Korea pays tribute to independence heroes with honorary passports

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has launched a campaign honoring Korean independence activists who died overseas before they could return to their liberated home, ahead of the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation on Aug. 15. The "Korea's Brightest Passport" campaign commemorates 30 patriots who died overseas before witnessing Korea's liberation from Japanese occupation that lasted from 1910 to 1945. The campaign, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the food

2026-08-04 14:15:40:00

People Power Party defends leader's W206m US trip spending

The main opposition People Power Party on Monday defended its leader Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok over criticism concerning the cost of his trip to the US, saying that the visit was carried out on a smaller budget than previous party leaders. According to the political fund accounting report submitted to the National Election Commission by the People Power Party, Jang spent some 206 million won ($144,000) on his 10-day visit to the US from April 11 to 20. The initial budget was set at 204 million won, i

2026-08-03 16:57:12:00

Presidential veto of Criminal Procedure Act appears unlikely despite opposition pressure

The main opposition People Power Party on Monday upped calls for President Lee Jae Myung to veto a proposed revision to the Criminal Procedure Act, which is expected to be put to a vote at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Despite rising calls from conservatives, expectations are rising that the bill will be approved. On Monday, the People Power Party's leadership, including Chair Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, held a meeting of its supreme council near the presidential office and called on Lee to veto the

2026-08-03 14:36:44:00

Conservatives call on Lee to veto Criminal Procedure Act revision

The conservative bloc is repeating calls for President Lee Jae Myung to veto a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act, which strips prosecutors of all investigative authority, as expectations grow for the revision to be approved at next week's Cabinet meeting. The main opposition People Power Party's chief spokesperson Rep. Choi Bo-yun released a statement Sunday asking the president to send the bill back to the National Assembly. "President Lee should exercise his veto right now to reverse the

2026-08-02 17:10:36:00

PM Han and Cardinal You discuss peace on Korean Peninsula

Prime Minister Han Seong-suk held a luncheon meeting on Saturday with Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, the prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Clergy, to discuss national issues, including peace on the Korean Peninsula. According to the Prime Minister's Office, Han invited Cardinal You to her residence during You's summer visit to Korea, seeking to hear the religious leader's insights into issues such as peace on the Korean Peninsula, support for young people and social cohesion. Cardinal

2026-08-02 15:10:36:00

Korea moves to curb hotel price gouging during major concerts

Hotels and Airbnb hosts will soon face penalties for price gouging and unjustified canceling of reservations ahead of major events. On Friday, a revision to the Tourism Promotion Act stipulating such measures was proposed, which would make it mandatory for accommodation providers to disclose prices and ban unfair business practices such as unreasonable price hikes and reservation cancellations. Under the bill, violators could face sanctions such as restrictions on support from the Tourism Promot

2026-08-02 11:28:21:00

National Assembly passes bill on special counsel probe into June 3 elections

The National Assembly passed a bill on Thursday to launch a special counsel investigation into the June 3 local elections, hours after a bipartisan agreement was reached. The bill stipulates that the investigation will focus on the National Election Commission's alleged attempts to cover up officials' overseas junkets and unfair hiring, as well as allegations of errors in the NEC's computerized data and vote-counting manipulation. The ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition People Power

2026-07-30 14:51:37:00

Opposition leader calls on Lee to rule out second term or risk losing office

Main opposition People Power Party leader Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok renewed his attack on President Lee Jae Myung Wednesday, saying the president should explicitly rule out another term if he hopes to serve the remainder of his presidency. "It is so easy to say, 'there is no second term.' I do not understand why the words are so long," Jang wrote on Facebook. "The road to keeping the remaining term is for Lee to give up any attempt to cancel his criminal trials now, and declare that there will be no

2026-07-29 16:54:52:00

'Turn soju into a soft drink,' Han slams ruling party's prosecution reform

Independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon, former chair of the People Power Party and chief prosecutor, called out the Democratic Party of Korea's prosecutorial reform drive, accusing the ruling party of jeopardizing public safety. In a Facebook post, Han shared a screenshot of a news article about a bill proposed by a Democratic Party lawmaker to establish a fact-checking procedure for prosecutors. Under the proposal, prosecutors would be allowed to verify facts with relevant parties before deciding wheth

2026-07-29 12:51:10:00

DP leadership candidate calls for merger with Rebuilding Korea Party, again

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's leadership candidate, Rep. Jung Chung-rae, called Tuesday for a merger he said would be essential to strengthening the liberal bloc before the next major elections. Speaking at a meeting with party members in Sejong on Tuesday, the four-term lawmaker called for a merger between the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party, a progressive party with ties to the ruling party. "In the last presidential election, President Lee did not win more than 50 per

2026-07-28 17:51:33:00