President's arrest possible in theory, but has many obstacles

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

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

Opposition leader defends soldiers deployed to martial law operations

Opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday defended the soldiers involved in last week's martial law operations, describing them as "blameless" and expressing gratitude over their restraint. Nearly 300 armed troops were deployed to the National Assembly last Tuesday after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, with some troops breaking windows to enter the building. No casualties or injuries were reported during a tense standoff that unfolded over two hours until lawma

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

Police to summon counterintelligence chief, ex-interior minister over martial law declaration

Police will summon the counterintelligence chief and former interior minister as suspects in a sprawling investigation into the short-lived martial law imposition last week, officials said Monday. The police notified the head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, and ex-Interior Minister Lee Sang-min of the plan, according to police officials. The exact date for their appearance has not yet been decided, they added. Yeo was suspended from his duties last week, and fo

Social AffairsDec. 9, 2024

Top nuclear envoys of S. Korea, US, Japan vow coordination against NK threats amid martial law turmoil

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan vowed close coordination Monday to manage "future situations stably" in the event of any possible provocations by North Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Cho Koo-rae, vice foreign minister for strategy and intelligence, shared the view with Daniel Kritenbrink, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs at the State Department; and Hiroyuki Namazu, director general for Asian and Ocean

Foreign AffairsDec. 9, 2024

[Herald Interview] Saudi's Red Sea Film Festival chief sees growing presence of Korean cinema in MENA region

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- The 4th Red Sea International Film Festival, taking place through Dec. 14 in the historic Al-Balad district of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is out to cement itself as a hub for global cinema. Held under the theme of “The New Home of Film,” this year’s RSIFF highlights a diverse program with 120 films from over 80 countries, including 16 competing in the Red Sea: Competition section. At the center of this celebration of global cinema is a notable focus on Korean

FilmDec. 9, 2024

Violinist Sarah Chang excited about long winter recital in Korea

Violinist Sarah Chang, who will celebrate the 35th anniversary of her debut next month, is marking the occasion with a long winter recital in South Korea. She kicks off the 13-city tour on the day of her 43rd birthday, Tuesday, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, wrapping it up on Dec. 29 in Seoul. Bringing back her winter performances in South Korea after five years, Chang said she is delighted to once again enjoy the year-end festivities with Korean audiences. “For this tour, I’ll be v

CultureDec. 9, 2024

Seoul’s top diplomat urges restoration of global trust amid political turmoil

South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Monday called for diplomatic efforts to restore global trust amid the political turmoil sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 martial law declaration, which has drawn widespread international condemnation as democratic backsliding. "We must also be unremitting in our efforts to restore the trust of our partners and once again measure up to the expectations the international community has of Korea," Cho said during the senior

Foreign AffairsDec. 9, 2024

Assembly to vote Tuesday on Yoon insurrection probe

A National Assembly committee approved a motion that would mandate the appointment of a permanent special counsel to investigate whether President Yoon Suk Yeol committed insurrection by issuing his short-lived martial law decree on Dec. 3. The motion allows the proposal to be put to a parliamentary vote scheduled Tuesday. The motion was introduced Friday by the opposition-led Legislation and Judiciary Committee. All eleven opposition lawmakers on the committee voted to advance the motion, while

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

Mirae Asset’s European ETF assets surpass $2b

Mirae Asset Global Investments announced Monday that its European exchange-traded fund assets under management have exceeded $2 billion, just four years after entering the market in late 2020. Global X EU, the ETF subsidiary of Mirae Asset, manages 42 ETF products across Europe as of Thursday. This year, the company achieved a remarkable growth rate of nearly 136 percent year-on-year, with AUM rising from $850 million to $2 billion. Europe is the world’s second-largest ETF market, followin

IndustryDec. 9, 2024

Kospi hits annual low, won extends losses

South Korean shares hit their lowest level of the year on Monday, as market sentiment was weighed down by prolonged political uncertainty following the failure of the motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol. The local currency also continued its decline against the US dollar, fluctuating around 1,435 won throughout the afternoon. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index, which opened at 2,392.37 points, down 35.79 points from the previous session, extended its losses during the day to t

MarketDec. 9, 2024

[Exclusive] ‘Martial law troops felt something was amiss. They took pause’

The martial law troops dispatched from the Defense Counterintelligence Command delayed getting to a state-run National Election Commission of Korea office in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, that they were ordered to take over because they felt something was amiss, military sources told The Korea Herald on Monday. This is the first time the revelation has been made, shedding light on why and how some of the marital law troops took pause, potentially in defiance of the martial law decree that was in eff

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

Military authority remains with President Yoon Suk Yeol: Defense Ministry

President Yoon Suk Yeol retains authority over the military, the Ministry of Defense confirmed Monday amid controversy over calls to exclude him from state affairs in the wake of his short-lived martial law declaration last week. During a regular briefing, Defense Ministry Spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said, “The authority over the military belongs to the president,” when asked about who currently holds military control. When asked whether someone under criminal investigation for insurrec

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS hits 1.9b views with ‘Dynamite’ music video

BTS surpassed the 1.9 billion view mark on YouTube with the music video for “Dynamite,” said label Big Hit Music Monday. It was the first time the band reached the milestone. “Dynamite” was rolled out in August 2020 and made a hotshot debut on Billboard’s Hot 100, a first for a K-pop artist. The upbeat single topped the main songs chart two more times and stayed on it for 32 weeks in total, setting records for a K-pop act. Meanwhile, solo albums from RM and Jin made

K-popDec. 9, 2024

[Herald Gallery] Information

At the Kukje Gallery in Jongno-gu, Seoul, a solo exhibition of Bill Viola (1951–2024), titled “Moving Stillness,” is being held until Jan. 26. This exhibition highlights the artistic world of Bill Viola, a pioneer of video art, showcasing seven of his video installations and works. Notably, the piece “Moving Stillness: Mount Rainier,” displayed in Exhibition Hall K3, explores themes of change, balance and the passage of time. Through the shimmering movement of water

CultureDec. 9, 2024

Man who claimed depression to avoid military duty gets suspended jail term

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 AffairsDec. 9, 2024

Seoul shares at over 1-yr low amid impeachment vote turmoil; won tumbles

Seoul shares tumbled by nearly 3 percent 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 Korean won fell sharply against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index plummeted 67.58 points, or 2.78 percent, to 2,360.58, the lowest since the 2,351.83 point closing on Nov. 3 last year. Trade volume was moderate at 583.08 million shares

MarketDec. 9, 2024

Shantytown painter Joung Young-ju's solo London show held at Almine Rech

Korean artist Joung Young-ju, known for paintings of fast-disappearing old shantytowns in Korea, is having her first solo exhibition in London at Almine Rech through Dec. 20. The exhibition “Way Back Home” includes some of her new works such as “Spring Series” and “Autumn in Village 1031” which feature the artist’s experimentations with color and natural elements. “While inherently Korean in subject and material, Joung’s work speaks to transn

Arts & DesignDec. 9, 2024