PRAGUE -- The presidential office denounced claims by opposition parties that the South Korean consortium, which became a preferred bidder to build at least two nuclear power units in the Czech Republic in July, had proposed an extremely low bidding price that could waste taxpayers' money following a rise in construction costs. The administration instead claimed that the pricing of the South Korean consortium, led by the state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, was made at a reasonable level. It

Politics Sept. 20, 2024

PRAGUE -- President Yoon Suk Yeol's office on Thursday denounced liberal politicians' emphasis on the peaceful coexistence of two Koreas, reiterating the conservative administration's goal of achieving ultimate peace through reunification as enshrined in the "Unification Doctrine" in August. Contrasting reunification of the separated nations with coexistence, an official of the South Korean presidential office said in Prague on condition of anonymity that the peaceful reunification of

Politics Sept. 20, 2024

PRAGUE -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and Czech President Petr Pavel agreed to strengthen diplomatic, economic and security ties between the two countries, at a time when South Korea is working to finalize the contract with Czech authorities over its 24 trillion won ($18 billion) nuclear export deal. "(To jointly counter global crisis and threats of authoritarianism), our two countries have decided to bolster cooperation in key areas including politics, economy, culture, technology, diplomacy a

Politics Sept. 20, 2024

    President Yoon Suk Yeol departed for the Czech Republic Thursday to attend summits with Czech leaders taking place at a time when South Korea is working to finalize its 24 trillion won ($18 billion) nuclear export deal with the country. Yoon told Reuters in a written interview Thursday that the Czech project holds "paramount importance," adding that his trip was partly meant to solidify Prague's commitment to the signing of the deal planned for March 2025. Yoon is also ex

Politics Sept. 19, 2024

North Korea made an unprecedented media disclosure of its uranium enrichment facility on Friday, with its leader Kim Jong-un inspecting rows of centrifuges in a clear display of the reclusive regime's nuclear ambitions. According to North Korea's state media outlets, Kim had inspected a control room of a uranium enrichment facility, and expressed satisfaction, after he was briefed about the technology North Korea had developed for the facility's centrifugal separators, sensors and controllers. T

Politics Sept. 13, 2024

The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday overturned the lower court's ruling on a man surnamed Son, who in 2023 was acquitted of charges of providing scammers linked to a 63.6 billion won ($47.4 million) investment fraud in the early 2010s with a trust account, allowing them to manage assets on behalf of himself or the trust's beneficiary. The case has been drawing public attention as President Yoon Suk Yeol's opponents claim that first lady Kim Keon Hee was also suspected to

Politics Sept. 12, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol will visit the Czech Republic Thursday next week to forge the so-called "nuclear energy alliance," the presidential office said Thursday. The official visit comes ahead of next year's signing of South Korean firms' nuclear power plant construction bid valued at around 24 trillion won ($17.9 billion). It is the first visit by a South Korean leader to Central Europe's manufacturing powerhouse in nine years. Yoon will "convey the strong willingn

Politics Sept. 12, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol touted South Korea as an international hub for cybersecurity drill exercises, while attending the inaugural Cyber Summit Korea 2024 in Seoul on Wednesday. Yoon said in his congratulatory speech at the event held at Coex in Gangnam, southern Seoul, that South Korea's long exposure to constant cyberspace attacks by "hostile actors" including North Korea has allowed the country to hone its defense capabilities and cybersecurity system. "Totalitarian sta

Politics Sept. 11, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday laid out a plan to raise physicians' fees temporarily during the next two weeks, as the crisis in short-staffed emergency rooms in South Korean hospitals is expected to deepen during the Chuseok holiday in mid-September. Yoon said in a Cabinet meeting that fees for emergency room doctors -- supported by the nation's universal single-payer health care system -- will be temporarily raised 3.5 times what they currently are during the period. The hikes wi

Politics Sept. 10, 2024

First lady Kim Keon Hee is unlikely to be indicted for alleged antigraft rule violations, as the final legal procedure concerning her acceptance of luxury gifts totaling over 5 million won ($3,730), including a Christian Dior bag, has been cleared. Outgoing Prosecutor General Lee One-seok told reporters on Monday on his way to his office in Seocho-gu in southern Seoul that he "respects" the recommendation Friday by a 15-member independent review panel of the Supreme Prosecutors' O

Politics Sept. 9, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol tapped former Deputy Police Commissioner Park Jong-joon as the new head of the Presidential Security Service in charge of the security and protection of the South Korean leader, the presidential office announced Monday. Effective Monday, the 59-year-old Park replaced Kim Yong-hyun, who was appointed minister of national defense on Friday to succeed Yoon's new national security adviser Shin Won-sik. Park told reporters Monday that he recognized the safety of a country

Politics Sept. 9, 2024

The main opposition party slammed President Yoon Suk Yeol of "flattering" his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, accusing him of making consecutive concessions to Tokyo without securing a formal apology or compensation for its historical grievances. A day after the Japanese prime minister left Seoul, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Sunday pledged to revise rules to stop comfort women statues at home and abroad from being defaced or meddled with, withou

Politics Sept. 8, 2024

The leaders of South Korea and New Zealand on Wednesday agreed to enhance security cooperation and pledged to elevate bilateral relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" by expanding collaboration in trade, investment, security and technology, according to the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Condemning the growing threat posed by military exchanges between North Korea and Russia as well as Pyongyang's nuclear development program, Yoon and New Zealand's Prime Min

Politics Sept. 4, 2024

The South Korean government on Wednesday laid out plans to raise the mandatory national pension contribution rate by 4 percentage points from the current 9 to 13 percent starting next year, with the intention of extending the life span of the state-sponsored public retirement pension scheme by at least 16 years. This reform plan comes as the national postretirement fund's financial viability remains doubtful, with the country suffering from the double whammy of low birth rates and an aging

Politics Sept. 4, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hold talks during Kishida's two-day visit to South Korea from Friday, in what would be his final one-on-one with Yoon before his planned departure from his post, the presidential office announced Tuesday. Yoon's office said in a note to reporters that the talks will highlight the past achievements through bilateral cooperation and ways to boost ties between the two East Asian countries in bilateral, regional and int

Politics Sept. 3, 2024