Yoon names new labor minister, ambassadors to Japan, Australia

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday named the chief of a state diplomatic academy as the new ambassador to Japan and a former Navy chief as the ambassador to Australia, his office said. Park Cheol-hee, an expert on Japan and the current head of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, was nominated as the top envoy to Tokyo, while retired Navy Adm. Sim Seung-seob, a former chief of naval operations, was nominated as the top envoy to Canberra. Yoon also named Kim Moon-soo, head of the presidential

July 31, 2024

Lee Jin-sook appointed as broadcast watchdog chief despite opposition protest

Lee Jin-sook, the nominee to head South Korea's broadcasting watchdog, was appointed by President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday despite protest from opposition parties over her alleged misuse of corporate funds in the past. Lee, a former journalist at public television network MBC, reported to work at the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) at the government complex in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, after being officially appointed. The newly appointed KCC chief underwent a rare three-day confirm

July 31, 2024

Assembly passes all 4 broadcasting bills despite ruling party objection

All four contentious bills aimed at reducing the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s influence over public broadcasters here were passed by the opposition-led National Assembly Tuesday. The Assembly passed the revision to the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act, railroaded by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, in a 189-0 vote during a plenary session in the morning. The move marks the passage of the last of four contentious broadcasting bills, with the amendments to the Broadc

July 30, 2024

Parliament confirms appointment of new police chief

The National Assembly confirmed the appointment of Cho Ji-ho as the country's new police chief Tuesday. The parliamentary committee on public administration and security adopted a confirmation hearing report on Cho's nomination as the commissioner-general of the Korean National Police Agency after holding a hearing the previous day. Adoption of the report is seen as parliamentary consent to the appointment, though the National Assembly has no power to reject the nomination and the pres

July 30, 2024

Kim Jong-un's daughter under succession training: lawmaker

Kim Ju-ae, the 12-year-old daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is seen as being groomed for succession, a lawmaker who attended a meeting of the intelligence committee of the National Assembly told reporters Monday. "(According to the National Intelligence Service,) Kim Ju-ae is being suggested as the most likely successor in the regime, as her succession training is currently underway," said Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the ruling People Power Party, who attended the meeting Monda

July 29, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Tax delay for virtual assets, regulating 'dark pattern'

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Income Tax Act Proposed by Rep. Song Eon-seog (People Power Party) ● Under the current Act, income from the transfer or lease of virtual assets will be classified as “other income” and be subject to taxation from January 1, 2025. This aims to achieve tax parity between physical assets, such as cash and real estate, and virtual assets, such as cryptocurrency. However, given the deteriorating sentiment towards investment in virtual assets due to

July 29, 2024

DP criticizes Yoon govt. as Japan's Sado gold mine gains UNESCO status

The main opposition Democratic Party on Monday criticized the government for failing to prevent a Japanese gold mine associated with Korea's wartime forced labor from being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On Saturday, the UNESCO World Heritage committee decided to add the controversial mine as a cultural heritage site after South Korea, which had initially opposed Tokyo's bid, gave last-minute consent to the listing. "The Sado mine was listed as World Heritage, backed by t

July 29, 2024

Opposition-controlled parliament unilaterally passes contentious broadcasting bill

The opposition-controlled National Assembly passed one of the four contentious broadcasting bills aimed at reducing the government's influence over public broadcasters Monday, with lawmakers of the ruling party walking out in protest. The main opposition Democratic Party led the bill's passage in a 187-0 vote after passing a motion to forcefully end a filibuster by the ruling People Power Party (PPP). The revision to the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act aims to increase the number

July 29, 2024

Filibuster, veto: Assembly stalemate expected to continue

Gridlock is expected to persist in South Korea's legislature, as the rival parties remain locked in a cycle of the ruling party filibustering opposition-led bills, with the president then vetoing them, with no efforts to find bipartisan consensus. The latest in this ongoing political tug-of-war centers on a series of broadcasting bills to curb government influence over public broadcasters. On Sunday, the opposition-led National Assembly passed the second of four such bills, overriding a fil

July 28, 2024

1 in 5 students overdependent on smart phones, internet: study

Internet and smartphone use interferes with the lives of almost one out of five students in South Korea, recent data showed. A diagnostic survey on youth media use and habits conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family showed that over 221,000 youths have difficulty managing their daily lives due to uncontrolled use of the internet and smartphones in 2024, accounting for 18 percent of the total survey group. More than 1.2 million youths in the school transition period, such as those

July 28, 2024

IOC apologizes for 'mistake' during Olympics opening ceremony

The International Olympic Committee apologized to President Yoon Suk Yeol, the government, and the country's athletes for the error made during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics Friday afternoon local time, at which the South Korean delegation was mistakenly identified as representing North Korea, with which South Korea is technically still at war. According to the Sports Ministry on Sunday, IOC President Thomas Bach apologized for the "mistake in the audio broadcast of the op

July 28, 2024

Parliament passes broadcasting bill, ruling party lawmakers exit in protest

The opposition-controlled National Assembly passed one of the four contentious broadcasting bills aimed at reducing the government's influence over public broadcasters Friday, with lawmakers of the ruling party leaving in protest. The passage followed the main opposition Democratic Party ending the ruling People Power Party's filibuster during a plenary session after 24 hours. The bill was then put to a vote and passed in a 183-0 vote, in which only lawmakers from opposition pa

July 26, 2024

First lady skips parliamentary hearing

First lady Kim Keon Hee’s absence at an opposition-led parliamentary hearing on Friday sparked a protest by opposition parties, while the ruling party came to her defense. Kim and her mother failing to appear as witnesses at the hearing organized by the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee Friday morning, to review an online petition with some 1.4 million signatures calling for the impeachment of her husband President Yoon Suk Yeol. The impeachment motion against Y

July 26, 2024

Acting chief of broadcasting regulator resigns ahead of impeachment vote

Lee Sang-in, acting chief of South Korea's state broadcasting regulator, voluntarily stepped down Friday ahead of the National Assembly's planned vote on his impeachment motion. The main opposition Democratic Party, which has the majority of seats in the National Assembly, tabled a motion to impeach Lee, apparently aimed at blocking the Korea Communications Commission from taking control of public broadcaster MBC. President Yoon Suk Yeol accepted Lee's resignation offer, his offic

July 26, 2024

Yoon urges municipalities to embrace foreigners

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that local governments' cooperation with the state was crucial in encouraging foreign residents to settle here to address the population crisis in South Korea. At a meeting held in Hongseong-gun, South Chungcheong Province, Yoon, who presided over a meeting with heads of the autonomous governments, said the central and local governments should take preemptive actions to support foreign nationals to settle and work in Korean society, as the country faces a gr

July 25, 2024

Yoon taps economics expert as population planning aide

President Yoon Suk Yeol's office announced Thursday it has established a new senior presidential secretary position dedicated to addressing South Korea's population crisis. Yoon's office also said You Hye-mi, an economics professor at Hanyang University, was appointed as the inaugural senior secretary tasked with tackling South Korea's low birth rate and addressing the nation's demographic challenges. Chung Jin-suk, Yoon's chief of staff, told reporters that You's position will serve as a "

July 25, 2024

Bill for special probe into Marine's death nixed in Assembly revote

A bill recently vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol that would mandate a special counsel investigation into the Defense Ministry's and military's response to a Marine's death, was scrapped at the National Assembly on Thursday amid intensifying bipartisan struggle. The revote had 194 votes in favor to 104 against the bill. Overriding a presidential veto requires a majority of the 300-member body to be present with two-thirds of them in favor. There was one abstention in the revote th

July 25, 2024

Yoon appoints new environment minister

President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed Kim Wan-sup, a former vice finance minister with expertise in budget planning, as the new environment minister Wednesday, his office said. Kim, known for his expertise in environment-related budget planning while serving in the finance ministry's key positions, was nominated by Yoon early this month to replace Environment Minister Han Wha-jin. The National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee adopted a report on his confirmation hearing earlier i

July 24, 2024

North Korean trash balloon falls on Seoul presidential office

At least one North Korean balloon carrying trash landed on the grounds shared by the South Korean presidential office and the National Defense Ministry in Yongsan, central Seoul, on Wednesday morning. South Korea’s Presidential Security Service said that some trash dropped by the North Korean balloon was identified on the grounds of the Yongsan presidential office and the adjacent defense ministry. The balloon contained mostly scraps of paper and plastic, according to the South Korean mili

July 24, 2024

Han begins as PPP chief; Yoon calls for unity

The new ruling People Power Party leadership kicked off its first day by highlighting unity amid concerns over lingering tensions between President Yoon Suk Yeol and newly elected party Chair Han Dong-hoon. The two met for dinner at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu in Seoul at the invitation of the president, Yoon's office said, noting that the meeting was intended to nurture "a grand harmony." Han was invited along with some other contenders at the party's national conv

July 24, 2024