South Korea’s election systems may be vulnerable to foreign hacking threats and are in need of fortification ahead of next year's general election, the National Intelligence Service said Tuesday. In a rare press briefing, the NIS shared the results of a cybersecurity screening that showed the election watchdog had been targeted by both attempted and successful attacks from North Korea and that it had remained unaware of the exposure. The NIS cybersecurity experts said that the electio

Politics Oct. 10, 2023

The National Assembly will begin the final audit before next year's legislative general election from Tuesday, with the ruling and opposition parties gearing up for a push to win over voters. The general election in April next year will decide if the Yoon Suk Yeol administration will have the support of a ruling People Power Party-controlled Assembly. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea currently holds a substantial majority in the Assembly and has used it to put the brakes on several

Politics Oct. 9, 2023

Anticipation is building in Seoul ahead of the Oct. 11 by-election to choose the head of the capital city’s western district of Gangseo, which the two major parties’ strategists believe will offer a preview of the general election in April next year. The trends in early voting, which wrapped up Sunday, indicate a surprisingly high level of enthusiasm among voters. According to the National Election Commission, 113,313 voters -- or 22.6 percent of the 500,603 registered voters in th

Politics Oct. 8, 2023

[코리아헤럴드=김아린 기자] 국가정보원이 한국인터넷진흥원(KISA)과 합동으로 진행한 점검 결과, 중앙선거관리위원회의 사이버 보안상 취약점이 드러난 것으로 알려졌다. 6일 개최되는 국정원 브리핑에서 선관위 시스템의 보안적 결함에 대한 지적이 이루어질 예정이라고 여권 고위 관계자가 5일 전했다. 이 관계자는 선관위의 보안 실태에 대해 묻는 코리아헤럴드의 질의에, 이번 국정원 발표에서 “문제점이 지적이 될 것”이라고 밝혔다. 이어 이번 점검 결과의 중대성에 따라, 당 차원에서 선관위가 앞서 보안상 문제를 부인한 경위에 대한 책임 소재 문제도 따져야 한다고도 했다. 이 관계자는 “(선관위가) 자체 점검상 아무 문제가 없다고 주장하며 보안 점검을 거부했던 부분은 반드시 책임을 물어야 할 것”이라면서, 선관위원장 사퇴까지 거론할 정도의 사안으로 번질 수 있다고 내다봤다. 지난 5월 선관위는 북한의 해킹 공격 시도에도 국정원의 보안 점검 권고를 무시한

한국어판 Oct. 5, 2023

The confirmation hearings for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s nominations for three Cabinet posts have become the latest partisan battleground, as the nominees faced intense scrutiny appearing before the National Assembly on Thursday. The first day of the hearing for Kim Haeng, who has been tapped for the position of minister of gender equality and family, was interrupted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers’ vociferous objections to the nomination choice. The gender equality minister no

Politics Oct. 5, 2023

Over the long holiday weekend, South Korea’s ruling and opposition lawmakers campaigned across Gangseo in western Seoul, as the district is set to choose a new head in a by-election next week. With the general election six months away, the Gangseo-gu by-election on Oct. 11 will offer insight into voter sentiment in Seoul -- a swing electorate holding some 40 seats that can determine which party will win control of the National Assembly. Winning in Seoul will be essential for the ruling Peo

Politics Oct. 3, 2023

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Tuesday elected Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo, a “pro-Lee Jae-myung” lawmaker who is serving his third term in the National Assembly, as its new floor leader. Hong’s election comes after the last one to hold the post, TV journalist-turned-lawmaker Rep. Park Kwang-on, known for his dovish approach, stepped down last week amid the passage of a critical motion on the party leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung’s possible arrest. In the acceptance spe

Politics Sept. 26, 2023

South Korea’s Supreme Court faces an unusual vacancy for the first time in 30 years as the National Assembly motion to appoint a replacement for the retiring chief justice was delayed amid turmoil over an arrest warrant request for the main opposition party leader. Ahn Chul-sang, the most senior of the 13 Supreme Court justices, will serve as acting chief justice starting Monday until the motion is considered and passed at the next Assembly plenary session. In a meeting also held Monday, t

Politics Sept. 25, 2023

Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung on Friday made pleas to "salvage democracy" from the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, a day after the National Assembly passed a motion to let the court decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for him. In a written statement, he called attention to the country’s history of fighting military dictatorships, and the monthslong protests that led to the impeachment of the Park Geun-hye administration. “As history is a guide, it

Politics Sept. 22, 2023

The National Assembly on Thursday voted to pass the motion for a possible arrest warrant that removed the protective immunity of Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung on day 22 of his hunger strike against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. The motion’s passage gives the court the Assembly’s permission to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for Lee, who is a criminal suspect in three corruption cases and a defendant in two ongoing criminal trials. In a plenary sess

Politics Sept. 21, 2023

Another motion for an arrest warrant for Democratic Party of Korea’s leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung, who is in hospital from his 19-day hunger strike, awaits a vote by the National Assembly, possibly on Thursday. President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the request for the opposition leader’s arrest warrant, which was referred to the Assembly for a vote, his office said Tuesday. The presidential approval comes a day after Seoul prosecutors filed an arrest warrant request after Lee over three sepa

Politics Sept. 19, 2023

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the bedridden leader of the Democratic Party of Korea on a strike against what he calls President Yoon Suk Yeol’s “tyrannical rule,” is wanted by prosecutors on an arrest warrant request for the second time this year. Seoul prosecutors said Monday they filed a request for an arrest warrant against Lee, who is already a defendant in two corruption trials, on three different counts of accusations. One is that he colluded with a policy aide while he was mayor o

Politics Sept. 18, 2023

South Korea’s main opposition leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung has been on an indefinite hunger strike, having consumed nothing other than salt and fluids for 18 days straight. The chair of the Democratic Party of Korea says he is forgoing food to protest the way President Yoon Suk Yeol is running the country, which he has characterized using two keywords -- “tyranny” and “incompetence.” He insists he would not give up unless his demands are met, one of which is that Yoon

Politics Sept. 17, 2023

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly reaching a deal over military cooperation with Russia's Vladimir Putin is like “making a deal with the devil,” South Korea’s ruling party chief said Thursday. Speaking at a meeting of the party leadership, the People Power Party’s chair, Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, said the two “who are regarded by many in the international community as the most dangerous leaders, are being criticized all over the world for the demonic trade.&r

Politics Sept. 14, 2023

South Korea’s ruling party is preparing a resolution to stop the possible forced repatriation of more than 2,600 North Korean defectors detained in China. The People Power Party said Wednesday that it has begun a discussion to adopt the resolution as the party platform, and submit what would be a party-wide resolution to the National Assembly as soon as possible. Speaking at a party leadership meeting Tuesday, Rep. Ji Seong-ho, a former North Korea escapee, said that the repatriation of No

Politics Sept. 13, 2023