The chief of the coast guard for Taean, South Chungcheong Province, has been removed from the post, and the chief of the Central Regional Coast Guard has been reprimanded over a recent series of illegal entries into the country through the West Sea. The Korea Coast Guard on Friday said that coast guard chief Ha Man-sik was removed from the post for failing to respond to boats carrying illegally entering immigrants from China. Since April 20, three boats connected to illegally entering the c

Social Affairs June 5, 2020

Choi Seo-yeon has claimed in a memoir that she served former President Park Geun-hye without any personal gains in mind, living as an “invisible person.” Choi, better known by the name Choi Sun-sil, is Park’s confidante at the center of the scandal that led to Park’s eventual impeachment, removal from office and imprisonment. Choi is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence on various corruption charges. She is also the daughter of Choi Tae-min, a late cult leader

Social Affairs June 5, 2020

The 21st National Assembly kicked off Friday with the plenary session boycotted by the main opposition over friction with the ruling party, despite repeated promises to seek “cooperative politics.” On Friday, the new parliament’s plenary session opened with members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, main opposition United Future Party and other minor parties. The main opposition, however, left the session just 12 minutes after it opened, following the address by the par

Politics June 5, 2020

The United States has accepted South Korea’s initial offer to cover the wages of its citizens employed by the US Forces Korea until the year-end, inching forward in the prolonged defense cost-sharing negotiations, according to officials Wednesday. “The Department of Defense has accepted the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) proposal to fund the labor costs for all US Forces Korea (USFK) Korean National (KN) employees through the end of 2020,” the US Department of Defense said i

Defense June 3, 2020

South Korea being invited to the G-7 meeting is a step toward a new international order that will raise the country to a new level in international society, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. “In the words of President Trump, G-7 is outdated, and the possibility of G-7 becoming G-11 or G-12 has grown,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-seok said at a press briefing about the previous day’s telephone conversation between President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump. On Mond

Foreign Affairs June 2, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged the National Assembly to quickly approve the third supplementary budget bill, stressing that South Korea’s government debt is growing at a slower rate than other major economies. Speaking at an emergency economy meeting, Moon said the government will employ all resources at its disposal to offset the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, and to lay the foundations for building “pioneering economy.” Monday’s event was the sixth emergen

Politics June 1, 2020

President Moon Jae-in, meeting with floor leaders of the two main political parties on Thursday, asked for bipartisan cooperation in the government’s response to unprecedented challenges amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. 　 In the meeting with Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon of the ruling Democratic Party and Rep. Joo ho-young of the main opposition United Future Party, Moon also stressed the importance of communication among the leaders of both parties and the president, saying that discussions on c

Politics May 28, 2020

The government will push to ease regulations on inter-Korean exchange and contact with North Koreans, the Ministry of Unification said Tuesday. The changes, which will be included in the revision of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, are thought to be aimed at aiding the Moon Jae-in administration’s plans to lay the foundations for inter-Korean projects. The revision, which will be submitted to the National Assembly within the year, will allow South Koreans to contact North K

North Korea May 26, 2020

Addressing the officials responsible for drawing up the national fiscal strategy, President Moon Jae-in on Monday called for bold support measures, saying the state must spearhead efforts to soften the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at the National Fiscal Strategy Meeting, Moon also downplayed concerns that his administration’s fiscal policies could threaten the country’s fiscal stability, saying Korea was more economically stable than average compared with other OECD s

Politics May 25, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday pledged to quickly roll out the “Korean New Deal” saying that the country can emerge from the COVID-19 crisis as a leader in the era of digital economy. Speaking at a meeting with leaders of industries experiencing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Moon said that the economic crisis sparked by the pandemic is spreading to a wider range of industries, but the country has built opportunities from crisis. “We have shaped our future by

Politics May 21, 2020

North Korea is probably having difficulty importing grain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while continuing to experience a shortage in food production, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification said Tuesday. “COVID-19 is likely to have significantly hampered North Korea in importing resources from outside,” a Unification Ministry official said. Early on in the pandemic, North Korea closed its borders and is reported to have imposed strict quarantine measures on anyone who has tra

North Korea May 19, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Monday again pledged to resolve controversies surrounding the May 18 Democratic Uprising in 1980, and urged those involved in atrocities to come forward to open a “path of forgiveness and reconciliation.” Speaking at the event marking the 40th anniversary of the uprising in Gwangju, which was crushed by the military junta of Chun Doo-hwan, Moon said that the movement sowed the seeds of democracy that gave rise to today’s South Korea. The event, hel

Social Affairs May 18, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday pledged increased support for local startups and to lay the foundations for the drive to make the country into a “digital powerhouse.” Speaking at a meeting with 21 young entrepreneurs included in Forbes’ list of under 30 Asian entrepreneurs, Moon reiterated his vision of building a “pioneering economy,” and the role of startups have in that vision. “Startups must survive the valley of death to become global companies. Th

Politics May 14, 2020

The National Assembly appears likely to convene for another extraordinary session next week, with the end of the current parliamentary term fast approaching. According to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and main opposition United Future Party, the two sides have tentatively agreed to hold an extraordinary session sometime next week to process uncontested bills. The ruling party’s Floor Leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon and his opposition counterpart Rep. Joo Ho-young are set to meet to d

Politics May 12, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday asked the parliamentarians to prioritize strengthening quarantine and public health capabilities at the incoming 21st National Assembly. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Moon said that strengthening related capabilities including upgrading the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be prioritized. The term of the current National Assembly will end on May 29, giving way to the lawmakers elected in this year’s general elections for their fou

Politics May 12, 2020