Most Popular
-
1
President Yoon Suk Yeol says will entrust state affairs to ruling party
-
2
Motion to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol scrapped
-
3
Bill to investigate Kim Keon Hee fails to pass
-
4
[Breaking] Majority of ruling party lawmakers exit after vote on first lady probe
-
5
[Breaking] Yoon to step back from state affairs, diplomacy: ruling party leader
-
6
Conflict erupts over ruling camp's takeover plan
-
7
Uncertainty looms over Yoon's plans to delegate power to party
-
8
Singing K-pop, chanting slogans, masses fill Seoul streets for and against impeachment
-
9
Can Yoon be suspended without impeachment?
-
10
Ex-Defense Minister arrested for insurrection, abuse of authority
-
Security issues to take center stage at ASEAN summit
VIENTIANE. Laos -- International and regional security concerns will take center stage at the Association of Southeast Asian Nation Summit this week, as leaders will likely apply pressure on China and Russia over ongoing geopolitical conflicts. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japan's newly elected Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba both confirmed their trip to Vientiane, Laos, Tuesday. Beijing also confirmed that Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the multilateral meetings. President Yoon
Oct. 9, 2024
-
Unified Korea would be massive market: Yoon
SINGAPORE -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday that a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace would unlock massive economic opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region. "A unified Korean Peninsula that is free and open will also create a strong impetus for economic development and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," Yoon said at the 47th Singapore Lecture, organized by the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute that was formerly known as the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. "A
Oct. 9, 2024
-
New orchid hybrid in Singapore named after Yoon, his wife
SINGAPORE -- A new orchid hybrid in Singapore was named after President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee while Yoon was on a state visit to the Southeast Asian country, according to the presidential office on Wednesday. The orchid was named "Dendrobium Yoon Suk Yeol Kim Keon Hee" on the occasion of their visit to the Singapore Botanic Gardens on Tuesday. Dendrobium refers to one of the genera of the Orchidaceae family, according to Yoon's office. According to Singapore
Oct. 9, 2024
-
Who is pollster roiling politics with claims of government string-pulling?
Allegations that first lady Kim Keon Hee interfered with the ruling party's candidate nominations ahead of April's legislative general election are stirring up the political landscape in South Korea -- and at the center of it all is a pollster who claims he "advised" President Yoon Suk Yeol. Myeong Tae-gyun became the center of attention after online media outlet Tomato News reported that he had connections with the presidential couple, and played a role in the ruling People
Oct. 8, 2024
-
S. Korea, Singapore seal supply chain agreement
SINGAPORE -- The leaders of South Korea and Singapore on Tuesday agreed to ensure resilience in the supply chain as the two countries signed a new bilateral arrangement to weather supply chain crises especially in advanced manufacturing, biotechnology and energy. The nonbinding supply chain partnership arrangement was signed during President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the city-state as part of a weeklong trip to Southeast Asia. In a press conference held Tuesday at the Parliament House of Si
Oct. 8, 2024
-
[Exclusive] Youth shun military academy as armed forces lose luster
South Korea’s once prestigious military academies are fast losing appeal for potential candidates, with about two in three applicants dropping out despite qualifying for final interviews this year. Despite an increase in applicants to academies of all three armed services over the first three years of Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration in 2022-24, the steep rise in dropout rates during the admissions process reveals the underlying challenges the South Korean military faces recruiting for
Oct. 7, 2024
-
Assembly audit kicks off with bitter clashes
This year’s annual National Assembly audit kicked off Monday with the rival parties locking horns over a slew of legal issues surrounding Democratic Party of Korea Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung and multiple allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee. Seventeen parliamentary standing committees will audit a total of 802 government institutions over 26 days. Ten of the 17 standing committees were scheduled to hold hearings Monday, including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the Foreign Af
Oct. 7, 2024
-
Yoon, Marcos agree to upgrade military, infrastructure, nuclear ties
MANILA, Philippines -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Philippines counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed on South Korea's greater participation in the Southeast Asian country's bid to boost military readiness, build infrastructure and introduce nuclear energy, according to Yoon's office on Monday. During the bilateral meeting of Yoon and Marcos, Seoul and Manila elevated their ties to a Strategic Partnership. The declaration will "open a new chapter of our partnership,"
Oct. 7, 2024
-
[Bills in Focus] Protecting small retailers, boosting recycling
Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Income Tax Act Proposed by Rep. Lim Kwang-hyun (Democratic Party of Korea) ● To prevent a contraction in the domestic stock market with the implementation of the financial investment income tax in 2025, this amendment proposes increasing the basic deduction for financial investment income tax from 50 million won ($37,200) to 100 million won. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Distribution Industry Development Act Proposed by Rep. Oh Sae-hee (Democra
Oct. 7, 2024
-
Yoon's approval rating remains below 30% for 2nd straight week: Realmeter poll
President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating inched up to 27.9 percent from a week earlier but remained below the 30 percent mark for the second consecutive week, a survey showed Monday. According to the survey by Realmeter and commissioned by a local news outlet, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance rose 2.1 percentage points from the previous week, when it recorded the lowest level in Realmeter surveys since he took office in 2022. The negative assessment of Yoon fell 2.7 perce
Oct. 7, 2024
-
Parliamentary inspection of govt., state agencies to kick off for 26-day run
The National Assembly is set to kick off its annual inspection of the government and state agencies Monday for a 26-day run. On the first day of the audit, 10 of the Assembly's 17 standing committees will hold inspection hearings to scrutinize the management of the central and regional governments as well as their agencies. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and the Public Administration and Security Committee will be among the 10 committe
Oct. 7, 2024
-
Yoon honors veterans of Korean War in trip to Philippines
President Yoon Suk Yeol began his state visit to the Philippines on Sunday by honoring fallen soldiers who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War and meeting with Korean nationals in the nation. Yoon visited the Korean War Memorial Pylon at the Heroes' Cemetery in Manila with first lady Kim Keon Hee on the first day of his two-day trip focused on strengthening economic and security ties. "South Korea and the Philippines have maintained close, friendly relations, and the Philippines was the first
Oct. 7, 2024
-
First lady’s Dior bag scandal to be at center of Assembly audit
The wife of President Yoon Suk Yeol could once again take center stage during the yearly National Assembly audit over high-profile allegations that first surfaced late last year that she received a Dior bag during an encounter with a pastor in late 2022. The Democratic Party of Korea has warned it would make “the Dior bag scandal” and other allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee the main theme of its audit efforts. The main opposition floor leader Rep. Park Chan-dae said in a
Oct. 6, 2024
-
Yoon set for talks with Marcos in Philippines
MANILA, The Philippines -- President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday arrived in the Philippines for a state visit, as part of a weeklong trip to three Southeast Asian countries that will culminate in the ASEAN summit later this week. Yoon is the first South Korean leader to make a state visit to the Philippines in 13 years. Upon arrival at Manila, the Philippine capital, Yoon attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Korean War Memorial Pylon at the Heroes' Cemetery in Manila, in memory of the 112 F
Oct. 6, 2024
-
PPP urges swift ratification of new S. Korea-US defense cost deal
The ruling People Power Party on Saturday called for efforts by the opposition-controlled National Assembly to swiftly ratify a new defense cost-sharing deal between South Korea and the United States. Seoul and Washington inked the five-year deal, named the Special Measures Agreement, on Wednesday, about a month before the US presidential election to be held Nov. 5. Under the agreement, South Korea will pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.14 billion) in 2026, up 8.3 percent from the previous year, for the
Oct. 5, 2024
-
Special counsel bill to probe first lady scrapped
The three bills blocked by President Yoon Suk Yeol, including one for a special investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee, were scrapped Friday after failing to get the National Assembly votes required to override Yoon's veto. The bills were voted on for a second time during an afternoon plenary session, but neither got the two-thirds majority support needed to force them through. The bill for a special counsel investigation into the first lady, passed by the Assembly on Sept. 19, is an up
Oct. 4, 2024
-
Main opposition leadership to decide on postponement of financial income tax
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Friday decided to let its leadership make the final decision on whether to postpone the adoption of the financial investment income tax, which is set to take effect on Jan. 1. The decision made during a general meeting of party lawmakers in the morning, comes as the ruling People Power Party has been calling for the Democratic Party, which currently holds the majority of seats in the 300-member Assembly, to agree on the abolition or a postponement
Oct. 4, 2024
-
Samsung, Hyundai chiefs to accompany Yoon on Singapore trip
A group of business leaders, including Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung, will accompany President Yoon Suk Yeol on his visit to Singapore next week, industry sources said Thursday. Yoon is set to embark on a three-nation trip on Sunday to visit the Philippines, Singapore and Laos to attend the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and hold bilateral talks, according to his office. In Singapore, Lee is expected to attend a
Oct. 3, 2024
-
Yoon aims to elevate ties on Southeast Asian trip
President Yoon Suk Yeol is poised to visit Laos for the South Korea-ASEAN summit in Vientiane, Laos, on Oct. 10, with both sides working to upgrade ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the highest level in ASEAN's diplomatic hierarchy. Laos will be one of the three Southeast Asian nations Yoon plans to visit next week, along with the Philippines and Singapore. This year's summit between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will mark a watershed moment, K
Oct. 3, 2024
-
Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
In a startling revelation, a leaked phone conversation in which a former presidential official urged a YouTube news channel reporter to discredit the current leader of the ruling People Power Party during the party's leadership race has alarmed the conservative bloc in recent days. Voice of Seoul, a far-left YouTube-based news channel, recently uploaded an apparent recording of a phone conversation between Kim Dae-nam, formerly the acting secretary for public communication at the presidenti
Oct. 3, 2024