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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Ruling party chief faces battle to shore up support
Rep. Lee Nak-yon, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, has faced myriad challenges to consolidate his foothold in the liberal party and prove his mettle as a presidential candidate. His return to the partisan politics had been smooth sailing after serving as prime minister under the liberal Moon Jae-in government, winning a seat in the Jongno district in central Seoul -- a symbolic constituency in Korean politics -- and becoming leader of the ruling party. But his first month
Sept. 28, 2020
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Prosecutors drop charges against justice minister in special favors probe
Prosecutors on Monday dropped charges against Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and her son, who have been suspected of gaining special favors during the latter's military service in 2017. The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors Office said it withdrew the charges against Choo, her 27-year-old son surnamed Seo, a former aide to Choo and a former military officer assigned to Seo's base at the time. Choo has come under fire over allegations that she used her influence as the then chairwoman of the ruli
Sept. 28, 2020
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Moon apologizes after N. Korea kills Seoul official
President Moon Jae-in on Monday offered an apology to the people of South Korea in response to the shock and fury caused by the killing of a South Korean government official last week by North Korea, his office said Monday. He also expressed his condolences to the family of the civil servant who was shot dead on Sept. 22 by the North’s troops after drifting into the country’s waters. “The shock and rage the public felt can easily be expected. The government, which should d
Sept. 28, 2020
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Moon names new Cheong Wa Dae secretary for personnel affairs
President Moon Jae-in has picked his new secretary for personnel affairs, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday, amid media reports that he is expected to carry out another Cabinet reshuffle within this year. Yoon Ji-hoon, deputy secretary for personnel affairs, has been promoted to the position, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. Yoon earlier worked at Cheong Wa Dae's state affairs monitoring office. Many predict that the president will change some of his Cabinet members before the end
Sept. 28, 2020
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Cheong Wa Dae calls for joint probe with N. Korea on shooting incident, restoration of military communication line
Cheong Wa Dae called Sunday on North Korea to conduct a joint investigation with South Korea into the recent killing of a South Korean fisheries official and to reopen the bilateral military communication line for related work. Cheong Wa Dae made the statement shortly after President Moon Jae-in had an emergency security-related ministers' meeting on the incident. Briefing media on the results of the 90-minute session, Suh Choo-suk, deputy director of the national security office, said the gov
Sept. 27, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Opposition party slams Cheong Wa Dae’s response to NK’s killing of civilian
Opposition lawmakers are stepping up attacks on President Moon Jae-in over the killing of a South Korean civil servant by North Korea, framing the incident as a case of mishandling or even neglect of duty by the top office. Five members of the People Power Party took turns holding one-person protests outside Cheong Wa Dae, each staging an hourlong rally with a sign that read “President Moon Jae-in, where are you now,” denouncing the president and the government for a “dela
Sept. 27, 2020
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PM Chung renews warnings against illicit Oct. 3 rallies amid virus fight
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun renewed warnings Sunday against illegal anti-government rallies planned by some conservative groups, amid worries that the mass gatherings could undercut the nation's fight against the new coronavirus. During a session of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, Chung vowed to take a zero-tolerance policy against any unsanctioned demonstrations on the Oct. 3 National Foundation Day, warning illegal participants will face immediate arrests. Rega
Sept. 27, 2020
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Parliamentary speaker embarks on trip to Sweden, Germany
National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug has embarked on a trip to Sweden and Germany as part of his parliamentary diplomacy aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation, officials said Sunday. From Sunday through Tuesday, Park plans to visit Sweden, becoming the first South Korean parliamentary chief to visit the country since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1959. In Stockholm on Monday, Park plans to pay a courtesy call on King Carl XVI Gustaf and meet Foreign Trade M
Sept. 27, 2020
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Ruling party's leader urges N. Korea to swiftly agree to joint probe into killing
The leader of the ruling Democratic Party on Sunday urged North Korea to swiftly agree to a joint investigation with South Korea into the shooting death of a South Korean fisheries official in North Korean waters. Rep. Lee Nak-yon made the remark in a Facebook posting, saying the North's account of what happened is different from South Korea's findings, including whether the body of the 47-year-old official was set on fire or not. South Korea said the North shot and killed the fisheries offic
Sept. 27, 2020
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Deputy security adviser recently visited US for talks on alliance, N. Korea: Cheong Wa Dae
South Korea's deputy national security adviser made an unannounced visit to Washington earlier this month for talks with US officials and experts on the bilateral alliance, North Korea and other issues, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday. Kim Hyung-chong visited the US capital from Sept. 16 to last Sunday, before President Moon Jae-in's Sept. 22 speech for the UN General Assembly that renewed his call for the declaration of a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War and proposed a r
Sept. 27, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Moon briefed 4 times on killed civil servant, UN message too late to be changed: Cheong Wa Dae
President Moon Jae-in was briefed on four occasions between Tuesday and Thursday on developments concerning the South Korean civil servant killed by the North Korean military, Cheong Wa Dae said. According to the presidential office, Moon was first briefed on the matter at 6:36 p.m. on Tuesday in the form of a written report. The report was made about three hours after the South’s military obtained intelligence that the civil servant was spotted by the North Korean military. At 10:30
Sept. 25, 2020
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Moon vows firm response to threats to S. Koreans' lives, safety
President Moon Jae-in assured the South Korean people Friday that his government will deal resolutely with any act that threatens their lives and safety. He was addressing the 72nd Armed Forces Day ceremony held at the headquarters of the Special Warfare Command in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, following reports that North Korea fatally shot a South Korean government official and burned his body earlier this week. Moon stressed that South Korea will further beef up its security and defense postur
Sept. 25, 2020
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Founder of Eastar quits ruling party amid probe into airline's mass layoffs
Rep. Lee Sang-jik of the ruling Democratic Party, the founder of the embattled low-cost airline Eastar Jet, said he will leave the party Thursday amid a probe into unpaid wages and mass layoffs at the airline. "I will cease to cause trouble for the party and leave it for a while," the two-term lawmaker said in a press conference at the National Assembly. He also apologized to Eastar employees and the public for causing concern. "I will do everything to revive Eastar Jet
Sept. 24, 2020
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Ill-fated fisheries official said to have financial problems
The low-ranking South Korean fisheries official who was shot and burned by North Korea earlier this week after going missing in the Yellow Sea had financial problems, his colleagues said Thursday. The 47-year-old official, who belongs to the West Sea Fisheries Management Service, an organ under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, once considered filing for bankruptcy because of debt, they said. The official, whose identity was withheld, divorced four months ago and had reportedly borrowed m
Sept. 24, 2020
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In call with Suga, Moon urges Japan to resolve forced labor issue
South Korean President Moon Jae-in had phone talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday, during which he proposed that the two countries seek an "optimum" resolution to the wartime forced labor issue at the center of soured bilateral relations. Moon noted there are different positions between the two sides on the issue of South Korean victims of Japan's World War II forced labor but expressed hope that Seoul and Tokyo will explore an "optimum" solution th
Sept. 24, 2020
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PM says govt. won't permit any forms of mass rallies on national holiday
The government will not permit any modified forms of mass rallies in central Seoul on a national holiday early next month, the prime minister said Thursday as the country is bracing for a potential flare-up of COVID-19 cases ahead of the extended traditional holiday. The remark is seen as directed at "drive-thru" rallies proposed by some main opposition party members as an alternative to the prohibited mass outdoor rallies at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul on the Oct. 3 National Founda
Sept. 24, 2020
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Opposition members propose 'drive-through' rallies on Oct. 3
Several members of the main opposition party have proposed "drive-through" rallies as an alternative to the mass anti-government protests planned for next month, drawing harsh criticism from the ruling party. The government has banned rallies of 10 or more people on the Oct. 3 National Foundation Day due to fears of another resurgence of the infectious coronavirus. Proponents of the idea say a drive-through will pose no risk to anti-COVID-19 efforts, while opponents blasted it as &q
Sept. 23, 2020
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Parties agree on 4th supplementary budget
Rival parties on Tuesday agreed to process the fourth supplementary budget bill. The bill was set to be put to the parliamentary Special Committee on Budget and Accounts later in the day. The 7.8 trillion won ($6.7 billion) supplementary budget bill was put to the National Assembly on Sept. 11. The agreement was made at a meeting between the floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition People Power Party, where a number of changes were made to the bill proposed by th
Sept. 22, 2020
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Government to forge ahead with reform of 'power organizations'
President Moon Jae-in on Monday called on the government to step up efforts to complete the reform of the prosecutors’ office, police and state intelligence agency, saying that remaining tasks will require more effort despite the progress made so far. “Our government‘s reform of the power institutions is making irreversible progress,” Moon said at the meeting with government and ruling Democratic Party officials including Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, Interior and Safety
Sept. 21, 2020
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NIS chief says spy agency will never get involved in domestic politics
The head of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Monday that he will push to legislate a ban on the spy agency's involvement in domestic politics. NIS Director Park Jie-won made the remark during a press briefing on the government's plans to reform the NIS, prosecution and police. "(We) will make it clear legally that the NIS will never get involved in domestic politics under any circumstances," Park told reporters. He was appointed as head of the spy agency in Jul
Sept. 21, 2020