Ex-justice minister accuses ruling party of putting political vengeance before public good

Former Justice Minister and independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon accused the ruling Democratic Party of Korea of putting political vengeance ahead of the public interest by abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority. The authority allows prosecutors to conduct further inquiries after the police transfer a case to the prosecution and involves gathering additional evidence or addressing shortcomings in the police investigation. Prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority will b

2026-08-06 15:28:03:00

Opposition leader slams Lee as unfit for presidency, questions his state of mind

People Power Party leader Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok on Thursday slammed President Lee Jae Myung over his comment that he had not read the revised Criminal Procedure Act, saying that Lee is unfit for office. "I am curious about the state of his mind," Jang said during a meeting of the party's Supreme Council at the National Assembly in Yeouido. "It's hard to even guess why he said this." Jang's remarks come after the Ministry of Justice's policy briefing on Wednesday, where Lee said that he "didn't re

2026-08-06 13:37:14:00

Lee urges stern response to 'commie' smears against administration's N. Korea policy

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday urged government ministries to respond sternly to false or distorted claims portraying the administration's efforts to promote peaceful coexistence with North Korea as communist or pro-Pyongyang. Lee made the remarks during the Ministry of Unification's policy briefing at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, referring specifically to online claims that his administration was spending tens of billions of won to build a "North Korean library" to aid Pyongyang.

2026-08-05 14:46:59:00

Ruling party official warns of legal action over 'cheek poke' controversy with ex-leader

Lee Ji-eun, head of the Democratic Party of Korea's Mapo-A constituency committee in Seoul, has warned that she will take legal action against those who insinuate inappropriate relations between herself and Rep. Jung Chung-rae. The warning follows fallout from a video showing Lee playfully poking Jung on the cheek during party leadership preliminaries on Saturday. Lee addressed the incident Monday in an appearance on a YouTube channel, saying she would accept criticism and apologized for her i

2026-08-04 16:15:23:00

Seoul, Washington deepen alliance through Korean War legacy exchange

South Korea's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs is hosting an overseas edition of the UN Sending States' Youth Exchange Camp in Washington from Tuesday through Sunday, seeking to honor the bonds forged during the Korean War and pass their legacy on to future generations. The annual event, held since 2009, will take place in Washington DC, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of US independence. The event will gather 70 descendants of Korean War veterans and history teachers from both

2026-08-04 14:19:40:00

Navy appoints first woman to lead captain-rank ship

The South Korean Navy has appointed a woman to command a captain-rank ship for the first time since the service was founded in 1945. According to the Navy on Tuesday, Capt. Bae Sun-young will take command of a landing platform helicopter ship, the Republic of Korea Ship Dokdo, on Wednesday. The vessel can conduct amphibious landing operations, serve as a flagship for naval task forces and operate as a platform for unmanned vehicles. Bae joined the Korea Naval Academy in 1999, when it began admit

2026-08-04 13:52:16:00

DP lawmakers seek to extend nationality choice deadline for dual or multiple citizens

Lawmakers are seeking to give Koreans with dual or multiple citizenship two more years to choose a single nationality, citing a tight grace period and potential difficulties overseas Koreans might face in navigating Korea's legal and administrative procedures. On Monday, Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Boo Seung-chan and nine other lawmakers proposed a partial revision to the Nationality Act that would extend the age by which they have to choose a nationality to 24 from the current 22. Under cur

2026-08-03 17:36:03:00

Seoul and Washington to launch maritime search for US aircraft lost in Korean War

The Ministry of National Defense is set to conduct a joint underwater investigation with the US in an effort to find the wreckage of US fighter and transport aircraft that fell during the 1950-53 Korean War. The Korean team will comprise some 40 members from the ministry's Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification, known as MAKRI, and personnel from the South Korean Navy's 1st Fleet and the Air Force's 18th Fighter Wing. The US team will come from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Age

2026-08-03 13:59:52:00

Three-term ruling party lawmaker files bill to give bus stop access to school buses

Lawmakers are seeking an amendment to city bus stop regulations that would grant school buses the same access to bus stops as public transport vehicles, citing a disparity between law and practice and to increase safety measures for students. The partial revision to the Road Traffic Act proposed by Rep. So Byung-hoon and nine other lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Korea would allow school buses to use city bus stops to pick up and drop off students. Under current law, only city buses are a

2026-08-02 16:45:27:00

Ruling party leadership race marred by threats of ethics committee review

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's leadership primary continued Sunday in the southeastern region, with the front-runners accusing each other of breaking the party's ethics code and endangering the party. On Sunday, the three candidates — previous party Chair Rep. Jung Chung-rae, former Prime Minister Rep. Kim Min-seok and another former party chair, Rep. Song Young-gil — continued the competition in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province, each upping their attacks while attempting to ap

2026-08-02 13:52:37:00