[Korean War anniversary] Korea needs to plant a culture of honor, veterans chief says

Kang Jung-ai, South Korea’s minister of patriots and veterans affairs, says building a culture of remembering and honoring the people who fought for Koreans and their freedom is “what our country needs.” “Honoring veterans goes far beyond giving them compensation and benefits. Thanking and respecting the people who served our country should be a part of our national identity and treasured value,” she said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Friday. “Yes,

June 24, 2024

Opposition ramps up calls for Yoon's impeachment

Opposition politicians are raising the possibility of impeaching President Yoon Suk Yeol as they push for a bill to investigate his alleged meddling in the investigation of a soldier's death. Opposition parties, which hold a strong majority in South Korea's National Assembly, plan to reintroduce a bill to launch a special counsel probe of alleged interference in a Marine Corps internal investigation following the death of a Marine last summer. On Monday, Rep. Jang Kyung-tae, an outspok

June 24, 2024

DP leader resigns as step to seeking 2nd term

Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Lee Jae-myung on Monday stepped down from his position as the party’s chair, a move that is viewed as a step towards running for a second term as the main opposition party's leader at the upcoming party convention. "I have resigned from my position as the chair of the Democratic Party with the wrap-up of today’s party supreme council meeting," Lee told reporters at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul. Lee expressed his concern

June 24, 2024

Race begins for People Power Party leadership

The race to become the leader of the nation’s conservative ruling party kicked off Sunday, with three star politicians declaring their candidacies throughout the day. The announcements by former Justice Minister and onetime ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon, judge-turned-five-term lawmaker Rep. Na Kyung-won and former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong follow Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun’s declaration of candidacy on Friday. The race is expected to be a monthlong four-candidate battle with crossfire

June 23, 2024

Former land, justice ministers to run for ruling party chief

Former Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Minister Won Hee-ryong will announce his candidacy for the chairmanship of the ruling People Power Party on Sunday, Won's camp said Friday. "I have concluded that the party and the government must now work together in unison to bring about changes and reforms that fully support the public sentiment expressed through the general election," said Won. Earlier, Han Dong-hoon, who led the ruling People Power Party through the April election fo

June 21, 2024

Seoul says weapon aid to Ukraine 'depends on Russia's reaction'

South Korea will map out plans to send weapons to Ukraine, depending on how Russia would react to Seoul's statement which hinted at a review of arms support in response to the development of Russia-North Korea relations on Thursday, according to the presidential office Friday. The office added that many options concerning the weapons aid to Ukraine could be taken into consideration and that South Korea will continue its "comprehensive support" to Ukraine. Seoul, however, denied th

June 21, 2024

Seoul summons Russian ambassador over Kim-Putin talks

Seoul on Friday summoned Georgy Zinoviev, ambassador of Russia to South Korea, to express its discontent over the elevated ties between North Korea and Russia that would commit each other to provide military assistance in the event of armed aggression to the other. First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun summoned Zinoviev to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Seoul and explained Seoul's stance on the bilateral pact of North Korea and Russia signed Wednesday, according to the

June 21, 2024

How will Kim-Putin summit affect China?

Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang on Wednesday to hold talks with his counterpart, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, will likely pose hurdles on China's diplomatic front regardless of the outcome of the meeting, according to reports and observers closely watching the rare encounter between the leaders of the two isolated regimes. Experts in Seoul, prior to the summit in North Korea, said that the talks between Putin and Kim would weaken China's influence on Nort

June 19, 2024

Rival parties divided over Kim-Putin summit

South Korea’s political sphere on Wednesday was divided over Russian President Vladimir Putin's first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years, and with it the growing concerns of strengthened military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. The main opposition party leader and ex-unification ministers under previous liberal administrations called for a revival of the inter-Korean dialogue channel to safeguard peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. On the other hand, the ruling party s

June 19, 2024

Sejong University signs agreement with Army to train cyber specialists

Sejong University signed a bilateral agreement with the Republic of Korea Army Headquarters to collaborate in online fields. The agreement aims to improve the acquisition rate of cyber specialists within the Army. This initiative follows the Ministry of National Defense's "Decision to Expand the Contracted Department of Military" in December 2023 to recruit experts in online fields. Sejong University's Department of Information Security was selected in March 2024 through an o

June 19, 2024

Research center for Israel studies opens in Seoul

A research center dedicated to Israeli studies opened Tuesday under the Seoul National University, becoming the first such academic institution in South Korea. Amb. Akiva Tor, Israeli envoy to South Korea, said in an opening ceremony on this day that the center’s launch “marks an auspicious beginning.” Israel Education Research Center will be “the first academic center in Korean higher education dedicated to the study of Jewish civilization and Israeli society,” he

June 18, 2024

Democratic Party's charter amendment clears leader's path to presidential election

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Monday amended the party charter to allow its leadership to choose the term of its chair and supreme council members. The party’s decision will allow current Democratic Party of Korea Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung to run for the 2027 presidential election, if he wishes, even if he is reelected as the party chair at the upcoming convention scheduled for Aug. 18. While the charter states that a party chair or a supreme council member must resign fr

June 17, 2024

Mayor Choi an administrative expert with compassion and justice

Mayor Choi Min-ho, the driving force behind Sejong City, stands out as a seasoned public administrator boasting 31 years of comprehensive service in pivotal roles spanning central and local governance. Originating from Daejeon in 1956, he completed his education at Boseong High School and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. Subsequently, he pursued a master's degree in public administration at Yonsei University, a law degree at Tokyo University in Japan, and achieved a doctorate

June 17, 2024

Standoff in National Assembly intensifies over key committees

Rival political parties on Monday extended their standoff over picking the chairs of key standing committees of the National Assembly, leading to surging tension in the political sphere. Tensions stemmed from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea’s unilateral decision last week to snatch 11 of the 18 standing committee chair positions for the first two years of the 22nd National Assembly, which began its four-year term on May 30. The opposition-led Assembly has so far elected mai

June 17, 2024

Sejong evolving beyond a city for civil servants

Sejong City, strategically located in the heart of South Chungcheong Province, emerged as a pivotal player in the nation's balanced regional development strategy when it was established in 2012. Situated approximately 150km south of Seoul, Sejong City shares borders with Daejeon, Gongju, Cheongju, and Cheonan, creating a unique urban landscape in an otherwise rural setting. Despite its relatively modest population of around 400,000 residents, Sejong City boasts administrative significance c

June 17, 2024

Mayor Choi proclaims Sejong as 'Hangeul Culture Capital'

SEJONG -- To commemorate his second year in office, Mayor Choi Min-ho of Sejong City shared his vision for transforming the government administrative city into a global standard capital model. During an exclusive interview at his office early this month, Mayor Choi underscored Sejong's forthcoming identity as the "Hangeul Culture Capital" of the nation, highlighting a commitment to nurturing the legacy of King Sejong the Great within the city's development plans until his ter

June 17, 2024

Seoul cautions Moscow on Putin's NK visit

Seoul has warned Moscow against "going beyond a certain point," amid reports that Russia and North Korea are seeking to deepen their military ties during President Vladimir Putin's imminent visit to Pyongyang. National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin told Yonhap News TV on Sunday evening that Seoul has "cautioned his Russian counterpart that Russia should not go beyond a certain point." "Our intelligence suggests that there is room for (Russia and North Korea) to adop

June 17, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Support for small air services, safe environment for AI

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Restriction on Special Cases Concerning Taxation Proposed by Rep. Park Choong-kwon (People Power Party) ● This amendment extends the sunset date of the special provision of tax deduction related to national strategic technologies, including semiconductor technologies, from Dec. 31, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2030. Proposed Bill: Act on Artificial Intelligence Industry Promotion and Trust Securement Proposed by Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo (People Power Party) ● As a

June 17, 2024

Govt. to hold experts' meeting for development of potential oil, gas reserves off East Sea

The industry ministry and the state-run Korea National Oil Corp. plan to hold a meeting with experts this week to discuss strategies for developing potential oil and gas reserves off the East Sea, industry sources said Monday. The meeting scheduled for Friday comes as the government and KNOC plan to choose the site for the first drilling operation in July, under the project that could potentially uncover between 3.5 billion and 14 billion barrels of gas and oil in the East Sea, according to the

June 17, 2024

Prosecution to begin probe into ex-first lady's trip to India

Prosecutors have begun an investigation into allegations that former President Moon Jae-in's wife, Kim Jung-sook, spent a large sum of taxpayer money to fund her solo trip to India in 2018, prosecution officials said Monday. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office plans to call in Lee Jong-bae, a Seoul city councilor affiliated with the ruling People Power Party, as an accuser on Wednesday, as he filed a complaint against Kim last December. The councilor accused the former first lady

June 17, 2024