Ruling party debate over prosecutors' powers deepens

The debate has deepened within the ruling party over whether to completely remove prosecutors' supervision of police in its handling of criminal cases, a key agenda item ahead of the convention to elect a new party leader. Some lawmakers have expressed concerns that the party's ongoing legislative push could leave the police unchecked and invite corruption. But others said the party should continue to push for the prosecutorial reform plan regardless of the potential negative effects of the legi

2026-07-13 15:36:44:00

National Assembly paralysis lingers on

There is little sign that normal operations will resume in the National Assembly by Speaker Cho Jeong-sik's deadine of Friday, as the main opposition People Power Party continues its boycott of the second half of the 22nd National Assembly. The key sticking point is the makeup of Assembly committees. Both parties have insisted on chairing the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which is considered one of the most powerful of the 17 standing committees. The Democratic Party used its majority to

2026-07-12 15:03:59:00

Squid game on the high seas

A squid game is afoot. Not on Netflix or in the playgrounds but in the high seas. And much more is at stake. Unlike the squid game played by children in Korea — made internationally famous by the Netflix series of the same name — the future of a staple seafood, human rights and environmental issues are at stake. While squid is staple seafood in Korea with myriad different recipes and forms, the country is relying more and more on squid caught far from Korea's shores — and from its regulations. W

2026-07-11 16:00:00:00

Former PM slams rival for 'self-serving' politics

Former Prime Minister Rep. Kim Min-seok on Monday announced his bid to run for Democratic Party of Korea chair at the upcoming party convention in August, slamming his rival for "self-serving" politics. The outcome of the ruling party's national convention will likely serve as a litmus test to gauge whether the liberal President Lee Jae Myung can cement his leadership within the liberal bloc. Kim's speech in Gwangju was filled with criticism directed at Rep. Jung Chung-rae, a liberal firebrand w

2026-07-06 15:16:32:00

Lee touts investments to transform southeast into AI-aerospace hub

South Korean firms on Friday committed trillions in investment into the nation's southeast, in the last of back-to-back announcements on related "megaprojects" to bolster the region's growth. President Lee Jae Myung touted the conglomerate's decisions as an important step in the southeast's transformation into a technology manufacturing hub focused on physical artificial intelligence and the aerospace industry. The government announced Friday that Hanwha, Hyundai Motor, Samsung, SK, Doosan and L

2026-07-03 17:12:30:00

National Assembly to reconvene amid PPP boycott

The 22nd National Assembly is set to reconvene on Monday following a short respite at the midpoint of its four-year run. According to the National Assembly Secretariat on Friday, the parliament will hold a special session Monday for the first time since the inauguration of the new speaker, Rep. Cho Jeong-sik. This follows a ruling Democratic Party-led request to convene the session earlier, despite the fact that seven standing committee chairs have yet to be elected amid partisan clashes, while

2026-07-03 16:08:30:00

DP chair hopeful says Seoul should bolster its diplomatic capacity

Rep. Song Young-gil, a six-term lawmaker who is considered a potential candidate for the ruling Democratic Party's chair post, said that South Korea must strengthen its diplomatic capacity as global bipolarization unfolds. "Former President Kim Dae-jung said that South Korea must become a nation that engages in diplomacy, yet we are seeing diplomatic standing in the international community decline with poor performance," Song said at a parliamentary forum to evaluate Seoul's foreign policy that

2026-07-03 13:37:51:00

'Let's go to Starbucks' chant becomes political lightning rod

A controversial chant by high school baseball players has erupted into a political flashpoint in South Korea, with rival parties clashing over whether the students deserve harsh punishment. The "Let's go to Starbucks" chant was widely interpreted as a derisive slogan evoking Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" promotion. The campaign sparked outrage last month for allegedly belittling the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, a significant event in South Korea's democratic history commemorated on May 18. L

2026-07-02 15:19:32:00

Lee vows to revive policy of reconciliation with N. Korea

President Lee Jae Myung said South Korea would push to revive the peace policy for the Korean Peninsula pursued by previous liberal administrations, as he met former President Moon Jae-in over lunch at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday. It was the first occasion on which Lee formally received a former South Korean president since his inauguration in June last year. Over a lunch of chicken porridge with ginseng, Korean herbs, braised beef, Korean-style croaker soup and bibimbap, Lee and Moon discussed p

2026-07-01 15:28:01:00

Han becomes South Korea's 1st female PM since 2007

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook took office Wednesday, succeeding Kim Min-seok, who is returning to the National Assembly as a lawmaker after completing his one-year term as prime minister. Han, 59, is the first female prime minister of South Korea in about two decades, and the second in South Korea's modern history. Prior to her, Han Myeong-sook served in the role from 2006 to 2007 during the former liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration. On her way to the office at the Government Complex Seoul, Han

2026-07-01 13:36:57:00