A delegation of South Korean lawmakers is joining an alliance of politicians challenging what it sees as China’s ambitions to change global norms to advance its interests. The Inter-parliamentary Alliance on China will have its first delegation of South Korean lawmakers since launching on the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in June 2020. One of the South Korean lawmakers to be accepted by the IPAC is Rep. Ji Seong-ho, a North Korean defector and human rights activist who

Politics Oct. 29, 2023

[코리아헤럴드=김아린 기자] 중국을 견제하기 위해 결성된 다국적 국회의원 모임인 ‘대중국 의회 간 연합체’(Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China·IPAC, 아이팩)에 한국이 가입하게 된다. 28일 지성호 국민의힘 의원실에 따르면, 일본에서 30일 부터 이틀간 진행되는 ‘세계 위구르 대회’(International Uyghur Congress)에서 한국 국회 대표단의 IPAC 가입을 위한 절차가 마무리 될 예정이다. IPAC은 천안문 사태 31주년인 지난 2020년 6월 결성된 의회 간 연합체로, 홍콩 민주주의 탄압, 대만 겨냥 군사적 압박 등 중국의 공세적 외교에 대한 견제 활동을 펼쳐왔다. 현재 미국 영국 캐나다 호주 일본 등 30여개국의 국회의원들이 참여하고 있다. 이번 IPAC 가입으로 민주주의와 인권의 가치를 공유하는 자유 진영 국가들의 대중국 노선에서 한국의 역할이 확대될 전망이다. 특히,

한국어판 Oct. 29, 2023

North Korean hackers are hiding malware in “copycat applications” that look like they are South Korean to steal personal information of users and other sensitive data, the national spy agency said Friday. The National Intelligence Service busted the apps, which were made and distributed by a North Korean hacker ring and “nearly identical” in designs and features to a popular South Korean site. The spy agency only identified the site imitated in the North Korean phishing a

Politics Oct. 27, 2023

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday downplayed the National Intelligence Service findings that the country’s election infrastructure is vulnerable to cyberattacks, claiming that the spy agency was trying to get involved in politics. The Democratic Party linked the accusations of cybersecurity vulnerabilities by the NIS with the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s “attack on democracy.” The party also alleged that the spy agency was seeking access to the e

Politics Oct. 26, 2023

The ruling People Power Party on Monday announced an unusual pick to lead the reform of the party -- a descendant of an American missionary and a physician who contributed to the establishment of democracy in South Korea in the 1980s. John Linton, a professor of family medicine at Severance Hospital in Seoul, was chosen as the chief of the party’s reform committee on Monday. The 64-year-old, who became a naturalized South Korean citizen in 2012, was born and raised in the North and South J

Politics Oct. 23, 2023

With next year’s general election for the National Assembly looming, President Yoon Suk Yeol and his People Power Party are pledging to do more to make lives better for everyday South Koreans. In the latest briefing from the presidential office, Yoon was quoted by his press secretary as telling his staff to focus policy agendas to build economy that puts middle class and low-income earners first. “The South Korean people are always the priority,” the president said, asking his

Politics Oct. 22, 2023

Israel will be guided by NATO standards that uphold protection of civilians in armed conflicts as it fights Hamas -- the Islamist militant movement that controls Gaza --, Jerusalem’s top envoy in Seoul said Thursday. “Israel will respect the human rights, the history and the presence of Palestinians in the region. It is Hamas we are in a war against,” Akiva Tor, the Israeli ambassador, said in an interview with The Korea Herald. And in the war against Hamas Israel was “go

Politics Oct. 19, 2023

The Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung spent the entire day away from the National Assembly on Tuesday, attending Seoul court where he faces a criminal trial into real estate corruption scandals from his days as the mayor of Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province. Appearing at a Seoul court in the morning, Lee shunned questions from reporters. While defendant attendance is mandatory for criminal cases, the Democratic Party chair failed to attend the last trial held on Oct. 13, citing Ass

Politics Oct. 17, 2023

Two defector-turned-lawmakers in South Korea on Tuesday launched a series of efforts to condemn China over the recent deportation of escapees from North Korea, and to prevent a repetition. Ruling People Power Party Rep. Ji Seong-ho said he raised the issue of human rights violations by China over his meeting with Julie Turner, the US special envoy for North Korean human rights who is visiting Seoul for the first time since her appointment in July. Ji told The Korea Herald that over the hourlong

Politics Oct. 17, 2023

The ruling People Power Party, confronted with a deepening crisis following a landslide defeat in a key district by-election, on Monday introduced new leaders to helm key seats. With Monday’s shuffle, the post of the secretary-general is now held by the National Assembly interior committee’s executive secretary Rep. Lee Man-hee and the director of the party-run think tank Yeouido Institute and two-time lawmaker Rep. Kim Sung-won among other changes. Excluded from the latest shake-up

Politics Oct. 16, 2023

Calls are mounting for the South Korean election watchdog to apologize after it failed to fend off mock cyberattacks in a security evaluation by the country’s top spy agency. During a National Assembly audit of the National Election Commission held Friday, ruling People Power Party lawmakers demanded that the election service apologize for its allegedly lax cyber security and for not heeding the National Intelligence Service's warnings. Rep. Lee Man-hee of the ruling party accused the

Politics Oct. 13, 2023

The leadership of the ruling People Power Party on Thursday remained largely silent after Kim Tae-woo was defeated in a by-election widely seen as a barometer of public sentiment ahead of the general election next year. Kim was contending to be chief of Seoul’s western Gangseo -- a seat he vacated himself in May. Although polls leading to the election on Tuesday consistently showed Kim falling behind his Democratic Party of Korea rival Jin Gyo-hoon, he was defeated by a far greater margin

Politics Oct. 12, 2023

South Korea’s election service on Wednesday denied the spy agency verdict that voting systems remain vulnerable to foreign hacking, with at least seven known instances of attacks by North Korean hackers in the last two years. Responding to The Korea Herald, the National Election Commission said that the vulnerabilities in its systems may have been found in the latest security screenings led by the NIS due to internal information having been shared beforehand. “The mock cyberattacks w

Politics Oct. 11, 2023

South Korea’s election systems may be vulnerable to foreign hacking threats and are in need of fortification ahead of next year's general election, the National Intelligence Service said Tuesday. In a rare press briefing, the NIS shared the results of a cybersecurity screening that showed the election watchdog had been targeted by both attempted and successful attacks from North Korea and that it had remained unaware of the exposure. The NIS cybersecurity experts said that the electio

Politics Oct. 10, 2023

The National Assembly will begin the final audit before next year's legislative general election from Tuesday, with the ruling and opposition parties gearing up for a push to win over voters. The general election in April next year will decide if the Yoon Suk Yeol administration will have the support of a ruling People Power Party-controlled Assembly. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea currently holds a substantial majority in the Assembly and has used it to put the brakes on several

Politics Oct. 9, 2023