North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to have ordered an investigation into the killing of a South Korean civil servant, Seoul’s National Intelligence Service revealed Tuesday. “Chairman Kim ordered an investigation into the incident. There was circumstantial evidence of a search for the body,” Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the main opposition People Power Party told reporters after the parliamentary audit of the NIS. Rep. Kim Byung-kee of the ruling Democratic Party added that he

North Korea Nov. 3, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday urged the government to move forward with its preparations for carbon neutrality by 2050, saying that achieving the goal is "not a choice but a necessity." Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Moon reiterated his administration’s commitment to laying the foundations for South Korea becoming a net-zero emitter. "I made the heavy promise of moving toward the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 in the parliamentary address. It is a declarat

Politics Nov. 3, 2020

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl’s approval rating as a presidential candidate shot up to its highest point so far, narrowing the gap with ruling party heavyweights, in the final week of October. In a survey conducted by Realmeter, Yoon was chosen by 17.2 percent of respondents as the favored candidate, the highest figure since Yoon was first included in relevant polls in June. Compared with a month earlier, he gained 6.7 percentage points. The poll puts Yoon 4.3 percentage points beh

Politics Nov. 2, 2020

Located at the very center of Seoul, the palace Deoksugung is at the heart of Korean history, having served the long line of the Joseon era’s kings until the very last.  Adopted as a royal palace in 1593 when King Seonjo returned to Seoul after he fled the capital during the Japanese invasion, Deoksugung served as the temporary residence of kings until 1897, when it became an imperial palace after Joseon’s last king, Gojong, proclaimed the country an empire.  In the latest

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2020

The ruling Democratic Party appears to be moving against the government over sensitive tax reform issues in response to a public outcry. Speaking on the Democratic Party’s official YouTube channel Thursday, party Chairman Lee Nak-yon hinted that the party would negotiate with the government to alter the proposed changes. “The comments are about the requirements of (being categorized as) major shareholders who are subjected to capital gains tax, to abolish the 300 million won (st

Politics Oct. 29, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday pledged to focus on economic recovery, and to forge ahead with the Korean New Deal in order to reinvent Korea as a “leading economy.” “The 2021 budget bill the government is submitting is a budget for ‘overcoming the era of crisis to rise as a leading nation,’” Moon said. “The priority is given to quickly overcoming the crisis to support people’s livelihoods, and to achieve rapid and strong economic recovery. I

Politics Oct. 28, 2020

The fate of US President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will be decided in a week, but for South Korea difficulties lie ahead regardless of the winner. For South Korea, Special Measures Agreement issue -- the negotiations over Seoul’s share of the cost of maintaining US Forces Korea -- will be the most immediate issue, experts say. The talks began late 2019, but the two sides have so far failed to narrow their differences. The US is said to be requesting an increase

Politics Oct. 27, 2020

The Ministry of Justice is looking into allegations that Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl met with heads of major conservative dailies, as well as developments that led to an investigation into alleged financial fraud being terminated. Speaking at the parliamentary audit of her ministry, Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae said that the allegation that Yoon met with the largest shareholders of two leading conservative dailies will be looked into as such actions could violate prosecutors’ code o

Politics Oct. 26, 2020

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl continue to clash over investigations, with their discord dominating headlines and parliamentary proceedings. Both Choo and Yoon were elevated to their current posts by President Moon Jae-in, and for similar reasons. Choo, a former judge and five-term lawmaker, was chosen to oversee the prosecutorial reform that started during her predecessor’s term. Yoon was touted by Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling Democratic Party as t

Politics Oct. 22, 2020

The South Korean government is making last-minute efforts to rally support for Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee’s run for director general of the World Trade Organization, with top officials asking for support from foreign governments. Yoo, a career bureaucrat who has spent most of her 29-year career on trade issues, is running against Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s former finance minister. President Moon Jae-in, who began requesting support for Yoo’s bid from foreign leaders ear

Foreign Affairs Oct. 20, 2020

The South Korean government is not seeking to declare the end of the Korean War without denuclearization by the North, Seoul’s envoy to the UN said Wednesday. “I don’t think declaring an end to the war is being sought without a resolution to the denuclearization issue,” Ambassador Cho Hyun said at the parliamentary audit of diplomatic missions via video link. “The government’s position is that permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula and complete denucleariz

Politics Oct. 14, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday added the concept of balanced development to the Korean New Deal program, saying that the essence of the program is to shift the “axis of national development to the provinces.” At the second Korean New Deal strategy meeting, Moon again stressed his administration’s drive behind the Korean New Deal and called for cooperation from the heads of 17 provincial and metropolitan government attending the meeting. “In order to further clarify t

Politics Oct. 13, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday again called for the formal declaration of the end of the Korean War, urging the US to support the move. In a prerecorded speech to the Annual Gala Dinner of the Korea Society – a New York-based nonprofit organization that promotes Korea-US ties – Moon said that declaring the end of the war will be the first step in establishing permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. “The end-of-war declaration will indeed pave the way for peace on the Ko

Foreign Affairs Oct. 8, 2020

South Korean trade chief Yoo Myung-hee’s run for the World Trade Organization director general post will face its next decision Tuesday in Switzerland, with the second round of the selection process coming to a close. The second round will see two candidates selected for the final round, the timeline for which has not yet been decided. As the race heads to a close, Yoo appeared to be in with a good chance, with the European Union choosing to back Yoo and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria&ls

Foreign Affairs Oct. 7, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday offered his condolences to the son of the civil servant killed by North Korean soldiers in response to the son’s letter addressed to the president. “I understand the sentiments of a son who has lost his father. My heart also aches,” Moon was quoted as saying by Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-seok. “As the Coast Guard is investigating the situation, let’s wait for the results of the Coast Guard’s investigation and sear

Politics Oct. 6, 2020