
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Public firms to hire over 26,000 new employees this year: finance minister
South Korea's public institutions plan to hire more than 26,000 new employees this year in a bid to prop up the job market hit hard by the new coronavirus outbreak, the finance minister said Monday. The plan will represent an increase of around 1,000 people from the previous year, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said at an opening speech for a job fair on public institutions. "Job creation in the public sector has become more important than ever to tackle the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Jan. 18, 2021
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Now not yet time to discuss pardons of two ex-presidents: Moon
President Moon Jae-in made clear Monday that it is premature to talk about granting special pardons to two convicted former presidents -- Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. "I think now is not the (right) time to talk about pardons (for them)," he said, breaking his silence on the politically sensitive issue. He was speaking during his unprecedented online New Year's press conference. "The imprisonment of the two former presidents is a very unfortunate incident nationally,"
Jan. 18, 2021
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1st homegrown coronavirus medicine expected to be used from early Feb.:PM
South Korea's first homegrown coronavirus treatment candidate from Celltrion Inc. is expected to be used to treat patients starting early February, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Monday. "We expect the drug to be used from early next month in antivirus activities in the field if the review process goes smoothly," Chung said during an interagency meeting on the COVID-19 response held at the government complex in Seoul. The prime minister said health authorities convened a panel of
Jan. 18, 2021
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Korea officially invited as guest nation to G-7 summit in Britain
LONDON -- South Korea has been officially invited to this year's summit of the Group of Seven (G-7) industrialized nations set to be hosted by Britain in June. The office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Saturday (local time) that the government has invited South Korea, Australia and India as guest nations to the three-day G-7 summit set to be held in Cornwall from June 11-13. The G-7 meeting normally includes the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy,
Jan. 17, 2021
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Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to run in by-election
Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, a member of the main opposition People Power Party, announced on Sunday his candidacy for the Seoul mayoral by-election. With Oh joining the race, the so-called “Big Three” from the opposition bloc -- including Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the minor opposition People’s Party, and Na Kyung-won, former floor leader of the conservative opposition -- are expected to compete for the title of unified candidate, who may be selected next month. The former m
Jan. 17, 2021
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Moon orders KDCA chief to lead COVID-19 vaccination program with 'full authority'
President Moon Jae-in on Friday instructed the chief of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) to lead the country's COVID-19 vaccination program with "full authority." Moon gave the instruction while receiving a briefing from KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong on her plans to administer the vaccinations through a pan-government program, according to presidential spokesman, Kang Min-seok. "The most important thing in vaccination is maintaining a high level of tru
Jan. 15, 2021
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Moon’s New Year’s live press conference goes virtual on Jan. 18
President Moon Jae-in’s New Year’s press conference is going virtual for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Cheong Wa Dae on Friday. The live event will be held Monday at the Chunchugwan press center of Cheong Wa Dae from 10 a.m. for one hour and 40 minutes. A total of 120 journalists will be in attendance for the press conference, with 100 of them joining via video link. Just 20 journalists who were picked by lottery will meet face-to-face with the preside
Jan. 15, 2021
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President Moon calls for 'future-oriented' relations with Japan
President Moon Jae-in on Thursday urged Japan to swiftly work toward "future-oriented" bilateral relations, after a Seoul court ordered Tokyo to compensate South Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japan's Imperial Army during World War II. Moon made the remarks during a meeting with outgoing Japanese ambassador to South Korea, Koji Tomita, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. Moon told the Japanese envoy that South Korea and Japan are the "closes
Jan. 14, 2021
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Ruling party, govt. eye loosening of COVID-19 closure rules for small biz
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the government agreed Thursday to seek ways to partially loosen restrictions imposed on private gyms and other indoor business establishments to control the latest wave of COVID-19. The understanding between the DP and top state health officials was reached during a meeting of the party's COVID-19 response committee, ahead of the government's planned deliberation on Saturday of whether or not to adjust the current social distancing scheme. The current Level
Jan. 14, 2021