President Yoon Suk Yeol remained out of the public eye Monday with no planned schedules or releases of official statements after the National Assembly's failed attempt to impeach him over the weekend. Yoon has not appeared in public since his two-minute public apology aired live Saturday, hours before parliament was set to vote on the impeachment motion over his abrupt martial law declaration earlier last week. The motion was scrapped due to a lack of quorum required to pass it, as all but

Politics Dec. 9, 2024

The Seoul city government said Monday it will expand the operation of late-night taxis and extend the operation hours of buses until the year-end to meet the surge in demand from year-end gatherings. The city plans to supply 1,000 additional night cabs and set up temporary taxi stops in four locations with high demand for the services, including the Gangnam and Jongno districts. A total of some 160 personnel from the city and taxi industry will be deployed to the taxi stops during the remaining

Social Affairs Dec. 9, 2024

South Korea's quarantine agency said Monday it will implement tougher regulations on tomato leafminers as part of efforts to maintain stable exports to Japan amid reported infections. Under the regulation, tomato farms exporting their products to Japan must conduct trap investigations two months prior to harvest to verify that the farms are free from tomato leafminer infections. The decision follows an agreement reached between South Korean and Japanese authorities, with the new rule set to

Economy Dec. 9, 2024

Police said Monday they will consider imposing a travel ban on President Yoon Suk Yeol to investigate him over charges related to his short-lived declaration of martial law last week. Police also did not rule out questioning Yoon in person. "There are no human or physical restrictions to the subject of an investigation," Woo Jong-soo, a senior police official, told reporters during a briefing. (Yonhap)

Politics Dec. 9, 2024

Prosecutors investigating alleged treason following President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law imposition last week have questioned Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su, who had been named to lead the martial law command, informed officials said Monday. Park was grilled by prosecutors as a witness at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office for about eight hours from 6 p.m. Sunday to 2 a.m. Monday, the officials said. Prosecutors have called in Park and other military leaders who

Politics Dec. 9, 2024

Son Heung-min's fourth goal of the ongoing Premier League season for Tottenham Hotspur was not enough to prevent a loss to Chelsea at home in London. Son's stoppage-time goal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the British capital on Sunday proved to be too little, too late, as Spurs blew a 2-0 lead and fell 4-3. The goal was Son's fourth of the Premier League and fifth in all competitions. He has a goal from the UEFA Europa League. The loss extended Tottenham's winless skid to t

Soccer Dec. 9, 2024

The government is ready to deploy immediate market stabilization measures, including the injection of "value-up funds" into the country's stock market, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said Monday. Choi made the statement during an emergency meeting with top economic and financial officials, as South Korea grapples with the fallout from President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law last Tuesday. The declaration was overturned by the National Assembly just hours later. &q

Economy Dec. 9, 2024

A parliamentary committee is set to review Monday whether to appoint a permanent special counsel to investigate treason charges against President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law declaration. The main opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority at the National Assembly, seeks to put the bill up for a vote during a plenary session Tuesday after it passes the legislation and judiciary committee. Since last week's abrupt and brief martial law imposition by Yoon, the Corruptio

Politics Dec. 9, 2024

Seoul shares opened sharply lower Monday amid deepening political chaos as the opposition-led National Assembly is pushing for another impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol after a failed bid over the weekend. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 33.36 points, or 1.37 percent, to 2,394.80 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Yoon has faced massive pressure to step down or face impeachment after last Tuesday's shocking martial law declaration, which was quickly ov

Market Dec. 9, 2024

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Japan on Sunday in his last trip to the Indo-Pacific as the Pentagon chief, as he seeks to cement the Biden administration's policy legacy of deepening regional alliances and partnerships. Austin arrived at Yokota Air Base near Tokyo, kicking off the Asia swing that has excluded an anticipated stop in South Korea, another key US ally, in the aftermath of President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law attempt last week. During the trip throu

Social Affairs Dec. 8, 2024

The military's counterintelligence unit had already drafted plans to implement martial law in November at the instruction of the unit's chief, an opposition lawmaker said Sunday. Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the main opposition Democratic Party made the case, claiming her office has obtained documents indicating that the Counterintelligence Command had prepared the plans in writing at the order of its commander, Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung. Yeo is one of the three commanders who have been suspended

Social Affairs Dec. 8, 2024

The South Korean currency was the worst performer around the globe last week as the political turmoil following President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law has affected sentiment, data showed Sunday. The Korean won dropped by 24.5 won per dollar over the past week, the sharpest weekly fall since the third week of January when the currency dropped 25.5 won, according to data compiled by Yonhap Infomax, Yonhap News Agency's financial information arm. The won was down

Economy Dec. 8, 2024

South Korean author Han Kang, this year's Nobel laureate in literature, expressed her shock Friday over the martial law turmoil in her native country. "I am following the news in a state of shock," she said during a press conference held in Stockholm, Sweden, to commemorate her win. "Like many South Koreans, I am deeply shocked over the last few days by the news of a martial law situation unfolding in 2024," she said. President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial la

Books Dec. 6, 2024

The state-run archives agency on Friday requested the presidential office and the defense ministry to preserve all documents related to this week's botched martial law declaration. The National Archives of Korea (NAK) said it has also sent the notice to the interior ministry, the police agency and other related organizations. In the notice, the NAK, responsible for preserving government documents, called for the thorough preservation of all materials, including Cabinet meeting minutes, inst

Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2024

South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold a high-level meeting in Tokyo next week to discuss North Korea's nuclear provocations, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Cho Koo-rae will meet US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and Hiroyuki Namazu, Japan's assistant minister for Asian and Oceanian Affairs, on Monday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the m

Foreign Affairs Dec. 6, 2024