Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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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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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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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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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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Hanwha, HD Hyundai vie for Poland’s $2.7b submarine program
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[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
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Political parties express strong regret over N. Korea's destruction of liaison office
South Korean political parties expressed strong regrets Tuesday after North Korea blew up a liaison office at the Kaesong Industrial Complex. The ruling Democratic Party said in a statement after a emergency meeting of party members that the provocation seriously endangered cross-border relations and could be an obstacle to peace on the Korean Peninsula. Rep. Kang Hoon-sik, the liberal party's chief spokesperson, said the matter is being viewed as a grave development. He said the party is wor
June 16, 2020
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Cheong Wa Dae convenes top security meeting to discuss N. Korea's demolition of liaison office
Cheong Wa Dae convened an emergency meeting of top security officials Tuesday, hours after North Korea demolished the inter-Korean liaison office in its border town of Kaesong. Presided over by Chung Eui-yong, director of the national security office at the presidential office, the National Security Council (NSC) meeting opened at 5:05 p.m., Cheong Wa Dae said. The meeting brought together top security officials, including the foreign, unification and defense ministers, as well as the national
June 16, 2020
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Democratic Party going it alone sparks boycott from opposition
Partisan strife is back to cripple the newly minted National Assembly, following the ruling party’s push to go ahead with the appointment of a party member as the chief of a key parliamentary committee Monday. The main opposition United Future Party boycotted all parliamentary sessions scheduled for Tuesday in protest against the Democratic Party of Korea’s decision to appoint all six standing committee chief positions endorsed at a plenary session a day earlier. Committee me
June 16, 2020
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Ruling partly elects standing committee heads in unilateral voting
The ruling Democratic Party went it alone and elected the chairmen of the National Assembly's six key standing committees without the main opposition party Monday after bipartisan negotiations fizzled out. Convening a full-floor assembly session, the DP and minor parties elected six DP lawmakers to head six out of the total 18 parliamentary standing committees without the participation of the main opposition United Future Party. Since the new term started on May 30, the National Assembly has
June 15, 2020
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Resolutions to inter-Korean relations show stark partisan divide
North Korea resurged as a point of division in the National Assembly on Monday, as ruling and opposition parties pushed starkly different resolutions on the 20th anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit. The ruling Democratic Party on Monday called on the two Koreas to abide by all inter-Korean agreements and reverse the tide of deteriorating relations. Meanwhile, the opposition party criticized Pyongyang’s recent harsh rhetoric and urged the South Korean military to maintain it
June 15, 2020
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Seoul urges Pyongyang to keep reconciliatory deals, staunch posture in place over threats
South Korea held an emergency security meeting on Sunday and pressed North Korea to keep reconciliatory deals as Pyongyang continued to up the ante by threatening to sever inter-Korean relations and even use military action. Seoul's top security officials, led by Chung Eui-yong, director of national security at the presidential office, reviewed the current security situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as Seoul's response to the recent harsh rhetoric by Pyongyang, according to Cheong Wa Da
June 14, 2020
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Opposition calls on govt. to rethink 2018 military pact with North
The main opposition United Future Party urged the government Wednesday to reconsider its 2018 military pact with North Korea after Pyongyang decided to cut off all communication with Seoul. The pact was signed to prevent military confrontations on the Korean Peninsula. In an emergency security meeting at the National Assembly, party Floor Leader Joo Ho-young called on President Moon Jae-in to apologize over his “failed policy toward North Korea” and to conduct “a sweeping
June 10, 2020
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Universal basic income emerges as political hot potato in S. Korea
Universal basic income is emerging as a hot button issue in South Korea’s political arena as the country seeks to curb the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea of handing out cash to boost individual income regardless of wealth or employment status has largely been considered radical, with many on both sides of the aisle dismissing it as an unrealistic, populist policy. But it now appears to be gaining momentum in the political realm amid the COVID-19 crisis as public
June 8, 2020
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Moon’s ratings fall on fading COVID-19 effect
President Moon Jae-in’s approval ratings that had risen to a 10-month high in May, appear to be on a downward trend, as local politics, which was overshadowed by the country’s fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, returned to public attention. Various polls conducted in the first week of June showed that Moon’s ratings have dipped, with some putting the figure at below 60 percent. Gallup Korea poll for the first week of the month put his approval rating at 62 percent, down
June 8, 2020
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Moon pledges to increase transparency of NGOs
President Moon Jae-in on Monday spoke out against attempts to damage the campaign of “comfort women,” survivors of Japanese military sexual slavery, and pledged action to ensure the transparency of nongovernmental organizations. Speaking at a weekly meeting with senior aides, Moon addressed the matter for the first time, saying the scandal had shed light on issues with NGOs but must not be used to damage the integrity of the movement. The campaign for an apology and reparations f
June 8, 2020
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Moon vows stronger national defense, security in Memorial Day address
President Moon Jae-in stressed his government's unswerving push for a peaceful Korea on Saturday, speaking in public hours after Pyongyang's threat of closing an inter-Korean liaison office. "Peace is the right of the people to enjoy naturally and establishing the Korean Peninsula of peace, where there's no war again, is the responsibility of the state given by the people," he said during his Memorial Day speech broadcast live. He added, "In order to protect and establish peace
June 6, 2020
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Moon orders review of plan for disease control system reform
President Moon Jae-in instructed the authorities Friday to reconsider an announced scheme to transfer the control of a state-run research institute to the health ministry from the current top disease control body in the nation. His call came amid controversy over the government's plan to revise the Government Organization Act unveiled by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) the previous day. It revolves around the elevation of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (K
June 5, 2020
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21st National Assembly kicks off with main opposition boycott
The 21st National Assembly kicked off Friday with the plenary session boycotted by the main opposition over friction with the ruling party, despite repeated promises to seek “cooperative politics.” On Friday, the new parliament’s plenary session opened with members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, main opposition United Future Party and other minor parties. The main opposition, however, left the session just 12 minutes after it opened, following the address by the par
June 5, 2020
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Moon buys home for post-retirement
President Moon Jae-in and his wife purchased a property in the countryside where they plan to reside after retirement, a presidential spokesman said Friday. “President Moon plans to live in Pyeongsan Village in Habuk-myeon, Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said. “(They) decided to move their private residence from Maegok-dong in Yangsan to the nearby village due to security reasons.” The Presidential Security Service has prepa
June 5, 2020
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S. Korea to offer $18.5m in humanitarian aid to Yemen
South Korea said Wednesday it will provide $18.5 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen to help combat food shortages and the coronavirus pandemic. The foreign ministry said South Korea announced its plans, in a virtual high-level pledging event organized on Tuesday by Saudi Arabia and the United Nations, to provide assistance to Yemen where more than 24 million people, or some 80 percent of the population, are in need of assistance. The aid will be used to help Yemen fight the new coronavirus
June 3, 2020
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KCDC to be promoted to administrative organization for pandemic response
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) will be promoted to an independent administrative organization, as the government seeks ways to ensure a better state response to a public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. A new KCDC will have independent power over budget and personnel matters, which will, among other things, allow it to carry out research and hire experts, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Wednesday while announcing its plan to seek a revised bil
June 3, 2020
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Lee Nak-yon slips in polls, but maintains big lead over rivals for presidency
Former Prime Minister Rep. Lee Nak-yon slipped in favorability ratings as a potential presidential candidate, but retained the top spot for the 12th consecutive month, a poll showed Tuesday. The lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea saw his support drop to 34.3 percent, down 5.9 percentage points from the previous month, according to pollster RealMeter. Lee lost support most noticeably in Gangwon Province, where 25.7 percent of voters said they favored him, down 11.9 percentag
June 2, 2020
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Government stays committed to reopening: PM
Despite sporadic, small-scale outbreaks jolting the metropolitan area, the South Korean government is committed to reopening, allowing its people to resume normal life, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Tuesday. “We cannot stop taking steps to return to our daily lives because of fear,” Chung said at a Cabinet meeting in the administrative city of Sejong, vowing all-out efforts on early containment of the outbreaks. “We are at another critical moment, with infections at a
June 2, 2020
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Gyeonggi governor suggests 2nd coronavirus relief payouts
Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung officially asked the central government to draw an extra budget to pay all Koreans 200,000 won ($163) as a second disaster relief to help them cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee’s suggestion runs counter to the Finance Ministry’s position against additional disaster relief grants. The provincial government of Gyeonggi said on Tuesday that it made the official proposal last Friday based on Lee’s decision to include the 10.37 trillion won
June 2, 2020
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Moon urges National Assembly to swiftly pass 3rd supplementary budget
President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged the National Assembly to quickly approve the third supplementary budget bill, stressing that South Korea’s government debt is growing at a slower rate than other major economies. Speaking at an emergency economy meeting, Moon said the government will employ all resources at its disposal to offset the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, and to lay the foundations for building “pioneering economy.” Monday’s event was the sixth emergen
June 1, 2020