AIA Life Korea CEO Nathan Chuang resigns

Nathan Chuang has stepped down from the position of chief executive officer for AIA Life Korea, the South Korean unit of the Hong Kong-based life insurance company. According to AIA Life Korea Tuesday, Chuang decided to leave the company "to pursue other opportunities" without elaborating. The company said the process to appoint Chuang's successor was underway. Helena Chon, AIA Life Korea's chief financial officer, will assume the CEO role in the interim. Chuang has served in the position in the

2026-08-18 20:33:51:00

Lawmaker proposes sending Cheongung-II air defense system to Ukraine

Rep. Yu Yong-weon, a lawmaker with the conservative People Power Party, said South Korea should consider sending the air defense system Cheongung-II to war-stricken Ukraine. Yu said in a press conference at the National Assembly Tuesday that the dispatch of the South Korean-made interceptor system made to counter aircraft, drones and missiles would not breach South Korea's principle of not sending lethal weapons to the country at war with Russia for years. Yu's proposal came after Ukrainian Pres

2026-08-18 20:24:19:00

New DP leader floats Mamdani's 'affordability' agenda

The new leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is pushing "affordability" atop the party's agenda, following his election to the post on Monday. On Tuesday, Democratic Party Chair Rep. Kim Min-seok introduced his agenda, comparing his policy to that of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Ensuring affordability in people's daily lives has "recently become a hot topic in New York," Kim said Tuesday, as he received President Lee Jae Myung's chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, senior presidential secre

2026-08-18 15:00:54:00

Ex-PM Kim Min-seok takes DP helm

DAEJEON ― Rep. Kim Min-seok, a four-term lawmaker and former prime minister, won the ruling Democratic Party of Korea leadership on Monday, strengthening President Lee Jae Myung’s support base in the party. Kim received 54.08 percent of the combined votes at the party’s national convention in Daejeon, defeating former party chair Rep. Jung Chung-rae's 45.92 percent in his bid for another term. Kim's victory was confirmed in the ranked-choice vote. Second-choice votes listed on ballots favoring e

2026-08-17 19:40:36:00

Lee set to tighten grip on DP as leadership race wraps up

DAEJEON ― President Lee Jae Myung stands to gain a firmer grip over the ruling Democratic Party of Korea as the party's ongoing leadership race wraps up, with the votes tallied so far pointing to a stronger pro-Lee presence in its top decision-making body. The changing balance of power would give Lee greater latitude in steering the ruling bloc and reduce the friction with Cheong Wa Dae that surfaced under the outgoing party leadership. Rep. Kim Min-seok, a four-term lawmaker and the former prim

2026-08-17 13:56:20:00

Lee says job crunch has hit young generation hard

The younger generation of Koreans are bearing the brunt of a "jobless recovery" brought on by slower economic growth, President Lee Jae Myung said Friday at a meeting on youth policies. Unlike the older generation that enjoyed ample opportunities in a society ungergoing fast economic growth, the young generation now is taking heat from the slowdown in growth with the country's economy having advanced, Lee said. "It seems that the era of youth we lived in is very different from the youth of today

2026-08-14 17:57:22:00

DP threatens to expel opposition lawmaker for disparaging Gwangju Democratic Uprising

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea submitted a resolution backed by all 161 of its lawmakers on Friday to expel main opposition People Power Party Rep. Lee Jin-sook from the National Assembly. The liberal party accused Lee of undermining the democratic values behind the Gwangju Democratic Uprising by hosting a controversial parliamentary forum Thursday. Lee won a parliamentary seat for a constituency in Daegu, a conservative stronghold, in the June elections. The Democratic Party said it has a

2026-08-14 17:31:59:00

Kazakhstan added to list of sending countries for E-9 visa

South Korea confirmed Friday that Kazakhstan would be given a quota for E-9 visas, allowing work mostly in manual labor sectors such as farming and manufacturing, starting in 2028. The announcement was made at a pangovernmental meeting in Seoul presided over by Lim Ki-keun, Minister for the Office for Government Policy Coordination. This means Kazakhstan nationals would be eligible to apply for E-9 visas, going on to work in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, agriculture, livestock, fi

2026-08-14 13:06:11:00

S. Korea to add 230,000 houses to its 5-year plan amid affordability crisis

South Korea on Thursday unveiled plans to begin construction of 230,000 homes in the Greater Seoul area within five years and move existing construction plans ahead of schedule to address the housing affordability crisis. The announcement comes in addition to an existing plan to build 1.35 million new homes in the region encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon by 2030. The recent announcement brings the total of planned homes to over 1.5 million. According to Thursday's plan, the const

2026-08-13 12:32:52:00

'True heir' narratives overshadow policy in DP leadership race

Inside the Democratic Party of Korea chair's office at the National Assembly, photographs of former Presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in take pride of place. These leaders are displayed as symbols of Korea's democratic struggle and the advancement of democracy. But that symbolic weight is being fought over as the Democratic Party's leadership race heats up with the national convention less than a week ahead. Candidates for the party chair often choose to appropriate these lead

2026-08-12 11:37:18:00