World Scout Jamboree's opening ceremony to be held amid heat wave concerns

About 43,000 young Scouts from 158 countries are set to begin full participation in educational and cultural exchange programs of the 25th World Scout Jamboree on Wednesday, with the opening ceremony taking place in the Saemangeum Reclaimed Area on the southwestern South Korean coast in the evening. Amid a scorching heat wave sweeping across the nation, the opening ceremony is set to start at 8 p.m. at the jamboree campground, about 180 km south of Seoul, featuring welcome and opening speeches b

Aug. 2, 2023

Yoon meets with Belize PM Briceno, requests support for 2030 World Expo bid

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a meeting with Belize's Prime Minister John Briceno on Tuesday and requested the Central American country's support for South Korea's bid to bring the 2030 World Expo to its southern port city of Busan, the presidential office said. During the meeting held at the presidential office in Seoul, Yoon also expressed hope for increased exchanges between the two countries, noting that a growing number of Korean tourists are visiting Belize, pres

Aug. 1, 2023

Yoon calls for new school guidelines for fall semester to protect teachers

President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the Education Ministry on Tuesday to establish new school guidelines to protect teachers' rights from as early as the fall semester this year. He stressed that failing to address unruly behavior among children in classrooms is akin to giving way to violators of the law in the name of human rights. "Failing to discipline children who have refused to follow rules (in a classroom) for the sake of children's rights is no different than failing to punish criminals

Aug. 1, 2023

KCC nominee prepares for hearing despite calls for him to withdraw

Amid swirling controversies surrounding his eligibility, Lee Dong-kwan, special adviser for external relations to President Yoon Suk Yeol and nominee to head the Korea Communications Commission, commenced preparations on Tuesday for a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly. Lee arrived Tuesday morning at a temporary office set up in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, located within minutes of the state broadcasting watchdog’s headquarters. His appearance comes four days after the official

Aug. 1, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Tackling workplace discrimination, e-commerce fraud

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Labor Standards Act Proposed by Rep. Kim Ju-young (Democratic Party of Korea) ● With the expanding diversity of employment types, there has been a notable increase in cases of discrimination based on employment type. This amendment prohibits discrimination based on employment type and stipulates that work requiring the same or similar technologies, labor intensity and work conditions has equal value. Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on the Con

Aug. 1, 2023

Prosecutors seek arrest warrants for 2 lawmakers again over DP cash-for-votes scandal

Prosecutors sought arrest warrants for two lawmakers for a second time Tuesday over a cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the main opposition Democratic Party's 2021 leadership election, after the National Assembly refused to consent to their arrests earlier this year. Reps. Youn Kwan-suk and Lee Sung-man, now independents after quitting the Democratic Party, are accused of involvement in distributing cash envelopes, each containing 3 million won, to 20 Democratic Party lawmakers as part of

Aug. 1, 2023

Yoon vows to dismantle construction 'cartel' following faulty construction of underground parking lots

President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to eradicate "cartels" with vested interests in the construction industry on Tuesday, citing them as a reason behind shoddy construction practices revealed at apartment underground parking lots. Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting following revelations that not enough reinforcing rods were used in building underground parking lots at a number of apartment complexes across the country to cut costs and speed up construction. "Cartels with ve

Aug. 1, 2023

Bill proposed to protect North Korea escapees’ support funds

South Korean Rep. Ji Seong-ho, who fled North Korea in 2006, proposed a bill that protects North Korean escapees from having their cash assistance taken away by “brokers.” The bill, which seeks an amendment to the existing laws on the protection and resettlement of North Korean escapees, would allow them to open bank accounts for cash assistance that cannot be seized by a third party. The South Korean government has been providing financial assistance to people on basic income suppor

July 31, 2023

S. Korea seeks concrete results from summit with US, Japan

South Korea is discussing a joint statement on expanding trilateral security and economic ties with the US and Japan during a summit at Camp David in Maryland on Aug. 18, according to South Korea’s presidential office. The meeting, which US President Joe Biden will host to rally the two allies against China’s influence and North Korea’s aggression, is the first of its kind and comes at a crucial time when the US-led coalition is enjoying friendlier ties prompted by the recent S

July 31, 2023

Yoon set for weeklong vacation in Geoje

President Yoon Suk Yeol is looking to go on a weeklong vacation at a presidential vacation home in early August, according to the presidential office on Monday. Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee are to go to the presidential retreat of Cheonghaedae in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, from Wednesday to Aug. 8. This, however, would not mean they will stay out of touch, leaving open possibilities for them to make public appearances during the vacation, through events like visiting remote areas of S

July 31, 2023

Brother of man slain by North Korea to meet with families of Japanese abductees

The older brother of Lee Dae-jun, a fisheries official killed by North Korean troops at sea in September 2020, is on a two-day trip to Japan from Friday to meet with families of Japanese who were abducted by North Korea. The brother, Lee Rae-jin, told The Korea Herald on Friday that he hoped the meeting with Japanese families would be a new opportunity for a joint response to human rights violations perpetrated by North Korea. “In Korea and Japan the pain the families (of victims) shares i

July 28, 2023

Deadly underpass flooding ‘could have been prevented,’ official inquiry finds

An official inquiry concluded on Friday that the flooding in an underpass that led to 14 deaths earlier this month was a preventable tragedy. The Office for Government Policy Coordination in a press briefing said its 10-day inquiry found a failure to respond to the flooding across the police and fire departments as well as the respective municipal offices. The underpass in Osong, a city near the government complex in North Chungcheong Province, was completely submerged in the morning of July 15

July 28, 2023

S. Korean, Austrian FMs hold talks on trade, supply chain cooperation

The top diplomats of South Korea and Austria held consultations to discuss cooperation on supply chain issues and other areas of mutual interest, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. In the meeting held in Salzburg on Thursday, Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg, agreed to closely cooperate in promoting bilateral trade and investment in the fields of batteries, electric vehicles and semiconductors. The two sides also agreed to work closely to ens

July 28, 2023

Yoon commemorates 70th anniversary of Korean War armistice, honors UN forces for sacrifice

President Yoon Suk Yeol lauded the sacrifices and bravery of the United Nations forces as the foundation of contemporary South Korea during a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice. Speaking at the ceremony held at the Busan Cinema Center on Thursday, President Yoon expressed gratitude to the countries and veterans who participated in the Korean War and emphasized the enduring significance of the UN forces in preserving peace on the Korean Peninsula. "Toda

July 27, 2023

[Exclusive] Foldable smartphone pictured with Kim Jong-un likely Chinese product: NIS

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service believes the mobile device pictured next to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un earlier this month is likely a Chinese product, according to the state agency’s assessment obtained by the National Assembly on Thursday. In its assessment, the NIS said the foldable smartphone is believed to be a Chinese product smuggled in by rail after the cross-border freight train operations between North Korea and China resumed in September last year. The NIS

July 27, 2023

Another ex-Assembly aide accused of leaking state secrets

People Power Party lawmakers on Thursday asked the Democratic Party of Korea to apologize after a former aide for one of its lawmakers, Rep. Sul Hoon, came under investigation over suspicion of leaking secrets obtained through the Assembly office. The former Democratic Party aide, who worked for Sul for nearly three years until March, is being investigated by the National Intelligence Service on suspicion of using the security clearance granted to some Assembly staff to access and leak classifie

July 27, 2023

Two Koreas mark 70 years of armistice amid growing tension

South Korea and North Korea on Thursday marked the 70th anniversary of the cease-fire to the Korean War, a three-year conflict that left the Korean Peninsula divided, still with no formal peace treaty in sight, amid growing tension in the region. President Yoon Suk Yeol paid respects to soldiers who fought for the US-led United Nations Command in the 1950-53 war at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan, the only place in the world dedicated to fallen UN soldiers. The visit, the first for a sitting K

July 27, 2023

S. Korea adopting 'strictest' method of detecting radiation in Japanese seafood

The government is adopting the strictest method possible to detect possible radiation in seafood imports from Japan to ensure that not a single trace of hazardous material will be allowed, a senior official said Thursday. "The government once again reiterates that the people need not worry about the safety of seafood on our table," Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said during a daily briefing on the Fukushima issue. Park explained t

July 27, 2023

Prosecutors raid ex-head of regional biz lobby in probe into cash-for-vote scandal

Prosecutors raided the home and office of a former regional business lobby leader Thursday in connection with a cash-for-vote scandal involving the opposition Democratic Party's 2021 leadership election. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent investigators to the home and office of Park Yong-ha, a former head of the Yeosu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and 13 other locations to seize evidence. The scandal centers on allegations that Song Young-gil's campaign distributed

July 27, 2023

US, S. Korea Working Group holds meeting on N. Korean cyber threat

The United States and South Korea held a working group meeting on North Korea's cyber threat this week, the state department said Wednesday, amid their joint efforts to cut off illicit funds from being funneled into the North's illegal weapons development programs. The working group meeting was held in South Korea on Wednesday, led by US Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak and her South Korean counterpart, Lee Jun-il, according to the state department. "The Repu

July 27, 2023