[News Focus] Lee tells Yoon that he has governed without political dialogue

In their first meeting ever after President Yoon Suk Yeol seized power in 2022, main opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday told the conservative president that his two years in office has been a "time of dominance and ruling with the absence of politics." Ahead of their first official one-on-one meeting held Monday afternoon behind doors, Lee kicked off the event by thanking Yoon for setting up the meeting and expressed hope that it would become a cornerstone to present "

April 29, 2024

[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games

Kakao Games has decided to scrap using English names among its employees, becoming the first Kakao affiliate to backtrack on the IT front-runner’s attempt to make a more bottom-up working environment with open communication. Kakao Games CEO Han Sang-woo, whose English name is Michael, announced the decision in a meeting with employees on April 17, noting that there had been confusion as its workers had to use English names inside the company but went by their Korean names for external comm

April 28, 2024

Hybe-Ador feud should have limited effect on Hybe's overall performance: analysts

Analysts say that while the recent feud between Hybe Entertainment and its sublabel Ador could result in short-term fluctuations in Hybe's stock prices, any long-term effects on Hybe's performance will be limited due to Ador's limited contribution to Hybe's overall performance. On Friday, shares of Hybe started at 206,000 won ($149) per share, a 11.7 percent drop compared to when the main bourse, Kospi, opened Monday, when they were 233,500 won per share, before the Hybe-Ador

April 26, 2024

Over 9,000 hotline calls made by stalking victims in 2023

The number of calls made by stalking victims to the state-run women's counseling hotline jumped more than three-fold over the past three years, government data showed. A total of 9,017 cases of over-the-phone counseling were provided by the 1366 emergency counseling service, according to a joint report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the ministry-affiliated Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea. The figure has increased exponentially, having recorded 2,710 in 2021. The emerge

April 25, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'

As South Korea grapples with a shrinking population, it is increasingly turning to foreign workers to fill crucial roles. Today, labor from overeseas is concentrated in low-paying unskilled jobs, but in the future, many will be hired to perform highly skilled work, according to Kim Young-Jung, president of the Korea Employment Information Service. Highly skilled jobs may include engineers, scientists, teachers, managers and IT professionals, he said. “Korea is getting more and more in need

April 24, 2024

S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit

The South Korean government on Tuesday expressed regret over the visit of a Japanese minister and more than 90 lawmakers to pay respect at the Yasukuni Shrine, which commemorates those who died in service to Japan over several wars, including war criminals from the World War II period. "The government urges responsible leaders of Japan to squarely face history, and demonstrate through action their humble reflection and sincere remorse for Japan's past," Foreign Ministry spokespers

April 23, 2024

North Korea fires several short-range ballistic missiles into sea: JCS

South Korea spotted several short-range ballistic missiles fired from North Korea toward the sea west of the Korean Peninsula on Monday. The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a release that the missiles, the launch point of which is believed to be around Pyongyang, flew for more than 300 kilometers before landing in the sea at 3:01 p.m. The JCS said the missiles were “immediately detected, tracked and monitored” as they were launched and that the related information was &ld

April 22, 2024

Journalist-turned-lawmaker named new chief of staff

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s new chief of staff, Rep. Chung Jin-suk, is a former journalist from a family with a political legacy. His appointment as presidential chief of staff follows his defeat in the April 10 election for the National Assembly against the rival Democratic Party of Korea candidate and former lawmaker Park Soo-hyun. Chung is the president’s third chief of staff and the first with experience in the Assembly. His two predecessors, Lee Kwan-sup and Kim Dae-ki, were bot

April 22, 2024

BOK chief says won will level off if Middle East conflict eases

Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong, during his visit to the United States, projected the volatility of the won-dollar exchange rate would ease if the Middle East tension did not escalate further. The won-dollar exchange rate has been fluctuating heavily over the past few weeks, influenced by the strong demand for the greenback, with the anticipation that the US Federal Reserve will continue its aggressive monetary tightening due to the hotter-than-expected inflation readings. The strong safe

April 21, 2024

Yoon offers first one-on-one meeting with opposition leader next week

President Yoon Suk Yeol has invited main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung to their first one-on-one meeting through a brief phone call, the presidential office said Friday. In a surprise 5-minute phone call between the two, Yoon asked Lee to meet him next week at Yongsan, where the presidential office is located, an official at the presidential office told reporters. In his first phone call to Lee, Yoon added that he hoped to frequently meet from now on to discuss national affairs “over tea

April 19, 2024

Iran fires air defense batteries in provinces as sound of explosions heard near Isfahan

Iran fired air defense batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. It remained unclear if the country was under attack. However, tensions remain high in the wider Middle East after Iran’s unprecedented missile-and-drone attack on Israel. One government official suggested sites may have been targeted by drones. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. IRNA said the defenses fi

April 19, 2024

Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth

PARIS -- Climate change caused by carbon dioxide emissions already in the atmosphere will shrink global gross domestic product in 2050 by about $38 trillion, or almost a fifth, no matter how aggressively humanity cuts carbon pollution, researchers said Wednesday. But slashing greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible remains crucial to avoid even more devastating economic impacts after midcentury, they reported in the journal Nature. Economic fallout from climate change, the study shows, c

April 18, 2024

Fed: Elevated inflation will likely delay rate cuts this year

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cautioned Tuesday that persistently elevated inflation will likely delay any Fed interest rate cuts until later this year, opening the door to a period of higher-for-longer rates. “Recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence" that inflation is coming fully under control and "instead indicate that it’s likely to take longer than expected to achieve that confidence,” Powell said during a panel discussion at the Wilson Cen

April 17, 2024

Sewol victims commemorated on tragedy's 10th anniversary

A series of memorial events were held across the country Tuesday, the 10th anniversary of the Sewol ferry tragedy, in remembrance of the 304 lives lost in Korea's worst maritime disaster. At a ceremony held at the Hwarang Public Garden in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Dong-yeon vowed to remember the 304 victims forever. Kim also lamented that no senior officials were held accountable for the failed disaster response. "Another tragedy followed this tragedy. It is

April 16, 2024

A decade lost: Sewol survivors on life after tragedy

ANSAN, Gyeonggi Province -- On April 16, 2014, 325 students and 14 teachers from Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province were aboard the Sewol ferry heading to Jeju Island for a field trip. Cho Mun-jeong was one of the students on the trip and was hoping to enjoy a brief reprieve from preparing for college entrance exams. After a loud "bang" echoed through the ferry, an announcement was made over the intercom, urging passengers not to move and to wait patiently for rescue. But C

April 15, 2024

World reactions to Iran strikes on Israel

Countries around the world condemned Iran's strikes on Israel late Saturday, warning the attack threatened to further destabilise the Middle East. Here are some of the main reactions so far: US - US President Joe Biden promised "ironclad" support for Israel after holding an urgent meeting with top security officials. "I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its

April 14, 2024

Korea to cut no. of teachers amid diminishing student numbers

Amid administrative efforts to increase the annual enrollment quota for medical schools that sparked the mass walk-out of doctors across the country, the government said it would reduce the number of school teachers going forward, citing a decline in student numbers. The enrollment quota for teachers' colleges, which has remained unchanged for 13 years, will be reduced by 12 percent, the Education Ministry said. Currently, 13 universities that train aspiring elementary school teachers take

April 12, 2024

Despite landslide win, opposition party chief not yet home-free

  Wednesday’s general election concluded in a resounding victory for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, which took 175 seats of the National Assembly's 300 seats while the ruling People Power Party scraped up 108. While Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung celebrates what he called "a great victory of the people," the prospect of him becoming a front-runner for the next presidency is murkier than what the landslide victory may suggest. With Lee winning his own c

April 11, 2024

Yoon likely to face post-election political attacks

President Yoon Suk Yeol's fate was hanging in the balance as Koreans went to the polls Wednesday, The exit poll and the early ballot counting of the legislative general election suggested a gloomy outlook for the ruling bloc, which could send the conservative president into an early lame-duck phase, with three years remaining in his term. The exit poll suggested that opposition parties could secure two-thirds or more of the seats in the 300-member National Assembly, which would grant them enough

April 10, 2024

Ex-presidents break silence in rare election move

Former South Korean presidents have traditionally maintained a reserved stance regarding elections held after their tenure, but some have been making rather different moves in this general election. Showing active support for his party, the Democratic Party of Korea, Moon Jae-in, the predecessor of incumbent President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been the most vigorous among the past three presidents, directly joining rallies of individual candidates from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Dre

April 9, 2024