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
103 autumn foliage paths in Seoul
-
7
First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders
-
8
Seoul aims to halve current suicide rate by 2030
-
9
When two worlds collab: K-pop flexes power with global stars
-
10
4 in 10 young South Koreans take up 'irregular' jobs: data
-
Parliament adopts resolution to refrain from political strife during Olympics
South Korea's parliament on Wednesday passed a resolution committing it to the successful hosting of the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics while urging against political confrontations during the games.The National Assembly's resolution also highlighted its support for the Seoul government's efforts to make the Feb. 9-25 Olympics an opportunity to foster a lasting peace on the divided Korean Peninsula.The legislature endorsed the resolution in a 160-1 vote with four abstentions. The National
Feb. 7, 2018
-
Govt. to propose own bill on constitutional revision by next month: official
The government will have its own proposal for a constitutional revision before the end of next month, the head of a presidential committee said Wednesday, two days after President Moon Jae-in ordered the government to begin preparing its own bill to submit in case the parliament fails to do so in time.Jung Hae-gu, the head of the presidential committee on policy planning, said the committee will work to submit its proposal to the president in "mid-March."The remarks came after the president stre
Feb. 7, 2018
-
Moon to seek support for Olympics, inter-Korean dialogue in bilateral summits
South Korean President Moon Jae-in was set for a series of bilateral summits this week, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday, in what it earlier called Moon's Olympic schedule that may also include talks with North Korea's ceremonial head of state.Moon was scheduled to hold a bilateral summit with Julie Payette, the governor general of Canada, at his office later in the day, followed by a summit with the president of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite, according to Cheong Wa Dae.The S
Feb. 7, 2018
-
People’s Party defectors launch new liberal party
Lawmakers who bolted from the minor opposition People’s Party launched a new liberal party Tuesday, ending a monthslong dispute over the leadership’s push to merge with a center-right political faction.Fifteen lawmakers and their supporters held an inauguration ceremony of Party for Democracy and Peace at the National Assembly and declared its goal to be a party that puts the livelihood of the people as its priority and promote reform in politics. Cho Bae-sook, the leader of the new Party for D
Feb. 6, 2018
-
Moon orders govt. to prepare own bill for constitutional revision
President Moon Jae-in has instructed the government to prepare its own bill for a constitutional amendment, his office Cheong Wa Dae said Monday, amid an apparent failure in efforts by ruling and opposition parties to move forward with their own discussions.The president's order came in a weekly meeting with his presidential aides.The move is apparently aimed at pressuring the opposition parties to come to the dialogue table as they, especially the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, had been b
Feb. 5, 2018
-
15 lawmakers to defect from People's Party
Fifteen lawmakers have decided to leave the center-left People's Party in protest against its leader Ahn Cheol-soo's push for a merger with the center-right Bareun Party, party officials said Monday.The renegades, including Reps. Chun Jung-bae, Chung Dong-young and Cho Bae-sook, will launch their own new party, named the Party for Democracy and Peace, on Tuesday.Their defections will reduce the number of People's Party lawmakers to 24.Three proportional representative lawmakers -- Reps. Lee Sang
Feb. 5, 2018
-
Ruling party race shaping up for Seoul mayor
A crowded competition is shaping up within the ruling Democratic Party to grab its ticket to run in the June Seoul mayoral election.Jeon Hyun-heui, a two-term lawmaker of the party, became the fifth member to join the race on Sunday, describing herself as one of the most "notable" candidates on the basis of her legislative career in the capital.Incumbent Mayor Park Won-soon, a member of the party, has already indicated he will run for a third term. Reps. Park Young-sun, Min Byung-doo and Woo San
Feb. 4, 2018
-
[Newsmaker] Ruling party announces constitutional revision plan
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea came up with a plan for the revision of the Constitution on Friday, which includes changing the current single five-year presidency and naming popular uprisings in the preface to the Constitution.On the second day of the party’s discussion on how to revise the Constitution, the party’s Floor Leader Rep. Woo Won-shik said they have decided to promote a change in the presidential system but maintain it as well. While there were many who favored a four-year two-
Feb. 2, 2018
-
Ruling party to hold second day of debate on constitutional revision
The ruling Democratic Party will hold a second day of discussions Friday on how to revise the Constitution, with a focus on altering the current power structure accused of giving too much power to the president in a way prone to corruption.The discussions are part of efforts to come up with a revised draft to be used as a basis for negotiations with opposition parties. The ruling party hopes to hold a referendum to revise the basic law at the same time as local elections in June. On Thursday, th
Feb. 2, 2018
-
Finance minister to raise China's THAAD backlash in talks
BEIJING -- Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said Thursday he will raise the issue of difficulties facing South Korean firms doing businesses in China, which have been attributed to Beijing's actions against Seoul's deployment of an advance US missile-defense system, during talks with his Chinese counterpart.Kim said he will seek China's cooperation to resolve the issue during talks with He Lifeng, chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, later this week.Kim made the remarks
Feb. 1, 2018
-
Jailed ex-leader Park faces fresh charge for election interference
Ousted and jailed former President Park Geun-hye was additionally charged for carrying out illegal opinion polls ahead of the 2016 general elections in a bid to nominate those friendly toward her as legislator candidates, prosecutors said Thursday.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it indicted her on the count of violating the election law. She is suspected of involvement in conducting 120 surveys to canvass opinion in Gangnam, southern Seoul, and Daegu -- both conservative stro
Feb. 1, 2018
-
Opposition party calls for strengthening alliance with US to prevent war with NK
South Korea should further strengthen the alliance with the United States and put greater pressure on North Korea if it wants to prevent US President Donald Trump from going to war with the communist nation, an opposition party leader said Thursday. Rep. Yoo Seong-min, head of the conservative minor opposition Bareun Party, made the remark during a meeting of party leaders, noting that Washington's withdrawal of Korea expert Victor Cha from consideration for ambassador to South Korea shows Trump
Feb. 1, 2018
-
Ex-tax agency chief quizzed over suspected covert op against former president
Prosecutors questioned a former head of the National Tax Service on Wednesday over his alleged involvement in a spy agency secret operation against late President Kim Dae-jung during the previous Lee Myung-bak government. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office called in Lee Hyun-dong, former NTS commissioner, for an interrogation over allegations that he was paid tens of millions of won by the National Intelligence Service in 2010 to help it uncover Kim's slush fund, rumored to have been
Feb. 1, 2018
-
Government to submit 347 bills this year
The government plans to submit 347 bills to the National Assembly this year, the Office of Legislation said Tuesday, as a monthlong extra parliamentary session began. (Yonhap)Nearly 68 percent of the bills -- including revision bills -- drawn up by 29 ministries and offices will be submitted to the National Assembly before a regular session kicks off in August, the office said at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon. Most of the bills are concerned with the implementation of
Jan. 30, 2018
-
Cheong Wa Dae to formally invite former leader Lee Myung-bak to Olympics
The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae plans to officially invite former President Lee Myung-bak to the opening and closing ceremonies of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, the office said Tuesday, amid a looming prosecution investigation against the former conservative leader.The invitation will be delivered in-person on Wednesday by Han Byun-do, President Moon Jae-in's senior secretary for political affairs, a Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters.The move comes amid an apparently pending prose
Jan. 30, 2018
-
President to meet top govt. officials over policy objectives
President Moon Jae-in was set to hold a special meeting with top government officials Tuesday to share his policy objectives and discuss ways to implement them, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.The meeting will start at 2 p.m., involving 24 ministers and ministerial-level officials. It will also be attended by some 60 vice ministerial-level officials from ministries and government committees, according to Cheong Wa Dae officials. It is scheduled to end at 7 p.m. after dinner.It is larg
Jan. 30, 2018
-
Moon taps ex-journalist as new spokesman
Moon taps ex-journalist as new spokesmanBy Choi He-suk President Moon Jae-in on Monday tapped Kim Eui-kyeom as the next spokesman for the presidential office. Kim is a former journalist who built his career in the left-leaning newspaper Hankyoreh. Kim is reported to have been tapped for the post last year after Moon’s election on May. 9. At the time, however, Kim reportedly declined the offer. Kim will replace Park Soo-hyun, who submitted his resignation of Jan. 22 to run for South Chungcheong P
Jan. 29, 2018
-
[PyeongChang 2018] Korea considers temporary visa waivers for Chinese, Southeast Asian visitors to Olympics
The government will consider limited or temporary visa waiver programs for Chinese nationals and Southeast Asian group tourists during next month's PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the ruling Democratic Party said Monday.During a policy coordination meeting, the government and ruling party also agreed to make all state-managed highways across the country toll-free during the Feb. 15-18 Lunar New Year's holiday, officials said. During the Feb. 9-25 Olympics, they agreed to allow people to use highway
Jan. 29, 2018
-
People’s Party dissenters establish preparation committee for new party
About half of People’s Party lawmakers established a preparation committee to create a new party and held a meeting of promoters on Sunday, speeding up the breakup of the center-left opposition party.Sixteen parliamentarians, including veteran lawmakers Reps. Park Jie-won and Chung Dong-young and some 1,000 supporters gathered at the National Assembly held a ceremony and proposed the creation of a new party, the Party for Democracy and Peace. People's Party awmakers opposing the merger with Bare
Jan. 28, 2018
-
Prosecutors likely to question ex-President Lee after Winter Olympics
The prosecution is expected to question former President Lee Myung-bak after the closing of next month's PyeongChang Winter Olympics over allegations of wrongdoing, sources close to the ongoing probe said Sunday.They said the state prosecution recently judged that it would be difficult to call in the former president during the Feb. 9-25 Olympics, after receiving reports from two district prosecution offices in Seoul about their ongoing probes into various allegations.The prosecution believes, g
Jan. 28, 2018