President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday has vowed to “correct the evils that hinder the growth and development of the economy” while putting immediate livelihood issues at the forefront. At a meeting with key figures from government, politics and religion on Monday morning to exchange New Year’s greetings, Yoon said, “If we are easily defeated by the resistance of those with vested interests, our sustainable prosperity will be difficult.” Although the president did not

Politics Jan. 2, 2023

President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered South Korean military to protect the peace on the peninsula by preparing overwhelming war capabilities, during a visit to a defense development agency on Thursday in the wake of Pyongyang's airspace invasion. “If we are to achieve peace, we must prepare for war with overwhelming superiority,” Yoon said. “We must clearly realize that a disguised peace cannot protect (our) security, and its foundation will collapse.” Reiterating his

Defense Dec. 29, 2022

A special delegation led by the ruling People Power Party’s interim chief, Chung Jin-suk, will attend the inauguration ceremony of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Jan. 1, the presidential office said Wednesday. Chung will deliver a letter from President Yoon Suk-yeol expressing his expectation to “work closely with the new Brazilian government to further deepen and develop the comprehensive cooperative partnership” between the two countries. Elected for the thi

Politics Dec. 28, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday granted special pardons to 1,373 people ahead of the upcoming New Year, including former President Lee Myung-bak and several key political aides to both of his conservative and liberal predecessors, calling the decision an opportunity to "clear up the past” and "unite" the power of the nation. Among the list, former South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyung-soo was included but without reinstatement. A reinstatement would allow him to wo

Politics Dec. 27, 2022

North Korea on Friday rejected accusations by Japan and the US that it transported munitions to Russia by rail. “The DPRK remains unchanged in its principled stand on the issue of arms transaction between the DPRK and Russia which has never happened,” the nation’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said in an English-language statement citing a Foreign Ministry spokesperson. The statement came after the Tokyo Shimbun reported the previous day that the North transported artill

North Korea Dec. 23, 2022

First lady Kim Keon-hee on Wednesday reunited with the 14-year-old boy with heart disease she met in Cambodia during President Yoon Suk-yeol’s visit to Southeast Asia, despite some criticism from the opposition party. Kim met with Aok Rotha, a Cambodian boy recovering from heart surgery at Asan Medical Center in Seoul on Wednesday afternoon, according to Lee Jae-myoung, vice spokesperson of the presidential office, in a written statement the same day. “I am so happy to see Rotha reco

Politics Dec. 22, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol is considering reshuffling in January his first Cabinet for the second year of his term, according to multiple senior officials, with the ministers of industry, culture and interior specifically mentioned. The presidential office recently completed a performance evaluation of all ministers and vice ministers. Some ministries, including industry and culture, received relatively low scores in their evaluations, local media reported. A senior presidential official confirme

Politics Dec. 20, 2022

The Yoon Suk-yeol government and ruling People Power Party said Monday they will focus on an economic goal of reaching a GDP of $40,000 per capita by 2027, the president's final year. The party’s policy committee leader Sung Il-jong said in a press briefing that the government and the ruling party agreed to “focus the most on economic management” starting next year with the vision of opening an era of “$40,000 in GDP per capita in 2027.” The goal of $40,000

Politics Dec. 19, 2022

North Korea fired two medium-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Sunday morning from the site it claimed to have tested a high-thrust solid-fuel engine three days ago, apparently used for developing newer and more advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles. The National Security Office vowed to "take all possible measures" to protect the people from North Korea’s provocations and to boost security alliance with the US and Japan to deter growing threats from Pyongyang.

North Korea Dec. 18, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed to make Korea a safe nation from sexual and drug crimes, touching on multiple economic, welfare and labor issues in a rare pangovernmental meeting broadcast live on Thursday afternoon. In the meeting presided over by Yoon and attended by all ministers and 100 ordinary people, Yoon and his officials answered questions from a public panel in three sessions about the economy, balanced regional development and reforms to labor, pension and education policies. “The

Politics Dec. 15, 2022

As the truckers strike ended last week, President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday said he would hold responsible those workers who didn't comply with the state order to return to work “until the end” of his presidency. Truckers voted to return to work after 16 days of striking on Friday after calling for the government to make permanent a minimum freight rate system that is to expire this year. During the 16 days, the government issued a “work start order” twice, first on c

Politics Dec. 13, 2022

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said trains would pass without stopping in the case of severe delays at subway stations due to a disabled advocacy group’s protests on Tuesday. Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination announced Monday it would stage subway-riding protests at Seoul's Samgakji Station on Line Nos. 4 and 6 at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. the following day. A city official said, “This does not mean that trains will not stop unconditionally. If a serious train delay occurs

Politics Dec. 12, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol appears to be considering granting presidential pardons to politicians and businessmen currently serving jail time, including former President Lee Myung-bak and former South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo, by the end of this year, according to reports quoting multiple sources from the ruling bloc. The Ministry of Justice is expected to open a pardon review committee on Dec. 20 to review the candidates and announce the final list immediately after the Cabinet meet

Politics Dec. 12, 2022

Senior officials of the International Labor Organization are set to meet with the Korean ministries of labor and transport to discuss matters regarding the local truckers strike on the occasion of attending a local conference in Seoul, the United Nations agency confirmed on Monday. The ILO members, including Tim de Meyer, senior adviser on standards policy, Karen Curtis, chief of the freedom of association branch, and Xavier Beaudonnet, head of the collective bargaining unit, will attend a t

Politics Dec. 12, 2022

The closest aide to the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's leader Lee Jae-myung was handed over to trial on Friday on bribery charges, heightening the possibility of investigating Lee soon. The prosecution indicted Jeong Jin-sang on charges of receiving a total of 240 million won ($184,000) in bribes from Yoo Dong-gyu, the former head of the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation. Yoon was also indicted for giving bribes to Jeong. Jeong was alleged to have received the money from Y

Politics Dec. 9, 2022