[Exclusive] North Korea calling South Korea by its official name ‘intended to offend’: intelligence authorities

Recent statements by Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea, show a “clear intention to be offensive,” according to South Korean national intelligence authorities. In a series of statements issued earlier this month, Kim Yo-jong referred to South Korea as the Republic of Korea, in a rare move which some -- including defector-turned-lawmaker Rep. Tae Yong-ho -- have interpreted as North Korea rec

July 25, 2023

Nearly 1 in 3 lawmakers have criminal records: report

Nearly a third of Korean legislators, or 94 out of 283 sitting lawmakers, have a criminal record, according to a report by a nongovernmental organization. The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice presented its findings in a press conference Tuesday, detailing the 94 lawmakers' 150 recorded offenses. The report distinguishes between political and non-political crimes, with the former mainly associated with activism during military dictatorship. Excluding political offenses, the numb

July 25, 2023

Yoon calls to revise student rights ordinance to protect teachers

Amid growing concerns over recent cases of teacher abuse by students and parents, the government announced Monday that it would revise a student rights ordinance to safeguard teachers’ rights and enhance their authority in classrooms. The ordinance -- adopted in 2011 for schools in Gyeonggi Province and in 2012 in Seoul by progressive education superintendents -- is a set of legally binding guidelines that bans corporal punishment by teachers; discrimination against LGBT and pregnant stude

July 24, 2023

[Bills in focus] Billing chargeback prevention, data center disaster response

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Mutually Beneficial Cooperation Between Large Enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises Proposed by Rep. Lee Dong-ju (Democratic Party of Korea) ● Unfair transaction practices persist among commissioning enterprises, invoking calls to reinforce regulations against commissioning enterprises that engage in unfair transaction practices. This amendment prohibits companies from misusing technical data of the commissioned company befor

July 24, 2023

Yoon’s rating slumps over flooding, family scandal

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating continued its downward trajectory for a third consecutive week amid the torrential rain crisis that caused significant casualties and the court arrest of his mother-in-law on document forgery charges. According to the survey conducted from July 17-21 by polling agency Realmeter, commissioned by Media Tribune, positive evaluations of Yoon’s state affairs performance fell 1.5 percentage points from the previous week, marking 36.6 percent. Negati

July 24, 2023

Constitutional Court to rule on impeachment against interior minister over Itaewon tragedy

The Constitutional Court plans to rule this week on whether to endorse or reject the National Assembly's impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min over last year's deadly Itaewon crowd crush. The court will deliver its decision on Tuesday, more than five months after Lee was impeached on Feb. 8 for mishandling the crowd crush that left 159 people killed in Seoul's popular nightlife district of Itaewon on Oct. 29 last year. Upon the impeachment, Lee was suspended from duties as

July 23, 2023

Moon’s national security chief accused of destroying original key intel document

Former national security chief Suh Hoon, who is already a defendant in two separate North Korea-related controversies from the previous Moon Jae-in administration, may face yet another criminal investigation for allegedly destroying key presidential records. The bereaved family of Lee Dae-jun -- a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korean troops at sea in September 2020 -- filed a criminal complaint against Suh on Friday over destroyed and lost records pertinent to then-President Mo

July 21, 2023

Constitutional Court to rule next week in impeachment case against interior minister

The Constitutional Court will decide next week on the fate of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min in the impeachment case filed against him in connection with the deadly crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon district last year, officials said Thursday. In February, the National Assembly submitted the impeachment resolution against Minister Lee to the Constitutional Court after passing the motion to hold him accountable for the government's bungled response to the deadly crowd crush in Seoul's

July 20, 2023

US soldier in North Korea had been convicted for aggression against South Korean police

Travis King, the US soldier who fled to North Korea on Tuesday, had been convicted earlier for aggression against the South Korean police, a court ruling reveals. According to the Seoul Western District Court ruling obtained by The Korea Herald, the American had damaged a police car and shouted expletives at officers who were called to a nightclub in Seoul, where King was reported for assaulting a man. At 3:46 a.m. on Oct. 8, King was arrested for acts of aggression against the police that inclu

July 20, 2023

Yoon offers condolences over death of Marine in rescue operations

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday offered his condolences over the death of a Marine who was swept away by a torrent during search and rescue operations for victims of recent downpours. "I express my sincere condolences over L. Cpl. Chae Su-geun's death in the line of duty," Yoon said in a message relayed by presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon. "The government will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident to ensure such incidents do not recur," he said. Yoon promi

July 20, 2023

PM orders thorough preparations for impending downpours this week

Prime Minister Han Deok-soo instructed the government Wednesday to thoroughly prepare for possible damage from another wave of torrential downpours expected later this week. Han gave the instruction during an emergency response meeting with relevant government officials, as heavy rains have been battering most parts of the country, resulting in damage and dozens of deaths. "The country is expected to witness a slight decrease in rain activity for today and tomorrow, according to the Korea M

July 19, 2023

Yoon gives warning to environment minister over poor water management

President Yoon Suk Yeol has given a warning to Environment Minister Han Wha-jin over poor water management blamed for leading to the deaths of dozens of people in recent downpours, officials said Wednesday. Yoon told Han to "properly carry out water management duties" during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, saying environmental protection is important, but people's lives and safety are even more important, according to the officials who attended the meeting. Han replied that she would &qu

July 19, 2023

PPP investigates Daegu mayor Hong Joon-pyo's golf outing during downpours

The ruling People Power Party is looking into criticism that Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo played golf over the weekend when the country was grappling with major damage and casualties from heavy downpours, a spokesperson said Tuesday. The investigation was ordered by party leader Kim Gi-hyeon and depending on the outcome, Hong could be referred to the party's ethics committee for disciplinary measures if he is found to have violated party regulations. "The party is taking this issue very s

July 18, 2023

Korea passes stricter penalty for infant abandonment

South Korea on Tuesday passed a bill punishing abandonment and killing of infants more severely, a revision that comes 70 years since the relevant sections of the criminal code were first enacted. Before the revision, penalties for abandoning an infant or an infant dying as a result of abandonment were mitigated under certain circumstances. The mitigating circumstances included when the offender -- the mother, her parents or her partner -- is believed to be unable to raise or look after the infa

July 18, 2023

Prosecutors raid ex-special counsel's family over suspected bribery

Prosecutors on Tuesday raided the homes of former special counsel Park Young-soo's family over his corruption allegations related to a high-profile land development scandal in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, in the mid-2010s. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent prosecutors and investigators to the residences of Park's wife and daughter in the morning to search for possible evidence on Park's suspected bribery. Park is suspected of taking 800 million won ($611,000) fr

July 18, 2023

US welcomes Yoon's visit to Ukraine, encourages others to join: State Dept.

The United States welcomes South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent trip to Ukraine, a state department spokesperson said Monday, calling on all other countries to join in supporting the war-torn country. Yoon made a surprise trip to Ukraine on Saturday, during which he met with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and promised to provide a comprehensive package of security, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, dubbed the "Ukraine Peace and Solidarity Initiative." &q

July 18, 2023

Politicians dash to areas wrecked by downpour; Yoon’s Ukraine trip hit by opposition

South Korean parties on both sides of the aisle on Monday headed to regions that have been hit the hardest by the lethal floods, taking a respite from the usual National Assembly duties in Seoul. Ruling People Power Party leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, who returned from about a weeklong US trip on Sunday, met with survivors in North and South Chungcheong provinces where the damage from the monsoon rains was most severe. He then honored victims who died after being trapped in a flooded tunnel in Osong

July 17, 2023

[Bills in Focus] New requirement for telecom equipment and tougher penalties for tech leaks

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection Proposed by Rep. Hong Suk-joon (People Power Party) ● In response to increasing cybersecurity risks, there have been growing calls for the reinforcement of security functions in communication equipment. This amendment enables the Minister of Science and ICT to implement an information security certification system for major communication equipment prescribed u

July 17, 2023

Yoon orders all-out efforts to deal with aftermath of downpours, including disaster zone designation

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday ordered the mobilization of all available resources and policy measures, including designating special disaster zones, to deal with the aftermath of heavy downpours that have left at least 40 people dead and nine others missing. Yoon made the remarks while presiding over a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, just hours after returning home from a weeklong trip to Europe that included visits to Lithuania and Poland and an unann

July 17, 2023

Yoon to preside over disaster response meeting upon return from overseas trip

President Yoon Suk Yeol was set to preside over a disaster response meeting Monday upon his return from a weeklong trip to Europe that included visits to Lithuania and Poland and an unannounced stop in Ukraine. The planned meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters comes as the number of people dead or missing in recent downpours has risen to 49 after four more bodies were recovered from a once-flooded underground road in the central city of Cheongju. Yoon's thre

July 17, 2023