President Yoon Suk Yeol spent his first two years in office facing persistent and intense political confrontations, public censure over his unilateral approach to communication, and controversies surrounding his wife that have cast a shadow over his policy initiatives and foreign affairs activities. Having been elected to South Korea's most powerful office only six months after entering politics, the 63-year-old former prosecutor has remained unpopular domestically for the past two years, w

Politics May 9, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized Thursday for first lady Kim Keon Hee’s alleged acceptance of a Dior bag as a gift, while dismissing the continued calls for a special probe into the controversy as a political attack by the opposition. In a press conference marking his two years in office, the president said he “offers a deep apology to the South Korean people for causing concern due to (his) wife’s unwise conduct.” In undercover camera footage released last year on a Yo

Politics May 9, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday named former prosecutor Kim Joo-hyun as the new senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, a position he abolished two years ago to curb accusations that it meddles in probes by the prosecution and the police. The revival of the senior presidential secretary immediately prompted speculation that Yoon's office might use the new senior secretary position to deal with legal issues potentially involving him and his family, given that the position traditionall

Politics May 7, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol will hold a press conference Thursday, as he seeks a breakthrough from his stagnant job approval rating and looming political attacks by the opposition parties set to continue to control the new National Assembly that kicks off next month. Yoon's spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung told reporters Monday that Yoon will hold a media conference in the morning as he marks his second anniversary in the presidential office soon. Before the conference, Yoon will lay out his policy instru

Politics May 6, 2024

South Korea's working-age population is projected to shrink by a quarter in the next two decades, a report read Monday, suggesting a grim outlook for Asia's fourth-largest economy, which is struggling to find a breakthrough from its historically low birth rate. The working-age population, which Seoul defines as economically active people aged between 15 and 64, will stand at some 27.17 million by 2044, down by 9.4 million from 36.57 million in 2023, according to a report from the Korea

Social Affairs May 6, 2024

The presidential office will establish a pangovernmental task force dedicated to protecting the country's strategic industries and encourage concerted efforts among government bodies, following the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's projection of South Korea's economic growth this year, Thursday. "(South Korea) won't be able to sustain victory in the battlefield of countries pouring efforts on key industries, without removing barriers between ministr

Politics May 2, 2024

The Yoon Suk Yeol government on Thursday unveiled its plans to more than double its military drone fleet by 2026 to enhance the military's readiness against threats from North Korea's unmanned aerial vehicles. The meeting of the presidential Defense Innovation Committee, chaired by National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin, focused on strategies to bolster drone capabilities directly tied to the military's readiness posture, according to President Yoon Suk Yeol's office. "O

Defense May 2, 2024

Over 30,000 workers affiliated with the country's two major umbrella labor unions held rallies in Seoul on Wednesday on International Workers' Day, criticizing President Yoon Suk Yeol's proposal to hire foreign domestic workers outside the minimum wage system. Unionized workers described Yoon's proposal addressed earlier this month as an attempt not only to discriminate against foreign workers but also to deny the application of the minimum wage system to a select group of pe

Social Affairs May 1, 2024

The Korean Medical Association, the largest group in the medical community representing some 140,000 doctors nationwide, inaugurated its new leader Wednesday, seeking to unite the voices of doctors in preparation for a possible dialogue with the government. The association's new leader, Lim Hyun-taek, has maintained a hard-line stance against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's move to increase the number of doctors in the country to cope with population aging. The 54-year-old pediatrician is ant

Social Affairs May 1, 2024

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Angolan counterpart, President Joao Lourenco, agreed Tuesday to enhance economic and trade cooperation during their talks in Seoul, resulting in the signing of a strategic framework tailored to promote trade and investment. Lourenco became the second Angolan president to have visited South Korea, following Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who visited here in 2001. Korea and Angola established diplomatic ties in 1992. Yoon's office said agreements signed

Politics April 30, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol held talks Monday with Democratic Party of Korea Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung for the first time since taking office in May 2022, seeking the possibility of bipartisan cooperation after the opposition party's sweeping victory in the general election earlier this month. Lee, Yoon's former presidential rival, said his party would cooperate with the ruling bloc with regard to thorny issues such as the government's standoff with the medical circles that has left th

Politics April 29, 2024

Kurt Campbell, deputy secretary of state for the United States, lauded President Yoon Suk Yeol's effort to settle the historical conflicts with Japan and mend bilateral ties, which paved the way for the three-way relationship of Seoul, Washington and Tokyo as enshrined in the Camp David summit in August. Campbell, formerly the White House's top Asia aide in the Joe Biden administration, stressed the role of Yoon and Kishida in overcoming the plight of Japan's atrocities toward Sou

Politics April 25, 2024

South Korea on Tuesday tapped a South Korean liquid rocket engine expert and a Korean-American who retired from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the United States for the leadership positions of the nascent space agency set for blastoff in late May. According to the presidential office in Seoul, Yoon Young-bin, an aerospace engineering professor at the Seoul National University, was named the new administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration, or KASA. Yoon's four d

Politics April 24, 2024

The leaders of South Korea and Romania agreed to seek bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, particularly with the defense industry and nuclear energy in focus, during a summit held in Seoul on Tuesday. "I hope (Iohannis's visit to Korea) this year could help our discussion related to military equipment and nuclear energy bear fruit," President Yoon Suk Yeol said in the welcoming remarks of the summit. "Today, we can take our bilateral strategic partnership to the next leve

Politics April 23, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that artificial intelligence, biotechnology and quantum technology constitute the three major pillars of South Korea's future economy, renewing his push for breakthroughs in research and development. At a Telecommunication Day celebration held in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Yoon promised during his speech to make South Korea a "top 3 global science technology powerhouse" through massive investment and strategic cooperation with partners in the

Politics April 22, 2024