President picks 1st independent inspector general in 10 years

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday nominated prosecutor-turned-attorney Choi Kil-su for the post of independent inspector general. The post, which requires Assembly confirmation, has been vacant since 2016. If his appointment goes through, Choi, 59, will be tasked with inspecting any irregularities concerning first lady Kim Hea Kyung, Lee's families and relatives, as well as Cheong Wa Dae chief secretaries and senior secretaries. Cheong Wa Dae chief spokesperson Kang Yu-jung described Choi as the

2026-08-24 17:44:58:00

[Key Points] Ruling party resets opposition ties, eyes liberal alliance

Reconciliation push: Democratic Party chair Kim Min-seok called for frequent, informal talks with People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, signaling a softer approach than his predecessor. Tone shift: Kim praised Jang for sharing the goal of ending former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law, contrasting former party chief Jung Chung-rae’s refusal to engage conservatives he linked to “insurrectionist forces.” Disputes persist: Despite conciliatory rhetoric, Kim and Jang clashed over Supreme C

2026-08-24 17:33:58:00

President accepts justice minister's resignation

Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho's resignation has been confirmed, weeks after the liberal bloc pushed through a controversial overhaul of the criminal justice system that strips the prosecution of its investigative powers without exception. According to Cheong Wa Dae chief spokesperson Kang Yu-jung on Monday, President Lee Jae Myung accepted Jung's resignation after the minister cited health issues that he said had left him unable to continue his duties. Kang added that Jung's successor would be "

2026-08-24 17:11:11:00

Ruling party seeks to mend fences with right-wing rival

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Monday moved to reduce tensions with its conservative rival People Power Party and hinted at solidarity with the Rebuilding Korea Party. On Monday, Democratic Party chair Rep. Kim Min-seok met with People Power Party chair Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok and urged the two main parties to work toward a more cooperative relationship. Speaking at the meeting, Kim expressed hopes that the two parties would build an "indestructible bridge to continue dialogue," and that t

2026-08-24 15:25:05:00

Ruling bloc reconciliation begins with homes

Plans to raise taxes on certain homeowners and accelerate the increase of housing supply in Greater Seoul, which includes Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, emerged as the first major policy issue to be coordinated within the ruling bloc, with the new ruling party chair pushing for changes to real estate tax policies. At the first meeting between newly elected ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chair Rep. Kim Min-seok and senior ruling bloc officials, including Cheong Wa Dae chief of staff Kang Hoon-s

2026-08-23 15:25:13:00

Defense Minister shares N. Korea nuke estimate above Trump's

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Thursday that Seoul estimates North Korea has up to 120 nuclear warheads. His comments drew fire from opposition lawmakers, who claimed the revelation could hinder South Korea's push for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. "Our estimate is between 80 and 120, but giving an accurate figure is limited," said Ahn, in response to main opposition People Power Party Rep. Sung Il-jong's inquiry on the matter, during a general meeting of the National Assembly's N

2026-08-20 15:25:10:00

Seoul estimates N. Korea has '80-120' nukes: defense minister

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Thursday that Seoul estimates that North Korea has up to 120 nuclear warheads, somewhat higher than the figure of 57 suggested by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday. "Our estimate is from 80 to 120, but it is hard to give an accurate figure," said Ahn, in response to main opposition People Power Party Rep. Sung Il-jong's inquiry on the matter, during a general meeting of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee. The figure was based on the amount

2026-08-20 12:57:52:00

Trump's overtures to Kim Jong-un a 'turning point' for peace: foreign minister

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's gestures towards North Korea — including scaling down military drills and his comments regarding US-North Korea talks — "mark a turning point" for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Speaking to the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Cho said that Seoul is working with the US on any development relating to dialogue with Pyongyang. "Our government has been fully prepared to open the doors for dialogue

2026-08-19 15:31:12:00

Trump casts a long shadow over South Korea-US drills

South Korea and the United States have agreed to halve the duration of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise at Washington's request, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced Wednesday. The allies decided to end this year's UFS exercise on Friday, shortening the drill to Aug. 17-21 from the originally planned Aug. 17-27 schedule, according to the JCS. The exercise kicked off Monday as initially planned. This is the first time a major combined exercise has been abruptly adjusted after getting u

2026-08-19 11:44:25:00

S. Korea was unaware of joint military drill scale-down before Trump's social media post: foreign minister

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Wednesday that South Korea received no prior notice concerning Washington's decision to scale down the Korea-US joint military exercise before US President Donald Trump's social media post on Sunday. "Neither our government nor US government officials were aware of what was revealed on Trump's post on Truth Social, so we had not received any prior notification," Cho told the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee at the National Assembly. This was in response to

2026-08-19 11:12:44:00