Yoon appoints new environment minister

President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed Kim Wan-sup, a former vice finance minister with expertise in budget planning, as the new environment minister Wednesday, his office said. Kim, known for his expertise in environment-related budget planning while serving in the finance ministry's key positions, was nominated by Yoon early this month to replace Environment Minister Han Wha-jin. The National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee adopted a report on his confirmation hearing earlier i

July 24, 2024

North Korean trash balloon falls on Seoul presidential office

At least one North Korean balloon carrying trash landed on the grounds shared by the South Korean presidential office and the National Defense Ministry in Yongsan, central Seoul, on Wednesday morning. South Korea’s Presidential Security Service said that some trash dropped by the North Korean balloon was identified on the grounds of the Yongsan presidential office and the adjacent defense ministry. The balloon contained mostly scraps of paper and plastic, according to the South Korean mili

July 24, 2024

Han begins as PPP chief; Yoon calls for unity

The new ruling People Power Party leadership kicked off its first day by highlighting unity amid concerns over lingering tensions between President Yoon Suk Yeol and newly elected party Chair Han Dong-hoon. The two met for dinner at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu in Seoul at the invitation of the president, Yoon's office said, noting that the meeting was intended to nurture "a grand harmony." Han was invited along with some other contenders at the party's national conv

July 24, 2024

S. Korean cultural influence is causing 'cracks' in rigid NK society: unification minister

Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho on Tuesday underscored the importance of "cultural" approaches to fostering internal change in North Korea, saying the inflow of South Korean pop culture is causing "cracks" in a rigid ideology-based society of the reclusive country. Kim also pointed out North Korean authorities' "sense of crisis" over their people's growing rejection of the North's culture anchored in the ideology of "juche" or self-reliance

July 24, 2024

Yoon to visit Czech Republic in September to discuss nuclear power project

President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke by phone with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Tuesday to discuss bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy and other areas, his office said. During their talks, Yoon agreed to visit Prague in September at the request of Fiala to discuss the successful implementation of a major nuclear power plant project following the Czech Republic's selection of a South Korean consortium as the preferred bidder. Yoon said the project will serve as an opportunity for both c

July 23, 2024

US-Korean dual national elected to PPP Supreme Council

South Korea's ruling People Power Party on Tuesday elected Rep. Ihn Yohan, Korea’s first American Korean lawmaker, to its five-member Supreme Council, the party's highest decision-making body led by newly elected Chair Han Dong-hoon. Ihn, whose English name is John Linton, served as chair of the party's innovation committee last year. Elected to parliament this year through proportional representation, the dual US-Korean national was running mate to chair candidate Won Hee-r

July 23, 2024

Eyes turn back to Yoon-Han tensions

A series of conflicts between President Yoon Suk Yeol and his political lieutenant Han Dong-hoon have come under renewed focus as Han was elected as the new chair of the ruling People Power Party in a resounding victory at the party's National Convention on Tuesday. Han was constantly at odds with Yoon's office in Seoul as he led the campaign for the April 10 general election as the ruling party's interim leader. On the latest occasion, earlier in July, Han zeroed in on the presidential office b

July 23, 2024

Han Dong-hoon back at helm of People Power Party

The ruling People Power Party wrapped up its 2024 national convention on Tuesday with Han Dong-hoon back at its helm. At the finale of the convention in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, Han emerged victorious in the contentious four-way race to be the party’s chair. He won more than 62 percent of the ballots from the 408,272 registered voters who participated, according to the party’s final count. In his victory speech, the former justice minister said he wanted to transform his party into

July 23, 2024

New special counsel bill zeroes in on both Yoon, first lady

Lawmakers of the minor liberal opposition Rebuilding Korea Party proposed a bill Tuesday to launch a special counsel probe into both President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee. This is the latest development following disputes and the prosecution's internal strife concerning the legal enforcement institution's decision to interrogate Kim outside of its office, in what Yoon's political enemies have depicted as preferential treatment for the president's wife. Led by Rep. Park Eun-jung, a

July 23, 2024

Ruling party set to hold national convention to pick new leader

The ruling People Power Party was set to hold a national convention Tuesday to elect a new party leader to head the embattled party following the party's crushing defeat in April's parliamentary elections. The party convention comes nearly three months after former interim leader Han Dong-hoon resigned after the general elections to take responsibility for the defeat. Han, running again to become the new PPP chief, is leading the race by a relatively significant margin, according to op

July 23, 2024

Parliamentary committee passes pro-labor 'yellow envelope bill'

A parliamentary committee unilaterally passed a pro-labor bill Monday that aims to limit companies from making claims for damages against legitimate labor union disputes. Lawmakers affiliated with the main opposition Democratic Party and other progressive parties passed the revision to the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, nicknamed the yellow envelop bill, during a plenary session of the parliamentary environment and labor committee. In protest, the ruling People Power Party left

July 22, 2024

People Power Party leader candidates diverge on Trump

As South Korea’s ruling People Power Party counts down to the national convention set for Tuesday, Han Dong-hoon -- the leading candidate for the party’s top post -- was seen promoting his views on former US President Donald Trump in a last-minute move to set himself apart from his main challengers. Han on Sunday posted to Facebook saying, “The South Korea-US alliance is at the core of our country’s progress in diplomacy, defense, economy and science, as well as peace in

July 22, 2024

Prosecution in disarray over first lady investigation

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok on Monday apologized for the prosecution's secretive questioning of first lady Kim Keon Hee over the weekend, saying that investigation principles were neglected while interrogating her. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office questioned Kim as a suspect at an undisclosed venue believed to be somewhere other than a prosecutors' office. The prosecution general, whose Supreme Prosecutors Office oversees the Seoul office, said he was not briefed

July 22, 2024

What's driving Seoul back to DMZ loudspeaker broadcasts?

South Korea entered its second day of renewed loudspeaker broadcasts along its border with North Korea on Monday, a retaliatory response to Pyongyang's recent barrage of trash-laden balloons sent southward. Hours after North Korea floated hundreds of balloons toward the South, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that "full-scale" broadcasting began Sunday afternoon and would continue on Monday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. As of 8 a.m., Monday, the South Korean military iden

July 22, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Vehicle recording mandates, chip incentives

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Motor Vehicle Management Act Proposed by Rep. Lee Hun-seung (People Power Party) ● Recently, nine people have lost their lives in front of Seoul City Hall due to an acceleration accident with an unclear cause. The driver attributed the incident to a sudden unintended acceleration, but there are no definitive means to support this claim or to prove driver error. In the Fair Trade Commission’s Status Research Report on the Operation of the Product Liab

July 22, 2024

Leadership race heats up for major parties

The leadership race for the two major parties here heated up in recent days, with the main opposition kicking off its primaries and the ruling party wrapping up its weekslong contest with an election scheduled for Tuesday. Ex-main opposition leader and Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Lee Jae-myung on Sunday won a primary in Gangwon Province, the third of the 15-leg race across the country, as he tries to secure a second term. Lee won a whopping 90.02 percent of the total ballots cast by registere

July 21, 2024

Cho Kuk reelected as leader of minor Rebuilding Korea Party

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk was reelected the chief of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party on Saturday, officials said. Cho won his second term after winning 99.9 percent approval from party members during a convention held in the city of Suwon, south of Seoul, as he was the only candidate running for party leader. Cho formed the party in March, one month ahead of the general elections on April 10, and had led the party until earlier this month when he resigned to run for reelection. His party

July 20, 2024

Ex-DP chief wins sweeping victory in Jeju primary for party leadership

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), won a primary on Jeju Island for party leader Saturday, as he eyes to secure a second term. In June, Lee resigned to run for reelection as the current party rule stipulates the party chair must resign from his leadership position to be eligible as a candidate. During Saturday's primary, the first of the 15-leg race across the country, Lee won 82.5 percent of all ballots cast by registered party members on the is

July 20, 2024

Rival parties wrangle over Yoon's impeachment petition at parliamentary hearing

The ruling and main opposition parties clashed Friday as a parliamentary committee held its first hearing to address an online petition demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The hearing, which focused on allegations that Yoon interfered in a probe into the death of a young Marine surnamed Chae, was marred by physical scuffles and yelling as the ruling People Power Party (PPP) staged a rally outside of the meeting room. Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui of the main opposition Democratic Party (

July 19, 2024

Trump touts ties with NK leader, signals interest in dialogue in acceptance speech

Former US President Donald Trump said Thursday in his Republican National Convention speech to accept the conservative party's nomination as its presidential candidate that he "got along with" North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. His remarks came as he touted himself as the right person allegedly to stop the wars and deal with the geopolitical complexities involving Russia and North Korea, given his experience holding in-person meetings with both North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Ru

July 19, 2024