Lee vows to pass on spirit of resistance to 2024 martial law to future generation

President Lee Jae Myung vowed to pass on the spirit of the "revolution of light," referring to protests against former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law in December 2024, to the future generation. Through the presidential Committee of Light, which was launched based on a presidential decree in March, the spirit of resistance to the threat to democracy will be recorded, documented and cherished, Lee said in a ceremony held Friday at Cheong Wa Dae to thank demonstrators against Yoon's martial

2026-07-17 17:14:35:00

Filibuster likely to add fuel to Assembly paralysis

The National Assembly is bracing for a filibuster by the main opposition People Power Party at the plenary session Monday, following weeks of parliamentary paralysis. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea is pushing to pass a revision bill that day that would allow a one-month extension of the special investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law in 2024. The main opposition People Power Party plans to respond by launching a filibuster once parliament puts th

2026-07-17 15:37:35:00

Infighting flares up over 'double standards' in DP's leadership race

The Democratic Party of Korea's decision-making body on Friday gave the green light for plans to register two party convention hopefuls despite failing to meet candidacy requirements, raising questions about fairness from within the party. The Supreme Council of the Democratic Party on Friday approved plans to accept Rep. Song Young-gil as a candidate for the chair post and Kim Yong, a former aide to President Lee Jae Myung, as a candidate for the Supreme Council, although they are technically i

2026-07-17 14:25:56:00

Cheong Wa Dae revives post for youth affairs

Kim Tae-won, former Google Korea executive and chief executive officer of creative agency Innored, has been appointed as the newly established presidential secretary dedicated to youth affairs, Cheong Wa Dae announced Thursday. Kim, 46, will report to presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik. In addition to Google Korea, Kim worked as an outside director for local securities firms, an affiliate professor of media studies at Korea University, and served on the presidential committee for young ad

2026-07-16 14:56:48:00

Govt. calls for phased approach to social media ban for children

President Lee Jae Myung called for public discussion on whether South Korea should restrict children’s access to social media, as the country weighs safeguards against minors’ smartphone use. Kim Jong-cheol, chair of the Korea Media and Communications Commission, urged caution in introducing such measures after the issue was raised during a policy briefing presided over by Lee on Thursday. During a public Q&A session, one participant asked whether South Korea should follow countries and regions

2026-07-16 14:44:48:00

Conservative heavyweight loses seat over Unification Church bribery scandal

Kweon Seong-dong, a five-term lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party, was stripped of his National Assembly seat on Thursday, as his two-year jail term was confirmed at the Supreme Court over a sweeping scandal linked to the Unification Church. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the lower court's decision to convict the conservative bigwig of receiving 100 million won ($68,000) in illegal political funds from a senior Unification Church official in January 2022. The court also uphe

2026-07-16 11:29:20:00

Ruling party, govt. set for military academy merger

South Korea's ruling bloc on Thursday reached a consensus over a controversial plan to merge three Army, Air Force and Navy military academies. The Ministry of National Defense will push ahead with the plan while the ruling Democratic Party of Korea will provide budget and legislative support. According to Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, the newly merged academy is to be built in the military compound of Jaundae in Daejeon. Ahn touted the location as adjacent to higher education facilities and re

2026-07-16 10:15:14:00

Ruling party threatens to sue lawmaker over 'fake news' clip featuring first lady

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea threatened to sue opposition lawmaker Rep. Joo Jin-woo over his alleged violation of a fake news law that took effect last week. The liberal party's warning was in response to Joo posting a video of first lady Kim Hea Kyung shaking her right hand immediately after shaking hands with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on Saturday during President Lee Jae Myung's recent state visit to Mongolia. On social media Monday, Joo claimed that Kim "showed disresp

2026-07-15 17:42:23:00

Ruling party slows prosecution reform drive amid mounting criticism

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has suggested adjusting the pace of its contentious prosecutorial reform plan, amid criticism that the reform could weaken protections for victims seeking justice. The party appears to be weighing full deliberation on the reform-related legislation, aimed at stripping prosecutors of their investigative powers when a police probe in a criminal case is deemed insufficient. This comes as the main opposition People Power Party ramped up its attack against its lib

2026-07-15 14:02:57:00

Ruling party changes leadership vote rule amid infighting

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea approved its contentious change of the national convention rule amid infighting, steering clear of hurdles to adopt ranked-choice voting to elect its leader in August. The party's move ― widely seen as favorable to pro-Lee candidates in the contest for party control ― prompted one of its supreme council members, Rep. Lee Sung-yoon, to quit. The party's senior spokesperson, Rep. Kang Jun-hyeon, said Tuesday that the introduction of a new method involving a sin

2026-07-14 15:06:50:00