First lady text allegations rekindle tensions between Han, Yoon's office

Tensions between former ruling party chief Han Dong-hoon and the presidential office have surfaced again following allegations Han snubbed text messages from first lady Kim Keon Hee early this year, a development that threatens to consume the party's national convention just weeks away. Han, who served as interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) ahead of the April 10 general elections, reportedly ignored five Telegram messages the first lady sent to him in January to offer to r

July 8, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Shareholders protection, offshore wind power support

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act Proposed by Rep. Kang Hoon-sik (Democratic Party of Korea) ● Most acquisitions and mergers of listed companies in Korea are carried out through stock acquisitions, where controlling shareholders privately contract to sell stakes and controlling interest. During these transactions, majority shareholders of the target company sell their stakes at a high price, which includes control premiums. However, gen

July 8, 2024

Ruling party asks Yoon to veto special probe bill on Marine's death

The ruling People Power Party on Monday publicly proposed that President Yoon Suk Yeol veto a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death. PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho made the appeal during an emergency committee meeting, saying that his party cannot accept such an "unconstitutional" bill that was railroaded by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP). "We strongly ask that the president exercise his veto rights on

July 8, 2024

Yoon set to travel to US for NATO summit with focus on Russia-N. Korea ties

President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to embark on a trip to the United States on Monday to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Washington, where he will address concerns over deepening defense cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Yoon will visit Washington from Wednesday and Thursday to meet with NATO leaders for discussions on the ongoing war in Ukraine and enhancing cooperation between the transatlantic security alliance and the Indo-Pacific region. South Korea was invited t

July 8, 2024

Partisan gridlock to intensify over contentious bill

Partisan gridlock is expected to dominate the National Assembly in upcoming weeks, fueled by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s expected veto of a contentious bill that mandates a special counsel investigation into the death of a young Marine last year. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, which railroaded the bill that was passed by the opposition-led Assembly on Thursday, is gearing up to respond to a presidential veto that is likely to be announced by July 19, according to its acting c

July 7, 2024

Govt. borrows record W91.6 tr in temporary loans from BOK in H1

The government borrowed over 91 trillion won ($65.8 billion) from the Bank of Korea in temporary loans in the first half of the year to fill its fiscal shortfall, data showed Sunday. According to the BOK data submitted to Rep. Yang Boo-nam of the main opposition Democratic Party, the total amount of the government's temporary loans from the central bank during the January-June period came to 91.6 trillion won. Compared with the same period in previous years, it marked the largest amount of

July 7, 2024

PM orders containment measures against African swine fever

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Sunday instructed officials to take emergency containment measures as authorities confirmed more cases of African swine fever at a pig farm in a southeastern county. The instruction came after the sixth case of the virus, which is deadly to pigs but not harmful to humans, was confirmed at the farm in Yecheon County, 161 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Han ordered authorities to take relevant measures, including culling, a standstill order and an epidemiological anal

July 7, 2024

[Exclusive] US troops in S. Korea could be reduced, but not withdrawn, Trump allies tell Seoul lawmaker

Rep. Wi Sung-lac, Seoul’s former ambassador to Russia and a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, said Thursday some key Donald Trump allies have told him they think US troops in South Korea could be reduced -- although not completely withdrawn -- if the former president wins in November. The first-time lawmaker, who visited the US from June 23 to 29 as part of the Democratic Party delegation, said he spoke with Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign officials and allies -- including Newt G

July 5, 2024

Yoon to attend NATO summit in Washington, visit Indo-Pacific Command

President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Washington next week and visit the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, the presidential office announced Friday. Principal deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo informed reporters that President Yoon would arrive in Washington on Wednesday to meet leaders of NATO member countries and the NATO leadership. The discussions will focus on the war in Ukraine and the cooperation between the transatlantic secu

July 5, 2024

Top prosecutor condemns DP's impeachment motion as illegal act

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok on Friday denounced the main opposition party's push to impeach four prosecutors, mostly involved in corruption investigations into former party leader Lee Jae-myung, as an illegal act. The Democratic Party submitted the controversial impeachment motion to the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee earlier this week, triggering criticism from many senior prosecutors. The top prosecutor, who has already criticized the motion as unconstitutional

July 5, 2024

Assembly passes special probe bill on Marine’s death

The opposition-led National Assembly on Thursday passed a contentious bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and the military’s response to a young Marine’s death last year. Of the total 190 lawmakers that participated in the vote, 189 voted in favor of the bill while one was against it. All ruling People Power Party, except two, boycotted and left the premises before plenary voting took place. The contentious bill, which calls for the fo

July 4, 2024

Among Seoul’s conservatives, calls for going nuclear grow

More conservative leaders in Seoul are joining the hitherto fringe club of politicians calling for South Korea to get its own nuclear weapons to counter growing North Korean and other security threats facing the country. The recurring debate, which used to take place on the peripheries of South Korean politics, is gaining traction this time in the wake of the high-profile meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In a summit in Pyongyang last month, Putin s

July 4, 2024

Yoon replaces 3 minister-level officials in partial reshuffle

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday carried out his first Cabinet shake-up following the general election in April, replacing three ministerial posts, including the head of the state broadcasting watchdog. Yoon named Lee Jin-sook, a former journalist at public broadcaster MBC and the nation’s first female war correspondent, as the new Korea Communications Commission chairperson, chief of staff Chung Jin-suk said in a press briefing. “Lee is the country’s first female war corres

July 4, 2024

Ex-TV journalist nominated as new broadcasting regulator chief

Lee Jin-sook, former president of Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation’s Daejeon unit, has been nominated as the new chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, the presidential office announced Thursday. The 63-year-old started her career at Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, also known as MBC, as a news reporter in 1987. Lee was South Korea's first female war correspondent, covering the Gulf War in 1991 and the Iraq War in 2003. In recognition of her contributions, she received the

July 4, 2024

Policy veteran tapped as forest service minister

Lim Sang-seop, former deputy minister of the Korea Forest Service, has been nominated as the new minister of the agency, the presidential office announced Thursday. The 54-year-old is a seasoned forest expert with extensive experience in both policy and fieldwork. He joined the forestry agency in 1998 after passing the higher technical civil service examination and has held various positions within the organization. The presidential office praised Lim as an expert who has contributed to enhancin

July 4, 2024

DP seeks to pass controversial special probe bill on Marine's death at plenary session

The main opposition Democratic Party on Thursday was poised to push for the passage of a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death amid fierce protest from the ruling party. The ruling People Power Party has been staging a filibuster since Wednesday afternoon to block the passage of the bill after it was tabled during the National Assembly's plenary session. The special probe bill calls for a special counsel to look into allega

July 4, 2024

Assembly debates ways to shield state agencies from North Korean cyberattacks

Cybersecurity compliance should be made mandatory for constitutional institutions like governmental agencies in South Korea, lawmakers and experts said Wednesday. At a National Assembly forum held on the day, ruling People Power Party Rep. Park Choong-kwon said constitutional institutions should be required to observe security practices in light of the recent North Korean cyberattacks against South Korean courts. According to findings by the Korean National Police Agency in May, hackers for Nort

July 3, 2024

Main opposition tables special probe bill into Marine’s death

South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party of Korea submitted a contentious bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s response to the death of a young Marine last year, to a parliamentary plenary session held Wednesday. National Assembly Speaker and Democratic Party Rep. Woo Won-shik officially introduced the bill drafted by his party at the start of the plenary meeting that began at around 3 p.m. The move came a day after the Democrat

July 3, 2024

Main opposition floats 10-year mandatory service for junior doctors

South Korea’s main opposition party has proposed a bill that would mandate the establishment of state-run public medical schools, where students would be required to provide 10 years of compulsory medical service upon graduation, lawmakers said Wednesday. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's move comes amid the ongoing mass walkout by some 12,000 trainee doctors since late February, in protest of the government's plan to increase the country’s medical school enro

July 3, 2024

Online petitioners calling for Yoon's impeachment reach 1m

The number of people demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol surpassed the 1 million mark Wednesday on the National Assembly's petition website. The petition, calling on the National Assembly to propose a bill on Yoon's impeachment, gained a daily average of 100,000 signatures over a period of 10 days after it was posted on June 24. Lawmakers of the Democratic Party backed the petition, saying the number of petition approvals rightfully reflects the public's views of

July 3, 2024