Prosecutors seek arrest warrant for ex-defense chief over botched martial law declaration

Prosecutors said Monday they have requested an arrest warrant for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to investigate his alleged role in President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law last week. The special prosecution investigation team summoned Kim earlier in the day for questioning on treason, abuse of power and other charges, marking the third interrogation since his emergency arrest the previous day. Prosecutors said they are seeking the warrant over concerns that K

Social AffairsDec. 10, 2024

[Grace Kao] Legacies of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’

December 2024 marks the 40th Anniversary of the charity single, “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” a well-known Christmas song written by Sir Bob Geldof (Boomtown Rats) and Midge Ure (Ultravox). To celebrate it, its producers have recorded a new version of the single. Along with it has come renewed critiques of this song. The 1984 single prominently featured a who’s who of famous (mostly) British New Wave musicians of that era during the height of MTV. I remember anxiously wa

ViewpointsDec. 10, 2024

[Lim Woong] The allure of the past vs. AI anxiety

With the relentless rise of AI-powered digital technology, we're seeing growing concerns about our students. These include their declining literacy as well as the ills of digital dependence, disinformation and deepfakes. When I ask my grad students about some toxic social scenes of digital addiction, their responses are pretty familiar: their own endless scrolling through short videos and social media, and the daily sight of everyone glued to their phones on buses and subways. These respons

ViewpointsDec. 10, 2024

Culture minister vows to ensure travelers' safety amid martial law turmoil

South Korea's culture minister vowed Monday to make efforts to ensure the safety of travelers to address concerns over the ongoing political turmoil over the botched martial law declaration by President Yoon Suk Yeol last week. Culture Minister Yu In-chon said "The government will do its utmost for the safety and convenience of all visitors (to the country)" during the South Korea-Japan tourism business forum held in Seoul. Vice Culture Minister Jang Mi-ran also said South Koreans

TravelDec. 9, 2024

Civic groups continue candlelight vigils calling for Yoon's impeachment

Civic groups staged another candlelight vigil across the nation Monday to call for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over last week's botched martial law declaration. Thousands of people held rallies in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, while others gathered in major cities to continue their rallies demanding Yoon's ouster from office. Yoon faces growing pressure to step down after he survived a first impeachment vote Saturday, as the opposition has vowed to try again t

Social AffairsDec. 9, 2024

Senior S. Korean diplomats meet top envoys of China, Japan amid martial law turmoil

First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun met with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima on Monday to discuss the ongoing situation stemming from the failed bid to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, the foreign ministry said. Kim stressed South Korea's "firm determination to overcome the current difficult situation based on its democratic processes and the rule of law" at the meeting, the foreign ministry said in a message to media. Both sides agreed to communicate clo

Foreign AffairsDec. 9, 2024

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 approval allows the proposal to be put to a parliamentary vote scheduled Tuesday. The motion was introduced Friday by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. All eleven opposition lawmakers on the parliamentary Legislation and Judiciary Committee v

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] ‘Troops paused on way to Election Commission, felt something was up’

Troops dispatched from the Defense Counterintelligence Command to take control of the National Election Commission of Korea office in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, paused on the way because they felt something was amiss, military sources told The Korea Herald. This is the first time it has been revealed why and how troops slowed down on the way to their targets, and suggests troops may have acted in defiance of the martial law decree that was in effect from 11 p.m. Tuesday until the early hours of W

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