Bill passed to compensate for damage from North Korean trash balloons

South Koreans who suffered damage from trash-filled balloons launched by North Korea will now be eligible for compensation. The National Assembly on Thursday passed changes to the laws on civil defense to allow the victims of damage caused by North Korea's trash balloons to seek compensation from the government. Under the revised laws, the government can provide partial or full compensation for those who suffered harm to their health or property as a result of the North Korean balloons. Nor

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024

Undercover probes of digital sex crimes permitted

South Korea's National Assembly on Thursday passed a revision to permit undercover investigations of digital sex crimes targeting adults, in a move to curb the spread of deepfake sexual images rampant online. At a plenary session of the 300-member National Assembly, the bill to revise the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes earned 272 votes in favor out of 273 lawmakers present. The bill expands the range of undercover police investigations from those targeting childr

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024

Bill to probe first lady passes again

A bill to appoint a special counsel to investigate President Yoon Suk Yeol’s wife Kim Keon Hee passed the National Assembly on Thursday. All 191 lawmakers present voted to pass the bill, which was tabled by the opposition Democratic Party of Korea. The entire ruling People Power Party abstained from casting a ballot. This was the third time a bill for a special counsel to investigate the first lady has been put to vote at the Assembly. The last two times the bill passed, the president veto

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024

[Security Forum] What US election watchers in Seoul missed about Trump

Cho Byung-jae, former chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy for training diplomats, says many watchers of the US presidential election in Seoul were caught off guard by Donald Trump’s victory because of a failure to grasp shifts in US conservatism. He was speaking at the Security Forum 2024 co-hosted by The Korea Herald at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday. “Most election forecasts got it wrong this time again, like how they got it wrong in 2016 and then in 20

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024

Pastor sentenced to 18 months for embezzling W367m in church funds

A pastor who embezzled 367 million won ($261,063) in church funds, including offerings made by church members, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, according to a court ruling on Thursday. The Seoul Northern District Court said it handed down the prison term last Thursday on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust. The defendant, who served as head pastor at a church in Seoul, is accused of misappropriating church funds for personal expenses between 2010 and 2020. With the pocketed funds, t

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

[Security Forum] Uncertainties cloud security on Korean Peninsula, experts say

A second Donald Trump administration is expected to bring a slew of uncertainties to the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, which calls for Seoul to bolster its alliance with Washington and find a key role in the US’ potential policy shifts, experts pointed out Wednesday. During a panel discussion at the Korea Herald Security Forum titled "Alliance After US Election 2024: A Seoul Perspective" held at the National Assembly in Seoul, four experts addressed looming concerns

Foreign AffairsNov. 14, 2024

Proactive, calm approach needed in response to Trump 2.0

As US President-elect Donald Trump’s second term augurs the resurgence of his "America First" policy, a consistent message resonated at a timely Korea Herald forum: Seoul must forge a strategic pivot, carefully balancing its role as a US ally with its own autonomy and core interests. At the “Alliance After the US Election 2024: A Seoul Perspective” security forum held Wednesday at the National Assembly Museum, a pressing question took center stage: How can South Korea

Foreign AffairsNov. 14, 2024

[Security Forum] Forum gathers diplomats from 35 countries amid new security challenges

Reflecting growing interest in major foreign policy changes anticipated in the United States ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House as well as the recent tension between the two Koreas, the Korea Herald Security Forum, held Wednesday in Seoul, brought together 21 ambassadors and diplomats from 35 embassies. The top envoys attending The Korea Herald’s Security Forum said efforts are needed to maintain strong ties among allies and partner countries for better security and s

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

[Security Forum] 'Korea-US alliance is never a tradable asset'

United States President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House next year signals the possibility that parts of the South Korea-US alliance or regional security-related matters could be negotiated away. South Korea must brace for any attempt by Trump to do so, even when dealing with nuclear-armed North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong-un, said Chung Duck-koo, founder and chair of Seoul-based think tank North East Asia Research Foundation, on Wednesday. "The Korea-US alliance is ne

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024

Professor calls for more support for Korean studies in N. America

South Korea needs a strategy to maintain the growth of the Korean language, according to Ross King, a professor of Korean language and literature at the University of British Columbia. The Korean language has gained popularity in North America in recent years, but a lack of strategy could jeopardize its future, King said. The number of students studying the Korean language has grown by about 75 percent in the US over the past 10 years, while student enrollment in other language courses has dropp

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

Yoon leaves for APEC summit; set for trilateral talks Friday

President Yoon Suk Yeol left South Korea on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, or APEC summit, in Lima, Peru, later this week. Lima will be the first stop of Yoon's first official visit to South America since he was inaugurated in May 2022. After attending the APEC summit, Yoon will fly to Rio de Janeiro for the Group of 20 summit. Yoon boarded Air Force One at 11:48 a.m. at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. In attendance were the ruling People Power Par

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024

Suneung retakes hit record amid med school expansion

South Korea’s annual College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung, took place on Thursday, witnessing a record number of retakers, drawn by the prospect of increased medical school enrollment quotas next year. With the highest number of retakers in 21 years, a total of 522,670 students, including high school seniors and graduates, were registered to take the state-administered Suneung, up 18,082 from last year. While the proportion of graduates was 0.7 percentage points lower than the previ

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

Sejong mayor sees Korean studies as solution for demographic crisis

The growing popularity of the Korean language could help address Korea's demographic crisis, Sejong City Mayor Choi Min-ho said Wednesday. Speaking at the Global Business Forum, held at Simone in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, Choi said Koreans should be more open to building a multicultural society, and that Hangeul could play a key role. “It is good that Hangeul is called the pride of Korea. But it could also be something more that helps with Korea’s low birth rate,” he said

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

[Security Forum] Lawmakers urge bipartisanship, strategic planning as new Trump admin approaches

Lawmakers from rival parties emphasized the need for bipartisan cooperation focused on national interests and strategic planning, as they anticipate the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump to have significant impacts on the Korea-US alliance, foreign policy strategy and the broader economic and industrial landscape. "As the saying goes, political strife stops at the border. In matters of diplomacy and security, bipartisan cooperation that prioritizes the national inte

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

Tongyeong launches drone delivery service for island residents

The city of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, launched a drone delivery service across its 570 islands on Wednesday, expanding a growing trend of drone-based services in Korea to enhance the quality of life for residents in isolated areas. Island residents have long faced challenges due to geographical isolation, often needing to travel to the mainland for essential items or meals. The new drone delivery service allows them to receive various goods, including food, beverages, daily essential

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

Man jailed for rape in his 20s and 30s, convicted again in 40s

A man who was convicted of rape in his 20s an once more in his 30s, has been sentenced to prison for rape yet again at the age of 45. The Seoul High Court on Wednesday upheld an earlier court ruling that gave a 15-year prison term to the defendant, surnamed Kim. It also ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring anklet for 20 years after he is released. "The initial ruling does not appear to be too heavy or too light in proportion to the crime," the court said in its verdict. Kim was

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

38% of Korea's fishing vessels over 21 years old

With some experts suspecting that the worn-down hull had caused last week's sinking of a 34-year-old boat, government data showed Thursday that nearly 40 percent of the fishing boats in South Korea are at least 21 years old. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, 24,504 of the fishing boats in the country were aged 21 years or above as of 2023, accounting for 38.1 percent of all registered fishing boats. A total of 12,205 of them were built at least 26 years ago. Korea does no

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

Police release info of man who murdered ex-girlfriend and injured her mother

The South Korean police on Thursday revealed the name, age and mugshot of a man accused of murdering his former girlfriend and injuring her mother. Seo Dong-ha, 34, is suspected of killing a woman in her 30s at an apartment complex in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, on Nov. 8. Seo also attacked the victim's mother, inflicting non-critical damage with his knife. He reported himself to the police and was arrested shortly after. Seo and the victim had dated for four months earlier in the ye

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

College entrance exam kicks off amid record number of retakers

The annual college entrance exam kicked off nationwide Thursday with a record number of retakers driven in part by an increase in medical school admissions. A total of 522,670 students, including high school seniors and graduates, were registered to take the state-administered College Scholastic Ability Test, up 18,082 from last year. High school seniors numbered 340,777, accounting for 65.2 percent of the total, while graduates numbered 161,784, the largest figure since 2003. Many of the gradua

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2024

Top court finalizes suspended prison term for ex-lawmaker in embezzlement case

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's suspended prison sentence for former lawmaker Youn Mee-hyang convicted of embezzling funds donated to help support women who were forced into wartime sexual slavery by Japan during World War II. The top court confirmed the Seoul High Court's 1 1/2-year prison term, suspended for three years, delivered to Youn in September last year, saying the verdict did not contain any errors or misunderstanding of the legal principles. The top cou

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024