President Yoon Suk Yeol’s upcoming visit to Japan is a significant step in improving Korea-Japan relations, providing an opportunity to break the long-standing vicious cycle of stagnation and move toward normalization, the nation’s national security adviser said on Tuesday. At the invitation of the Japanese government, Yoon, accompanied by first lady Kim Keon Hee, will embark on a working trip to the neighboring country from March 16-17. This marks the first time in 12 years that a K

Foreign Affairs March 14, 2023

Kim, the 65-year-old owner of a construction business-related subcontractor in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, had to sell his business a few months ago, after years of struggling with a local labor union. The Yeosu branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions constantly intervened in the hiring process of workers at Kim's company and even told him to fire people they do not like, he said. Whenever the union had internal quarrels, Kim had to watch his workers leave their work behind a

Politics March 14, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol will hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida next week, as he is set to visit the neighboring country with first lady Kim Keon Hee, the presidential office said Thursday. This is the first visit by a Korean president to Japan in about four years since former President Moon Jae-in visited Osaka in June 2019 to attend the Group of 20 summit. It is also the first time in 11 years and 3 months that a Korean president participates in a bilateral summit in Ja

Foreign Affairs March 9, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday the government will provide more incentives and ease regulatory hurdles for foreign-invested companies, as he attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the $7 billion Shaheen petrochemical project in Ulsan. Calling the Shaheen project a symbol of "special friendship and trust" shared between South Korea and Saudi Arabia, he also said the project’s success would result in job creation, stimulate the regional economy and further solidify the c

Politics March 9, 2023

A highly anticipated summit scheduled between the leaders of South Korea and the US in April is expected to mark a turning point in their 70-year-old alliance, which faces various challenges from the Indo-Pacific region, including nuclear threats from North Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol has been invited by US President Joe Biden to make a state visit to the US with the aim of further strengthening the already strong economic and security ties between the two countries. This invitation follows S

Politics March 8, 2023

  President Yoon Suk Yeol is scheduled to pay a state visit to the US at the end of April at the invitation of US President Joe Biden, officials said on Tuesday night. President Yoon's state visit to the US will be made this year to mark the historic year of the 70th anniversary of the alliance of the two nations and it will be the first state visit to the US by a South Korea leader in 12 years since 2011 and the second since the launch of the Biden administration, according to a written st

Foreign Affairs March 8, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol has invited the Korean rescue team who returned from the earthquake site in Turkey to a Cheong Wa Dae luncheon to convey his gratitude, officials said on Tuesday. He thanked the 135-member team on behalf of the public and acknowledged the challenging conditions they faced with aftershocks and cold weather. “Your solidarity shown at the Turkey relief site reminds us once again that Korea and Turkey are true friends who help each other in difficult times,” he sa

Social Affairs March 7, 2023

Two days after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria on Feb. 6, South Korea dispatched a relief team of 118 people to Turkey. For 10 days, the team -- fighting cold, insecurity and human tragedy -- rescued eight people and recovered 19 bodies from the ravaged buildings that collapsed in one of the deadliest quakes in modern history. Korea was the first Asian country to dispatch a relief team to Turkey, and fifth in the world. The Korean team, which mainly co

Social Affairs March 7, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol may visit Japan later this month to mark a historic deal between South Korea and Japan to resolve a long-standing dispute over compensation to forced laborers during Japan's colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945, according to sources on Monday. The details of the visit are still being discussed and have not been confirmed by either side. Yoon’s visit is likely to be scheduled for the end of this month after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit

Foreign Affairs March 6, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday vowed to foster growth of the nation's biohealth industry, aiming to establish it as a key contributor to the economy on par with the semiconductors industry. Urging lawmakers to pass the digital health care bill, he said he believes it will not only safeguard personal information but also enhance the industry's competitiveness. Noting that the global market size of the industry is nearly 2,600 trillion won ($1.96 trillion) and the growth potential

Politics Feb. 28, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged to combat school violence and promote greater social justice after having to cancel a key personnel appointment when the chosen official was found to have defended his son in a school bullying case instead of holding him accountable. During a meeting with his secretaries on Monday, Yoon directed the Education Ministry to “collaborate with relevant organizations such as local offices of education to develop measures for eradicating school violence as qui

Politics Feb. 27, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol has set a target of exporting $685 billion this year, an increase of 0.2 percent year-on-year, vowing to mobilize all the nation's capabilities to achieve this goal at an export strategy meeting Thursday. The meeting was attended by related ministers and leaders of major exporters, including CJ CheilJedang, LG Energy Solution, HMM and CJ ENM. Despite difficult economic conditions, Yoon noted that the country had achieved record-high exports of $683.6 billion last yea

Politics Feb. 23, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered a strong crackdown on systematic illegal activities at construction sites, reiterating his will to push for labor reforms, officials said Tuesday. Eradication of illegal activities at construction sites is a key task for labor reforms for the Yoon government, which has operated a dedicated team of the Land Ministry and a special 200-day crackdown by the National Police Agency. After being briefed on the current situation of violence at construction sites, Yoon ord

Politics Feb. 21, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the motion to arrest the Democratic Party of Korea's leader and his former presidential opponent, Lee Jae-myung. Lee’s fate -- whether he will become the first prominent opposition leader to be arrested -- will be decided by an anonymous vote of lawmakers on Monday. “The motion for Lee’s arrest was received yesterday (Feb. 20) and approved by the president,” the presidential office said in a written statement early in the morning. &ld

Politics Feb. 21, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday that the government would freeze public utility fees controlled by the central government, including highway tolls, postal and railroad fees, in the first half of this year, while asking municipalities and private companies to join the efforts to contain steep increases in transportation and communications charges. He also urged banks to return their profits to the people suffering from high interest rates. “The government will focus all policies on

Politics Feb. 15, 2023