Conservative opposition vows to block military academy integration plan

Main opposition People Power Party leader Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok on Monday vowed to block the government's plan to integrate South Korea's Army, Navy and Air Force academies, one of the Lee Jae Myung administration's major military reform initiatives. Jang made the remarks at a forum at the National Assembly on alternatives to the proposed merger, calling the plan a step toward weakening the country's military. "The ultimate goal of merging the military academies is the collapse of national defens

2026-09-07 14:49:24:00

Economy, housing, foreign policy in focus as Assembly gears up to grill Lee government

South Korea’s rival parties are set to clash over the administration's economic, housing, foreign and security policies in the coming days, during the government interpellation session and confirmation hearings for minister nominees. The interpellation session will begin Wednesday with political affairs, followed by foreign affairs, unification and security Thursday, economic affairs Friday and education, social and cultural affairs on Sept. 14. The sessions will come after the ruling Democratic

2026-09-06 14:49:20:00

Lee heads to France for Lumiere Summit, talks with Macron

President Lee Jae Myung departed for France on Sunday for a four-day state visit that will begin with an international film and audiovisual gathering, followed by summit talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on expanding bilateral cooperation, with the Strait of Hormuz also emerging as a potential issue. Lee is scheduled to co-chair the Lumiere Summit with Macron on Monday in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in southern France, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Macron invited Lee to co-chair the event during

2026-09-06 12:12:52:00

Defense minister nominee links OPCON transfer to stronger S. Korea-US alliance

Defense minister nominee Kang Shin-chul said Thursday that South Korea should pursue the transfer of wartime operational control in a way that strengthens the South Korea-US alliance. Kang made the remarks as he arrived at the Defense Convention in Yongsan, central Seoul, for his first day of preparations ahead of his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly. The hearing is expected to take place on Sept. 16. "The OPCON transition is possible because the South Korea-US alliance exists," Kan

2026-09-03 12:49:49:00

Lee says focus on growth does not sideline welfare

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday dismissed the argument that his government was prioritizing economic growth at the expense of welfare and efforts to ease inequality, saying South Korea first needs to expand the overall economic pie. Lee made the remarks on social media after sharing an editorial that criticized the government's 820.9 trillion won ($600.2 billion) budget proposal for 2027 for placing too much emphasis on growth and called for stronger measures to reduce economic polarization

2026-09-02 14:38:27:00

S. Korea, US, Japan to hold joint military drill despite N. Korean warning

South Korea, the United States and Japan will proceed with their annual multidomain military exercise next week despite North Korea's warning of a "hard-line" response, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday. The three countries are scheduled to conduct Freedom Edge from Sept. 7-11 in waters southeast of Jeju Island, according to the South Korean military. Jang Do-young, a Navy captain and spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there had been no change to the exercise plan despit

2026-09-02 14:16:32:00

S. Korea's defense budget set to top W70tr for first time

South Korea's defense budget is set to surpass 70 trillion won ($51 billion) for the first time next year, as Seoul accelerates its push to transfer wartime operational control and build up domestic defense capabilities. Of the record 820.9 trillion won proposal approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, 73.28 trillion won was allocated to defense, up 8.2 percent from 67.7 trillion won in 2026 — the steepest increase in nearly two decades. The government plans to submit the proposal to the National Ass

2026-09-01 15:12:38:00

Reform Party rules out merger with major parties

Rep. Chun Ha-ram, acting leader and floor leader of the minor conservative Reform Party, dismissed speculation Monday that the party was considering merging with either of South Korea's two major political parties. "There is no one in the Reform Party who is pursuing a merger," Chun said during a press conference at the National Assembly, referring to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition People Power Party. Chun pledged that the Reform Party would maintain its independent

2026-08-31 14:31:57:00

Muan selected as candidate site for relocation of Gwangju Air Base

South Korea on Friday formally selected Muan as the candidate site for the relocation of Gwangju Air Base as part of the Lee Jae Myung administration's plan to develop a major semiconductor industrial cluster on the existing military airport site. The Defense Ministry's relocation site selection committee approved an area in Mangun-myeon, Muan-gun, South Jeolla Province, as the official candidate site during a meeting chaired by Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back. The area had been designated as the

2026-08-28 19:15:35:00

Lee unveils 2027 youth budget focused on jobs, housing, asset building

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday unveiled the government's key budget plans for young people for 2027 ahead of the formal announcement of next year's budget, including a university internship program and increased housing support. During an event titled "Youth Budget Unboxing 2027" at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Lee said young people were one of the country's most vulnerable generations amid mounting challenges over jobs, housing and financial security. It is the first time the South Korean governm

2026-08-28 17:41:08:00