Fukushima release has South Korean politicians feasting, fasting

Japan’s disposal of wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant has politicians in South Korea responding in contrasting fashion, with one side fasting to protest the Japanese government's actions and the other side feasting to promote seafood consumption. Democratic Party of Korea head Rep. Lee Jae-myung, on the fourth day of a hunger strike, said he would call on the international community to join his party’s protests against the Japanese government over the wat

Sept. 3, 2023

Opposition leader to appear before prosecutors for questioning Monday

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung will appear before prosecutors for questioning next week in compliance with a summons over allegations of his involvement in a company's illegal money transfers to North Korea, his party said Friday. Lee, who has been on a hunger sit-in against the government, plans to show up at a prosecutors' office Monday, Rep. Kang Sun-woo, a spokesperson of Lee's main opposition Democratic Party, told reporters. The Suwon District Prosecutors Office earlier ser

Sept. 1, 2023

At Prague summit, Rep. Ji Seong-ho urges Beijing to stop repatriating North Korean defectors

South Korean lawmaker Rep. Ji Seong-ho attended this year’s summit of the Inter-parliamentary Alliance on China in Prague on Thursday to call on Beijing to stop forcibly deporting North Korean defectors. While South Korea is not a member of the IPAC, Ji was invited to attend the summit to deliver a keynote speech on the situation facing North Korean defectors in China. The IPAC is composed of more than 240 lawmakers from 24 countries and aims at working on approaches to Beijing. With North

Aug. 31, 2023

Yoon eats seafood lunch at fish market amid Fukushima controversy

President Yoon Suk Yeol ate seafood for lunch during a visit to a fish market in Seoul on Thursday, his office said, the latest move to boost consumption of local fisheries amid public concern about Japan's release of radioactive water into the ocean. During his visit to Noryangjin fish market, Yoon checked the safety of local fisheries products and purchased various kinds of seafood, such as rockfish, blue crab and gizzard shad, presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said in a written press

Aug. 31, 2023

S. Korean first lady’s fashion choice: Under-the-radar designers

Youn Bit-na, CEO of Et demain, was surprised to see first lady Kim Keon Hee wearing a 280,000 won jacket from her brand for a press conference held in Seoul on Wednesday. In a phone interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday, the designer said the first lady had purchased the garment in March this year when she visited a Korean fashion showroom at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul. The event was held to help promote and encourage budding designers and brands to expand their presence

Aug. 31, 2023

Yoon to attend ASEAN, G-20 summits in Indonesia, India

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to embark on a seven-day diplomatic trip to Indonesia and India next week to participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and G-20 summits. Kim Tae-hyo, first deputy director of Korea's National Security Office, said Thursday that Yoon will visit Jakarta, Indonesia, from Sept. 5-8 to attend the ASEAN summit. He will then travel to New Delhi on Sept. 8 and remain there until Sept. 11. On Sept. 6, the second day of his visit, Yoon is

Aug. 31, 2023

Launching hunger strike, opposition chief says Yoon is ‘ruining Korea’

South Korea’s legally troubled main opposition leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung announced he was going on an indefinite hunger strike on Thursday, his first anniversary in office as chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying President Yoon Suk Yeol was “ruining the country.” At a press conference, Lee said stopping Yoon from “undermining democracy, destroying the Korean middle class and failing to stand up against the Japanese government” was a “life or death

Aug. 31, 2023

Language war emerges in Korea over Fukushima water disposal

A row has broken out in South Korea over how to describe the water being discharged from the crippled nuclear power plant in Japan’s Fukushima. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea says the water from the plant is “nuclear waste,” while the ruling People Power Party would rather call it “treated wastewater,” as does the International Atomic Energy Agency. The People Power Party on Wednesday said that the wastewater from Fukushima, while still slightly radio

Aug. 30, 2023

Bill seeks more legal protection for police use of force

After a series of seemingly random stabbings swept across South Korea in the past month, a bill was proposed on Wednesday to reduce liability for police officers when they use force at certain crime scenes. Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the ruling People Power Party said he would introduce a bill to reduce liability for police officers should they cause harm to another individual while engaging in physical interactions with offenders if there is no intent or gross negligence on the part of the officer.

Aug. 30, 2023

South Korea's first lady backs dog meat ban

First lady Kim Keon Hee said she would work with animal activists until the dog meat industry was eradicated in Korea, continuing her campaign to promote awareness of animal rights. "We all know how we came forward today with a heart filled with sadness and urgency. Here, all of you are giving everything to save these small lives, but there are animals out there dying so cruelly and unbearably that it's truly hard to watch," she said as she appeared at a press conference held by l

Aug. 30, 2023

Gov't asks prosecution to probe 375 people in renewable energy corruption during Moon administration

The government has requested the prosecution to investigate an additional 375 people for their alleged involvement in illegal activities related to renewable energy projects during the previous Moon Jae-in administration, including the installation of solar panels, officials said Wednesday. The Office for Government Policy Coordination, under the Prime Minister's Office, earlier revealed the findings of a nationwide investigation into corruption allegations surrounding the allocation of sub

Aug. 30, 2023

Yoon says 'communist totalitarian forces' will not stop attempt to disturb free society

President Yoon Suk Yeol called Tuesday for achieving inter-Korean reunification based on a firm belief in liberal democracy, saying "communist totalitarian forces" will not stop their attempt to disturb free society. Yoon made the remark during a meeting with new leaders of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, a presidential body that helps establish and implement bipartisan policies on democratic and peaceful unification. "Communist totalitarian forces, the forces that blin

Aug. 29, 2023

As elections loom, ruling party to get tough on 'fake news'

With the 2024 elections approaching, South Korea’s ruling party on Monday vowed to spread of misinformation in an apparent aim at the opposition’s attacks on the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s response to the ocean release of wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant by the Japanese government. The People Power Party said it would expand efforts to curb "fake news" and conspiracy theories in a resolution adopted at the end of a two-day session to make

Aug. 29, 2023

Prosecution summons DP leader for questioning next week

rosecutors summoned opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday to appear for questioning next week over allegations of third-party bribery in connection with a company's allegedly illegal money transfers to North Korea. The Suwon District Prosecutors Office said it notified the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) to appear for questioning next Monday, after he did not comply with the prosecution's previous summons last week. The two sides have been scheduling the date of his que

Aug. 28, 2023

Parties gather to prep for 2024 general elections

INCHEON -- South Korea’s two major parties each embarked on two-day preparation sessions from Monday, to plan for the last regular session of the National Assembly before legislative elections in April. The ruling People Power Party’s retreat in Incheon was attended by the entire party, as well as President Yoon Suk Yeol and some members of the Cabinet. Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho gave the lawmakers a special lecture on challenges facing the country’s economy and policy mile

Aug. 28, 2023

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