A Korean court has kicked off the process of liquidating seized local assets of a Japanese company that committed World War II-era forced labor, as the Japanese government and the firm have ignored the ruling ordering it to compensate victims.　 The Pohang branch of Daegu District Court decided Monday to give public notice of the court ruling made last year on seizing the Korean assets of Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel, previously known as Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. The procedu

Social Affairs June 4, 2020

In an attempt to refresh its heritage brand, the United Future Party stressed forward-looking policies and protection of the weak, proposing its first bill for the new parliament on Monday. The conservative party launched a nine-member emergency leadership committee, led by veteran politician Kim Chong-in, with a mission to restore voter support by April next year. With the new slogan of “accompanying the weak,” the conservative faction plans to undergo drastic changes to depart

Politics June 1, 2020

The new parliament, now heavily tilted to the left, began its four-year term Saturday, with a full plate of work amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. And ruling Democratic Party of Korea Floor Leader Kim Tae-nyeon on Sunday called on opposition parties for cooperation to allow the 21st National Assembly to set out to handle pandemic-related legislation swiftly. “The Democratic Party will open the National Assembly on June 5 to pick the speaker and deputy speaker of the assembly,” K

Politics May 31, 2020

South Korea’s election watchdog demonstrated the ballot-counting process to the public in a mock version on Thursday, intent on debunking vote-rigging allegations raised by a lawmaker who lost his seat in the April 15 parliamentary election. The National Election Commission carried out the demonstration at its headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, setting up a hypothetical situation where 1,000 out of 4,000 eligible voters cast ballots in advance polls for four constituency can

Social Affairs May 28, 2020

The leader of the ruling Democratic Party has defended activist-turned-lawmaker-elect Yoon Mi-hyang, who came under fire over allegations of misappropriating funds during her years as head of an advocacy group that for many years has defended the rights of victims of Japanese wartime sexual slavery. Democratic Party Chairman Lee Hae-chan said the 30-year-long campaign of the group -- the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan -- should n

Social Affairs May 27, 2020

Prosecutors summoned Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong as part of a probe into suspicions surrounding a 2015 merger between two key affiliates, which helped the scion secure control of the country’s largest conglomerate. Samsung Group’s heir apparent appeared before prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Tuesday morning to be questioned over the merger of Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries in 2015, as well as alleged accounting fraud

Social Affairs May 26, 2020

The Korean government has decided to require all passengers on buses, taxis, subways and flights to wear masks, in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. The face-covering mandate, issued by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, comes as more drivers and passengers are disregarding mask-wearing recommendations amid rising temperatures. Under the new measure which goes into effect for buses and taxis on Tuesday, operators and drivers can temporarily refuse

Social Affairs May 25, 2020

South Korea reported 16 more cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the national’s total number of infections to date to 11,206, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. The daily caseload of new infections dipped below 20 for the first time in four days, while health authorities are staying vigilant as cases linked to a cluster that appeared in Seoul’s nightlife district of Itaewon in early May continue to emerge. The number of cases linked to the Itae

Social Affairs May 25, 2020

The main opposition United Future Party is set to embark on a reform process, with an 80-year-old party outsider at its helm. The party on Friday voted Kim Chong-in, a veteran politician well-versed in economy, as the head of its envisioned emergency leadership body, ending weeks of internal strife over how to revive the faction’s political fortune after a crushing defeat in the April elections and who will map out strategies for it. Kim will serve until the parliamentary by-election

Politics May 24, 2020

The forces that shaped today’s Korea -- from its belated opening to the outside world in the late 19th century and its annexation by Japan in 1910 to the 1950-53 Korean War, dictatorships, rapid industrialization and blood-paved democratization -- are on exhibit at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. Located in Gwanghwamun Square, a site of historic and symbolic importance, the eight-story museum tells stories of the country’s politics, society, economy and culture

Culture May 23, 2020

Controversy surrounding the conviction of former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, who served a two-year jail term for bribery, has been rekindled, after the ruling Democratic Party sought to revisit the case. Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party, on Thursday hinted that Han may have been politically targeted, referring to a 100-page diary written by a late businessman, the bribe-giver. He passed away in 2018. “The investigation was launched just ahead of the local e

Politics May 21, 2020

The 20th National Assembly held its final plenary session Wednesday and approved 141 pieces of legislation, including a bill to prevent online sex crimes and another addressing historical human rights violations committed by the state. The sex crime bill obligates service providers, including internet giants Naver and Kakao, to remove illegal pornographic materials and block access to them. Recently the so-called “Nth Room case” caused a furor over the circulation of illegal sex

Politics May 20, 2020

The prosecution is set to probe corruption allegations against Yoon Mi-hyang, a lawmaker-elect from the ruling Democratic Party and a longtime activist for the rights of victims of Japanese wartime sexual slavery. The Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office on Tuesday assigned the case involving Yoon, former president of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, to a criminal division for direct investigation. A handful of c

Social Affairs May 19, 2020

The South Korean government and nonprofit organizations are offering quarantine and medical supplies to countries fighting the novel coronavirus in a bid to boost relations in challenging times. According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs on Monday, the 70th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee will deliver 10,000 face masks and other health protective items to the members of native American Navajo tribe who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War. Currently, the na

Social Affairs May 18, 2020

The South Korean government urged citizens to refrain from gatherings and access to enclosed facilities over the weekend in the wake of a growing number of infection cases as a virus breakout at clubs and bars in a popular Seoul nightlife area is spreading. Health authorities are on alert as COVID-19 is penetrating deeper into the country after Seoul’s Itaewon emerged as a new cluster early this month, generating secondary and tertiary infections. “The number of infection cases

Social Affairs May 15, 2020