Yoon instructs govt. to thoroughly prepare safety measures for S. Koreans in Israel

President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the government Tuesday to thoroughly prepare safety measures for South Korean residents and travelers in Israel amid its escalating conflict with the Hamas militant group. Yoon gave the instruction during a Cabinet meeting, while noting that the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East could increase economic uncertainties. "As the Israel-Palestine situation is turning into a full-scale war, I ask relevant ministries, with the foreign ministry at the cente

Oct. 10, 2023

PM revs up final pitch to promote Expo bid in Paris

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo held a symposium in Paris as part of his four-nation European trip, ramping up efforts to promote South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southern city of Busan, his office said Tuesday. After his arrival in Paris, Han participated in the Busan Expo Symposium 2023 on Monday, coinciding with the 50-day mark before the Bureau International des Expositions selects the host city for the quinquennial global event, the office said. The symposium brought to

Oct. 10, 2023

Bitter clashes expected at final Assembly audit before election

The National Assembly will begin the final audit before next year's legislative general election from Tuesday, with the ruling and opposition parties gearing up for a push to win over voters. The general election in April next year will decide if the Yoon Suk Yeol administration will have the support of a ruling People Power Party-controlled Assembly. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea currently holds a substantial majority in the Assembly and has used it to put the brakes on several

Oct. 9, 2023

Voter interest reaches all-time high for critical Seoul district election

Anticipation is building in Seoul ahead of the Oct. 11 by-election to choose the head of the capital city’s western district of Gangseo, which the two major parties’ strategists believe will offer a preview of the general election in April next year. The trends in early voting, which wrapped up Sunday, indicate a surprisingly high level of enthusiasm among voters. According to the National Election Commission, 113,313 voters -- or 22.6 percent of the 500,603 registered voters in th

Oct. 8, 2023

Unification ministry urges NK to immediately send detained S. Koreans back home

The unification ministry on Sunday urged North Korea to immediately send a South Korean pastor and five other nationals back home, condemning their yearslong detention as "illegal and inhumane." The ministry made the appeal in a statement marking 10 years after South Korean pastor Kim Jung-wook was arrested in Pyongyang in 2013 and then sentenced to hard labor for life on charges of spying for South Korea's spy agency. In 2014, two other South Korean missionaries, Kim Kuk-gi and C

Oct. 8, 2023

Yoon appoints new defense, culture ministers without parliamentary confirmation

President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the appointments of new Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and new Culture Minister Yoo In-chon on Saturday, the presidential office said. Shin, a lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party and a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was nominated by Yoon last month. He replaced Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup who offered to resign amid the main opposition Democratic Party's push to impeach him over his handling of a military investigation into a young

Oct. 7, 2023

First lady meets haenyeo, expresses respect, gratitude

First lady Kim Keon Hee met with a small group of haenyeo -- female divers from Jeju Island who have traditionally harvested by hand mollusks and seaweed from the sea for a living – in Jongdal-li, Gujwa-eup, Jeju Island, Friday, and expressed respect and gratitude to them for maintaining the tradition despite difficult conditions. About 10 people attended the meeting, including some who have been diving in Jeju for decades and others who recently came to Jeju from Seoul to learn how to bec

Oct. 6, 2023

Lee attends first trial on his development corruption, bribery cases

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, recuperating from his 24-day hunger strike at a hospital, appeared at a court in Seoul on Friday to attend his first trial on charges of development corruption and bribery arising from his term as mayor of Seongnam, south of Seoul, years ago. The chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party attended the trial held at the Seoul Central District Court to deliberate on charges against him of breach of duty, conflict of interest, bribery and concealment of crimin

Oct. 6, 2023

Parliament to vote on Supreme Court chief justice nominee

The National Assembly was set to vote Friday on a confirmation motion for Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee Lee Gyun-ryong, with the possibility of rejection looming. The motion can be rejected if main opposition Democratic Party lawmakers vote against it during a plenary session set for the afternoon, as the party holds a majority with 168 seats. If the nomination is rejected, it would mark the first such rejection in 35 years since the 1988 nomination of Chung Ki-seung was voted down. It wou

Oct. 6, 2023

Partisan rage erupts over Yoon’s new Cabinet picks

The confirmation hearings for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s nominations for three Cabinet posts have become the latest partisan battleground, as the nominees faced intense scrutiny appearing before the National Assembly on Thursday. The first day of the hearing for Kim Haeng, who has been tapped for the position of minister of gender equality and family, was interrupted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers’ vociferous objections to the nomination choice. The gender equality minister no

Oct. 5, 2023

Prosecution raid ministries over housing price data manipulation allegations

The prosecution on Thursday raided the Ministries of Land and Finance, Statistics Korea and the Korea Real Estate Board over allegations that the previous Moon Jae-in administration manipulated statistics on housing prices. The move came after the Board of Audit and Inspection requested an investigation into allegations that Moon's presidential office and the Land Ministry at that time of his presidency abused their power and forced the Korea Real Estate Board to manipulate figures in a wee

Oct. 5, 2023

[Busan is ready] Korea in final push to promote Busan expo

With less than two months remaining before the final vote to decide the host city of the 2030 World Expo, the South Korean government, along with private and civic organizations, is making an last push to secure the global event for the city of Busan. During the United Nation's General Assembly last month, President Yoon Suk Yeol met over 30 leaders around the world to ask for their support in the upcoming final vote, at a summit room filled with brochures and hangers written "Busan Is

Oct. 5, 2023

S. Korea to crack down on illegal immigrants

The government is set to begin a two-month crackdown next week on foreigners staying or working illegally in the country, the Ministry of Justice said Thursday. The crackdown, the third of its kind that will last through Dec. 9, will mainly focus on foreigners who work in entertainment services or those with criminal records, as well as companies that habitually employ undocumented foreigners and their brokers. "The basic policy of our government is to flexibly expand legal stays and strict

Oct. 5, 2023

PM orders measures to prevent public opinion manipulation on web portals

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Wednesday ordered South Korea's Cabinet to set up a pan-governmental task force to prevent "fake news" from "manipulating public opinion." The government, based on an estimate by the state-run media watchdog, the Korea Communications Commission, suspects that two foreign internet users left 20 million reactions cheering for the Chinese soccer team within a few hours on an online forum dedicated to the men's soccer match between South K

Oct. 4, 2023

Culture minister nominee warns celebrities to be cautious over political speech

Culture Minister nominee Yu In-chon said Tuesday that public figures should be careful when speaking out publicly, when asked about his thoughts on a social media post by a singer concerning Japan's discharge of contaminated water. “Although anyone is free to express their opinions, when it comes to celebrities or public figures who have social influence, they should be careful when they publicly speak about something because it comes along with responsibility," he said in a writ

Oct. 4, 2023

Races tighten in Seoul as parties battle for Assembly control

Over the long holiday weekend, South Korea’s ruling and opposition lawmakers campaigned across Gangseo in western Seoul, as the district is set to choose a new head in a by-election next week. With the general election six months away, the Gangseo-gu by-election on Oct. 11 will offer insight into voter sentiment in Seoul -- a swing electorate holding some 40 seats that can determine which party will win control of the National Assembly. Winning in Seoul will be essential for the ruling Peo

Oct. 3, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Eased land use within industrial complexes, tackling faulty construction

  Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Industrial Sites and Development Act Proposed by Rep. Hong Suk-joon (Democratic Party of Korea) ● Industrial complexes are currently experiencing a decrease in competitiveness and a reduced inflow of young people due to dilapidated infrastructure and a lack of accommodation. To expand the land dedicated to accommodation and invigorate renovation projects, this amendment simplifies the procedures of amending land use and newly establishing a complex

Oct. 1, 2023

Opposition leader proposes meeting with Yoon amid growing party feud

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Friday publicly proposed one-on-one talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol amid intensifying feuds between the political rivals. The proposal from the chairman of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party comes just two days after he narrowly averted a crisis in his political career, with the court dismissing an arrest warrant request related to corruption charges filed against him. With the arrest reprieve that bolstered the DP’s counterattack, the poli

Sept. 29, 2023

Lee Jae-myung's arrest reprieve emboldens opposition fightback

Lee Jae-myung, the leader of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, returned from the brink of a legal crisis as the court dismissed an arrest warrant request linked to corruption charges filed against him early Wednesday. The request, had it been approved, would have seen Lee become the first incumbent opposition leader in South Korea's history to be arrested. The Seoul Central District Court's rejection marks a substantial setback in the prosecution’s ef

Sept. 27, 2023

Home of ex-DP leader Song raided over cash-for-votes scandal

Prosecutors raided the home of former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil on Wednesday as part of an investigation into a cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the party's 2021 leadership election. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent investigators to Song's home in Yongsan Ward in Seoul and the home of a former senior official of the party's policy committee, only known by his family name Kim, to seize evidence. The scandal centers on allegations that Song's c

Sept. 27, 2023