Moon apologizes over 'unjust death' caused by 'evil practice' in barracks during Memorial Day speech

President Moon Jae-in offered a public apology Sunday apparently over the recent death of a female Air Force officer, who had been sexually assaulted by a male colleague. "I am very sorry to the people over such an evil practice in the barracks culture that led to the tragic and unjust death," he said during his Memorial Day speech at the Seoul National Cemetery. The president stopped short of elaborating, but it was clear he was referring to the noncommissioned officer. She was sexu

June 6, 2021

Ruling party chief to push to visit US to find way for resumption of Kaesong complex

The head of the ruling Democratic Party said Saturday that he would seek a visit to the United States in the near future to explore a "clue" for the resumption of the now-shuttered inter-Korean industrial complex in North Korea's border city of Kaesong. Song Young-gil made the remarks during a meeting with an association of businesses that used to run operations at the complex closed in February 2016 following the North's nuclear and missile tests. The business owners have called fo

June 5, 2021

Moon visits S. Korea's spy agency for briefing on its reform steps

President Moon Jae-in visited the headquarters of South Korea's state spy agency in southern Seoul and received a briefing on its reform measures Friday. It was Moon's second visit to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) since he took office in May 2017. Reforming the powerful body is one of his major campaign pledges. The NIS was accused of having been a hotbed of deep-rooted evils, including operations to oppress political dissidents. Under a revision to the NIS-related law in late 2020,

June 4, 2021

Moon accepts Air Force chief's resignation over sex assault case

President Moon Jae-in accepted the resignation of South Korea's Air Force chief Friday over a recent sexual assault case that led to the death of a female victim. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Seong-yong offered to step down to take responsibility for his organization's handling of the incident. The victim, a master sergeant, was found dead in an apparent suicide at her official residence in late May, about three months after suffering unwanted physical touching by a male colleague of the

June 4, 2021

Lee Jun-seok’s lead in main opposition leadership race cements

Lee Jun-seok’s lead seems to have become cemented in the main opposition People Power Party’s election for its new leader, with chances becoming greater for the conservative party to undergo a huge generational shift ahead of the presidential race next year. A poll of 1,044 adults conducted this week showed Friday that Lee was the most favored among five candidates for the top party post with 46.7 percent support, far surpassing the other four candidates in the race. Lee’s le

June 4, 2021

[#WeFACE] Carbon neutrality commission to lead S. Korea’s climate action

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of interviews with the lineup of speakers who will discuss solutions to the climate crisis at the H.eco Forum, which is scheduled to be held virtually on June 10 under the theme “We Face the Climate Clock.” -- Ed. South Korea pledged to go carbon-free by 2050 in October last year -- an ambitious goal for the world’s seventh-largest emitter of carbon dioxide. But the question remains: How? To lay out a detailed road map and ensure p

June 3, 2021

Moon presses military over botched sex crime probe

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday ordered an exhaustive probe into allegations surrounding the suicide of an Air Force master sergeant. The order comes amid public outrage, which prompted the military to expand its waylaid investigation of sex crime allegations made by the deceased. “It truly hurts me to look at the victim, how devastated she must have felt. We need a thorough inquiry into every event leading to her death, and after that. We have to see to what should have been done in

June 3, 2021

[Newsmaker] Moon orders strict probe into sexual assault victim's death in military

President Moon Jae-in strongly instructed military investigators Thursday to deal strictly with a recent sexual assault case that led to the death of the victim. Moon was referring to the Air Force noncommissioned female officer who was found dead in late May in an apparent suicide. In March, she allegedly suffered unwanted physical touching by a male colleague with the same rank of master sergeant in a vehicle. She reported the incident to her senior officers the following day, but they are ac

June 3, 2021

Will Moon pardon Samsung chief?

President Moon Jae-in, who has so far excluded businesspeople when exercising his power to pardon criminals, may be mulling an exception for Lee Jae-yong, the imprisoned de facto leader of Samsung Group. According to Cheong Wa Dae sources, a subtle shift in the president’s tone was detected Wednesday at a luncheon meeting at the presidential office with the heads of the nation’s four largest conglomerates -- Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam, Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung

June 2, 2021

Yoon expresses willingness to run for president, lawmaker says

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl has privately expressed his willingness to run in next year's presidential election, an opposition lawmaker said Wednesday. Yoon is one of two leading potential presidential candidates, according to various opinion polls, though he has yet to declare his intent to run. "(Yoon) suggested that he will take the lead in the change of government with all his heart and soul," Rep. Kwon Seong-dong of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) told a r

June 2, 2021

Govt. probe team arrests 20 people, refers 529 others to prosecution over property speculation

The government said Wednesday its special probe team has arrested 20 people and reported over 529 others to the prosecution for further investigation after looking into various allegations of real estate speculation for about three months. Announcing an interim result of the probe, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said the team, involving the police, and tax and financial authorities, has so far investigated 646 cases and some 2,800 individuals. It has also seized profits worth some 90.8 billion w

June 2, 2021

Over half of Koreans agree to lower legal minimum age for presidential candidacy: poll

Over half of South Koreans are in favor of lowering the constitutional minimum age required for someone to run for president, a poll said Wednesday. According to Realmeter's poll of 500 adults nationwide, 50.3 percent consented to the need to revise the Constitution to bring down the minimum age for presidential candidacy currently set at 40. The survey found 44.8 percent of the respondents opposed the revision of the minimum candidacy age, the Seoul-based pollster said. Under the Constitutio

June 2, 2021

DP chief apologizes over scandal involving former justice minister

The chairman of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) apologized Wednesday over an investment and academic fraud scandal involving the family of a former justice minister, blamed as a major reason for the party's recent landslide by-election defeats. The apology by Rep. Song Young-gil came as the DP is struggling to reclaim voters' confidence following its crushing defeats in the Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections in April, blamed largely on the party and its members' "hypocritical" cond

June 2, 2021

PM instructs authorities to prepare for full-fledged in-person schooling in H2

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on Wednesday called for careful preparations toward full-fledged in-person schooling starting in the second half, as the COVID-19 vaccination campaign picks up speed across the nation. "As we concentrated our efforts on vaccinations of senior citizens and high-risk group people in the first half, we must start the recovery of our everyday normal lives in the second half starting with the normalization of schools," Kim said during a daily interagency meeting

June 2, 2021

Potential pardon for Samsung scion discussed in Moon's meeting with biz leaders: Cheong Wa Dae

President Moon Jae-in talked about whether to grant Lee Jae-yong, the de-facto head of Samsung Group, a special pardon, during a meeting with a group of business leaders, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. Moon had a luncheon meeting with the leaders of South Korea's four major conglomerates -- SK, Hyundai, LG and Samsung -- at Cheong Wa Dae earlier in the day. The attendees were SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. Samsung E

June 2, 2021

Moon calls on new prosecutor general to play a role in prosecution reform

President Moon Jae-in called Tuesday for new Prosecutor-General Kim Oh-soo to play a role in his administration's tumultuous drive to reform the state prosecution service. Presenting Kim with a letter of appointment during a Cheong Wa Dae ceremony, Moon said he expects him to "play a great role in transforming the prosecution to become a fair organization that meets the people's expectations," according to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Kim, a veteran prosecutor, served as

June 1, 2021

[Newsmaker] Mayor of Seoul, Gyeonggi governor clash on social media over basic income plans

The mayor of Seoul and the governor of Gyeonggi Province, the heads of the two largest local governments in South Korea, exchanged words over the weekend on the topic of basic income support. While Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung proposes prioritizing the equal distribution of funds to people of all socioeconomic levels, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon wants to give more to those with less income. The two had clashed in the past over the matter, but the conflict flared up again last week when Oh wrote a so

June 1, 2021

Govt. push to ease citizenship rules draws ire

The justice ministry's plan to lower the barrier for children of permanent residents to gain citizenship has triggered protest from people who suspect the move was a ploy to benefit Chinese living here. An early draft of the revision to the Nationality Act allows children of permanent residents with "close ties" to South Korea to easily acquire citizenship. In detail, children up to the age of 6 will be able to immediately gain citizenship without preconditions and those aged 7 and ab

June 1, 2021

DP floor leader raises need for another round of universal stimulus checks

Rep. Yun Ho-jung, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), has said the country needs to come up with another round of universal COVID-19 response stimulus checks in time for the national attainment of herd immunity. "(The government) needs to provide emergency handouts and take measures for grand economic reconciliation as a new strategy to reinvigorate the economy for the post-COVID-19 era," the ruling party floor leader said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency at the N

June 1, 2021

‘Assembly speaker strengthens ties with Russia, Czech Republic’

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug has wrapped up an official visit to Russia and the Czech Republic, conducting extensive diplomacy focusing on peaceful settlement on the Korean Peninsula and nuclear power plant exports, officials said Monday. Park’s nine-day trip that ended Sunday came at the official invitation of Russian House Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and Czech Senator Milos Vystrcil. During the first five days, Park visited Russia to focus on deepening friendship and co

May 31, 2021