Interrogation paused over opposition leader's health

The prosecution's interrogation of Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung as a suspect behind private sector money transfers to North Korea was paused Saturday after eight hours, owing to Lee’s health issues following nearly two weeks of an ongoing hunger strike. "The interrogation began at 10:30 a.m., but we stopped at 6:40 p.m. upon Lee's request, citing his health condition," the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office said in a statement. The main opp

Sept. 10, 2023

Opposition leader questioned over illegal money transfers to N. Korea

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung appeared before prosecutors Saturday for questioning over allegations that he was involved in a company's alleged illegal money transfers to North Korea. Lee, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, showed up at the Suwon District Prosecutors Office in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul, at 10:18 a.m., marking his fifth appearance for prosecution questioning. He was last questioned on Aug. 17 over a separate case. Lee has been under investigation o

Sept. 9, 2023

Yoon approves dismissal motion of commissioner for conflict of interest violation

President Yoon Suk Yeol approved a motion for the dismissal of a left-leaning commissioner of the state media regulation agency Friday for violating conflict-of-interest rules, the presidential office said. Earlier in the day, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced that Choung Min-young, one of the nine commissioners of the Korea Communications Standards Commission recommended by the opposition bloc, had breached the law prohibiting commissioners from engaging in personal acti

Sept. 8, 2023

Defector-lawmaker gets called ‘commie’ by opposition colleague at Assembly

Ruling People Power Party Rep. Tae Yong-ho, who defected from North Korea about six years ago before he was elected to the National Assembly in 2020, was publicly insulted by a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker during Thursday’s plenary session of the National Assembly. Tae, who is the first North Korean defector to be directly elected into the Assembly, was called “scum from North Korea,” “commie” and “traitor” by main opposition Democratic Party Rep.

Sept. 7, 2023

Yoon urges UNSC permanent members to take 'heavy responsibility' on NK

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol highlighted the serious breaches of United Nations Security Council sanctions by North Korea at the East Asia Summit on Thursday, apparently emphasizing the responsibility of permanent members -- including Russia and China -- who approved the sanctions resolution. The East Asia Summit, a forum addressing major security issues in the region, is comprised of 10 Association of Southeast Asian member nations as well as representatives from South Korea, the US, Ja

Sept. 7, 2023

Reporters sued for defamation over ‘fake news’ on Yoon during election

South Korea’s ruling People Power Party on Thursday reported six current and former members of the press to the police for defamation over “fake news” on then-presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol. Among those reported to the police is Kim Man-bae, a longtime reporter known as an ally of Yoon’s onetime presidential rival and the Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung. He is a major stakeholder of an asset management company that invested in an urban developmen

Sept. 7, 2023

Kim Jong-un may make ‘surprise move’ in possible summit with Putin: NIS chief

The chief of the South Korean intelligence agency Kim Kyou-hyun believes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s possible summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin could be carried out in a manner that counters earlier media speculations. Speaking at a closed-door briefing Thursday, the executive secretary for the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, Rep. Yoo Sang-bum, said he was briefed by the National Intelligence Service director that the two leaders “could make a surprise move

Sept. 7, 2023

First lady visits cultural theme park, biotech firm in Indonesia

South Korea's first lady Kim Keon Hee on Wednesday visited a cultural theme park and a biotechnology company dedicated to vaccine development on the sidelines of President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to Indonesia. These were part of the official Spouse Program of the ASEAN Summit hosted by Indonesian first lady Iriana Widodo, and was attended by Kim and her counterparts from Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Japan, according to a presidential spokesperson in a written state

Sept. 7, 2023

Police open probe into lawmaker for attending pro-N.Korea group's event

Police on Thursday began an investigation into independent lawmaker Youn Mee-hyang accused of attending a pro-North Korea group's event in Japan without notifying the government in a possible violation of the National Security Law. According to police officials, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency plans to bring in a Seoul city councilor Friday, who filed a complaint against Youn participating in the controversial event organized by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan in T

Sept. 7, 2023

Ex-reporter under probe for allegedly bribing outlet to run ‘anti-Yoon’ story

A former reporter has become the center of a media bias debate in South Korean politics after accusations emerged that he paid a journalist working for an independent news outlet last year to carry a damaging story against then-presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol. The ex-reporter, Kim Man-bae, is described by political insiders as being close to Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the current leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea who rivaled Yoon in the 2022 presidential election. He is also a key

Sept. 6, 2023

LS Marine Solution sees record growth leveraging LS Cable

LS Marine Solution, a South Korean firm specializing in the installation and maintenance of submarine power and communication cables, reported Wednesday a record increase in sales and profit for the first half of the year. The company credited the increase to the synergy with its affiliate LS Cable & System. This partnership yielded significant contracts, including the Bigeumdo-Anjwa Undersea Cable Project. In the first six months of this year, LS Marine Solution recorded sales of 26.5 billi

Sept. 6, 2023

Yoon urges firm response to NK threats at ASEAN summit

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol urged a decisive international response to North Korean provocations while emphasizing the importance of bolstering economic and security ties with Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states during the ASEAN-South Korea summit on Wednesday. At the summit in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, Yoon underscored the necessity of a unified and firm response from the global community to fully denuclearize North Korea due to the gravity of the North's

Sept. 6, 2023

Yoon meets S. Korean residents in Indonesia

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met Tuesday with a group of Korean residents in Indonesia before attending a series of regional summits, saying the government will provide the assistance they need to do business and put down roots in their new country. Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee met with some 180 Korean businesspeople and community leaders over dinner at a hotel in Jakarta shortly after arriving in the country for a series of summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nation

Sept. 6, 2023

Presidential office calls story targeting Yoon ‘worst fake news’

The Yoon Suk Yeol office said Tuesday a story featuring a former reporter suspected of having close ties to onetime presidential candidate and opposition leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung was “the worst fake news” from last year. Days before the presidential election in March 2022, Kim Man-bae, the reporter in question, suggested that then-People Power Party candidate Yoon was behind a controversial urban development project in which key Lee aides are suspected of illicitly profiting from. K

Sept. 5, 2023

Yoon seeks firmer international alliance at summits

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol embarked on a journey to the ASEAN and G-20 summits on Tuesday, eyeing a fortified international stance against North Korea's nuclear advancements, and fostering deeper economic and security cooperation with ASEAN member states. On Wednesday, Yoon will commence his official engagements at the Korea-ASEAN summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, where leaders are set to evaluate the partnership between the two regions and delineate plans for future collaborations. F

Sept. 5, 2023

PM calls for business cooperation for Oct. 2 temporary holiday

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo called for active cooperation from companies on Tuesday to ensure that employees can enjoy a temporary holiday on Oct. 2 that will create a six-day extended break during Chuseok. Han made the remarks while presiding over a Cabinet meeting, during which the temporary holiday was officially designated. This year's Chuseok fall harvest holiday will run from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, effectively making the temporary holiday a bridge to Oct. 3, National Foundation Day, anot

Sept. 5, 2023

Russian defense chief proposed joint drill with North Korea, China: NIS

South Korean intelligence agency believes Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu proposed a joint military drill with North Korea and China during his visit to Pyongyang about a month ago. It was likely Shoigu who suggested a three-way maritime drill when he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, National Intelligence Service Director Kim Kyou-hyun was quoted by ruling People Power Party Rep. Yoo Sang-bum as telling the National Assembly intelligence committee on Monday. The Russian defense m

Sept. 4, 2023

Lawmaker under fire for attending pro-North Korea event

South Korean Rep. Youn Mee-hyang, formerly with the Democratic Party of Korea, has come under scrutiny for attending an event organized by a North Korea-affiliated group based in Japan last week. Youn was referred to the National Assembly’s ethics committee on Monday for an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding her participation in the pro-North Korea event. According to a document obtained by Rep. Ha Tae-keung’s office, the opposition lawmaker had requested the Assembly secreta

Sept. 4, 2023

Yoon likely to replace his senior defense officials

President Yoon Suk-yeol is likely to replace his senior two defense and security officials, multiple local media outlets reported Monday. According to reports, Deputy National Security Adviser Lim Jong-deuk and Defense Secretary Lim Ki-hoon are poised to be replaced. The former is set to be succeeded by In Seong-hwan, a major general and the former president of the Joint Forces Military University, while the latter will be replaced by Choi Byung-ok from the Defense Ministry's Defense Poli

Sept. 4, 2023

Korea seeks disclosure of public officials' virtual assets

South Korea is seeking to compel high-ranking public officials to disclose their virtual asset holdings and the history of their transactions, along with the conventional properties and assets they are already forced to report, beginning as early as December. Over 2,500 high-ranking officials in the government's class one group, the Supreme Court and the National Assembly -- including President Yoon Suk Yeol, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and lawmakers -- will be obliged to not only disclose their

Sept. 4, 2023