The police transferred the case of main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday to the prosecution, on charges of third-party bribery connected to the Seongnam FC sponsorship scandal. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency handed over the results of a supplementary investigation to the prosecution, in which the provincial police agency found Lee guilty of offering bribes to a third party. This was a reversal of the results of the previous investigation by the Bu

Politics Sept. 13, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol is expected to hold talks with leaders of the US, Japan and China this month amid ongoing diplomatic challenges with the nations, putting his diplomatic capability to the test. President Yoon will leave the country on Sunday to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London on the following day. He will then move to New York, where he plans to attend and give a keynote speech at the United Nations General Assembly. There, the president is expected to hold bilateral su

Foreign Affairs Sept. 13, 2022

Stock price manipulation, luxury items omitted from personal assets disclosure, inviting a police officer involved in an ongoing investigation to an official event, allegations of plagiarism and calls for further investigations, falsification of credentials, suspicious developments in hiring at and construction contracts for government facilities. These are just some of the allegations that have been raised in the past few months against first lady Kim Keon-hee, which has prompted the main opp

Politics Sept. 4, 2022

South Korea’s national security adviser Kim Sung-han said he had discussed a bilateral summit between the leaders of the two nations with his Japanese counterpart, hinting it could take place as early as the middle of this month at the United Nations General Assembly. When a reporter asked upon his arrival on Friday afternoon if he had discussed the specific timing of a summit between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Kim replied, "We discussed t

Foreign Affairs Sept. 2, 2022

South Korea’s National Security Advisor Kim Sung-han held a meeting with his US and Japanese counterparts, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Japan’s National Security Advisor Takeo Akiba, in Hawaii on Thursday to discuss North Korea, economic security and major regional issues, the presidential office said Friday. At the first such meeting since the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the three security chiefs held extensive consultations on North Korea's

Foreign Affairs Sept. 2, 2022

High-ranking Chinese official Li Zhanshu is expected to visit South Korea in the middle of the month to meet with President Yoon Suk-yeol, according to local media outlets citing political and diplomatic sources. Li, current chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, is the third-highest Communist Party leader. The two countries are reportedly coordinating Lee’s three-day visit to Korea, scheduled to begin on Sept. 15. The visit was at the invitation of Na

Foreign Affairs Sept. 1, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol is seen as trying to reorganize his office centering on ex-prosecutors by distancing himself from politicians, with many of the aides recommended by politicians with close ties to the president resigning. This week alone, a dozen employees have resigned from their posts. Two secretaries under the senior secretary for political affairs resigned and the secretary of the senior secretary for civil society was also dismissed. Most have come from politics. More than 20 of the

Politics Aug. 31, 2022

South Korea’s national security adviser Kim Sung-han will meet with his US and Japanese counterparts in a two-day meeting in Hawaii to discuss North Korea, economic security and major regional issues, the presidential office said Wednesday. On Wednesday, Kim will meet bilaterally with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Japan’s national security adviser Takeo Akiba to hold trilateral talks the next day at the headquarters of the US Indo-Pacific Command in Honolulu. The th

Foreign Affairs Aug. 31, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol is taking a cautious stance in meeting with newly elected Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung, which could be portrayed as a meeting between an unpopular president and a fresh opposition leader riding high on popularity. However, critics say the meeting could help Yoon create new momentum in state affairs and secure opposition support ahead of the regular session of the National Assembly. Lee became the head of the opposition party by winning a landslide victo

Politics Aug. 30, 2022

Only three days are left before the start of the first regular session of the National Assembly since President Yoon Suk-yeol took office, but the ruling People Power Party shows no sign of ending its internal feud. In the morning, the party’s all eight emergency committee members agreed to entrust Floor Leader Rep. Kweon Seong-dong to the position of acting leader of the committee and also all members also decided not to resign. However, a few hours later, some party lawmakers, incl

Politics Aug. 29, 2022

Billiard player-turned-politician Cha Yu-ram apologized on behalf of her husband, writer Lee Ji-sung, for making inappropriate remarks at a banquet with lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party. 　 Cha said on her Facebook page on Thursday, “I apologize for the inappropriate remarks made by my husband, Lee Ji-sung. The remarks were inappropriate, and I couldn‘t agree with them at all.” Earlier in the day, writer Lee Ji-sung was embroiled in controversy over inappropriate re

Politics Aug. 26, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol is expected to meet with US President Joe Biden next month in New York on the occasion of 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The White House said on Thursday (local time) that Biden plans to visit New York for three days from Sept. 18 to attend the UN General Assembly. He is expected to attend the conference during Sept. 19-20 and meet with leaders of the major nations. As President Yoon is also expected to attend the UN General Assembly for the fir

Foreign Affairs Aug. 26, 2022

South Korea’s state-run nuclear power company Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power won a project to build a nuclear power plant in Egypt, the presidential office confirmed on Thursday. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power signed a contract with Russian nuclear technology company Atomstroyexport, or ASE, over the field of nuclear power plant equipment and turbine construction of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in Cairo on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. (local time). The El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant is

Foreign Affairs Aug. 25, 2022

The process of appointing a special inspector to check for misconduct by President Yoon Suk-yeol’s family and senior secretaries is being dragged out, bogged down by bipartisan wrangling. The presidential office, meanwhile, appears more interested in inspecting public officials, in what is seen as an attempt to grab more power. A special inspector is responsible for examining the misconduct of persons who have special relations with the president, such as family and relatives of the

Politics Aug. 25, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol’s schedule has been leaked through a fan club supporting first lady Kim Keon-hee, raising another security concern. On Tuesday, a user of “Keon-hee Sarang” revealed Yoon’s official schedule set on Friday through her fan club, specifying the date and place. The user said, “We’re announcing (that) President Yoon Suk-yeol is visiting Daegu Seomun Market at 12:00 (noon) on Aug. 26. We ask for your participation and promotion. Please c

Politics Aug. 24, 2022