Yoon Suk Yeol ruling likely to set record for longest impeachment case

The Constitutional Court of Korea, which has been deliberating the impeachment case against President Yoon Suk Yeol for more than 15 days, is likely to set a record as Korea's lengthiest presidential impeachment case. The court has yet to announce a date for its ruling, despite speculation that the date would be announced on a Friday. Such expectations were based on the two previous presidential impeachment rulings ― those of former President Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and former President Park Geun-h

March 14, 2025

Health minister vows to support trauma specialist training centers

South Korea’s Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Friday that the government will secure 868 million won to support trauma care specialist training centers and expand the target number of centers from five to 17. In a state-run meeting addressing doctors' ongoing collective action, Minster Cho stated that there should be “no suspension of operations at trauma specialist training centers due to budget shortages.” Last month, Korea University Guro Hospital announced its plans to cease o

March 14, 2025

Court dismisses impeachments, reinstates chief auditor, prosecutors

Eyes on verdict's impact on Yoon's trial and his claim that opposition's 'serial impeachments' have paralyzed state affairs The Constitutional Court of Korea on Thursday dismissed the National Assembly’s impeachment motion against Choe Jae-hae, who had been suspended from his duties as chair of the Board of Audit and Inspection, and three prosecutors, reinstating them immediately to their positions. Thursday’s rulings were seen as a potential indicator of how the court might approach key issues

March 13, 2025

Police to set 'no-fly zone' over court premises until Yoon’s verdict

Police said Wednesday that they requested the Transport Ministry to designate a temporary "no-fly zone” over the Constitutional Court premises to prevent potential terrorist threats on the day that President Yoon Suk Yeol’s verdict is delivered. Though the exact date for the announcement of Yoon's verdict remained unclear as of Wednesday, police said they asked the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to set a no-fly zone within a 1.85 kilometer radius of the court building from Thursd

March 12, 2025

With major verdicts set for Thursday, court could delay Yoon Suk Yeol ruling

Constitutional Court decides to deliver rulings on other impeachments first The Constitutional Court of Korea announced Tuesday that it will deliver the verdicts in the impeachment trials of the chief state auditor and three prosecutors on Thursday, amid speculation that its ruling on suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment could move to next week. The court told reporters that its verdicts in four separate impeachment trials ― those of Board of Audit and Inspection Chair Choi Jae-hae an

March 11, 2025

Yoon Suk Yeol’s release raises concerns over impeachment ruling delay

Suspended president to refrain from ‘political activity’ while ‘humbly’ awaiting court verdict: presidential office The Constitutional Court of Korea, currently deliberating suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial after seven weeks of hearings, faced a fresh challenge following Yoon’s sudden release from detention on Saturday, with some raising concerns over a possible delay in the court announcing its ruling. It had been anticipated that Yoon’s impeachment verdict would be out thi

March 9, 2025

Soaring over barriers: Women ambassadors in Seoul reflect on gender equality in leadership

Despite making strides toward gender equality, women still remain underrepresented in leadership positions in most countries, particularly in diplomacy and politics. In marking International Women’s Day, The Korea Herald presents a special feature exploring the persistent gender gap through the voices of female ambassadors serving in Seoul. Their experiences, drawn from diverse cultural and political backgrounds, shed light on both the progress made and the challenges that remain in advancing wo

March 6, 2025

Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment verdict could be out as soon as next week

The Constitutional Court of Korea, which concluded the hearings of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial on Feb. 25, is likely to release its verdict as early as next week. According to news reports, the court is planning to continue justices’ deliberations on Yoon’s impeachment case Wednesday and Friday this week. Speculation is growing that the court's ruling on Yoon's case could also be announced on a Friday, as the rulings on the two previous presidential impeachments ― forme

March 5, 2025

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon signals presidential bid with new slogan: 'KOGA'

'Korea Growth Again' aims for 5% real growth rate via reforms Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has unveiled the regulatory reform slogan "KOGA" — "Korea Growth Again" — presenting it as both his governance philosophy and national vision, in an implicit signal of his presidential ambitions. During a city government-led forum Tuesday, Oh brought up the KOGA concept, suggesting fundamental systemic changes to the country. "(KOGA) is not just about individual policies; it's about a unified philosophy and dire

March 4, 2025

Ex-defense minister urges court justices 'punished' in handwritten letter

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s close confidant and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun wrote from prison, calling for three Constitutional Court justices to be punished, in a letter that was revealed in front of Yoon supporters at a rally Saturday. Kim’s choice of words quickly became the focus of attention: The word literally translates as "punish," but carries harsher implications. The same expression was used in the martial law declaration’s Decree No. 1. The detained ex-Minister's handwritten l

March 3, 2025