Most Popular
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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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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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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First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders
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[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
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Opposition heaps criticism on Moon, health minister
The conservative opposition on Thursday slammed the Moon Jae-in administration for gross “incompetence and negligence” in tackling the coronavirus outbreak. “Running away from the responsibility and turning a blind eye to what experts have to say about COVID-19 is evidence the Moon government is just unfit to govern,” said Shim Jae-cheol, floor leader of the United Future Party. Shim urged Health Minister Park Neung-hoo to step down over his remarks that Koreans, not
Feb. 27, 2020
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Moon calls for parliament’s cooperation in real estate measures
President Moon Jae-in on Thursday called on the National Assembly to process proposed revisions to comprehensive real estate and income taxes, saying the changes are necessary to shore up the government’s real estate market stabilization measures. Speaking at the annual joint briefing session by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Moon also urged the ministries to implement policies as planned, saying their operations are closely conc
Feb. 27, 2020
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Bills on disease response pass as parliament reopens after closure due to virus concerns
South Korea's parliament on Wednesday passed a set of bills to beef up government responses to infectious diseases as the country is striving to rein in the fast-spreading new coronavirus. The lawmakers also formed a special committee on the virus crisis as the National Assembly reopened earlier in the day after a two-day closure for disinfection. Its main buildings were shuttered Monday after it was discovered that a person infected with COVID-19 attended a parliamentary forum last week. Thr
Feb. 26, 2020
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Parliament reopens after closure due to coronavirus
South Korea's parliament reopened on Wednesday morning, after it was closed down two days ago due to concerns of coronavirus infection. The National Assembly called off a plenary session and shuttered its main buildings on Monday after it was discovered that a person infected with COVID-19 attended a parliamentary forum last week organized by a lawmaker from the opposition United Future Party (UFP). It was the first time the National Assembly had been shut down for an emergency. Three UFP
Feb. 26, 2020
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Moon to meet with political leaders on COVID-19 response
President Moon Jae-in is expected to hold a meeting with the leaders of South Korea's ruling and opposition parties this week on the COVID-19 epidemic, a Cheong Wa Dae official said Wednesday. Moon plans to discuss the matter with Lee Hae-chan, head of the ruling Democratic Party; Hwang Kyo-ahn, chief of the main opposition Future United Party; and leaders of other major parties on Friday, according to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official stopped short of reveali
Feb. 26, 2020
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Presidential office, ruling party to speed up economic aid for COVID-19
An economic aid package and extra budget will be drawn up as quickly as possible to combat the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, the presidential office, government and ruling Democratic Party of Korea agreed Tuesday. The move comes a day after President Moon Jae-in raised the possibility of the additional funds to manage the economic fallout of the outbreak. Speaking at Monday’s meeting with top aides and infectious disease experts, Moon called on the government to consider all possibl
Feb. 25, 2020
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Full entry ban against Chinese visitors pointless for now: Cheong Wa Dae official
Cheong Wa Dae dismissed a call Tuesday to block the entry of all people coming from China, stressing the need for a "scientific," not emotional, approach. As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has shot up in South Korea, mostly in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby areas, the Moon Jae-in administration has come under growing pressure to take the step, albeit belated in the eyes of critics. Limited travel restrictions are in place against those who have stayed in China's H
Feb. 25, 2020
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Moon calls for focus on battling COVID-19, economic impact
President Moon Jae-in on Monday reiterated the call to focus resources on battling the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as its economic effects. On Monday, Moon held the weekly meeting with senior aides and the heads of major medical associations concerned with infectious diseases and quarantine. At the meeting, Moon said the government is engaging in related measures with “extraordinary determination,” and stressed that further spread of the disease must be prevented. “All ri
Feb. 24, 2020
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National Assembly shuts down on virus alert
The National Assembly and its separate Members' Office Building were placed under quarantine at 6 p.m. Monday, after a person infected with COVID-19 was found to have taken part in an event held at the Office Building the previous week. The plenary session was called off and lawmakers who attended the event, including Floor Leader Shim Jae-cheol of the main opposition United Future Party, took COVID-19 tests. Health authorities disinfected the two buildings and sealed them off for the 24-hour
Feb. 24, 2020
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Ruling party, government mull W10tr to tackle COVID-19
The ruling party and government are considering a supplementary budget of more than 10 trillion won ($8.2 billion) to contain the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. “Due to the emergency situation, we are formulating an extra budget plan in the first quarter, which is rare. … Over 10 trillion won would be a ‘super supplementary budget,’” an official of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea told Yonhap News. During the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2003
Feb. 24, 2020
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Three minor parties merge ahead of April elections
Three minor parties based in the southwestern region merged on Monday to launch a new middle-of-the-road party ahead of the April 15 parliamentary elections. The leaders of the Bareunmirae Party (BP), the Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) and the New Alternative Party (NAP) declared their union, vowing to "end the nation's antagonistic politics stemming from dominance by the two major parties." "The united centrist party takes its first step in the support of the people,"
Feb. 24, 2020
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Ruling party calls for extra budget to fight against COVID-19
The ruling Democratic Party asked the government Sunday to draw up a supplementary budget for use in efforts to contain the novel coronavirus that has been gaining force in South Korea. Rep. Lee In-young, floor leader of the party, also said the National Assembly would hold a plenary session on Monday to discuss "extraordinary" measures including the establishment of a special parliamentary committee on the COVID-19 pandemic. "(We) request that the government draft a supplement
Feb. 23, 2020
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Opposition party leader urges govt. to raise virus alert level
The head of South Korea's main opposition party called on the government Sunday to raise the country's COVID-19 alert level to "serious" and designate Daegu, a city with many confirmed cases, a "special disaster zone." The call by Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the conservative United Front Party, came as the country reported 123 additional cases and the fourth death from the illness. The total number of people infected with the virus was tallied at 556 as of Sunday
Feb. 23, 2020
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[News Focus] Will President Moon change major foreign and economic policies during remaining 2 years?
SEJONG -- The next presidential election will take place in two years, possibly on March 9, 2022. After that, there will be a two-month period in which a president-elect leads a transition committee before President Moon Jae-in’s term expires at midnight May 9. That means Moon has about 24 months to determine what his legacy will be, political commentators say. The Moon administration came to power on the strength of massive candlelight vigils in late 2016, when former President Park Ge
Feb. 23, 2020
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Moon to receive emergency report on virus response
President Moon Jae-in will be briefed Friday on South Korea's response to the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, Cheong Wa Dae said, as the number of confirmed cases in the country more than tripled over the past two days. The virus has begun to spread locally at a rapid pace, putting the quarantine authorities on high alert. Moon plans to receive the "emergency" report at Cheong Wa Dae with Interior and Safety Minister Chin Young and Health and We
Feb. 21, 2020
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Moon, Xi agree to closely cooperate against coronavirus
South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed in his telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday to strengthen cooperation between the neighboring countries in a desperate fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to Cheong Wa Dae. They also agreed to share relevant clinical experiences of their countries, in addition to close partnership between their quarantine authorities, Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-seok said in a press briefing. Xi proposed the
Feb. 20, 2020
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NSC discusses coronavirus response
South Korea's National Security Council convened Thursday and discussed the coronavirus outbreak, as the country reported the first death of an infected person. In its weekly standing committee meeting, top national security officials checked the "seriousness of the situations at home and abroad and the international community's moves and reviewed ways the government will respond going forward," according to Cheong Wa Dae. South Korea announced 53 new confirmed COVID-19 cas
Feb. 20, 2020
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Parliamentary panel passes 3 quarantine-related bills over new coronavirus
A parliamentary committee passed a set of three bills aimed at beefing up the quarantine response to contagious diseases Thursday as South Korea seeks to contain the rapid spread of the new coronavirus. The parliamentary health panel approved the three measures -- proposals to revise the quarantine act, the infectious disease control and prevention act and the medical service act. They will be put forward for review by the legislation committee soon. As early as next week, the bills could be
Feb. 20, 2020
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Conservative merger fails to boost support
Three conservative parties have formed a unified front to challenge the ruling Democratic Party of Korea in the upcoming general elections, but the latest survey shows their merger has not boosted public support. The governing Democratic Party of Korea still takes the lead with 41.1 percent of support, according to a Realmeter poll Thursday, conducted between Monday and Wednesday, after the launch of the United Future Party, The new party garnered support from 32.7 percent of respondents --
Feb. 20, 2020
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Moon's renewed economy drive hit by fast virus spread
President Moon Jae-in's campaign to block the economic effects of the COVID-19 outbreak has suffered a heavy blow from the faster-than-expected spread of the virus in South Korea this week. Having for weeks placed his No. 1 priority on countering the novel coronavirus outbreak, first confirmed here on Jan. 20, Moon has shifted the focus to reviving the momentum for economic recovery. In the early phase of the outbreak, he visited public hospitals and quarantine facilities for South Koreans w
Feb. 20, 2020