Defector-turned-lawmaker denies illegal political donation allegations

Rep. Tae Yong-ho of the People Power Party on Wednesday flatly denied allegations that he received an illegal political donation around last year's local elections amid several other looming controversies surrounding him. According to a media report, the North Korean defector-turned-lawmaker allegedly accepted political funds from elected councilors of his constituency in Seoul's Gangnam district, in return for backing their nomination. The donations were allegedly split up and given u

May 3, 2023

2 opposition party lawmakers to voluntarily leave party over political funding scandal

Two lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party accused of involvement in a political funding scandal said Wednesday they will voluntarily leave the party. The scandal centers on allegations that campaign officials of Song Young-gil, a former DP leader, distributed cash envelopes to party members prior to the party's national convention in May 2021, during which Song was elected chairman. Reps. Youn Kwan-suk and Lee Sung-man, who are accused of involvement in the illegal electioneering cam

May 3, 2023

13,000 illegal immigrants leave S. Korea through crackdown over 2 months

About 13,000 illegal immigrants left South Korea through a crackdown and the voluntary departure program over the past two months, the Ministry of Justice said Wednesday. The government has resumed its crackdown on foreigners staying or working illegally here since last October after a pause due to COVID-19. The latest crackdown from March 2 to April 30 was mainly conducted in fields that can cause social harm, such as entertainment services, and in industries closely linked to local people'

May 3, 2023

Yoon makes surprise appearance at lunch with reporters ahead of inauguration anniversary

President Yoon Suk Yeol made a surprise appearance at a luncheon for reporters on Tuesday and shared his thoughts about marking one year in office next week. Yoon sat with presidential office reporters on a lawn inside the office compound as the journalists had lunch following a press tour of Yongsan Children's Garden. The garden is effectively a park adjacent to the compound and will open to the public on Thursday. "Through the criticism and the encouragement, it's already been a

May 2, 2023

Park in front of presidential office to open to public Thursday

A newly constructed park in front of the presidential office building will open to the public this week ahead of the first anniversary of President Yoon Suk Yeol's inauguration, the office said Tuesday. The park, which has been named Yongsan Children's Garden, will open Thursday on the eve of the Children's Day holiday, after having undergone reconstruction for a year in line with Yoon's campaign pledge to draw closer to the public. As part of that pledge, Yoon also relocated

May 2, 2023

Former opposition leader decries political persecution in 'cash envelope' probe

The former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, a key suspect in an illicit political funding scandal, claimed that the prosecution is politically persecuting him and President Yoon Suk Yeol's so-called "political enemies." Song Young-gil said Tuesday that the 60-year-old himself and his successor Rep. Lee Jae-myung, as well as some 700 former officials under the previous Moon Jae-in administration, have been targeted by the prosecution in attempt to steer public su

May 2, 2023

Yoon to share results of US visit with ruling party leaders

President Yoon Suk Yeol will share the results of his state visit to the United States with ruling People Power Party leaders Tuesday, an official said. People Power Party leader Kim Gi-hyeon, floor leader Yun Jae-ok, secretary general Lee Chul-gyu, chief policymaker Park Dae-chul and others have been invited to a dinner with Yoon at the presidential office later in the day, according to the senior presidential official. "President Yoon will personally explain the results of the US visit an

May 2, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Remote diagnostics, eased housing rule and fair hiring

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Medical Service Act Proposed by Rep. Kim Sung-won (People Power Party) ● The government temporarily allowed non-face-to-face (NF2F) medical diagnosis after COVID-19 social distancing policies made it difficult for people to visit medical institutions. Since then, over 35 million cases were successfully treated remotely, and individuals with mobility or time restrictions, such as the elderly, the disabled, office workers and sole proprietors enjoyed enhance

May 1, 2023

Yoon returns home to face contentious political front

South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol returned to Seoul on Sunday to face a growing number of partisan challenges, in addition to criticism from the country’s main opposition party over the results of his summit with US President Joe Biden. While Yoon was away in Washington, the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea said the party would propose a bill regulating the role of a presidential spouse, in criticism of the first lady’s public appearances in the US. “We need a bill

May 1, 2023

Yoon to commend members of Sudan evacuation operation

President Yoon Suk Yeol will invite members of a military operation to airlift 28 South Koreans out of war-torn Sudan to the presidential office on Monday to commend their successful completion of the mission, according to his office. The participants in the Operation Promise will be invited to the presidential office in the afternoon, the presidential office said in a release. It is Yoon's first official schedule since returning from his six-day state visit to the United States. A military

May 1, 2023

Yoon's approval rating rebounds after 4 weeks: poll

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating has rebounded for the first time in four weeks, thanks to positive feedback on his recent state visit to the United States, a poll showed Monday. In the poll of 2,507 adults aged 18 or older conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday of last week, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance went up 1.8 percentage points from the previous week to 34.5 percent. The result marked Yoon's highest performance in public polls since the 36.7 p

May 1, 2023

Rival political parties diverge on Yoon-Biden summit

South Korean rival political parties have diverged on their assessments of the gains and losses of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s summit with US President Joe Biden. While political opponents at home have blasted Yoon for “returning from Washington empty-handed,” the ruling party has defended Yoon for upgrading the security alliance to a new level. Park Jie-won, who headed South Korea’s National Intelligence Service during the Moon Jae-in administration, told The

April 30, 2023

South Korea sees soaring refugee claims by Russians

More than 1,000 Russian nationals applied for refugee status in the first three months of this year in South Korea, surpassing last year’s total. According to Ministry of Justice statistics, out of the 4,057 refugee applications lodged between January and March, 26 percent, or 1,056, were made by Russians. This is more than the 1,038 received from Russians over the whole of last year. South Korea has completed a review of 1,685 applications for recognition of refugee status out of the 4,05

April 30, 2023

Yoon fetes new nuclear accord as allies take harder line on NK

President Yoon Suk Yeol returned to his office Sunday after a six-day trip to the US, touting an accord to give South Korea a bigger say in a potential US nuclear response to North Korea as an upgrade to the existing Seoul-Washington mutual defense treaty. The Washington Declaration, which gives Seoul a seat at the table on using Washington’s nuclear force in exchange for swearing off an independent nuclear buildup, is a major shift from the previous administration’s approach to Pyon

April 30, 2023

PPP leader expresses 'deep regret' over China's remarks on Yoon's speech

Ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Kim Gi-hyeon expressed "deep regret" Saturday over the Chinese government's "unsettling" remarks on a speech made by President Yoon Suk Yeol at the US Congress earlier this week. In his speech Thursday, Yoon honored US soldiers who took part in the 1950-53 Korean War, citing troops who "miraculously" broke through a wave of Chinese forces at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. The next day, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperso

April 29, 2023

Yoon meets with MIT scholars to discuss digital, bio technologies

BOSTON -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with a group of scholars at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Friday to discuss cooperation on digital and bio technologies. Yoon, who is on a state visit to the United States, met with Anantha Chandrakasan, dean of the MIT School of Engineering, Professor Robert Langer, co-founder of Moderna, and James Collins, professor of biological engineering, among others. "It's significant that I came to Boston right after my tr

April 29, 2023

S. Korea can develop nuclear weapons but chooses not to: Yoon

  South Korea possesses the necessary technological capabilities to rapidly acquire nuclear weapons, potentially within a year, should it decide to pursue that path. However, South Korea has deliberately chosen to uphold its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, President Yoon Suk Yeol said Friday.   Speaking at Harvard University’s Kennedy School in Boston, Yoon addressed growing public calls within South Korea for the country to pursue its own nuclear armament ami

April 29, 2023

Lawmaker referred to ethics panel after accusing Yoon of sexual abuse for child cheek kiss

The ruling People Power Party referred an opposition lawmaker to the parliamentary ethics committee Friday after he accused President Yoon Suk Yeol of sexual abuse for giving a kiss on the cheek to a child during a state visit to the United States. Rep. Jang Kyung-tae of the main opposition Democratic Party said during a party meeting on Wednesday, "Kissing a child on the lips or elsewhere without consent is considered sexual abuse in the US," referring to the kiss on the cheek Yoon

April 28, 2023

3-term lawmaker Park Kwang-on elected new opposition party floor leader

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea elected Rep. Park Kwang-on as its new party floor leader at its general meeting of lawmakers on Friday. Known for his dovish approach to balancing divisions within the party, the lawmaker representing the Suwon-jeong electoral district earned more than half of the total 169 votes of the Democratic Party lawmakers registered at the National Assembly. The election was among four candidates, with three viewed as being close aides of the outspoken party

April 28, 2023

Yoon nudges Musk for Korea investment

President Yoon Suk Yeol asked Tesla CEO Elon Musk to expand investment in South Korea, “an ideal place” for such high-tech investments, at a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of a summit with his US counterpart in Washington this week. “Korea has the world’s best robots and an unmatched talent pool,” Yoon said in a statement Wednesday released by his office. “Korea is the country where Tesla will see the highest level of efficiency needed to run gigafactorie

April 27, 2023