Election calculus dominates debate on Seoul expansion plan

A debate is roiling in South Korea over the plan to make Seoul larger, a recycled election promise that is failing to win voters in and out of the capital, polls reveal. Enlarging Seoul is a recurring proposal in South Korean politics -- interpreted as being intended to sway voters in the capital’s many satellite cities -- renewed by the People Power Party with the general election less than six months away. The plan was previously endorsed in past elections by some candidates with the Dem

Nov. 5, 2023

Ruling party to request spending boost for research and development

The ruling People Power Party has officially requested the government increase budgets in research and development to improve the working conditions of young scientists, a lawmaker said Friday. The request comes amid criticism of the government's double-digit percentage cut in the R&D budget, originally planned to improve inefficiencies in how the money is being spent. The budget for the sector dropped to around 25 trillion won ($18.7 billion), marking the first reduction in eight years

Nov. 3, 2023

The branch of South Korean left blaming Israel for Hamas attacks -- who are they?

A few days after the Islamist militant group Hamas entered Israel on Oct. 7 and killed more than a thousand civilians, posters sympathizing with the deadly attacks popped up on several South Korean college campuses. The posters, which defended the Hamas attacks as an act of self-defense by Palestinians, were taken down shortly after -- but the debate on the war continues to rage on. Speaking to The Korea Herald, one Seoul university sophomore said she was “stunned by such open support for

Nov. 2, 2023

Suspension of ex-chief, Daegu mayor lifted in ruling party's unity drive

South Korea's ruling People Power Party on Thursday approved a plan to lift the suspensions of four party members, including outspoken dissenters former party Chairman Lee Jun-seok and Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo. The decision, effective immediately, enables the individuals to become eligible to run for a parliamentary seat as a member of the ruling party in the upcoming general election scheduled for April 2024. Lee had been imposed with a suspension from party membership for 1 1/2 years by

Nov. 2, 2023

PPP launches special committee on plan to include Gimpo into Seoul

The ruling People Power Party launched a special committee on Thursday to discuss its heatedly debated proposal of integrating the neighboring city of Gimpo into the capital city of Seoul. This committee will be headed by Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae, a five-term lawmaker and a civil engineering doctorate holder with expertise in urban design, Rep. Park Jung Ha, the party's spokesperson, told reporters. The envisioned plan, which aims to include the northwestern city of Gimpo in Gyeonggi Province su

Nov. 2, 2023

PPP decides to lift membership suspensions of ex-party leader Lee, Daegu Mayor Hong

The ruling People Power Party decided Thursday to lift the membership suspensions imposed on former party leader Lee Jun-seok and Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo over alleged misconduct, endorsing one of the first reform measures recommended by its innovation committee. The PPP accepted the committee's "grand amnesty" request and nullified the disciplinary measures taken against Lee, Hong and two other members in a gesture of unity before next year's general elections, according to

Nov. 2, 2023

Kakao taxi-hailing service ‘unethical,’ Yoon says

President Yoon Suk Yeol said the country’s most popular taxi-hailing service from Kakao Mobility demonstrates an “extremely unethical example” of a monopoly, at a regular meeting Wednesday on the economy. The comments at the gathering, attended by a group of 60 ordinary people in addition to policymakers, were in response to suggestions floated by an audience member who asked about lowering the fees taxis pay to the tech giant’s mobility unit, which controls about 90 perc

Nov. 1, 2023

Kim Jong-un orders support for Palestine in Israel-Hamas war: NIS

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is mobilizing support for Palestine in the wake of Israel’s war with Palestinian-Islamist militant group Hamas, according to South Korea’s spy agency. In the 2023 audit by the National Assembly held Wednesday, the National Intelligence Agency’s director Kim Kyou-hyun told lawmakers that the North Korean leader is believed to have instructed “a wide range of support” for Palestine, in an apparent attempt to benefit from the war. The ch

Nov. 1, 2023

[KH Explains] Why ruling party wants to incorporate Gimpo into Seoul

The ruling People Power Party has said it will push to incorporate neighboring cities like Gimpo into Seoul, arguing Seoul needs a size upgrade to "create a megacity." The argument is that Seoul ranks only 38th in population, and with its area of 605 square kilometers, is only the 29th biggest out of 38 cities, according to ruling party Rep. Park Soo-young. The ruling party is working on proposing the "Mega-Seoul Special Law" to speed up the legislation discussion because pro

Nov. 1, 2023

Yoon donates W5m toward construction of memorial for ex-President Rhee

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday donated 5 million won ($3,685) toward the construction of a memorial for South Korea's first President Syngman Rhee, his office said. The donation was sent to the Rhee Syngman Foundation, which has led a fundraising campaign to build a memorial for the former president who ruled the country for 12 years until his ouster in 1960. "Former President Syngman Rhee's fight for independence was a national foundation campaign to construct a liberal dem

Nov. 1, 2023

Floor leader of main opposition party voices disappointment at Yoon's budget speech

The floor leader of the main opposition party on Tuesday voiced his disappointment at President Yoon Suk Yeol's budget speech, saying next year's state budget lacks funds needed to prepare for the future and support vulnerable people. Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo of the Democratic Party made the assessment, as Yoon delivered a budget speech earlier in the day pledging to put the top priority on stabilizing inflation and people's livelihoods. "(The speech) was very disappointing. There w

Oct. 31, 2023

Yoon doubles down on cutting national debt in 2024 budget speech

President Yoon Suk Yeol cited reducing the national debt and stabilizing prices as his top priorities in an address to the National Assembly on Tuesday. “The approach our government is taking in managing our finances is to avoid passing on unaffordable debts to the country’s future generations,” the president said in a budget speech delivered before the members of the Assembly. “A sound fiscal policy is crucial to stabilizing prices in the long run and protecting our econ

Oct. 31, 2023

Yoon pledges to put top priority on stabilizing prices, livelihoods amid global economic challenges

President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged Tuesday to put the top priority on stabilizing prices and people's livelihoods amid global economic difficulties as he delivered a budget speech centered largely on economic and domestic issues. Despite such difficulties, Yoon also vowed to stick to a sound fiscal policy next year in order not to pass debts on to future generations, as he called for bipartisan support for passing the government's 657 trillion-won ($487 billion) budget proposal. "The

Oct. 31, 2023

Yoon urges ministers to act on rental scam, pension reform

President Yook Suk Yeol on Monday instructed his ministers to do everything possible to hold responsible those who allegedly scammed young Koreans seeking home rentals, and pledged to have the government’s pension reform proposal reach a “social consensus,” without offering further details. “The majority of (those affected by) this ‘jeonse’ scam are young Koreans. This is an egregious crime that hurts our next generation,” Yoon said at the weekly Cabinet

Oct. 30, 2023

Yoon, Kishida receive JFK award for mending stalled ties

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday were honored with the special International Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation for their efforts in improving relations between the countries, despite historical issues and domestic opposition. “I am honored to receive this year’s “Profile in Courage Award,” a symbol of John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier,” Yoon said in a prerecorded acceptance

Oct. 30, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Fighting trade theft, reinforcing depositor protection

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act Proposed by Rep. Lee Yong-bin (Democratic Party of Korea) ● This bill aims to reinforce trade secret protection and prevent potential economic losses by offering monetary rewards to individuals who report activities that leak trade secrets to foreign countries. Such activities include employing a trade secret in a foreign country or knowingly leaking a trade secret for use in a foreign country.

Oct. 30, 2023

Yoon's approval rating rebounds to 35.7 pct

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating rebounded for the first time in three weeks, reaching 35.7 percent, a poll showed Monday. The survey, conducted by the polling agency Realmeter, showed the positive assessment of Yoon's performance increased by 3.2 percentage points from the previous week, while 61.9 percent of respondents disapproved of his performance, down 2.2 percentage points. Yoon's approval rating had seen a consecutive two-week decline, dropping from 37.7 percent t

Oct. 30, 2023

Navy provides humanitarian aid to NK ship near East Sea border

The South Korean Navy detected a North Korean ship requesting rescue near the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea and temporarily crossed the NLL to provide humanitarian assistance, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sunday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said on the same day the military dispatched a patrol ship at 2:16 p.m. after capturing an unknown ship that was being held in waters 200 kilometers east of Jejin in the East Sea and about 3 kilometers north of the NLL. “A patrol vessel

Oct. 29, 2023

Vice Adm. Kim Myung-soo named chair of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff

In a surprising move that underscores the growing importance of naval defense, Naval Operations Commander Vice Adm. Kim Myung-soo has been named the new chairperson of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Ministry of National Defense announced Sunday. Kim was promoted to four-star general in the military personnel reshuffle to replace incumbent JCS Chairperson Gen. Kim Seung-kyum, according to the ministry. The appointment marks a significant shift from the traditionally Army-dominated role a

Oct. 29, 2023

[Exclusive] South Korean lawmakers to join international alliance taking on China

A delegation of South Korean lawmakers is joining an alliance of politicians challenging what it sees as China’s ambitions to change global norms to advance its interests. The Inter-parliamentary Alliance on China will have its first delegation of South Korean lawmakers since launching on the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in June 2020. One of the South Korean lawmakers to be accepted by the IPAC is Rep. Ji Seong-ho, a North Korean defector and human rights activist who

Oct. 29, 2023