S. Korea attends APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting to discuss financial health, digital assets

South Korea has attended the Finance Ministers' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in San Francisco this week to discuss ways of cooperation with member nations on the global economy, sustainable finance and digital assets, the finance ministry said Tuesday. The South Korean delegation led by Deputy Finance Minister Choi Ji-young attended the two-day meeting that began Sunday (US time), where the 21 member nations agreed upon joint efforts to secure growth momentum while ensur

Foreign AffairsNov. 14, 2023

Vice defense chief to join ASEAN-led regional security meeting

South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho will travel to Indonesia this week to attend an annual regional security meeting involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Kim will leave for Jakarta on Wednesday to participate in the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus set to kick off the next day. It will bring together top defense officials from nine ASEAN countries and eight others, including the United States and China. Myanmar will n

Foreign AffairsNov. 14, 2023

Helicopter parent's questions spark debate online

"When my son was in middle and high school, I used to communicate with his teachers via KakaoTalk messages. Is it any different with professors? Did I make a mistake in how I tried to help my son?" These questions form the gist of a story posted by a mother in an online forum, who tried to find her son's professor's contact information after he missed his midterm exam. The post, containing simple questions from a mother who appears to be genuinely unaware of any problems on h

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2023

46 countries, including S. Korea, US, join declaration on 'responsible' AI use

South Korea, the United States and 44 other countries have joined a declaration highlighting the "responsible" use of artificial intelligence in the military domain, the State Department said Monday. Launched in February, the Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of AI and Autonomy aims to build international consensus on responsible behavior and guide countries' development, deployment and use of military AI, according to the department. The declaration came amid grow

Foreign AffairsNov. 14, 2023

S. Korea hosts inaugural defense ministerial meeting of UNC member states

South Korea and the United Nations Command member states were set to hold their first meeting of defense chiefs and representatives Tuesday to evaluate the multinational command's contributions and explore their future roles, the defense ministry said. The UNC was established in July 1950 under a UN mandate to support South Korea against North Korea's aggression and has been overseeing the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War. South Korean defense minister Shin Won-sik and his US counter

DefenseNov. 14, 2023

PPP begins YouTube filibuster against DP's passage of contentious bills

The ruling People Power Party launched an online filibuster Monday to protest the passage of four controversial bills through the opposition-controlled National Assembly. On Thursday, the Assembly passed revisions to the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act and three other bills on broadcasting laws, as PPP lawmakers boycotted the votes in protest. The PPP had planned to use a filibuster to block the passage, but later decided not to proceed in order to not give the DP a chance to pass

PoliticsNov. 13, 2023

Defense chief hails UNC troops' sacrifice ahead of ministerial meeting with UNC member states

South Korea's defense chief on Monday hailed the sacrifice made by UN Command UNC troops during the 1950-53 Korean War ahead of the inaugural defense ministerial meeting with the member states of the multinational command tasked with overseeing the conflict's armistice. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik made the remark at a reception for representatives of the member states in southern Seoul, as South Korea seeks to deepen ties with the command's 17 member states through the ministeri

DefenseNov. 13, 2023

Kakao's investment chief indicted over stock manipulation in K-pop agency takeover

Prosecutors indicted the chief investment officer of South Korean platform giant Kakao Corp. on Monday over alleged stock manipulation in a high-profile battle to take over K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment Co. Bae Jae-hyun will stand trial on charges of inflating the price of SM Entertainment shares in violation of the Capital Market Act, with the intent to undermine a tender offer from rival bidder Hybe during the heated takeover battle in February, the Seoul Southern Prosecutors Office said.

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2023

Unification minister discusses NK issues with Canadian envoy

South Korea's point man on North Korea met with the Canadian ambassador to South Korea on Monday and called for the country's support in helping resolve dire human rights conditions in the North, the unification ministry said. Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho made the request in a meeting with Canadian Ambassador Tamara Mawhinney as he explained South Korea's efforts to address the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors in China, as well as North Korea's denuclearizati

North KoreaNov. 13, 2023

Yoon meets International Criminal Court chief

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Piotr Hofmanski, chief of the International Criminal Court, on Monday to discuss ways for South Korea to cooperate with the ICC in promoting the international criminal justice system, Yoon's office said. During the meeting, Yoon stressed that South Korea "strongly supports the rules-based international order of freedom, human rights and the rule of law," and that it will continue to cooperate with the ICC to realize international criminal justice a

PoliticsNov. 13, 2023

[Community Discovery] Blending old and new for sustainable Seongdong-gu

The urban regeneration project for Seongdong-gu in eastern Seoul fosters ways both to attract new visitors and enhance existing residents' lives while advocating for the coexistence of the district’s older and new buildings and communities. “Seongdong-gu will become a sustainable cultural district through the urban regeneration project, which promotes ‘coexistence’ as its core value,” said Seongdong-gu head Chong Won-o during a press tour on Oct. 26. As a cor

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2023

China-made phony news sites spreading pro-Beijing propaganda in South Korea: NIS

South Korea’s spy service suspects Chinese agencies are behind the operation of fake websites posing as well-known South Korean news outlets to spread propaganda. The National Intelligence Service said Monday that Chinese press relations agencies Haimai and Haixun created phishing websites that look like websites of news outlets here and then generated a series of stories it said are “pro-China” and “anti-US." Some of the examples of the stories circulated by the pho

PoliticsNov. 13, 2023

Talks begin in Korea for easing 52-hour weekly work cap

South Korea is likely to begin a trilateral discussion on the 52-hour weekly work cap, with the government moving to resume talks as the labor umbrella union returns to the dialogue for the first time in five months. The discussion will include the government's latest proposal on allowing exceptions to the legally set maximum of 52 hours of work per week. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Monday that employers may be given more flexibility in arranging the work schedules on a weekly

PoliticsNov. 13, 2023

Man sentenced to 9 years for chaining, beating wife to death

A man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for beating his wife to death, local media reported Monday. According to reports, a 36-year-old man was found guilty of illegal confinement, death resulting from bodily injury and coercion. He was also ordered to 40 hours in a child abuse treatment program and a two-year employment restriction for child-related institutions on charges of emotional abuse by confining his wife with a leash in front of his 4-year-old son. The husband was on trial for

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2023

S. Korea, US revise deterrence strategy amid growing NK threats

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States on Monday unveiled an updated security strategy, the first in a decade, specifically designed to counter the growing threats emanating from North Korean nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. South Korea's newly appointed Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the completion of revisions to the Tailored Deterrence Strategy, a strategic guideline tailored to threats posed by North K

DefenseNov. 13, 2023

Ministry to aid S. Koreans facing death penalty for drug trafficking

Two South Korean nationals sentenced to death for drug trafficking by a Vietnamese court will be offered consular services necessary for due process and a fair trial in case of appeal, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Monday. The two Koreans were among 18 defendants found guilty of drug offenses in a trial court ruling last week, according to VnExpress, a Vietnamese online media outlet. Kim, 63, and Kang, 30, were partners who had made ties in a Korean prison for unrelated crimes. A Chinese na

Foreign AffairsNov. 13, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Tackling poor construction practices, promoting SME carbon neutrality

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Construction Technology Promotion Act Proposed by Rep. Heo Jong-sik (Democratic Party of Korea) ● The recent collapse of an underground parking lot has brought to attention the need to remedy poor construction practices. This amendment reinforces the liability of constructors for managing the quality of construction projects by making the appropriateness examination for quality management mandatory by law and requiring the documentation of such examination

PoliticsNov. 13, 2023

Winter camping alert: 5 dead over weekend apparently of carbon monoxide poisoning

A total of five campers were found dead in South Korea over the weekend, apparently due to carbon monoxide poisoning, as they fell victim to an invisible killer lurking when camping in winter, officials said Monday. The dead bodies of two separate families were discovered at different campsites with signs of having used charcoal grills or heaters inside zipped-up tents, according to the emergency authorities. The first group of victims consisted of a 63-year-old man, his 58-year-old wife and t

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2023

Ruling party urges Yoon to veto opposition-led labor, media bills

  South Korea's ruling People Power Party on Monday asked President Yoon Suk Yeol to veto recent bills passed by opposition parties, which the Democratic Party of Korea claims are aimed at protecting workers and shielding Korea's terrestrial broadcasters from political influence. Voices against the bills both in political and business circles are adding to expectations that Yoon will veto the bills. "We hereby ask President Yoon to veto the bills for the country and its citizens' livel

PoliticsNov. 13, 2023

‘Feminist’ and ‘mama’s boy’ make the least desirable dates in Korea, survey finds

Among divorced singles seeking new relationships, Korean men preferred the least women they perceived to be “feminist” as a potential date. Meanwhile, Korean women showed the most aversion to “mama's boy” types as possible dating partners, a survey showed Monday. According to the survey of 538 divorcees (269 men and 269 women), conducted by South Korean matchmaking agencies Only U and Bien-Aller, the highest percentage of male respondents at 35.7 percent were disin

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2023