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

Trilateral summit opens new chapter in security, economic partnership

South Korea, the US and Japan agreed to bolster security and economic cooperation at a Camp David summit Friday that sought a stronger coalition on China and North Korea, signing for the first time a pledge to jointly respond to common security threats. The summit US President Joe Biden held with President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at his presidential retreat condemned China’s “dangerous and aggressive behavior” in the South China Sea, reaffirming

Aug. 20, 2023

Assembly’s Japan skeptics fume over Camp David summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s domestic political opponents have blasted the trilateral agreement reached at a summit at Camp David, saying it would deepen the country’s alignment with Japan. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, which has traditionally taken a hard-line stance toward Tokyo, slammed the outcomes of the summit as a “de facto military alliance with Japan.” The party’s chief spokesperson Rep. Kwon Chil-seung said over the weekend that the document

Aug. 20, 2023

Yoon arrives at Camp David, holds summit with Biden

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Friday to attend a trilateral summit with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Yoon and Biden sat down for a bilateral meeting before going into the trilateral summit scheduled for later in the day. The three leaders are expected to discuss ways to enhance security and economic cooperation in the face of North Korea's nuclear threat and China's growing militar

Aug. 19, 2023

Nominee for KCC chief blasted for alleged media suppression, son's bullying

The National Assembly confirmation hearing for Lee Dong-kwan, the nominee to chair South Korea's broadcasting regulator, the Korea Communications Commission, on Friday turned into a heated exchange between the opposition and ruling parties over a string of serious allegations against the nominee, including that his son bullied a fellow student in high school and that he attempted to suppress media freedom. Lee introduced himself as the KCC nominee at the start of the hearing saying that, as

Aug. 18, 2023

7 year prison term finalized for ruling party lawmaker, removed from parliament

The top court finalized a seven-year prison term for Rep. Jung Chan-min of the ruling People Power Party on bribe charges Friday, a sentence that automatically stripped him of his parliamentary seat. Jung was charged with taking some 352 million won ($263,650) worth of bribes from a real estate developer between 2016 and 2017 in return for business favors while he was serving as the mayor of Yongin in Gyeonggi Province. The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a lower court's seven-year sentence

Aug. 18, 2023