[Newsmaker] Defense chief nominee on hot seat over scandal

When former Navy chief Song Young-moo was nominated as the first minister of defense for the Moon Jae-in administration last week, hopes were high that the retired admiral will bring sweeping reforms. In his first meeting with reporters after being nominated, Song laid out his vision with confidence. Describing the current security challenges as being paradigm-shifting, he pledged to “rebuild” the military by eradicating dubious military contracts.But the path for Song’s appointment is likely to

DefenseJune 22, 2017

[Newsmaker] Bar exam fades into history

Hundreds of people, many with their eyes fixed on books, hurriedly walked past the main gate of Yeonsei University in Seoul on Wednesday morning to take the “exam of destiny” -- the nation’s very last state bar exam.If their efforts pay off, spanning several years, they will advance to the final round of the three-stage exam -- an interview -- to become a legal professional in the country. Only 50 people will pass this round. Following the exam, which will continue until Saturday, there will be

Social AffairsJune 21, 2017

[Newsmaker] Little is known about six South Koreans imprisoned in North

Before the tragic story of the American traveler to North Korea, Otto Warmbier, made headlines, not many in South Korea knew that several of their compatriots also face the same ordeal in the communist state. It was only last week that the South’s intelligence agency revealed that six South Koreans are currently detained in the North -- three pastors for engaging in religious activities and three for defecting from the North. Despite increased public attention on their safety, following Warmbier

North KoreaJune 20, 2017

[Newsmaker] Kang faces mountain of challenges

With silver hair and a cheery smile, she stood out amid a torrent of camera flashes. As she delivered her inauguration address, younger diplomats gazed in awe, letting out whoops when she touched on better work-family balance. The number of followers of the Foreign Ministry’s Twitter account surpassed 100,000 following her appointment, with photos of her making her maiden appearance at her office Sunday garnering more than 4,600 retweets.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha formally took office Monda

Foreign AffairsJune 19, 2017

[Newsmaker] Amazon deal could disrupt grocery business

Amazon’s deal to buy Whole Foods Market injects even greater pressure into the food and grocery sectors at a time when e-commerce is already roiling retailers.The tech giant’s $13.7 billion acquisition of the upscale, niche grocery chain was described as a seismic event by industry analysts, despite Whole Foods’ relatively small size.The deal prompted jokes and semi-serious posts on Twitter about a space-age shopping era with Amazon’s artificial intelligence program Alexa replacing cashiers and

World NewsJune 18, 2017

[Newsmaker] Trump decries being target of Russia probe

President Donald Trump responded angrily to reports he is under criminal investigation Thursday, deriding a “witch hunt” against him led by some “very bad” people.Trump responded to reports he is personally being investigated for obstruction of justice with a characteristic scorched earth defense: claiming mistreatment of historic proportions and calling into question the probity of his accusers.“You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history -- led by some very

World NewsJune 16, 2017

[Newsmaker] Warmbier 'brutalized, terrorized' in N. Korea: father

In this March 16, 2016, file photo, American student Otto Warmbier is escorted at the Supreme Court in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP-Yonhap)The father of a comatose American college student released from North Korea said Thursday his son was "brutalized and terrorized" in the communist nation, and he doesn't believe Pyongyang's claim the son fell into a come due to "botulism" food poisoning."What I would say to the North Korean regime, I would say I'm so proud of Otto, my son, who has been in a pa

North KoreaJune 16, 2017

[Newsmaker] Scalise: Rising star, gun rights advocate

Steve Scalise, the senior Republican lawmaker seriously wounded in Wednesday’s shooting at a baseball practice near Washington, is a hard-line conservative who opposes abortion, immigration and gun control, and who cleared numerous hurdles to become the No. 3 House Republican.　The 51-year-old congressman from Louisiana was in critical condition after surgery at a Washington hospital for a gunshot wound to the hip. Three other people were shot and two more suffered minor injuries.　The attacker la

World NewsJune 15, 2017

[Newsmaker] Justice minister nominee accused of sexism

When President Moon Jae-in picked Ahn Kyong-whan as justice minister, his apparent lack of ties to established powers and ample experience of advocating human rights made him look like a good fit to reform the country’s law enforcement system. The choice was seen as a reflection of Moon’s determination to overhaul the powerful law enforcement body, which has been criticized for holding too much power with its exclusive rights to indict. But the former head of the nation’s human rights watchdog h

Social AffairsJune 14, 2017

[Newsmaker] Immelt to depart as GE names new CEO

General Electric announced a leadership shakeup Monday as it faces scrutiny after a corporate makeover executed by outgoing chief Jeff Immelt in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis failed to ignite strong growth.　Immelt, 61, will step down as chief executive on Aug. 1, handing the reins to GE Healthcare President John Flannery, a 30-year veteran of the company whose previous roles included country chief in India.　During a conference call with analysts, Immelt said the transition was first disc

World NewsJune 13, 2017

[Newsmaker] Defense minister nominee pledges strong military reform

Under the previous Roh Moo-hyun administration, then-Vice Admiral Song Young-moo was tasked with leading the effort to overhaul the South Korean military by reducing its overreliance on the Army and Korea-US alliance. Song pushed this agenda until he retired as the chief of Naval Operation in 2008 after former President Lee Myung-bak took office. In 2012, Song served as a key security adviser for then-presidential candidate Moon Jae-in and worked alongside Moon until he won the presidential elec

DefenseJune 12, 2017

[Newsmaker] UK's Theresa May pays heavy price for gamble

LONDON (AP) -- In the big book of political blunders, Theresa May's decision to hold a snap election to solidify her Brexit mandate will rank among the most memorable _ and the most unnecessary. The British prime minister was cruising along two months ago with a solid majority in Parliament and several years to run on her party's mandate. There was no need for her to put her position on the line, and she had said earlier that an election was not needed.  But her party's huge lead in the opinion

World NewsJune 9, 2017

[Newsmaker] NK anti-ship missile launch showcases defensive ability

North Korea fired multiple anti-ship cruise missiles, South Korea’s military said Thursday, in an apparent display of advanced defense capacity against US military assets near the peninsula. 　Classified as short-range surface-to-ship cruise missiles, the projectiles lifted off from a launch site in the North’s coastal city of Wonsan and flew at least 200 kilometers with an apogee of 2 kilometers before falling into the East Sea, according to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.The launch was seen as t

North KoreaJune 8, 2017

[Newsmaker] Comey says Trump pressured him on Russia probe

Fired FBI Director James Comey said Wednesday that Donald Trump urged him to drop a probe into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, prompting fresh allegations that the US president tried to obstruct justice.　In a bombshell revelation on the eve of his hotly anticipated appearance on Capitol Hill, Comey said Trump had raised the sensitive FBI probe into Russia‘s alleged meddling in the US election in multiple discussions, leaving him deeply uneasy over whether the president was attemp

World NewsJune 8, 2017

[Newsmaker] Comey: Trump pressured on Russia probe

Fired FBI Director James Comey will testify under oath Thursday that President Donald Trump repeatedly pressed him for his "loyalty'' and directly pushed him to "lift the cloud'' of investigation shadowing his White House by declaring publicly the president was not the target of the probe into his campaign's Russia ties.  In this combination photo, President Donald Trump, left, appears in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on May 10, and FBI Director James Comey appears at a news c

WorldJune 8, 2017

[Newsmaker] Trump throws ties with key ally Qatar into crisis

In a series of morning tweets, President Donald Trump threw Washington’s relations with Doha into deep crisis on Tuesday and raised doubts about the future of the largest US air base in the Middle East.　Trump publicly accused key regional ally Qatar of funding extremism, while tacitly backing a blockade of the emirate, home to the Al-Udeid Air Base near Doha where around 10,000 US military personnel are stationed.　The base is also the regional headquarters of US special forces and Air Force comm

World NewsJune 7, 2017

[Newsmaker] Foreign minister nominee’s prospects darken

Kang Kyung-wha, nominated to become South Korea’s first female foreign minister, is considered the embodiment of an “alpha female,” with a resume that includes time as a special policy adviser to the United Nations secretary-general.Still, the country’s most prominent female diplomat faces an uphill confirmation battle. Opposition lawmakers are determined to grill the 62-year-old nominee over allegations of wrongdoing at a hearing Wednesday.  (Yonhap)Even before the parliamentary process opened

PoliticsJune 6, 2017

[Newsmaker] Fears grow of bird flu resurgence

Signs of a resurgence of bird flu are rapidly spreading across South Korea, triggering concerns over yet another possible round of the massive slaughter of poultry and ensuing hikes in egg prices. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed Monday that small flocks of farm chickens on the southern island of Jeju have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N8 virus. The agency also said it will raise the bird flu alert to the highest level.The announcement came in response

Social AffairsJune 5, 2017

[Newsmaker] Trump critics, backers march over climate, Russia

Sharp political passions over President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and his links to Russia brought people onto the streets of cities around the globe on Saturday, mostly to condemn but some to praise him. 　They came as Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, ended days of confusion to make clear that “President Trump believes the climate is changing” and that man-made pollutants are partly responsible. 　She insisted in a CNN interview that Trump, who ha

World NewsJune 4, 2017

[Newsmaker] THAAD scandal sullies duo’s decorated career

During the previous Park Geun-hye administration, most high-profile decisions about national security were led by two former Army generals: Han Min-koo and Kim Kwan-jin. Kim was first defense minister and then the president’s chief security adviser. Han, two years junior to Kim, took over the minister’s office from Kim. The duo shared many aspects in common. They both graduated from the Korean Military Academy, equivalent to West Point in the US, and climbed up the military ladder much faster th

DefenseJune 1, 2017