Most Popular
-
1
Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
-
2
Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
-
3
Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
-
4
[Graphic News] Number of coffee franchises in S. Korea rises 13%
-
5
S. Korean children, teens grow taller, mature faster than before: study
-
6
Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
-
7
Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
-
8
[Robert J. Fouser] AI changes rationale for learning languages
-
9
[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids go gold in US with ‘Maniac’
-
10
Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket
-
Ruling party proposes Oct. 2 as temporary holiday
The ruling People Power Party has formally proposed that the government designate Oct. 2 as a one-off public holiday. The day, which falls between Korea's major mid-autumn festival holiday, Chuseok, and National Foundation Day, aims to provide a six-day extended break, allowing families to reunite after lengthy COVID-19 restrictions and also to stimulate domestic consumption, according to the party. On Monday, ruling party leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon said at a Supreme Council meeting
Aug. 28, 2023
-
[Bills in Focus] Targeting deceptive gains from convertible bonds, retrieving short-swing profits
Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act Proposed by Rep. Lee Wong-woo (Democratic Party of Korea) To prevent the exploitation of callable convertible bonds (CB) for deceptive gain and power, this amendment prohibits stock-listed corporations from selling the call options of the CB or bonds with warrant (BW) to their largest shareholder or affiliated persons. It also requires corporations to retire a CB obtained before its expiration date. M
Aug. 28, 2023
-
Yoon's approval inches up to 37.6%
President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating inched up to 37.6 percent, primarily due to positive public assessments of his trilateral summit with the United States and Japan, according to a poll Monday. In the survey of 2,507 eligible voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance increased by 2 percentage points from the previous week, while disapproval of Yoon's performance dropped by 1.8 percentage points to 59.4 perce
Aug. 28, 2023
-
Yoon faces mounting protests as Japan releases Fukushima water
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is under increasing pressure over his neutrality regarding Japan's release of wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant. Opposition parties participated in rallies in Fukushima Prefecture on Sunday, calling for an end to potential irreversible harm to health and the environment. Rep. Woo Won-shik, who heads the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's campaign against the discharge, labeled the release plans as "criminal," highlighting
Aug. 27, 2023
-
S. Korea says Fukushima water release carried out as planned
Japan's release of contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant has been carried out stably and as planned, with no abnormalities detected so far, a South Korean official said Friday. Tokyo initiated the discharge of contaminated water a day earlier, a process expected to span more than three decades, despite lingering health and environmental concerns from neighboring countries. "So far, the discharge is proceeding stably as originally planned, and it is understo
Aug. 25, 2023
-
Opposition leader labels Yoon as 'accomplice' in Japan's environmental terrorism
The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party on Friday denounced Japan's release of contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant as an act of crime against humanity, even labeling President Yoon Suk Yeol as an accomplice. Rep. Lee Jae-myung made the remarks as Tokyo initiated the discharge of contaminated water a day earlier, a process expected to span more than three decades, despite lingering health and environmental concerns from neighboring countries. "J
Aug. 25, 2023
-
Parliament passes revision to election law, ending election banner chaos
The National Assembly on Thursday approved an election law revision banning political posters or banners on the streets until 120 days prior to polling day. Political banners have mushroomed on the streets since the Constitutional Court struck down an election law clause banning political banners until 180 days before an election day, citing freedom of political expression. The chaos continued as the ruling and the main opposition parties failed to come up with a revision, resulting in anyone be
Aug. 24, 2023
-
Protests erupt in Seoul over Fukushima water release
South Korea’s main opposition party warned it would take a series of actions condemning the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s policies on Japan as Tokyo began a phased release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant on Thursday afternoon. Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the head of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in an emergency meeting gathering all of the party’s lawmakers that Yoon, with his “leniency with Japan,” was “no less responsible for the
Aug. 24, 2023
-
Korea to double foreign worker quota
The South Korean government announced plans to more than double the number of foreign workers in key industries such as manufacturing, agriculture and services to address the country's growing labor shortages. During the public-private joint regulatory innovation strategy meeting at Guro Digital Complex in Seoul on Thursday, Yoon called for deregulations on hiring foreign workers. “There are people who can work, and there are companies that want and need them. If regulations that do
Aug. 24, 2023
-
Yoon orders NSC to share analysis of NK launch with US, Japan
President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the National Security Council on Thursday to share its analysis of North Korea's botched space rocket launch with the United States and Japan and to prepare against possible additional provocations by the North, his office said. Yoon gave the instructions as he was briefed on North Korea's second launch of what it claimed was a military reconnaissance satellite that ended in failure earlier in the day. "The president was briefed on the NSC standing
Aug. 24, 2023
-
Opposition leader to appear for questioning for 5th time
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung will appear before prosecutors this week for questioning over allegations of third-party bribery in connection with a company's allegedly illegal money transfers to North Korea, a party spokesperson said Wednesday. The announcement by Park Sung-joon, a spokesperson of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), follows the Suwon District Prosecutors Office's summons of Lee issued earlier in the day. Park said the DP leader will present himself before pr
Aug. 23, 2023
-
Opposition chief officially a suspect in probe of alleged payments to North Korea
Rep. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, has been named a suspect in an investigation into illicit transfers of money to North Korea in 2018. This makes Lee, who is already facing separate trials over corruption controversies from his time as head of Gyeonggi Province and the city of Seongnam, a possible defendant in yet another criminal case. According to prosecutors in Gyeonggi Province’s Suwon, Lee is suspected of having played a major role in paying
Aug. 23, 2023
-
Controversy brews over Seoul's Fukushima water safety video
A South Korean government-sponsored video asserting the safety of the Fukushima contaminated water discharge came under fire, with opposition figures and political analysts questioning the motive behind the video production. On July 7, a video lasting 4 minutes and 25 seconds titled "Telling the Truth of Fukushima Contaminated Water by Top Experts in Korea" was uploaded on the government’s official YouTube channel. It turned out that the video was produced at a cost of 38 million
Aug. 23, 2023
-
Chief justice nominee stresses restoration of trust in judiciary
Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee Lee Gyun-ryong said Wednesday that he will be committed to restoring public trust in the judiciary. In his first public remark after nomination the previous day, Lee said he will constantly reflect on ways for the court to serve freedom and rights and meet the people's expectations by restoring trust in the judiciary and its authority. He also stressed that fairness and neutrality of trials are fundamental to any country's judicial system but refrain
Aug. 23, 2023
-
Turkmenistan, South Korea expand parliamentary ties
The parliaments of South Korea and Turkmenistan agreed to build closer ties, proposing a new channel of dialogue and exchange. According to information provided by the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Republic of Korea, Kim Jin-pyo, the speaker of South Korea’s National Assembly, made an official visit to Turkmenistan on July 20-21 at the invitation of his Turkmen counterpart, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the National leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan. In a
Aug. 23, 2023
-
In Seoul, opposition faults ‘Yoon’s leniency with Tokyo’
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s political opponents on Tuesday mounted an attack on his “leniency with Tokyo,” as Japan announced it would begin releasing treated radioactive water stored at the now-defunct Fukushima nuclear power plant in two days. The Democratic Party of Korea blasted Yoon and his policy toward Tokyo as having given Japan the impetus to go forward with its plan to discharge the treated wastewater from the nuclear power plant ruined by a tsunami in 2011. Yoon’
Aug. 22, 2023
-
Korea to penalize open carry of weapons
South Korea will penalize carrying weapons openly in public in the wake of a series of mass stabbings that erupted across the country over the past month. The ruling People Power Party said it would be proposing a number of legislations to deter mass attacks in a policy meeting Tuesday with the national police and the ministries in charge of justice and public safety. Tuesday’s meeting follows calls from President Yoon Suk Yeol for policy solutions and action to address mass attacks in pub
Aug. 22, 2023
-
Yoon picks Supreme Court chief, industry minister nominee
President Yoon Suk Yeol nominated Seoul High Court Senior Judge Lee Gyun-yong as the new chief justice of the Supreme Court, and Bang Moon-kyu, a minister in the Office for Government Policy Coordination, as industry minister, in a reshuffling Tuesday. Vice Finance Minister Bang Ki-sun replaces the policy coordination minister while Kim Byoung-hwan, the presidential secretary for economy and finance, was named to fill Bang’s vacancy. In addition, Yoon nominated Sejong Metropolitan City M
Aug. 22, 2023
-
Yoon likely to replace industry minister: sources
President Yoon Suk Yeol reportedly plans to replace his industry minister, according to sources Monday. According to a presidential office official, Bang Moon-kyu, minister of government policy coordination, is expected to be appointed to replace Lee Chang-yang, minister of trade, industry and energy, on Tuesday. A career public servant, Bang has extensive experience in areas related to ministries of finance, agriculture and health. He also served as the head of the state-run Export-Import Bank
Aug. 21, 2023
-
[Bills in Focus] Tougher measures against family monopolies, housing scams, construction safety
Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act Proposed by Rep. Kim Han-kyu (Democratic Party of Korea) ● Although the current law stipulates stringent penalties against the provision of unfair benefits to specially related parties, the effectiveness of such penalties is limited due to the insufficient time frame given by the current statute of limitations. This amendment extends the statute of limitations for the provision of unfair benefits to related contractor
Aug. 21, 2023