Most Popular
-
1
1 in 3 Koreans live alone, family types becoming diverse
-
2
Korea, Japan finance chiefs vow to tame rampant FX market volatility
-
3
K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
-
4
K-pop singer lost consciousness after being hit by foul ball, cancels show
-
5
Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
-
6
Korean Muslim YouTuber's plan to build mosque in Incheon goes viral
-
7
Why is Apple Pay struggling to get purchase in Korea?
-
8
Yoon's office denies considering liberal figures for key posts
-
9
Seoul says Fu Bao loan 'not going to happen'
-
10
Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
-
Where is Kim Keon-hee? First lady's absence raises questions
Kim Keon Hee is nowhere to be seen. South Korea's first lady has been out of the public eye for four months, and her absence shows no signs of ending. Kim, 51, was last seen in public upon her return from the Netherlands, along with her husband, President Yoon Suk Yeol, in mid-December last year. The presidential office has remained silent about the reason behind Kim's absence, as well as about her whereabouts. No health issues have been mentioned. Her continued absence seems remarkabl
March 19, 2024
-
Huh Kyung-young sued for sexually harassing female followers
Huh Kyung-young, a cult leader, singer and fringe politician who has run in presidential elections multiple times, faces accusations of sexually harassing over 20 female followers. He has denied the allegations. The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police said Tuesday that 22 members of “Sky Palace,”a cult group founded and led by Huh, filed complaints, asking the police to investigate the leader’s alleged misconduct. They claimed that at the cult’s headquarters in Yangju, Gye
March 19, 2024
-
Yoon calls for dialogue, trust from medical community
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday urged the medical community to engage in dialogue and to trust the government, rather than refusing to bend on plans to increase the annual medical school enrollment quota. The president made the remarks during his visit to the pediatric ward of the Asan Medical Center earlier in the day. There, he met with hospital officials, including Park Seung-il, the head of the hospital and Lee Je-hwan, the vice director of medical services, to encourage medical workers wh
March 18, 2024
-
People Future Party, New Future Party announce election candidates
A satellite of the ruling party and another launched by former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon on Monday announced their list of candidates for the upcoming general election on April 10. The candidates will be vying for National Assembly seats through proportional representation under the current voting system. The People Future Party announced a total of 35 candidates, including Choi Bo-yun, a 45-year-old attorney with a spinal cord disability, and Park Chung-kwon, a 38-year-old North Korean defecto
March 18, 2024
-
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