Yoon's office denies hasty secretary sacking to hide truth

South Korea's presidential office on Monday denied the notion that President Yoon Suk Yeol had sacked Kim Seung-hee, secretary to the president for protocol, in a hurried and preemptive manner to impede further truth-seeking. Yoon's office said in a written statement the presidential office was unaware of the accusation involving Kim's daughter and his alleged intervention until it was revealed in a parliamentary probe on Friday. According to reports, Kim's 9-year-old daughte

Oct. 23, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'All countries responsible' for victim support in Gaza Strip, says Iranian envoy

Iranian Ambassador to Korea Saeed Koozechi expressed deep concern over the Israel-Palestine conflict and its devastating impact on civilian populations, calling for the international community to support victims of the crisis in the Gaza Strip. “All countries are officially responsible for supporting the victims of these conflicts,” said Koozechi in an interview with The Korea Herald. With the rising number of casualties, Koozechi stressed that the global community should to play an

Oct. 23, 2023

Opposition leader returns to party duties, calls for Cabinet overhaul

Main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung officially resumed his party duties Monday and once again called on President Yoon Suk Yeol to conduct a complete overhaul of the Cabinet. Lee, the chairman of the Democratic Party, made the remarks while attending a party meeting after several weeks of hospital treatment to recover from his 24-day hunger strike, protesting what he described as a slew of government policy failures. "President Yoon Suk Yeol should thoroughly revamp the way he handles gove

Oct. 23, 2023

Looming election has Yoon advocating harder for everyday South Koreans

With next year’s general election for the National Assembly looming, President Yoon Suk Yeol and his People Power Party are pledging to do more to make lives better for everyday South Koreans. In the latest briefing from the presidential office, Yoon was quoted by his press secretary as telling his staff to focus policy agendas to build economy that puts middle class and low-income earners first. “The South Korean people are always the priority,” the president said, asking his

Oct. 22, 2023

[Herald Interview] Israel will fight Hamas with every effort to protect civilians: envoy

Israel will be guided by NATO standards that uphold protection of civilians in armed conflicts as it fights Hamas -- the Islamist militant movement that controls Gaza --, Jerusalem’s top envoy in Seoul said Thursday. “Israel will respect the human rights, the history and the presence of Palestinians in the region. It is Hamas we are in a war against,” Akiva Tor, the Israeli ambassador, said in an interview with The Korea Herald. And in the war against Hamas Israel was “go

Oct. 19, 2023

PM says he raised S. Korea's concern over China's repatriation of N.K. defectors in meeting with Xi

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Wednesday that he conveyed Seoul's concerns regarding China's forced repatriation of North Korean defectors to their repressive home country during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month. The discussion took place during Han's meeting with Xi on the sidelines of the Asian Games' opening ceremony in Hangzhou, China, on Sept. 23. "We consider this to be important and concerning, so I brought up the issue (of repatriation o

Oct. 18, 2023

Yoon urges police reform focusing on public security

In response to a surge in violent incidents, President Yoon Suk Yeol urged the police to prioritize public security in its reform efforts and to strengthen on-site response capabilities, stressing zero tolerance for crimes against vulnerable groups. In an opening speech at the 78th National Police Day ceremony on Wednesday, Yoon stressed the need to "break the cycle of heinous crimes" and create a country where people can live in peace. “Crimes against the weak, including sexua

Oct. 18, 2023

Ruling party to launch innovation committee after crushing by-election defeat

The ruling People Power Party plans to appoint the leader of its innovation committee set to be launched next week, the party's chief spokesperson said Wednesday. Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, the party's leader, delivered the plan during a meeting with members, as its leadership scrambles to come up with measures to regain people's trust after its crushing defeat in last week's by-election in Seoul. The election was widely seen as a test of voter sentiment before the April general elec

Oct. 18, 2023

Opposition leader away in court with critics calling for his departure from party

The Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung spent the entire day away from the National Assembly on Tuesday, attending Seoul court where he faces a criminal trial into real estate corruption scandals from his days as the mayor of Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province. Appearing at a Seoul court in the morning, Lee shunned questions from reporters. While defendant attendance is mandatory for criminal cases, the Democratic Party chair failed to attend the last trial held on Oct. 13, citing Ass

Oct. 17, 2023

Defector-lawmakers call out China for deporting North Korean escapees

Two defector-turned-lawmakers in South Korea on Tuesday launched a series of efforts to condemn China over the recent deportation of escapees from North Korea, and to prevent a repetition. Ruling People Power Party Rep. Ji Seong-ho said he raised the issue of human rights violations by China over his meeting with Julie Turner, the US special envoy for North Korean human rights who is visiting Seoul for the first time since her appointment in July. Ji told The Korea Herald that over the hourlong

Oct. 17, 2023

Yoon lauds rapid growth of Korean defense industry

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday pledged to boost the global competitiveness of South Korea's defense industry, calling it a strategic sector that backs both the country's security and economy, as he attended a large defense exhibition showcasing the nation's military prowess. "Our defense industry is writing a new history by creating something from nothing," he said at the 2023 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, also known as Seoul ADEX, held at Seo

Oct. 17, 2023

S. Korea, US, Japan install trilateral communication hotline amid N. Korea, China challenges

South Korea, the United States and Japan established a trilateral communication hotline, a senior Seoul official said Monday, in another sign of progress in their three-way security cooperation amid North Korea's evolving military threats and China's increasing assertiveness. The establishment of the hotline came after President Yoon Suk Yeol and his US and Japanese counterparts, Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida, respectively, agreed on the "commitment to consult" each other in the event of

Oct. 17, 2023

Reeling from election loss, ruling party picks new leader posts

The ruling People Power Party, confronted with a deepening crisis following a landslide defeat in a key district by-election, on Monday introduced new leaders to helm key seats. With Monday’s shuffle, the post of the secretary-general is now held by the National Assembly interior committee’s executive secretary Rep. Lee Man-hee and the director of the party-run think tank Yeouido Institute and two-time lawmaker Rep. Kim Sung-won among other changes. Excluded from the latest shake-up

Oct. 16, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Protecting lessees in rental housing, tackling retailers' interference with suppliers' affairs

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act Proposed by Rep. Kim Hee-gon (People Power Party) ● To clarify the standard for defining a “business group,” this amendment specifies the scope of business and extent of liability of the term “the same person.” Additionally, in response to the criticism of the excessive criminal penalties imposed on businesses who refuse to submit materials required to designate businesses, this amendment repla

Oct. 16, 2023

Yoon's approval rating falls to 34%

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating has dropped to 34 percent, marking the lowest level since May, a poll showed Monday. The opinion poll, conducted by polling agency Realmeter, showed the positive assessment of Yoon's performance decreased by 3.7 percentage points from the previous week, while 62.2 percent of respondents disapproved of his performance, up 2.4 percentage points from the same period. This marks the first time since the first week of May that his approval rating ha

Oct. 16, 2023

Ruling party chief clings on after election loss

The ruling People Power Party's Chairman Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon is facing setbacks, following a significant by-election defeat in Gangseo-gu, western Seoul, amid internal party turmoil with less than six months to go until the general election. Kim did not express his intention to step down from his position as the party chairman as of Sunday. Instead, Kim presided over an emergency party meeting Sunday, a day after he accepted the resignation of eight officials. The party's announcement ov

Oct. 15, 2023

Key ruling party officials offer to resign over by-election defeat

Key officials of the ruling People Power Party have offered to resign over the party's recent by-election defeat, which could spark a change in the party's leadership ahead of the parliamentary elections in April. On Wednesday, Jin Kyo-hoon of the main opposition Democratic Party won 56.52 percent of the vote against his PPP rival Kim Tae-woo's 39.37 percent in the by-election for the chief of Seoul's Gangseo Ward, seen as a test of voter sentiment ahead of next year's p

Oct. 14, 2023

Election watchdog faces calls to apologize after failing security test

Calls are mounting for the South Korean election watchdog to apologize after it failed to fend off mock cyberattacks in a security evaluation by the country’s top spy agency. During a National Assembly audit of the National Election Commission held Friday, ruling People Power Party lawmakers demanded that the election service apologize for its allegedly lax cyber security and for not heeding the National Intelligence Service's warnings. Rep. Lee Man-hee of the ruling party accused the

Oct. 13, 2023

Yoon says improved relations between S. Korea, Japan are people's will

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Friday that the increasing pace of exchanges between South Korea and Japan shows it is the will of both countries' people to improve and develop the bilateral relationship, according to his office. Yoon made the remark while meeting with members of the Korea-Japan Friendship Association and the Japan-Korea Friendship Association, who are set to hold a joint conference later in the day to mark the 25th anniversary of a key declaration that called for overcoming t

Oct. 13, 2023

Political parties call for revision of military exemptions for athletes

South Korea's military exemptions granted to qualified athletes and musicians were called into question during a parliamentary audit Friday as this year's Asian Games reignited debates over their fairness. Both ruling and opposition parties called on the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) to reconsider the current supplementary military system that grants elite athletes and classical musicians with much-coveted exemptions of 18 month-long compulsory military service. Introduced in

Oct. 13, 2023