Political parties call for revision of military exemptions for athletes

South Korea's military exemptions granted to qualified athletes and musicians were called into question during a parliamentary audit Friday as this year's Asian Games reignited debates over their fairness. Both ruling and opposition parties called on the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) to reconsider the current supplementary military system that grants elite athletes and classical musicians with much-coveted exemptions of 18 month-long compulsory military service. Introduced in

Oct. 13, 2023

S. Korea, Croatia upgrade relations to 'comprehensive future-oriented partnership'

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo met with his Croatian counterpart during his official visit to Zagreb as part of his four-nation European trip and discussed ways to develop the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, Han's office said Friday. Han arrived in the Croatian capital Wednesday for the third leg of his tour, following visits to France and Denmark, and engaged in meetings with prominent figures, including Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Gordan Jandrokovic, th

Oct. 13, 2023

Yoon-backed candidate’s loss in Seoul sends shock across ruling party

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

Oct. 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Estonian leader highlights shared values, historical struggles as basis for stronger ties

Estonia and South Korea have more in common than one might realize. From historic struggles to defend their freedom to the goal of building a digitally advanced democracy, their similarities and shared values work to unite the two nations on both security and the economy, Estonian President Alar Karis, told The Korea Herald in an interview in Seoul. “More than ever, the security in the Euro-Atlantic area and the security in the Pacific region around Korea are interconnected. We understan

Oct. 12, 2023

The ruling party vows extraordinary measures to win back people's trust after crushing by-election defeat

Leaders of the ruling People Power Party pledged Thursday to heed the voice of the people and come up with extraordinary measures to win back their trust after a crushing defeat in this week's by-election for chief of Seoul's Gangseo Ward office. Jin Kyo-hoon of the main opposition Democratic Party won 56.52 percent of the vote against his People Power Party rival Kim Tae-woo's 39.37 percent in Wednesday's election seen as a test of voter sentiment ahead of next year's

Oct. 12, 2023

Opposition calls for Yoon's overhaul of Cabinet after by-election victory

The floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party called on President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday to take responsibility for the ruling party's defeat in a crucial by-election in Seoul, starting with a complete overhaul of the Cabinet. Jin Kyo-hoon of the Democratic Party was elected earlier in the day to represent Gangseo Ward in Seoul, defeating his rival from the ruling People Power Party, Kim Tae-woo, by a larger-than-expected margin of 17.15 percentage points. "The dismissal

Oct. 12, 2023

Prosecutors indict opposition leader Lee over corruption charges

Prosecutors on Thursday indicted opposition leader Lee Jae-myung without physical detention over corruption charges, two weeks after a court rejected an arrest warrant sought for him. Lee of the Democratic Party has been accused of breach of trust, bribery and other charges stemming from his time as the mayor of Seongnam, south of Seoul, from 2014-2018 in connection with a scandal-ridden land development project in the city's Bundang district. The prosecution has accused Lee of committing a

Oct. 12, 2023

Opposition party wins crucial by-election in Seoul

The candidate from the main opposition Democratic Party won a crucial local by-election in Seoul, the voting results showed Thursday, capping a high-stakes contest seen as a key barometer of voter sentiment ahead of next year's parliamentary election in April. Jin Kyo-hoon of the Democratic Party had 56.52 percent of the vote to represent Gangseo Ward, while his rival from the ruling People Power Party, Kim Tae-woo, had 39.37 percent, according to the National Election Commission. Jin was 1

Oct. 12, 2023

First lady meets with Korean women residing in Japan

First lady Kim Keon Hee met Wednesday with a group of Korean women residing in Japan, thanking them for their contributions to the Korean community there and their help in promoting bilateral exchanges, the presidential office said. Kim held a tea meeting at the presidential office with leaders of an association of Korean women in Japan, which was established in 1949 and claims a membership of more than 100,000, according to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon. "As daughters and mothers o

Oct. 11, 2023

Yoon, officials strongly condemn Hamas killings as act of terrorism

President Yoon Suk Yeol and top government officials "strongly condemned" Wednesday the Hamas militant group's killing of civilians and hostage-taking in Israel as an act of terrorism in clear violation of international humanitarian law, the presidential office said. The condemnation came during an emergency meeting called by Yoon to discuss the economic and security impact of the escalating war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group. In attendance were key national sec

Oct. 11, 2023

Gangseo Ward chief by-election ends with 48.7% turnout

The by-election for the chief of Seoul's key district ended with a turnout of 48.7 percent on Wednesday, the election watchdog said, with the result expected to serve as a key barometer of voter sentiment ahead of the parliamentary elections slated for April next year. More than 243,665 of Gangseo Ward's 500,603 eligible voters cast their ballots at polling stations from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the National Election Commission. The potential winner is expected to emerge late Wed

Oct. 11, 2023

Yoon, U.S. senators condemn Hamas attack on Israel

President Yoon Suk Yeol and a bipartisan U.S. Senate delegation met in Seoul on Wednesday and condemned the "indiscriminate attack" on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the presidential office said. Yoon met with the six-member delegation, including Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, during their swing through South Korea, China and Japan. "The president and the Senate delegation condemned Hamas' indiscriminate attack on Israel, and agreed that South Korea an

Oct. 11, 2023

Yoon urges to closely monitor economic, security ramifications of Israel conflict

President Yoon Suk Yeol urged officials to “closely monitor and report” on the economic and security ramifications of the Israel-Hamas conflict as he convened an emergency meeting on economic and security issues Wednesday afternoon. While acknowledging the difficulty in predicting the conflict's escalation, Yoon warned it could heighten global vulnerabilities, especially concerning “energy security and supply chain” challenges. "We must recognize that if we don&

Oct. 11, 2023

Election service rejects spy agency verdict South Korean voting ‘hackable’

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

Oct. 11, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Curbing false information online, easing taxation on media production

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection Proposed by Rep. Yoon Doo-hyun (People Power Party) ● Disinformation is difficult to recognize but can be rapidly reproduced and distributed across various communication channels. Not only can this lead to defamation and privacy violations, but disinformation can also be especially dangerous during crisis situations. Therefore, this amendment aims to prevent t

Oct. 11, 2023

Yoon’s approval at 34% ahead of 2024 general election

Six months ahead of the general election, President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating stood at about 35 percent, weighed down by economic concerns. A poll conducted by Metrix for Yonhap News and Yonhap News TV found that 34.2 percent of the 1,000 adult respondents approved of the president's handling of state affairs, while 58.4 percent disapproved. Compared to a survey from a month earlier, positive evaluations rose by 0.1 percentage point, while negative feedback increased by 0.4 perce

Oct. 11, 2023

Gangseo Ward chief by-election kicks off

The by-election for the chief of Seoul's key district kicked off Wednesday, with the result expected to serve as a key barometer of voter sentiment ahead of the parliamentary elections slated for April next year. Eligible voters in Gangseo Ward started casting their ballots at polling stations from 6 a.m, according to the National Election Commission. The voting is to run until 8:00 p.m. Although the election picks one of Seoul's 25 ward chiefs, the election has gained much attention,

Oct. 11, 2023

Yoon addresses economic concerns over Israel-Hamas conflict

In light of the escalating conflict between Israel and the Palestinian military group Hamas, President Yoon Suk Yeol underscored the urgency to address potential economic consequences during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. The Israeli government officially declared war on Hamas after the Palestinian militant group launched more than 5,000 rockets into Israel on Saturday. As the conflict enters its third day, nearly 1,500 people are dead and more than 6,000 are injured on both sides. The South Korean

Oct. 10, 2023

Blame game builds up on 1st day of parliamentary audit

A series of flare-ups gave rise to a political blame game at the South Korean National Assembly's audit sessions that kicked off Tuesday. The ruling People Power Party and main opposition Democratic Party of Korea bickered over the fallout from President Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial approval of a new defense minister and a leadership void in the judiciary system for the first time in 35 years. Also topping the agenda was Seoul's stance over the release of treated wastewater in ea

Oct. 10, 2023

South Korean elections vulnerable to North Korean hacking threats: spy agency

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

Oct. 10, 2023