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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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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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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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country
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N. Korea slams Seoul-Washington joint air exercise
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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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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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Justice minister denies any plans to resign, stresses prosecutorial reform
Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae on Thursday continued to emphasize the importance of prosecutorial reform as public opinion leans against her in her battle with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. On Thursday Choo wrote a lengthy message on her Facebook account, accusing public prosecutors of wielding unchecked power and resisting reform to serve their own interests. “The prosecutors’ office failed to differentiate between prosecutorial independence and abusing prosecutorial power
Dec. 3, 2020
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Local govt. to retain controversial statues of former presidents
A provincial government in central South Korea said Thursday it has decided to retain the statues of former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo at a local park, dismissing a civic group's request for their removal. The government of North Chungcheong Province announced the decision to keep intact the controversial statues of Chun and Roh installed at the Cheongnamdae Presidential Villa, a lakeside park formerly used by presidents as their summer retreat, in the province's capital of Cheong
Dec. 3, 2020
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Moon says 'procedural justification' is important over prosecution chief's fate
President Moon Jae-in has emphasized the importance of "procedural justification and fairness" in deciding whether to discipline South Korea's top prosecutor over his alleged wrongdoings, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. With regard to the operation of a related disciplinary committee against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, Moon said, "Procedural justification and fairness are very important," according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. The president pointed out the
Dec. 3, 2020
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Moon's approval rating hits all-time low of 37.4%: Realmeter
President Moon Jae-in's job approval rating has fallen to a record low of 37.4 percent, a poll showed Thursday, with a rift between the justice minister and the top prosecutor deepening and housing prices in major areas continuing to rise. Public approval for the ruling Democratic Party (DP) also dropped to 28.9 percent, the lowest since the launch of the Moon administration in May 2017, while that of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) rose to 31.2 percent, according to Realmeter. Th
Dec. 3, 2020
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Prosecution seeks arrest warrants for 3 officials over Wolsong-1 shutdown controversy
DAEJEON -- The prosecution has sought arrest warrants for three government officials suspected of deleting documents related to the controversial closure of the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor. The Daejeon District Prosecutors Office on Wednesday requested that the court grant the warrants against three officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, whose names were withheld, on charges of disturbing the state auditors' examination. They allegedly destroyed 444 materials and files about
Dec. 3, 2020
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National Assembly passes W558tr national budget for 2021
The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a 558 trillion-won ($506 billion) national budget for 2021 that includes nearly 4 trillion won allotted for additional COVID-19 relief funds and coronavirus vaccine purchases. The assembly's plenary session overwhelmingly approved the 2021 budget bill in a 249-26 vote. Twelve lawmakers abstained. It marks the first national budget approved by the National Assembly within the legal deadline since 2014, as fierce partisan wran
Dec. 2, 2020
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Ruling party pushes for legislation of ban on anti-N. Korea leaflet campaign
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea passed a bill that bans anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns, at a parliamentary committee session Wednesday. The bill is now headed for a legal review at the parliament‘s legislation committee before it reaches a final vote. The party’s members of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee voted on the Amendment Bill for the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act initiated by Rep. Song Young-gil, who chairs the committee. Lawmakers of the
Dec. 2, 2020
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Opposition raises heat on president over prosecutor general furor
The fallout from troubles between the justice minister and the prosecutor general is engulfing the political arena and generating speculation about President Moon Jae-in’s next move. On Tuesday, Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl gained higher ground in the battle with Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, with both the courts and a Justice Ministry committee putting out conclusions favorable to Yoon. The Seoul Administrative Court approved an injunction against Yoon’s suspension from du
Dec. 2, 2020
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Govt. strengthens anti-flood design standards for dams, rivers due to climate change
The government on Wednesday announced a set of countermeasures to deal with flooding and other natural disasters anticipated due to global climate change, vowing to drastically strengthen anti-flood design standards for dams and rivers. Under the new measures, local dams and rivers will be designed to withstand the heaviest daily rainfall over a span of 500 years in anticipation of steady increases in precipitation caused by climate change, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
Dec. 2, 2020
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Moon says sorry to college entrance examinees over virus concerns
President Moon Jae-in sent a special "warm" message Wednesday to nearly half a million people in South Korea gearing up for the nationwide college entrance exam this week in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's hard to prepare for the CSAT itself, and it will be even more difficult and worrisome to take the exam in the coronavirus situation," he wrote on his social messaging accounts. "I feel sorry (as the president). I'd like to put warm scarves around your necks.
Dec. 2, 2020
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Moon names lawyer as new vice justice minister
President Moon Jae-in has tapped a judge-turned-lawyer as new vice justice minister, Cheong Wa Dae announced Wednesday, amid a simmering controversy over the ministry's move to punish South Korea's prosecution chief over alleged ethical lapses and other misdeeds. The nomination of Lee Yong-gu, who served as a judge for more than 20 years, came just a day after Vice Justice Minister Koh Kee-young tendered his resignation in apparent protest against Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's push for discipli
Dec. 2, 2020
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PM says No. of quarantined people tops 70,000 amid rapid virus spread
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Wednesday that the number of those quarantined at home in South Korea due to COVID-19 has soared to an all-time high level of over 70,000 and asked the public to cooperate with the government's antivirus measures. "Transmissions are continuing in all places, with the number of quarantined people soaring above 70,000 to reach an all-time high level since two days ago," Chung said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headq
Dec. 2, 2020
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Moon says S. Korea to work with int'l community in anti-corruption campaign
President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed South Korea's commitment Tuesday to cooperating with the international community in the fight against corruption, speaking during a virtual session of a major global conference on the issue. "South Korea supports all the global cooperation to combat corruption, including the work of the Transparency International, and will work with the rest of the world towards sustainable development of humanity," he said. The president was delivering an address at
Dec. 1, 2020
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Prosecutor general returns to work
Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl returned to work Tuesday afternoon, almost immediately after the Seoul Administrative Court approved his suit asking for an injunction against the Ministry of Justice’s decision to suspend him from work. On Tuesday, the Seoul Administrative Court accepted Yoon’s suit, hours after the Justice Ministry’s inspection committee concluded that it was unjust to suspend Yoon from duty and call for him to be penalized. Returning to work, Yoon thank
Dec. 1, 2020
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National Assembly passes bill on allowing recognized pop stars to defer enlistment
The National Assembly passed a bill Tuesday that would allow globally recognized male pop culture artists to postpone their mandatory military duties. The assembly's plenary session gave the nod to the bill on revising the Military Service Act to grant an exceptional right to defer national defense duties to acclaimed pop artists, such as K-pop megastars BTS, who helped elevate the country's global reputation. The revision was proposed in September after BTS became the first-ever South Korean
Dec. 1, 2020
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Parties agree on W558tr budget for 2021, plan to pass it this week
Rival parties on Tuesday agreed on a 558 trillion-won ($504 billion) state budget bill for next year that includes nearly 4 trillion won earmarked for additional COVID-19 relief funds and coronavirus vaccine purchases. The agreement was made during a meeting of floor leaders and two other senior lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition People Power Party held earlier in the day. The agreed amount represents an increase of 2 trillion won from what the government initia
Dec. 1, 2020
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Court not to decide Monday on top prosecutor's suspension
A Seoul court said that it will not make a decision on Monday on a crucial injunction case that could affect the fate of South Korea's top prosecutor amid an escalating standoff with the justice minister. Last week, Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae suspended Prosecutor General Yoon Seoul-youl from duty as she sought a disciplinary measure against him over six counts of alleged misdeeds, including collecting personal information of justices in charge of cases related to a former justice minister and
Nov. 30, 2020
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Ex-president Chun found guilty of defaming 1980 massacre witness
A court on Monday found former President Chun Doo-hwan guilty of defaming a late activist who testified to having witnessed Chun's troops shooting from helicopters on pro-democracy demonstrators in Gwangju. The Gwangju District Court endorsed the claims of late priest Cho Pius that there were shootings at civilians from helicopters during the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. With the conviction, the court sentenced Chun to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. The former president was also
Nov. 30, 2020
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Justice minister, top prosecutor continue battle in court
A hearing on Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl’s suit to suspend Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae’s order removing him from duty was held Monday, kicking off the legal and procedural battle between the two. The court’s decision was expected late Thursday or early Friday. On Nov. 24, Choo announced her decision to remove Yoon from duty, citing the results of a Justice Ministry audit. According to the ministry, the audit found a number of irregularities in Yoon’s conduct s
Nov. 30, 2020
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Moon urges civil servants to follow his reform drive despite troubles
President Moon Jae-in issued an unusual message Monday in public for South Korea's civil servants, saying they need to break away from what is obsolete and put the interests of the whole community above those of their own organizations or groups. The president reaffirmed his administration's "firm determination" to reform "power institutions" as one of his key policy agenda items, which also include the Korean-version New Deal, a carbon neutrality campaign and regulatory ref
Nov. 30, 2020