US President Donald Trump expressed anticipation toward his visit to South Korea in a tweet before taking off from Japan on Tuesday.  (US President Donald Trump Twitter)“Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman. We will figure it all out!” the president tweeted at 6 a.m. The tweet followed one he posted just before, on his trip in Japan. “My visit to Japan and friendship with PM Abe will yield many benefits, for our great Country. Massive military

Politics Nov. 7, 2017

Nine lawmakers of the minor conservative Bareun Party said Monday they will defect to the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, as the right wing realigns ahead of next year‘s local elections. 　With the defections, the splinter Bareun Party will lose its status as a parliamentary negotiating bloc, which requires at least 20 seats at the 299-member National Assembly. The number of the remaining legislators is 11.  Members of minor opposition Bareun Party announce their defection at the National As

Politics Nov. 6, 2017

(Shot by Park Ju-young / Edited by Park Ju-young)As a kid, Kang Hyeong-uk was a rather unusual boy. Rather than playing with his peers, he preferred spending time with dogs. While his parents ran a puppy mill, he developed a more sympathetic view of the animals in his formative years, and his interest never strayed from his furry friends since, he said. Kang Hyeong-uk speaks during an interview at his office in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. (Park Ju-young/The Korea Herald)“I do not know, maybe i

Culture Nov. 3, 2017

Two minor opposition parties agreed to establish a policy alliance on Friday, amid a parliamentary budget review and plenary sessions that have kicked off this month.  From left: Rep. Kim Dong-cheol of the Bareun Party and Rep. Joo Ho-young of the People`s Party (Yonhap)The two floor leaders, Rep. Joo Ho-young of the People’s Party and Rep. Kim Dong-cheol of the minor conservative Bareun Party, announced the six bills they agreed to support and their intended direction in the annual budget delib

Politics Nov. 3, 2017

North Korea appears ready to conduct another nuclear experiment at its Punggye-ri test site “at any time,” despite signs of damage to some facilities there, South Korea’s spy agency said Thursday. There are also signs that the regime may be preparing for another missile launch, the National Intelligence Service told lawmakers during a parliamentary audit, noting active movements spotted around the missile development institute near Pyongyang.  (Yonhap)“The third portal at the Punggye-ri site app

North Korea Nov. 2, 2017

US President Donald Trump will not visit the Demilitarized Zone, the border between the two Koreas, during his two-day state visit to South Korea due to time constraints, a US senior administration official said Tuesday. Instead, he will visit a US military base. “The president is not going to visit the DMZ. There is not enough time in the schedule. It would have had to have been the DMZ or Camp Humphreys,” the official, who has not been named, said in a phone briefing.  (Yonhap)There had been s

Politics Nov. 1, 2017

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party returned to a parliamentary audit of the government on Monday, ending a two-day boycott in protest of what it called the government‘s attempts to tame the media by appointing “pro-government” personnel to a broadcasting authority.The party boycotted sessions on Thursday and Friday after the Korea Communications Commission announced Thursday the replacements to fill two vacant seats on the nine-member board of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture.  (Yonhap)

Politics Oct. 30, 2017

The ashes of a Frenchman who fought during the 1950-53 Korean War will return to the peninsula on Wednesday to be buried in the Demilitarized Zone, the ministry said Monday. According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the ashes of the late UN veteran Jean Le Houx will arrive at Incheon International Airport at 8 a.m. escorted by a French delegation of 11 people. After a welcoming ceremony at the airport, the ashes will be moved to the Seoul National Cemetery to stay the night. On

Politics Oct. 30, 2017

Prosecutors placed a travel ban on a former head of the National Security Council to investigate the alleged manipulation of official documents related to the sinking of a passenger ship three years ago, it confirmed on Friday. The Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office banned Kim Jang-soo, a former defense minister and ambassador to China, from leaving the country over suspicions that he played a part in altering the presidential office‘s daily log concerning the Sewol ferry sinking that le

Politics Oct. 27, 2017

Part of the money South Korea pays annually for US troops to be stationed here is not being used, reflecting a gap between the cost-sharing agreement and the actual required costs, a lawmaker said Thursday. According to data from the Ministry of Defense revealed by Rep. Kim Jong-dae of the Justice Party, the defense costs allotted for construction related to US Forces Korea that was not used and rolled over to the following year amounted to 328 billion won in 2016. The balance includes the accru

Politics Oct. 26, 2017

Less than 350 people received treatment for sexual perversion last year, as public concerns continue amid a steady increase in sex crimes, a lawmaker pointed out Thursday. According to government data revealed by Rep. In Jae-keun of the Democratic Party of Korea, only 326 people were treated last year for disorders of sexual preference such as exhibitionism, voyeurism and pedophilia. (Yonhap)At the same time the number of sex crimes rose to 29,414 last year, up 18.4 percent from 2013.The greates

Politics Oct. 26, 2017

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun chose Kim Kyo-heung, a former lawmaker and his current chief secretary, as the next secretary-general. He will succeed Rep. Woo Yoon-keun, who was formally appointed Wednesday as the ambassador to Russia. “Kim has played an important role in drawing out cooperation among political parties, regularizing the meetings among floor leaders of the political parties and the speaker,” Chung explained. “He worked to run the parliament productively and efficiently

Politics Oct. 25, 2017

North Korea is still using the Volvo cars they imported 43 years ago without paying, Voice of America reported citing the Swedish government on Wednesday. “While it is difficult to find the Volvo cars on Pyongyang roads, one model, ‘Volvo 144’ can be spotted in rural cities, often as taxis,” Swedish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Katarina Roslund has been quoted as saying by the VOA’s Korean Service.  (Yonhap)She also said Sweden did not get any payment over the 1,000 Volvo 144 that the North orde

North Korea Oct. 25, 2017

A quick nip and tuck while in transit through Incheon, South Korea -- the “world’s capital of plastic surgery”? The idea might have looked brilliant to the operator of Incheon Airport, the country’s main gateway, looking to add a unique, new feature to its soon-to-be completed passenger terminal. However, doctors and medical professionals seem to think otherwise. Transfer terminal in Incheon International Airport. (Yonhap)According to data from Incheon International Airport Corp. released by Rep

Social Affairs Oct. 24, 2017

A search for the remains of civilians killed during the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement is gaining momentum, with an excavation at a former prison site set to begin on Oct. 30.The May 18 Memorial Foundation announced Monday that the restricted area where the old Gwangju Prison was located will be excavated to search for the remains of those still unaccounted for after the uprising, which was crushed by the military junta of Chun Doo-hwan. The May 18 Memorial Foundation members announce the

Politics Oct. 23, 2017