Will newly elected KMA chief bring ray of hope in breaking stalemate?

A week after a leadership change at Korea's largest doctors group, eyes are on whether the newly elected chief can break through a yearlong impasse and make progress in producing tangible results with the government, after the incoming leader pledged to respect junior doctors' and students' voices in handling the standoff. Drawing a line between himself and his controversy-ridden predecessor, who he says failed to protect the interests of the medical circle, Park Hyung-wook, who

Social AffairsNov. 15, 2024

Debate heats up: Should police do so much for Suneung takers?

On the day of South Korea's high-stakes college entrance exam, known as Suneung, police go above and beyond to ensure that no test-taker misses this once-a-year opportunity. However, not everyone is convinced that this level of police involvement is necessary, particularly when it comes to tasks that seem more like personal favors, such as escorting latecomers and delivering identification documents. According to the National Police Agency on Friday, for this year’s Suneung, held on

Social AffairsNov. 15, 2024

Arrest warrants issued for political broker, ex-lawmaker in Yoon-linked scandal

South Korea's Changwon District Court in South Gyeongsang Province issued arrest warrants early Friday for self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun and former lawmaker Kim Young-sun over alleged fund transfers intended to secure a parliamentary nomination for Myung in the June 2022 by-election. The high-profile scandal has gained attention amid accusations that President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee interfered in the by-election process. Myung, a broker with a background in

Social AffairsNov. 15, 2024

'Suneung sharp' becomes coveted item after college entrance exam

The sleek, mint-colored mechanical pencil distributed to students taking Korea’s college entrance exam, or Suneung, has become a sought-after item in the online secondhand market. Dubbed the “Suneung sharp,” the mechanical pencil is going for around 10,000 won ($7.10) on secondhand platforms such as Bungaejangter and Karrot Market as of Friday, the day after the country’s all-important College Scholastic Ability Test. The mechanical pencil, along with a black marker, is p

Social AffairsNov. 15, 2024

Kim Jong-un oversees ‘suicide attack drone’ tests, calls for mass production

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw performance tests of newly developed “suicide attack drones of various types” at a test site on Thursday, where he underscored the urgency of establishing a serial production system “as early as possible” to commence full-scale mass production, North Korean state media reported Friday. The suicide drones, developed by an unnamed institute affiliated with the Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex and other unspecified enterprises, are d

North KoreaNov. 15, 2024

Police go undercover as farmers to catch human traffickers

South Korean police said Thursday they apprehended two Thai nationals who are believed to have fled here after their human trafficking operation in Thailand resulted in the deaths of multiple victims, in an undercover investigation where officers disguised themselves as farmers near the suspects' hiding place. The international criminal investigation unit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police said two suspects, aged 44 and 31, have been extradited to their home country. The older suspect

Social AffairsNov. 15, 2024

Model tests positive for drugs at airport after Philippines confession

A South Korean model who confessed to using drugs in the Philippines is under criminal investigation, according to police on Friday, after a rapid drug test came back positive. Kim Na-jung, 32, is currently under investigation for illegal drug use by the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency. She is to face questioning as to how she obtained the drugs and from whom, including possible accomplices, without physically detention. She tested positive in a drug test she took at Incheon Airport sh

Social AffairsNov. 15, 2024

33 conductors caught operating subway after drinking; only 3 disciplined

Government data showed Friday that 33 Seoul subway conductors were caught operating the train while under the influence of alcohol, but only three of them were subject to disciplinary actions. The conductors operated the subway with blood alcohol content ranging from 0.02 percent to 0.29 percent, and 0.08 percent on average, according to Seoul Metro data submitted to the ruling People Power Party's Yoon Young-hee on the Seoul Metropolitan Council. Of the three who faced punitive actions, tw

Social AffairsNov. 15, 2024

Trump team's 'America First' policy shouldn't mean 'America only': Korean American senator-elect

Korean American Sen.-elect Andy Kim stressed the need Thursday to make sure that President-elect Donald Trump's "America First" policy does not mean "America only," as he expressed concerns over some of Trump's personnel choices. Kim, the first Korean American elected to the upper chamber of Congress, made the remarks, underscoring his position against an "isolationist" foreign policy and vowing to play a role to reinforce the relationship between South Ko

Foreign AffairsNov. 15, 2024

Yoon arrives in Peru to attend APEC summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Peru on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and meet world leaders to discuss security and economic issues. On Friday, Yoon will deliver a keynote speech as South Korea prepares to host next year's APEC summit and join the main session and CEO summit. On the same day, Yoon is scheduled to hold a trilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the margins of the summit. On Saturday, he

PoliticsNov. 15, 2024

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan hold talks on sidelines of APEC summit in Peru

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Japanese counterpart, Takeshi Iwaya, have held talks on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Peru, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. The top diplomats of the two nations held a meeting in Lima on Thursday to discuss bilateral ties and North Korean issues, according to the ministry. It marked the first in-person meeting between Cho and Iwaya since the top Japanese diplomat took office last month with the launch of the new

Diplomatic CircuitNov. 15, 2024

FM Cho, Blinken hold talks on margins of APEC summit in Peru

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken have discussed bilateral ties and concerns about North Korea's troop dispatch to Russia, vowing close coordination against Pyongyang and Moscow's growing alignment, Cho's office said Friday. Cho and Blinken held talks on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Peru on Thursday, where the top diplomats accompanied their leaders on the APEC summit. In the meeting, both sides expressed c

Diplomatic CircuitNov. 15, 2024

Yoon, Biden, Ishiba to discuss 'coordinated' response to NK troop dispatch to Russia: Sullivan

The upcoming trilateral summit between South Korea, the United States and Japan in Peru will be a chance for the three countries to discuss a "coordinated" response to North Korea's troop dispatch to support Russia's war in Ukraine, a senior US security official said Thursday. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made the remarks as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba are set to hold a trilateral summit on

PoliticsNov. 15, 2024

Opposition leader set for sentence on election law violation charges

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is set to be sentenced Friday on charges of lying during the previous presidential campaign when he was a candidate, a decision that will affect whether he can run in the next presidential election in 2027. Lee, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, is accused of lying during a media interview in December 2021 that he did not know the late Kim Moon-ki, a former executive of Seongnam Development Corp., which was behind a corruption-ridden development

PoliticsNov. 15, 2024

Trump's transition team seeks to abrogate Biden's EV tax credit: Reuters

US President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is aiming to end a tax credit for electric vehicle (EV) purchases, a key element of President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, as part of broader tax reform legislation, Reuters reported Thursday, citing two unnamed sources. The potential repealing of the $7,500 consumer tax credit is being discussed in meetings by an energy-policy transition team, which is headed by Harold Hamm, founder of Continental Resources, and North Dakota Go

Diplomatic CircuitNov. 15, 2024

Opposition leader's wife fined for election law violations

A regional court on Thursday fined the wife of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung 1.5 million won ($1,070) for providing free meals during her husband's run in the party primary to select the candidate for the 2022 presidential election. Kim Hye-kyung, wife of Democratic Party of Korea Chair Lee, was indicted after providing meals worth 104,000 won to the wives of three former and current party lawmakers and three of her aides at a restaurant in Seoul in August 2021, shortly after Lee declar

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024

S. Korean consul general in New York offers to resign amid speculation over his ties to first lady

South Korea's consul general in New York has offered to step down amid growing criticism from the opposition party in Seoul over his personal ties to first lady Kim Keon Hee. In a statement released to media on Wednesday (New York time), Kim Euy-whan said he had already submitted his resignation to the foreign ministry on Oct. 26, following the parliamentary audit where he came under intense scrutiny from opposition party lawmakers. Kim denied that his connection to the first lady was the r

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024

Delivery platform commissions to be lowered next year following talks

Delivery platforms and their partnered restaurants reached an agreement Thursday on reducing controversial commission fees to 2 to 7.8 percent from the current 9.8 percent starting next year, officials said. The decision came in the 12th round of a meeting held by a government consultative body overseeing the discussions, attended by representatives from Baedal Minjok, or Baemin, as well as smaller competitors Coupang Eats and Yogiyo, along with small business owners registered with these platfo

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024

Bill passed to compensate for damage from North Korean trash balloons

South Koreans who suffered damage from trash-filled balloons launched by North Korea will now be eligible for compensation. The National Assembly on Thursday passed changes to the laws on civil defense to allow the victims of damage caused by North Korea's trash balloons to seek compensation from the government. Under the revised laws, the government can provide partial or full compensation for those who suffered harm to their health or property as a result of the North Korean balloons. Nor

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024

Undercover probes of digital sex crimes permitted

South Korea's National Assembly on Thursday passed a revision to permit undercover investigations of digital sex crimes targeting adults, in a move to curb the spread of deepfake sexual images rampant online. At a plenary session of the 300-member National Assembly, the bill to revise the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes earned 272 votes in favor out of 273 lawmakers present. The bill expands the range of undercover police investigations from those targeting childr

PoliticsNov. 14, 2024