Standoff in National Assembly intensifies over key committees

Rival political parties on Monday extended their standoff over picking the chairs of key standing committees of the National Assembly, leading to surging tension in the political sphere. Tensions stemmed from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea’s unilateral decision last week to snatch 11 of the 18 standing committee chair positions for the first two years of the 22nd National Assembly, which began its four-year term on May 30. The opposition-led Assembly has so far elected mai

June 17, 2024

Sejong evolving beyond a city for civil servants

Sejong City, strategically located in the heart of South Chungcheong Province, emerged as a pivotal player in the nation's balanced regional development strategy when it was established in 2012. Situated approximately 150km south of Seoul, Sejong City shares borders with Daejeon, Gongju, Cheongju, and Cheonan, creating a unique urban landscape in an otherwise rural setting. Despite its relatively modest population of around 400,000 residents, Sejong City boasts administrative significance c

June 17, 2024

Mayor Choi proclaims Sejong as 'Hangeul Culture Capital'

SEJONG -- To commemorate his second year in office, Mayor Choi Min-ho of Sejong City shared his vision for transforming the government administrative city into a global standard capital model. During an exclusive interview at his office early this month, Mayor Choi underscored Sejong's forthcoming identity as the "Hangeul Culture Capital" of the nation, highlighting a commitment to nurturing the legacy of King Sejong the Great within the city's development plans until his ter

June 17, 2024

Seoul cautions Moscow on Putin's NK visit

Seoul has warned Moscow against "going beyond a certain point," amid reports that Russia and North Korea are seeking to deepen their military ties during President Vladimir Putin's imminent visit to Pyongyang. National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin told Yonhap News TV on Sunday evening that Seoul has "cautioned his Russian counterpart that Russia should not go beyond a certain point." "Our intelligence suggests that there is room for (Russia and North Korea) to adop

June 17, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Support for small air services, safe environment for AI

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Restriction on Special Cases Concerning Taxation Proposed by Rep. Park Choong-kwon (People Power Party) ● This amendment extends the sunset date of the special provision of tax deduction related to national strategic technologies, including semiconductor technologies, from Dec. 31, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2030. Proposed Bill: Act on Artificial Intelligence Industry Promotion and Trust Securement Proposed by Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo (People Power Party) ● As a

June 17, 2024

Govt. to hold experts' meeting for development of potential oil, gas reserves off East Sea

The industry ministry and the state-run Korea National Oil Corp. plan to hold a meeting with experts this week to discuss strategies for developing potential oil and gas reserves off the East Sea, industry sources said Monday. The meeting scheduled for Friday comes as the government and KNOC plan to choose the site for the first drilling operation in July, under the project that could potentially uncover between 3.5 billion and 14 billion barrels of gas and oil in the East Sea, according to the

June 17, 2024

Prosecution to begin probe into ex-first lady's trip to India

Prosecutors have begun an investigation into allegations that former President Moon Jae-in's wife, Kim Jung-sook, spent a large sum of taxpayer money to fund her solo trip to India in 2018, prosecution officials said Monday. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office plans to call in Lee Jong-bae, a Seoul city councilor affiliated with the ruling People Power Party, as an accuser on Wednesday, as he filed a complaint against Kim last December. The councilor accused the former first lady

June 17, 2024

Ruling party, govt. agree to provide energy vouchers to 1.3m households this summer

The ruling People Power Party and government officials on Sunday agreed to provide energy vouchers to 1.3 million vulnerable households as the country braces for a hotter-than-average summer. The support scheme was announced during a meeting of senior officials of the government, the presidential office and the ruling party, according to Rep. Jang Dong-hyuk, the party's chief spokesperson. The decision to provide support of up to 53,000 won ($38), up 10,000 won from last year, comes as Sout

June 16, 2024

Putin’s Pyongyang trip highlights need for bond in isolation

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s impending trip to North Korea, which Seoul authorities say could happen any moment, reflects a mutual interest in building a closer bond for the two countries facing self-inflicted isolation from the West, experts say. The last time Putin was in Pyongyang in 2000, he was stopping by on his way to the summit of the Group of Eight or G8 in Japan, long before Russia was suspended indefinitely from the group of leading industrialized countries over the annexa

June 16, 2024

Yoon returns amid tensions over Putin's Pyongyang visit

President Yoon Suk Yeol returned home Sunday after a weeklong trip to three Central Asian countries amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula with an imminent summit between the leaders of Russia and North Korea in Pyongyang this week, which has sparked concerns about closer military ties. Amid reports on Putin's visit to North Korea, the first in 24 years, Yoon's office on Friday officially "confirmed" his visit, stressing that it would closely examine countermeasures to

June 16, 2024

Yoon returns to Seoul after Central Asia trip

President Yoon Suk Yeol returned to Seoul early Sunday morning as the couple wrapped up the state visits to three Central Asian countries. Yoon on Saturday flew from the ancient city of Samarkand, about 270 kilometers southwest of Uzbekistan's capital city Tashkent, for his final engagement with his counterpart, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Mirziyoyev formerly served as the governor of the Samarkand region from 2001 to 2003. They visited historical sites that used to be the center of

June 16, 2024

Yoon visits ancient Uzbek city, wraps up Central Asia trip

SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan -- President Yoon Suk Yeol visited ancient city of Samarkand before wrapping up the state visits to three Central Asian countries, according to the presidential office on Saturday. Flying about 270 kilometers southwest of Uzbekistan's capital city Tashkent, Yoon and his counterpart, Uzbek President President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, visited historic sites of what served as the center of the Timurid Empire in the 14th century, such as a public square Registan and Gur-e-Amir,

June 15, 2024

Opposition leader calls for inter-Korean talks amid tensions

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Saturday said the two Koreas should sit together and communicate to ease the escalating tensions over Pyongyang's trash-carrying balloon campaign and Seoul's response. On social media, Lee said the peace built up on the Korean Peninsula is at risk as the two Koreas have been engaged in tit-for-tat measures. Referring to the North's sending of balloons carrying trash across the border, South Korean civic group's sending of anti-Pyongyang leaf

June 15, 2024

Seoul, Washington, Tokyo to keep close tabs on Putin's visit to NK

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- South Korea, the United States and Japan will join forces to analyze the process and the outcome of Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to North Korea for the first time in 24 years. According to an official of the presidential office who spoke on condition of anonymity, South Korea will "together analyze the process and the outcome" of Putin's visit to Pyongyang to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in line with its "close and frequent com

June 14, 2024

Yoon, Mirziyoyev agree on S. Korea's 1st export of bullet trains to Uzbekistan

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Uzbek counterpart, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, held a summit Friday to bolster their "special strategic partnership" in fields not limited to infrastructure and mineral resources. Notably, with the two leaders present at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, South Korea-based heavy industry firm Hyundai Rotem and state-run Uzbekistan Railways signed a 270 billion won ($195.7 million) deal to export South Kore

June 14, 2024

Yoon to adopt Alabay dogs in Seoul next week

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- President Yoon Suk Yeol's family will adopt two Alabay breed shepherd dogs on Tuesday, as promised by Turkmenistan's national leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov during their bilateral talks earlier this week, according to his office Friday. Following quarantine, the two Turkmen dogs will spend time on the front lawn of the presidential office in Seoul "as much as they want" and enter the presidential residence, according to Yoon's office. The Alabay dogs, an anci

June 14, 2024

Legal risks mount for main opposition leader ahead of party convention

Main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is facing another legal dispute now, on top of the three ongoing court battles in which he is currently embroiled, creating more hurdles for his possible reelection victory at the upcoming party convention. On Wednesday, the Suwon District Prosecutor's Office indicted Lee on charges of asking local underwear maker Ssangbangwool Group to illegally transfer $8 million to North Korea between 2019 and 2020, when he was governor of Gyeonggi Province. The then

June 14, 2024

[News Focus] As ruling party seeks new leader, will Han Dong-hoon enter fray?

Han Dong-hoon, who led the ruling People Power Party through the April election for the National Assembly, is rumored to be entering the race to be the next leader of the party, according to reports Thursday. Han, who was justice minister until December and was considered to be a close ally of President Yoon Suk Yeol, helmed the ruling party as an interim leader for the final three months of the Assembly election season. He stepped down to take responsibility for the ruling party’s crushin

June 13, 2024

[Herald Interview] Jeju governor eyes green hydrogen, space tech for island's future growth

South Korea’s southern island of Jeju is far more than just a scenic vacation destination. It is becoming a test bed for future industries including aerospace and hydrogen vehicles, according to its governor. “You may not have known this, but Jeju is the closest South Korean territory to the equator,” said Oh Young-hoon, governor of Jeju Special Self-governing Province, told The Korea Herald in an interview in Seoul on Tuesday. “This means that it is the perfect spot to l

June 13, 2024

[Contribution] Uzbekistan-Republic of Korea: commitment to centuries-old ties, special strategic partnership

By the Uzbekistan Embassy in Seoul President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol will pay a state visit to Uzbekistan at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on June 13-15, 2024. Established on Jan. 29, 1992, Uzbek-South Korean relations have become an example of successful cooperation between the two countries in various fields. In more than thirty years of interaction, the relations have developed and strengthened, passing through several key milestones. In 2006, the Joint Decla

June 13, 2024