With President Yoon Suk Yeol seemingly edging toward impeachment, the nation is eyeing the next logical move of electing his replacement. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, is the clear front-runner in that race, multiple polls suggest. But the runner-up in the last presidential election by a tiny margin, Lee has his own legal challenges regarding another bid for the top office. He still faces criminal charges related to his respective terms as mayor of Seo

Politics Dec. 10, 2024

The idea of a sitting president being arrested, once deemed unthinkable, now looms as a real possibility in South Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who narrowly avoided impeachment Saturday, faces investigations from three of the nation’s major investigative agencies amid massive political backlash over his declaration of martial law last week. On Monday afternoon, the Ministry of Justice imposed a travel ban on President Yoon, making him the first sitting president in South Korean history t

Politics Dec. 9, 2024

A South Korean man who falsely claimed to have depression to avoid combat duty in military has been sentenced to one year in jail, suspended for two years, the Daegu District Court said Sunday. The 26-year-old defendant, based on false claims he made to medical staff, was diagnosed with depression last year at a Daegu-based university hospital. He then submitted his diagnosis to the Military Manpower Administration and received grade 4 in his physical examination, which made him eligible to serv

Social Affairs Dec. 9, 2024

Over 60,000 South Koreans as of Monday have signed an online petition calling for a ban on the commemoration of convicted politicians by government bodies, demanding former military dictator Chun Doo-hwan's penname to be removed from a public park. The petition, posted on the National Assembly's petition page on Nov. 15, requested the parliament to revise the law to ensure that names of those found guilty of violating the law or the Constitution from being on any type of commemorative

Social Affairs Dec. 9, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided impeachment Saturday, as his conservative ruling party staged a united boycott against the opposition-led parliamentary vote, defying public demands to hold him responsible for last week’s surprise declaration of martial law. Records show that Yoon, his Cabinet, and several members of his party have apparently flip-flopped their positions on martial law -- at least in the public address -- from before the fateful night of Dec. 3. Accusations of the preside

Politics Dec. 9, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday narrowly survived impeachment as his ruling People Power Party, united in the National Assembly to thwart the opposition's effort to oust him from office. This offers Yoon only momentary relief, however, as the opposition parties threaten to push for his impeachment again over his declaration of martial law earlier this week. The short-lived martial law decree, along with an array of controversies, including legal risks related to his spouse, have alr

Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol's first national address after the martial law declaration on Saturday morning looks to have improved his chances of surviving an opposition-led impeachment vote later in the day. In a televised address at 10 a.m., Yoon apologized vowing to never give such orders again. He also said he would entrust his powers to his party to "stabilize the political situation." It came as he faces a critical juncture on his fate, with a vote on his impeachment at the Nat

Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2024

The presidential office confirmed Friday afternoon that President Yoon Suk Yeol did not have plans to visit the National Assembly, but the rumors about him visiting the legislature had caused a commotion among the opposition lawmakers gathered there. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik held an emergency press conference and said that he had not been told of Yoon's visit that was rumored to be at around 3 p.m., and asked him to "postpone the visit, if he does intend to do so."

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

The acting chief justice of the Constitutional Court said Friday the court had designated a justice to review whether or not President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law had been unconstitutional. Justice Moon Hyung-bae told reporters that a constitutional complaint against Yoon's order on Tuesday night had been registered, and a judge had been named to preside over the case. The case is currently being reviewed. Civic group Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun) filed the

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

The deputy director of the South Korean spy agency said Friday that President Yoon Suk Yeol had ordered him to arrest prominent political figures including the leaders of both the ruling and multiple opposition parties on Tuesday night following his sudden declaration of martial law. Hong Jang-won, the first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, told the National Assembly that he had been ordered to take into custody several prominent political figures, revealing the names of 11

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

A total of 1,610 school workers with non-guaranteed contracts across the country participated in a one-day strike Friday, disrupting lunch plans at 220 schools, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. The strike, led by an umbrella group of unions representing "non-regular" workers, was held in protest of their wage disparity with school workers with guaranteed contracts. Korean companies usually sign permanent employment contracts with their "regular workers,&quo

Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2024

The National Election Commission on Friday said the government dispatching soldiers to its offices Tuesday night was a clear violation of South Korea's Constitution and also of other laws, vowing legal action against those responsible. "After the emergency martial law was declared on Dec. 3, about 300 martial law forces forced their way into the NEC headquarters and other offices. ... The troops confiscated the cellphones of five officials, blocked off the entrances and set a perimeter

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

A North Korean defector who escaped the communist state with eight other members of his family last year has died, a fellow defector said through his YouTube channel Thursday. Kim Yi-hyeok, who made headlines in May 2023 with the dramatic escape, died in a sea diving accident on Wednesday, another defector, Lee Cheol-eun, said on an online community. "The tragic news of Kim Yi-hyeok, who left repressive North Korea and only had happy days to live in democratic South Korea, breaks my heart

Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2024

The operator of the Seoul subway system reached a last-minute deal in wage negotiations with unionized workers early Friday, avoiding an all-out strike that was slated to begin the same day. Seoul Metro inked the deal with all three of its labor unions, which took the 2.5 percent wage increase based on the government guidelines. The two parties also compromised on the state-run company's plans to reduce staff, with Seoul Metro pledging to hire some 630 new employees instead of the initially

Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2024

Employees of South Korea’s major railway system were headed toward a general strike on Thursday, as the operator of the Seoul's subway system struggled to settle their differences with labor unions over salaries and layoff plans. The employees of Seoul Metro were to go on a strike starting Friday if negotiations fall through, which will mark the third year straight since 2022. Subway users in the nation's capital region are already experiencing delays and cancellations, amid th

Social Affairs Dec. 5, 2024