Most Popular
-
1
Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
-
2
Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
-
3
Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
-
4
[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
-
5
Hanwha, HD Hyundai vie for Poland’s $2.7b submarine program
-
6
First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders
-
7
Seoul aims to halve current suicide rate by 2030
-
8
4 in 10 young South Koreans take up 'irregular' jobs: data
-
9
[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
-
10
103 autumn foliage paths in Seoul
-
Main opposition party picks professor to lead internal reform
Korea's main opposition party on Monday announced its choice of Kim Byong-joon, a professor who served as a key aide to late President Roh Moo-hyun, as its new leader.If the decision is approved by the national committee of the conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP), Kim will spearhead reform measures for the troubled party.(Yonhap)His formal job title will be chairman of the party's emergency reform task force -- the LKP is reeling from its crushing defeat in last month's local elections. The p
July 16, 2018
-
Moon apologizes for likely missing minimum wage target
President Moon Jae-in on Monday apologized for expected difficulties in meeting his minimum wage goal, and promised measures to help small businesses deal with the rise in wages. Speaking at a weekly meeting with top presidential aides, Moon also called on corporate, government and labor entities to cooperate in minimum wage-related issues. President Moon Jae-in speaks at the meeting with his top aides at Cheong Wa Dae on Monday. YonhapOn Saturday, the Minimum Wage Commission set next year’s mi
July 16, 2018
-
Indonesia invites Korean leaders Moon, Kim to Asian Games
JAKARTA -- The leaders of the two Koreas have been invited to next month‘s Asian Games in Indonesia, Jakarta said Monday, after the neighbours agreed to field several joint teams at the event.Indonesian president Joko Widodo sent a formal invitation Friday to South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Widodo‘s spokesman said, but it was not immediately clear if either has responded.“The invitation letters have been sent to the leaders,” spokesman Johan Budi told AFP
July 16, 2018
-
Chairs of parliamentary standing committees elected
The National Assembly elected the chairs of standing committees Monday, setting the scene for parliament to fully operate following more than 40 days of legislative vacuum.Parliament held a plenary session to vote on the chiefs of the 16 committees for the second half of the 20th parliament's four-year term. Rival parties reached an agreement last week over the formation of parliament's new leadership and its 18 committees.The heads of another two committees will be voted on next Thursday. Lawma
July 16, 2018
-
Ruling party urges labor, business to accept minimum wage decision
The ruling Democratic Party appealed Sunday to both labor and business to accept the decision on next year's minimum wage as the main opposition party stepped up criticism that the hike will deal a blow to the economy.The Minimum Wage Commission decided Saturday to raise next year's minimum wage by 10.9 percent to 8,350 won ($ 7.37) per hour after an overnight meeting boycotted by business representatives. It will be the first time the country's minimum wage has surpassed the 8,000-won mark. (Yo
July 15, 2018
-
Seoul Mayor Park to move into rooftop home in rundown neighborhood
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon will move into a small rooftop apartment in a rundown neighborhood in an effort to gain a hands-on experiences of what it's like to live in a less developed area of the city and come up with better policy, officials said.Park, who began his third-term early this month, promised after winning in last month's local elections that he would live for a month in Gangbuk-gu, one of Seoul's less developed wards, to identify problems facing the neighborhood and resolve them. (Yo
July 15, 2018
-
New speaker elected as parliament gets back on track
The National Assembly elected a new speaker Friday as parties agreed earlier this week to normalize parliament after a more than 40-day legislative vacuum.Lawmakers approved a proposal to elect Moon Hae-sang, a six-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), as speaker for the second half of the 20th National Assembly's four-year term.They also voted in favor of Lee Ju-young of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and Joo Seung-yong of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party as th
July 13, 2018
-
Ahn, ex-Seoul mayor candidate, says he will retreat from politics
Ahn Cheol-soo, a former candidate for the Seoul mayorship, said Thursday he will leave the political scene for a while following his party's crushing defeat in last month's local elections.Ahn of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party ranked third in the race on June 13, throwing into question his political path.Current Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon won the election. (Yonhap)"I am leaving the political scene to spend time soul-searching," Ahn said in a press conference. "By working as a politician f
July 12, 2018
-
[Newsmaker] Two of ex-leader Park's 'doorknob trio' get prison terms for taking NIS money
A Seoul court on Thursday handed down prison terms of 18 months to 2 1/2 years for two of the closest aides to former President Park Geun-hye and suspended the sentence for another on charges they took illicit funds from the spy agency and delivered them to Park. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Lee Jae-man, former presidential secretary for general affairs, to 18 months in prison and Ahn Bong-geun, Park's former secretary for public relations, to 2 1/2 years. Jeong Ho-seong, another e
July 12, 2018
-
Ex-head of main opposition party leaves for US after election defeat
INCHEON -- Hong Joon-pyo, the former chief of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, left for the United States on Wednesday following his party's resounding defeat in last month's local elections.Hong's trip to Los Angeles came as he stepped down from the post of the party's head in June, taking responsibility for the conservative party's crushing defeat in June 13 local elections and parliamentary by-elections.(Yonhap)He is known to have plans to return to Seoul around the Chuseok fall harve
July 11, 2018
-
Cheong Wa Dae denies report defense chief ignored investigation request over martial law document
The presidential office denied a news report Wednesday that Defense Minister Song Young-moo brushed off a Cheong Wa Dae request for an investigation into a Defense Security Command document suggesting imposition of martial law against protests calling for then-President Park Geun-hye's ouster.The DSC document, drawn up last year and disclosed by a ruling party lawmaker and a civic group last week, has emerged as a hot issue due to its shocking revelation that the military reviewed the possibilit
July 11, 2018
-
'Stewardship code' has positive impact abroad: govt.
The so-called stewardship code for institutional investors has led to positive effects in foreign countries, including a boost in shareholder interests, the welfare ministry and the state pension operator said Wednesday.South Korea's National Pension Service is seeking to adopt the stewardship code late this month, which refers to a set of principles or guidelines aimed at making institutional investors active and engaging in corporate governance in the interests of their beneficiaries.Citing re
July 11, 2018
-
Parties reach agreement on parliamentary committees
(Yonhap)Ruling and opposition parties on Tuesday struck an agreement over the formation of the parliament's new leadership and its standing committees, ending more than 40 days of legislative void.After grueling negotiations over who would chair key committees, the floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party, main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), Bareunmirae Party and the Parliamentary Group for Peace and Justice (PGPJ) announced their agreement for the second half of the 20th National Ass
July 10, 2018
-
Govt. broadens its ban on employment of child molesters
The government enacted a revised act Tuesday, broadening its ban on the employment of child molesters.Under the revised ordinance of the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles against Sexual Abuse, approved by the Cabinet earlier in the day, convicted child or juvenile molesters are barred from working at institutions dealing with the youth for a maximum of 10 years, including schools, kindergartens and hospitals, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. (Yonhap)The new
July 10, 2018
-
Parties agree to open provisional session this week
The floor leaders of ruling and opposition parties on Tuesday agreed to convene a provisional session of the National Assembly starting this week, though they have yet to find middle ground on how to form parliamentary standing committees.The session will kick off Friday for a 14-day run, during which confirmation hearings on the national police chief designate and three Supreme Court justice nominees will be held.The parties failed Monday to conclude talks over the formation of the 18 committee
July 10, 2018
-
S. Korea heightens efforts to root out illegal file sharing on overseas sites
The South Korean government has intensified its efforts to crack down on illegal file sharing sites based overseas in response to increasing copyright infringement.In a briefing on Tuesday, the relevant agencies -- the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Communications Commission and the National Police Agency -- announced an ongoing war against online copyright infringement and investigation results. (Yonhap)The government formed a task force earlier in the year, which started cr
July 10, 2018
-
Majority of S. Koreans support overhauling or abolishing parliament's 'special activity fund'
A majority of South Koreans are in favor of overhauling the National Assembly's "special activity fund" doled out to lawmakers every month like a salary, a survey showed Monday, amid criticism that the fund is a waste of taxpayer money and is spent without any oversight.The criticism rose sharply after a local civic group disclosed data last week showing that the National Assembly provided ranking lawmakers, including major party leaders and parliamentary committee chairs, with up to 60 million
July 9, 2018
-
Parliamentary delegation planning to visit US
A bipartisan delegation of lawmakers plans to visit the United States later this month as part of parliamentary diplomacy aimed at supporting Seoul's peace efforts, the ruling party's floor leader said Friday."We're working on a plan where the floor leaders of ruling and opposition parties travel together to the US and meet with US congressional leaders and discuss trade issues, such as autos and tariffs, and peace issues, such as denuclearization," Rep. Hong Young-pyo, floor leader of the rulin
July 6, 2018
-
Military had plans to mobilize tanks, troops to quell candlelight protests last year: civic group
The Defense Security Command drew up plans last year to mobilize hundreds of tanks and thousands of troops to quell candlelight protests against then impeached President Park Geun-hye, a civic group claimed Friday.The Military Human Rights Center for Korea disclosed what it claimed was a DSC document drawn up in March last year to outline ways to impose wartime martial law in case the Constitutional Court rejected the National Assembly's impeachment of Park and kept her in office. (Park Hae-mook
July 6, 2018
-
Ex-presidential aide detained for lying about Park's handling of Sewol ferry sinking
A former senior aide to ousted President Park Geun-hye has been taken into custody on charges of lying about Park's handling of the deadly 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry, which claimed the lives of more than 300 people.Kim Kyou-hyun, a former career diplomat who served as first deputy chief of the presidential National Security Office and then senior presidential foreign affairs secretary, was detained by prosecution investigators upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport from the Unite
July 6, 2018