North Korea may ramp up provocations after monthlong break

North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Monday morning, just over two hours ahead of an international summit held in Seoul that invited the US secretary of state, and three weeks ahead of South Korea’s National Assembly general election. The firings come more than a month after the launch of a cruise missile in mid-February. According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, several SRBMs were fired at around 7

March 18, 2024

Yoon orders measures to stem fruit prices

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday pledged to lay out contingency measures to stem the acute food price hikes in South Korea. Beginning Monday, at least 150 billion won ($112.5 million) of emergency funds will be deployed to stabilize the price partly by reducing or lifting tariffs on imported fruit, on a limited amount of agricultural goods or processed foods. If the plan as of Monday goes full-fledged, a total of 29 types of fruit will be subject to "tariff quotas" -- permission to im

March 18, 2024

Pressure mounts on Yoon aide over remarks threatening press freedom

President Yoon Suk Yeol's office on Monday released a statement over mounting calls for presidential aide Hwang Sang-moo to step down after his controversial remarks about press freedom were disclosed by a media outlet. The presidential office said in a statement that it "respects press freedom" and the responsibilities that come with that freedom. Yoon's office also denied that it has ever attempted to suppress the media's freedom of expression. "The presidential o

March 18, 2024

Dispute heats up over dispatch of scandal-ridden envoy to Australia

A dispute over the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s recent decision to greenlight the lifting of the travel ban on South Korea's new ambassador to Australia intensified Monday, as the ruling party chief and the state-affiliated corruption investigation agency expressed their disapproval of the move. The latest conflict follows the Justice Ministry’s decision earlier this month to allow the departure of the recently appointed envoy and former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup to Austra

March 18, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Fostering hydrogen, mobility technologies, investor protection

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Special Measures for Strengthening the Competitiveness of, and Protecting National High-tech Proposed by Rep. Lee Won-wook (New Reform Party) ● Hydrogen and mobility technologies have recently gained global prominence as a way to tackle climate change and environmental problems. This amendment aims to provide national support to foster the development of hydrogen and mobility technologies by including them in the scope of national high-tech strate

March 18, 2024

PPP leader urges return of top envoy to Australia amid corruption probe

Ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon urged law enforcement Sunday to summon the ambassador to Australia home amid the ongoing investigation into his alleged interference in a military probe into the death of a Marine. Han Dong-hoon, the interim leader of the ruling People Power Party, made the remarks as criticism is growing over the controversial departure of Ambassador Lee Jong-sup to the host country last week despite him being a subject in the investigation. "The Corruption Investigation O

March 17, 2024

Disgraced ex-minister rises as major threat to ruling party

The political party recently launched by a disgraced ex-minister has become a major threat to the ruling party ahead of the April 10 legislative election, and a force that “needs to be stopped” alongside the main opposition, according to People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon on Sunday. “The main opposition party has become more toxic ... due to the current Democratic Party of Korea Chair Lee Jae-myung and the forces of (ex-Justice Minister) Cho Kuk, which works as a shield for

March 17, 2024

Uproar as ex-spy chief, accused of negligence in North Korea killing, is named to run as lawmaker

The Democratic Party of Korea’s decision to nominate the former National Intelligence Service chief Park Jie-won to run in the upcoming general election has provoked uproar from the bereaved family of the South Korean fisheries official, Lee Dae-jun, who was killed by North Korean soldiers in September 2020. As the chief of the NIS at the time, Park is a key defendant in the ongoing trial over South Korean authorities’ alleged negligence during the time between Lee’s capture by

March 15, 2024

Yoon aide under fire for remarks over press freedom, Gwangju Uprising

President Yoon Suk Yeol's senior secretary Hwang Sang-moo has come under fire for controversial remarks about the freedom of the press and the spirit of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising. An association representing journalists from South Korean television network MBC on Friday demanded Hwang, the senior presidential secretary for civil society, apologize publicly and immediately step down. It described Hwang's stance on journalism as "shocking." Rep. Ko Min-jung of the main op

March 15, 2024

North Korean defectors eye Assembly bids with Seoul’s conservative party

At least three North Korean defectors are seeking to debut in Seoul’s political scene with the People Power Party, the ruling conservative party in South Korea. According to the People Power Party, three North Korean defectors in their 30s are running for a National Assembly seat through proportional representation in the upcoming general election slated for April 10. One of them is Kim Gum-hyok, 32, who says as a young millennial from North Korea, he wishes to represent “the younger

March 14, 2024

Superhighway with no speed limit planned for South Jeolla Province

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday reaffirmed his commitment to introducing a 47-kilometer superhighway with no speed limit in South Jeolla Province worth 2.6 trillion won ($1.97 billion), in a bid to construct a "Korean-style Autobahn." The new highway will connect the city of Gwangju with the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam-gun, South Jeolla Province, enabling cars to operate at speeds above 200 kilometers per hour along its 47-kilometer length. Yoon said his conservative adm

March 14, 2024

DP excludes human rights activist from candidacy, citing military service refusal

A satellite party affiliated with the main opposition Democratic Party has excluded a human rights activist specializing in military issues as a candidate for a proportional seat, citing his refusal to comply with military service requirements. Lim Tae-hoon, the former director of the Center for Military Human Rights Korea, a nongovernment group dealing with military-related issues, was convicted in 2004 for declining to serve in the military based on his religious beliefs. "I received noti

March 14, 2024

S. Korea, US, Japan discuss supply chains, AI at economic dialogue

National security officials of South Korea, the United States and Japan discussed efforts to boost cooperation in supply chains, emerging technologies and digital areas in a regular dialogue session, the presidential office said Wednesday. The third session of the economic dialogue took place in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan earlier in the day, led by Wang Yun-jong, presidential secretary for economic security and his respective US and Japanese counterparts -- Tarun Chhabra

March 13, 2024

Seoul to double budget by 2027 to join global space race

South Korea on Wednesday unveiled plans to set up a new space industry cluster in the next eight years that is not only capable of manufacturing satellites and rockets, but also astronaut training. To aid the goal of space exploration, some 1.5 trillion won ($1.14 billion) of the budget will be allocated in 2027, up from the 836.2 billion won budget this year. The funding will lay the cornerstone for South Korea's aerospace industry to bloom, Yoon said. He envisioned South Korea's boos

March 13, 2024

New envoy to Australia posts greetings on website amid appointment row

South Korea's new ambassador to Australia officially assumed his post with a greeting on the embassy's website Tuesday amid controversy over his alleged influence-peddling case related to the death of a young Marine last year. Lee Jong-sup, who served as defense minister from 2022 to 2023, left for Australia on Sunday, two days after the justice ministry lifted his travel ban. "Our embassy will play a role in promoting peace and stability in the region, including the denucleariz

March 12, 2024

Cho Kuk’s new party most popular third party, so far

Among the several new third parties that have emerged out of the Democratic Party of Korea, the new party founded and headed by Cho Kuk, former justice minister under President Moon Jae-in, has so far seen the highest ratings, according to the latest polls. In a March 5-7 Gallup Korea poll of 1,000 voters aged 18 and above, 6 percent said they would vote for Cho's Rebuilding Korea Party. By contrast, 3 percent said they supported the New Reform Party headed by Lee Jun-seok, who was ousted a

March 12, 2024

Yoon, Arkansas Gov. Sanders discuss strengthening S. Korea-US alliance

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with the governor of Arkansas, the United States, on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen the South Korea-US alliance. The meeting with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former White House press secretary during the Donald Trump administration, took place at the presidential office. Sanders is visiting Seoul as part of a two-nation trade mission to South Korea and Japan. "Just like the 70-year-old South Korea-US alliance that is evolving into a comprehensive global pa

March 11, 2024

[Election 2024] Will ruling party maintain winning momentum in run-up to election?

Come April 10, South Koreans will head to the polls to choose the next batch of National Assembly members. With about a month left until election day, the latest polls find the ruling People Power Party’s leading while its rival, the Democratic Party of Korea, has been bogged down by infighting. According to a March 5-7 Gallup Korea survey of 1,000 voters aged 18 and up, 37 percent said they would vote for the People Power Party as opposed to 31 percent who said they would cast their ballo

March 11, 2024

DP seeks to impeach ministers over lifting of envoy's travel ban

The main opposition party said Monday they seek to impeach two incumbent ministers accused of peddling their influence in lifting former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup's travel ban. Lee departed for Australia on Sunday to take office as Seoul's top envoy to Canberra, two days after the Justice Ministry lifted his travel ban imposed by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials' in January for allegedly delaying a probe into the death of a young Marine in July

March 11, 2024

Yoon unveils W360b project to build massive data center cluster in Gangwon

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday unveiled a project worth 360 billion won ($274 million) to build a cluster of data centers in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, and set up a mechanism to use freshwater from behind the dam for cooling. By 2027, the cluster that comprises seven data centers with a combined peak power use reaching 220 megawatts, smart farm facilities and the cooling mechanism using water behind Soyang Multipurpose Dam in Chuncheon is to complete construction, according to Yoon. The pro

March 11, 2024