President Yoon Suk Yeol has invited the Korean rescue team who returned from the earthquake site in Turkey to a Cheong Wa Dae luncheon to convey his gratitude, officials said on Tuesday. He thanked the 135-member team on behalf of the public and acknowledged the challenging conditions they faced with aftershocks and cold weather. “Your solidarity shown at the Turkey relief site reminds us once again that Korea and Turkey are true friends who help each other in difficult times,” he sa

Social Affairs March 7, 2023

Two days after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria on Feb. 6, South Korea dispatched a relief team of 118 people to Turkey. For 10 days, the team -- fighting cold, insecurity and human tragedy -- rescued eight people and recovered 19 bodies from the ravaged buildings that collapsed in one of the deadliest quakes in modern history. Korea was the first Asian country to dispatch a relief team to Turkey, and fifth in the world. The Korean team, which mainly co

Social Affairs March 7, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol may visit Japan later this month to mark a historic deal between South Korea and Japan to resolve a long-standing dispute over compensation to forced laborers during Japan's colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945, according to sources on Monday. The details of the visit are still being discussed and have not been confirmed by either side. Yoon’s visit is likely to be scheduled for the end of this month after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit

Foreign Affairs March 6, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday vowed to foster growth of the nation's biohealth industry, aiming to establish it as a key contributor to the economy on par with the semiconductors industry. Urging lawmakers to pass the digital health care bill, he said he believes it will not only safeguard personal information but also enhance the industry's competitiveness. Noting that the global market size of the industry is nearly 2,600 trillion won ($1.96 trillion) and the growth potential

Politics Feb. 28, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged to combat school violence and promote greater social justice after having to cancel a key personnel appointment when the chosen official was found to have defended his son in a school bullying case instead of holding him accountable. During a meeting with his secretaries on Monday, Yoon directed the Education Ministry to “collaborate with relevant organizations such as local offices of education to develop measures for eradicating school violence as qui

Politics Feb. 27, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol has set a target of exporting $685 billion this year, an increase of 0.2 percent year-on-year, vowing to mobilize all the nation's capabilities to achieve this goal at an export strategy meeting Thursday. The meeting was attended by related ministers and leaders of major exporters, including CJ CheilJedang, LG Energy Solution, HMM and CJ ENM. Despite difficult economic conditions, Yoon noted that the country had achieved record-high exports of $683.6 billion last yea

Politics Feb. 23, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered a strong crackdown on systematic illegal activities at construction sites, reiterating his will to push for labor reforms, officials said Tuesday. Eradication of illegal activities at construction sites is a key task for labor reforms for the Yoon government, which has operated a dedicated team of the Land Ministry and a special 200-day crackdown by the National Police Agency. After being briefed on the current situation of violence at construction sites, Yoon ord

Politics Feb. 21, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the motion to arrest the Democratic Party of Korea's leader and his former presidential opponent, Lee Jae-myung. Lee’s fate -- whether he will become the first prominent opposition leader to be arrested -- will be decided by an anonymous vote of lawmakers on Monday. “The motion for Lee’s arrest was received yesterday (Feb. 20) and approved by the president,” the presidential office said in a written statement early in the morning. &ld

Politics Feb. 21, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday that the government would freeze public utility fees controlled by the central government, including highway tolls, postal and railroad fees, in the first half of this year, while asking municipalities and private companies to join the efforts to contain steep increases in transportation and communications charges. He also urged banks to return their profits to the people suffering from high interest rates. “The government will focus all policies on

Politics Feb. 15, 2023

The presidential office said Tuesday the opposition party was spreading “fake news” concerning first lady Kim Keon Hee's involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, saying her accounts were not deliberately used for the price inflation of Deutsche Motors stock and she was not the figure behind the scheme. “In the course of the investigations and trials, dozens of people were intensively investigated, but not a single person stated that they had been in contact with or

Politics Feb. 14, 2023

South Korea will send a second group of rescuers to quake-hit Turkey on Thursday, as well as a separate group of 29 medical staff within a week. Korea will also establish a separate unit within state ministries to organize relief and fundraising activities to support Turkish people who lost homes and families, the presidential office said Monday. The 29 medical staff are a part of 372 people who signed up for the medical treatment mission to Turkey, presidential spokesperson Lee Do-hoon said, ad

Politics Feb. 13, 2023

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been under growing pressure from allies in the West to provide arms support to Ukraine in its war against the invader Russia, particularly after his attendance at the NATO summit last year and a visit by the US-led military alliance in Europe to Seoul last month. In a speech at the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in Seoul on Jan. 30, hours before the two met, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg urged Yoon to “step up” to meet Ukraine’s p

Foreign Affairs Feb. 13, 2023

The South Korean government on Tuesday decided to provide $5 million in emergency humanitarian aid, dispatch rescue personnel and provide emergency medical supplies to support Turkey, which is suffering from massive casualties after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Monday. President Yoon Suk Yeol also sent a message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to express his special condolences and promise that "all possible assistance" would be provided for a speedy recovery. &ldquo

Politics Feb. 7, 2023

Ahn Cheol-soo, who merged his presidential candidacy with Yoon Suk Yeol last year, has distanced himself from the president ahead of a March election that picks the new leader of the ruling People Power Party, after the presidential office blasted him for using the term "Yoon-Ahn solidarity" for the race. Yoon has warned Ahn not to use the term "solidarity," with presidential aides calling it "wrong" and "inappropriate," drawing a clear line that the two

Politics Feb. 6, 2023

Former journalist Lee Do-woon was appointed as President Yoon Suk Yeol’s new spokesperson after the position had been left empty for five months, the presidential office said Sunday. The position has been vacant since early September after former spokesperson Kang In-sun moved to the role of public relations secretary for the foreign press. Lee graduated from Yonsei University’s political science and diplomacy department and began his career as a reporter at the daily newspaper Seoul

Politics Feb. 5, 2023