First lady meets with Korean women residing in Japan

First lady Kim Keon Hee met Wednesday with a group of Korean women residing in Japan, thanking them for their contributions to the Korean community there and their help in promoting bilateral exchanges, the presidential office said. Kim held a tea meeting at the presidential office with leaders of an association of Korean women in Japan, which was established in 1949 and claims a membership of more than 100,000, according to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon. "As daughters and mothers o

Oct. 11, 2023

Yoon, officials strongly condemn Hamas killings as act of terrorism

President Yoon Suk Yeol and top government officials "strongly condemned" Wednesday the Hamas militant group's killing of civilians and hostage-taking in Israel as an act of terrorism in clear violation of international humanitarian law, the presidential office said. The condemnation came during an emergency meeting called by Yoon to discuss the economic and security impact of the escalating war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group. In attendance were key national sec

Oct. 11, 2023

Gangseo Ward chief by-election ends with 48.7% turnout

The by-election for the chief of Seoul's key district ended with a turnout of 48.7 percent on Wednesday, the election watchdog said, with the result expected to serve as a key barometer of voter sentiment ahead of the parliamentary elections slated for April next year. More than 243,665 of Gangseo Ward's 500,603 eligible voters cast their ballots at polling stations from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the National Election Commission. The potential winner is expected to emerge late Wed

Oct. 11, 2023

Yoon, U.S. senators condemn Hamas attack on Israel

President Yoon Suk Yeol and a bipartisan U.S. Senate delegation met in Seoul on Wednesday and condemned the "indiscriminate attack" on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the presidential office said. Yoon met with the six-member delegation, including Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, during their swing through South Korea, China and Japan. "The president and the Senate delegation condemned Hamas' indiscriminate attack on Israel, and agreed that South Korea an

Oct. 11, 2023

Yoon urges to closely monitor economic, security ramifications of Israel conflict

President Yoon Suk Yeol urged officials to “closely monitor and report” on the economic and security ramifications of the Israel-Hamas conflict as he convened an emergency meeting on economic and security issues Wednesday afternoon. While acknowledging the difficulty in predicting the conflict's escalation, Yoon warned it could heighten global vulnerabilities, especially concerning “energy security and supply chain” challenges. "We must recognize that if we don&

Oct. 11, 2023

Election service rejects spy agency verdict South Korean voting ‘hackable’

South Korea’s election service on Wednesday denied the spy agency verdict that voting systems remain vulnerable to foreign hacking, with at least seven known instances of attacks by North Korean hackers in the last two years. Responding to The Korea Herald, the National Election Commission said that the vulnerabilities in its systems may have been found in the latest security screenings led by the NIS due to internal information having been shared beforehand. “The mock cyberattacks w

Oct. 11, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Curbing false information online, easing taxation on media production

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection Proposed by Rep. Yoon Doo-hyun (People Power Party) ● Disinformation is difficult to recognize but can be rapidly reproduced and distributed across various communication channels. Not only can this lead to defamation and privacy violations, but disinformation can also be especially dangerous during crisis situations. Therefore, this amendment aims to prevent t

Oct. 11, 2023

Yoon’s approval at 34% ahead of 2024 general election

Six months ahead of the general election, President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating stood at about 35 percent, weighed down by economic concerns. A poll conducted by Metrix for Yonhap News and Yonhap News TV found that 34.2 percent of the 1,000 adult respondents approved of the president's handling of state affairs, while 58.4 percent disapproved. Compared to a survey from a month earlier, positive evaluations rose by 0.1 percentage point, while negative feedback increased by 0.4 perce

Oct. 11, 2023

Gangseo Ward chief by-election kicks off

The by-election for the chief of Seoul's key district kicked off Wednesday, with the result expected to serve as a key barometer of voter sentiment ahead of the parliamentary elections slated for April next year. Eligible voters in Gangseo Ward started casting their ballots at polling stations from 6 a.m, according to the National Election Commission. The voting is to run until 8:00 p.m. Although the election picks one of Seoul's 25 ward chiefs, the election has gained much attention,

Oct. 11, 2023

Yoon addresses economic concerns over Israel-Hamas conflict

In light of the escalating conflict between Israel and the Palestinian military group Hamas, President Yoon Suk Yeol underscored the urgency to address potential economic consequences during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. The Israeli government officially declared war on Hamas after the Palestinian militant group launched more than 5,000 rockets into Israel on Saturday. As the conflict enters its third day, nearly 1,500 people are dead and more than 6,000 are injured on both sides. The South Korean

Oct. 10, 2023

Blame game builds up on 1st day of parliamentary audit

A series of flare-ups gave rise to a political blame game at the South Korean National Assembly's audit sessions that kicked off Tuesday. The ruling People Power Party and main opposition Democratic Party of Korea bickered over the fallout from President Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial approval of a new defense minister and a leadership void in the judiciary system for the first time in 35 years. Also topping the agenda was Seoul's stance over the release of treated wastewater in ea

Oct. 10, 2023

South Korean elections vulnerable to North Korean hacking threats: spy agency

South Korea’s election systems may be vulnerable to foreign hacking threats and are in need of fortification ahead of next year's general election, the National Intelligence Service said Tuesday. In a rare press briefing, the NIS shared the results of a cybersecurity screening that showed the election watchdog had been targeted by both attempted and successful attacks from North Korea and that it had remained unaware of the exposure. The NIS cybersecurity experts said that the electio

Oct. 10, 2023

[Busan is Ready] Korean leaders circle the globe 409 times for Expo bid

With only 48 days left before the vote to determine the venue for the 2030 World Expo, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo embarked on another last-minute trip to Europe last week to bolster South Korea's bid. According to his office, government and business leaders have traveled a total of 16,408,822 kilometers as of September -- equivalent to circling the globe 409 times -- in their efforts to promote the Busan Expo. The total number is the sum of the distance traveled by President

Oct. 10, 2023

National Assembly kicks off last parliamentary audit before general elections

The National Assembly on Tuesday kicked off the last parliamentary audit before its term ends next year, with rival parties expected to try to take advantage of the 24-day audit for political gains ahead of April's general elections. The 17 parliamentary standing committees will audit a total of 791 government institutions. The ruling People Power Party plans to focus on getting to the bottom of various corruption allegations related to the previous government, including the Moon Jae-in adm

Oct. 10, 2023

Yoon instructs govt. to thoroughly prepare safety measures for S. Koreans in Israel

President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the government Tuesday to thoroughly prepare safety measures for South Korean residents and travelers in Israel amid its escalating conflict with the Hamas militant group. Yoon gave the instruction during a Cabinet meeting, while noting that the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East could increase economic uncertainties. "As the Israel-Palestine situation is turning into a full-scale war, I ask relevant ministries, with the foreign ministry at the cente

Oct. 10, 2023

PM revs up final pitch to promote Expo bid in Paris

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo held a symposium in Paris as part of his four-nation European trip, ramping up efforts to promote South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southern city of Busan, his office said Tuesday. After his arrival in Paris, Han participated in the Busan Expo Symposium 2023 on Monday, coinciding with the 50-day mark before the Bureau International des Expositions selects the host city for the quinquennial global event, the office said. The symposium brought to

Oct. 10, 2023

Bitter clashes expected at final Assembly audit before election

The National Assembly will begin the final audit before next year's legislative general election from Tuesday, with the ruling and opposition parties gearing up for a push to win over voters. The general election in April next year will decide if the Yoon Suk Yeol administration will have the support of a ruling People Power Party-controlled Assembly. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea currently holds a substantial majority in the Assembly and has used it to put the brakes on several

Oct. 9, 2023

Voter interest reaches all-time high for critical Seoul district election

Anticipation is building in Seoul ahead of the Oct. 11 by-election to choose the head of the capital city’s western district of Gangseo, which the two major parties’ strategists believe will offer a preview of the general election in April next year. The trends in early voting, which wrapped up Sunday, indicate a surprisingly high level of enthusiasm among voters. According to the National Election Commission, 113,313 voters -- or 22.6 percent of the 500,603 registered voters in th

Oct. 8, 2023

Unification ministry urges NK to immediately send detained S. Koreans back home

The unification ministry on Sunday urged North Korea to immediately send a South Korean pastor and five other nationals back home, condemning their yearslong detention as "illegal and inhumane." The ministry made the appeal in a statement marking 10 years after South Korean pastor Kim Jung-wook was arrested in Pyongyang in 2013 and then sentenced to hard labor for life on charges of spying for South Korea's spy agency. In 2014, two other South Korean missionaries, Kim Kuk-gi and C

Oct. 8, 2023

Yoon appoints new defense, culture ministers without parliamentary confirmation

President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the appointments of new Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and new Culture Minister Yoo In-chon on Saturday, the presidential office said. Shin, a lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party and a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was nominated by Yoon last month. He replaced Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup who offered to resign amid the main opposition Democratic Party's push to impeach him over his handling of a military investigation into a young

Oct. 7, 2023