South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee has advanced to the second round in the race to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organization.   The WTO announced the results of the first round of voting on Friday, selecting five of the eight candidates to proceed to the next round. They are Yoo, Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri from Saudi Arabia, Liam Fox from the UK, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria and Amina Mohamed from Kenya. Three other candidates -- from Egypt, Moldova and Mexico

There is no discussion at the US State Department of withdrawing troops from South Korea, US Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell said Thursday. He made the remarks during a US Senate hearing after US Sen. Chris Coons asked whether the State Department could confirm that it was no longer considering pulling US troops out of South Korea -- a plan that was reportedly weighed by the Trump administration. Coons also asked Stilwell if he could assure the Senate tha

Artists will be eligible for an unemployment allowance starting in December following the expansion of national employment insurance coverage. The Labor Ministry said Friday that it is planning to revise relevant legislation in time for the change to take effect Dec. 10. The expanded coverage will include artists, musicians and other workers who have signed special contracts with their employers. Once the change becomes effective, artists and their employers will be required to pay monthly pre

Four employees of the National Pension Service Investment Management (NPSIM) have been under criminal investigation over suspected drug charges, police said Friday. According to the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency, the four employees, who had previously served as fund managers for the world's leading pension operator, have been booked without detention on suspicion of inhaling cannabis, a banned substance in South Korea. The four, whose identities were withheld, confessed to using cannabis d

Some 4,000 parcel delivery workers backtracked from a plan to stop sorting parcels in protest of heavy workloads ahead of the Chuseok holiday, a civic advocacy group said Friday. The civic task force working for the rights of delivery workers and associated with the progressive Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) said the decision was made in line with the government's steps to solve the issue. "We have decided to change our plan, taking into consideration the government's effort

A Seoul court on Friday sentenced former Justice Minister Cho Kuk's brother to one year in prison on charges linked to a private school foundation run by the family. The Seoul Central District Court handed down the jail sentence and ordered Cho Kwon to pay 147 million won ($126,506) for obstruction of business. Cho, who was released on bail in May, had been indicted on allegations of receiving 180 million won in exchange for leaking test questions and answers to two people who applied for tea

The Ministry of Education isn’t replying right away, after the Seoul City education chief suggested that first grade elementary and middle school students be allowed back into classrooms full-time. Instead, the ministry is waiting until the end of the Chuseok holiday to make a decision. An Education Ministry official said in a closed briefing with reporters Thursday that the ministry respects the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s request but is unwilling to rush any decision

New defense chief vows efforts for firm readiness posture for peace, OPCON transfer New Defense Minister Suh Wook was sworn in Friday, vowing to maintain a staunch readiness posture and fully implement an inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement in order to buttress the government's efforts for a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. In his inauguration speech, Suh also vowed to strive for expediting the envisioned transfer of the wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean

A Seoul court on Friday acquitted a former chief judge accused of leaking confidential information about a criminal investigation to cover up alleged corruption of bailiffs. The Seoul Central District Court found Lee Tae-jong, former chief judge of the Seoul Western District Court, not guilty on charges of abuse of authority and leaking investigative secrets. Lee was indicted in March 2019 for allegedly acquiring information about a criminal investigation of bailiffs at Seoul Western District

Health authorities say the upcoming national holiday will pose the biggest challenge yet for their disease containment efforts, with millions of South Koreans expected to hit the road for Chuseok between Sept. 30 and Oct. 4. Popular vacation towns around the country are once again on alert over an influx of travelers potentially bringing the novel coronavirus with them. “Jeju has been relatively spared by the coronavirus due to ramped-up security around its airports and seaports. We int

Police referred a case to the prosecution Friday, recommending that an Incheon woman be indicted for drunken driving over a collision that killed a delivery worker in Incheon earlier this month. The woman, 33, was escorted to the prosecution at around 8:30 a.m. in a police vehicle. The suspect allegedly drove a Mercedes-Benz into a 54-year-old motorcyclist who was making the last fried chicken delivery of the day. The injured man was immediately taken to a nearby hospital but was soon pronounc

President Moon Jae-in said Friday that South Korea will be able to reach the path of peace and unification unless it gives up hope for dialogue with North Korea. Speaking at a meeting with a group of Buddhist community leaders at Cheong Wa Dae, Moon noted the two Koreas will mark the second anniversary on Saturday of his Pyongyang summit deal with the North's leader Kim Jong-un. "If (we) don't give up hope for meetings and dialogue, we will surely move on to the path of peace and unifica