DP leader indicted again over alleged misuse of public funds

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was indicted without detention Tuesday on charges of misappropriating funds when he was the governor of Gyeonggi Province including alleged misuse of corporate cards for personal benefit, the Suwon District Prosecutors Office said. The chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party was indicted, along with his former chief secretary, identified only by his surname Chung and another former Gyeonggi Province official Bae, all on charges of breach of trust. Lee is

Nov. 19, 2024

State auditor accuses Moon gov't of leaking THAAD-related intelligence to activists, China

The state auditor has referred senior officials of the former Moon Jae-in administration to the prosecution on suspicions of leaking intelligence related to the THAAD US missile defense system to activists and China, an official with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday. Former National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong, former Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, and two other officials who served in the preceding administration were referred to the Supreme Prosecutors Office by the Board of Audit

Nov. 19, 2024

Opposition leader's wife appeals against election law violations

The wife of the main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung has filed an appeal against a court ruling that fined her for providing free meals during Lee's run in the party primary for the 2022 presidential election, people familiar with the matter said Monday. Kim Hye-kyung submitted the appeal to the Suwon District Court, south of Seoul, through her legal counsel, after she was found guilty of providing meals worth 104,000 won ($74.43) to the wives of three former and current pa

Nov. 18, 2024

Yoon says S. Korea's relations with US, China not about choosing sides

President Yoon Suk Yeol said South Korea's relations with the United States and China are not about choosing sides, pledging to working closely with both great powers amid Donald Trump's imminent return to the White House, according to interviews published Monday. Yoon expressed hope for constructive relations between Washington and Beijing in a written interview with Brazilian newspapers -- Folha de S.Paulo and O Globo -- as he visited Rio de Janeiro to attend the Group of 20 summit.

Nov. 18, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Flexible work hours for high-tech, fairness in network fees

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Labor Standards Act Proposed by Rep. Ko Dong-jin (People Power Party) ● To enhance the competitiveness of Korea’s national high-tech strategic industries, this bill aims to exempt the R&D sector in industries such as semiconductors, displays, biotechnology and secondary batteries from the current weekly cap of 52 work hours. Rep. Ko, a former CEO of Samsung Electronics, emphasized that flexibility in working hours is essential for boosting produc

Nov. 18, 2024

Yoon arrives in Brazil for G20 summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday to attend the Group of 20 (G20) summit, a multilateral forum representing the world's major economies. Yoon flew from Lima to Rio de Janeiro to participate in the G20 summit slated for Monday and Tuesday, which marks Yoon's third consecutive attendance at the summit. On the first day, Yoon will join the launch of the Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty and outline South Korea's contributions to combat global h

Nov. 18, 2024

N. Korea's Kim calls for bolstering nuclear forces 'without limitation,' completing war preparations

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for bolstering the country's nuclear forces "without limitation" and completing war preparations as the country's enemies have increased "frantic" military confrontations with North Korea, state media reported Monday. Kim made the remark during the 4th Conference of Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors of the Korean People's Army on Friday, the final day of the two-day event held in Pyongyang, according to the Korean Centra

Nov. 18, 2024

Yoon departs for Brazil to attend G20 summit following Peru visit

President Yoon Suk Yeol departed Peru on Sunday for Brazil to attend the Group of 20 summit, concluding his four-day visit to Lima for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Yoon traveled from Lima to Rio de Janeiro, the second stop of his South American trip, to join the G20 meetings slated for Monday and Tuesday. During his stay in Peru, Yoon attended APEC sessions, an economic forum and other events on Friday and Saturday. On the sidelines, he held a trilateral summit with US President

Nov. 18, 2024

Consultative body on doctors' walkout fails to narrow differences in meeting

A consultative body involving the ruling People Power Party, the government and doctors' groups held their second round of talks Sunday but failed to narrow their differences as they seek to resolve a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors. Thousands of trainee doctors have left their workplaces in a mass resignation since February to protest the government's decision to sharply raise the medical school quota, causing major disruptions to the national health care service. In a press brie

Nov. 17, 2024

Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers face loyalty test as court rules to jail leader

A rift appears to be forming within the Democratic Party of Korea after a Seoul court sentenced party leader and previous presidential candidate Rep. Lee Jae-myung to a suspended jail term Friday for election law violations. The Democratic Party has officially denied that Lee’s conviction -- which, if confirmed by higher courts, could cost him his legislative seat -- would divide the party or necessitate a leadership shake-up. The party’s secretary-general, Rep. Kim Yun-duck, told re

Nov. 17, 2024

South Korean delegation in Peru to promote APEC 2025 Korea

A South Korean delegation preparing for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 2025 is in Peru, abuzz with gatherings of leaders from 21 economies around the Pacific. The delegation includes Rep. Kim Seok-ki, the three-time lawmaker of Gyeongju where next year’s APEC meetings will be hosted, and its mayor Joo Nak-yong. Lee Cheol-woo, the governor of North Gyeongsang Province, which houses Gyeongju, also went. According to the ruling party lawmaker’s office, the delegation visited Peru to

Nov. 17, 2024

US, Korea urge China to act on NK troop deployment

The leaders of South Korea and the United States, respectively, urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to act to address the deepening concerns arising from North Korea's troop deployment to the Russia-Ukraine war, which is nearing its three-year mark. On Saturday local time, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in a briefing in Lima, Peru, that US President Joe Biden had pressured Xi in a meeting that same day to stop North Korea from continuing its military support to Rus

Nov. 17, 2024

Yoon says military cooperation between N. Korea, Russia aimed at maintaining leaders' power

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has said North Korea and Russia are "colluding" on military cooperation to maintain their leaders' grip on power, according to an interview published Friday. Yoon, who is in Lima to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, made the remark in a written interview with Peruvian newspaper El Comercio, after Seoul's spy agency confirmed North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia's Kursk region on the western frontline have

Nov. 15, 2024

Suspended prison term puts opposition leader’s Assembly seat, candidacy at risk

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was handed a suspended one-year prison sentence Friday for allegedly making false statements during the 2022 presidential campaign -- a ruling that, if upheld, could cost him his parliamentary seat and derail his presidential ambitions. Lee, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and a prominent likely contender in South Korea’s 2027 presidential race, announced plans to appeal the ruling, saying the court’s conclusions were “n

Nov. 15, 2024

Yoon arrives in Peru to attend APEC summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Peru on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and meet world leaders to discuss security and economic issues. On Friday, Yoon will deliver a keynote speech as South Korea prepares to host next year's APEC summit and join the main session and CEO summit. On the same day, Yoon is scheduled to hold a trilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the margins of the summit. On Saturday, he

Nov. 15, 2024

Yoon, Biden, Ishiba to discuss 'coordinated' response to NK troop dispatch to Russia: Sullivan

The upcoming trilateral summit between South Korea, the United States and Japan in Peru will be a chance for the three countries to discuss a "coordinated" response to North Korea's troop dispatch to support Russia's war in Ukraine, a senior US security official said Thursday. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made the remarks as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba are set to hold a trilateral summit on

Nov. 15, 2024

Opposition leader set for sentence on election law violation charges

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is set to be sentenced Friday on charges of lying during the previous presidential campaign when he was a candidate, a decision that will affect whether he can run in the next presidential election in 2027. Lee, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, is accused of lying during a media interview in December 2021 that he did not know the late Kim Moon-ki, a former executive of Seongnam Development Corp., which was behind a corruption-ridden development

Nov. 15, 2024

Opposition leader's wife fined for election law violations

A regional court on Thursday fined the wife of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung 1.5 million won ($1,070) for providing free meals during her husband's run in the party primary to select the candidate for the 2022 presidential election. Kim Hye-kyung, wife of Democratic Party of Korea Chair Lee, was indicted after providing meals worth 104,000 won to the wives of three former and current party lawmakers and three of her aides at a restaurant in Seoul in August 2021, shortly after Lee declar

Nov. 14, 2024

S. Korean consul general in New York offers to resign amid speculation over his ties to first lady

South Korea's consul general in New York has offered to step down amid growing criticism from the opposition party in Seoul over his personal ties to first lady Kim Keon Hee. In a statement released to media on Wednesday (New York time), Kim Euy-whan said he had already submitted his resignation to the foreign ministry on Oct. 26, following the parliamentary audit where he came under intense scrutiny from opposition party lawmakers. Kim denied that his connection to the first lady was the r

Nov. 14, 2024

Delivery platform commissions to be lowered next year following talks

Delivery platforms and their partnered restaurants reached an agreement Thursday on reducing controversial commission fees to 2 to 7.8 percent from the current 9.8 percent starting next year, officials said. The decision came in the 12th round of a meeting held by a government consultative body overseeing the discussions, attended by representatives from Baedal Minjok, or Baemin, as well as smaller competitors Coupang Eats and Yogiyo, along with small business owners registered with these platfo

Nov. 14, 2024