South Korean police unveiled Monday plans to ramp up human rights protections for foreign suspects through a new set of standards and a new policy. The Korean National Police Agency said it would seek to make video recordings of custodial interrogations involving foreign suspects mandatory beginning this year at their request in case they need an interpreter. Foreigners would be among those eligible to request video recording of their statement to police, along with those who are illiterate or

Social Affairs Jan. 2, 2023

President Yoon Suk-yeol used his New Year's address Sunday to call for new export strategies in South Korea to overcome external crises that threaten an economic recession, vowing to personally attend to the nation’s export strategies and focusing diplomacy on the economy. Stressing the importance of exports to Korea, Yoon said it was time to change its export strategy, as protectionist trade policies were undermining the world's joint efforts to tackle inflation, global supply chain disru

Politics Jan. 1, 2023

The suspect who admitted to killing a taxi driver and his ex-girlfriend was revealed to be a 31-year-old Lee Ki-young, according to police Thursday. In a rare move, Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency revealed the suspect's name and age. His driver's license photo was also released upon his request. The decision to divulge Lee's identity was because the murder case was considered highly condemnable and that it had enough evidence, it added. A suspect's identity and personal information is ve

Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2022

At least five people died and 37 people were injured as of 5 p.m. Thursday as a fire engulfed a soundproof tunnel on a highway in Gwacheon, southern Gyeonggi Province, on Thursday afternoon. President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered the Interior Ministry and Health Ministry to conduct a thorough search at the scene of the incident to prevent more deaths. He also ordered an all-out inspection of the road structures like sound barriers to check whether the materials used are fire-prone, in a move to preve

Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2022

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday that it would raise the fares for the public transit system in South Korea's capital by as early as April 2023 for the first time in about eight years. While the city did not confirm the degree of the fare increase, it projected subway and bus fares to rise by 300 won (24 cents) to keep the public transportation system afloat. Currently, adults in Seoul pay 1,250 won for a regular subway fare and 1,200 won for a regular bus ride. The fare

Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2022

A man who confessed to killing a woman and a taxi driver this week was arrested Wednesday, amid a widening probe into alleged serial killing. The Goyang Branch Court of Uijeongbu District Court in northwestern Gyeonggi Province issued an arrest warrant for the unnamed 32-year-old on charges of beating a 60-year-old taxi driver to death and concealing the body inside a closet in his house in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, citing concerns about him destroying evidence and fleeing. The arrest warrant

Social Affairs Dec. 28, 2022

  The prosecution launched on Tuesday a search and seizure over KH Group's alleged interference with bidding regarding the sale of a ski resort in Pyeongchang, as well as its role in supporting illegal cash transfers to North Korea. The investigation led by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office took place in about 20 locations, including offices of construction-to-electronics KH Group and state-run Gangwondo Development Corp., as well as houses of KH Group officials and former Gang

Social Affairs Dec. 27, 2022

The Chinese Embassy to Korea on Friday expressed regret over an allegation that China had operated an undercover police station in Seoul, labeling a local media report about the matter as "groundless." "I am paying attention to a report on Friday by a Korean media outlet, citing sources, that China had installed an 'overseas police station' in Seoul and a restaurant in Gangnam served as a 'location,' and I regret this media depiction," a spokesperson of th

Foreign Affairs Dec. 23, 2022

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea from Pyongyang's Sunan area, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea said Friday. One traveled some 350 kilometers while the other flew about 250 kilometers before falling into the sea off the east coast. South Korean military detected two missiles fired from Pyongyang at around 4:32 p.m. The latest provocation by North Korea is the first in five days following two midrange ballistic missile launches from Tongchang

North Korea Dec. 23, 2022

A fire broke out at 6:24 a.m. in a Seoul subway tunnel on Line No. 3, with smoke suspending train operations between Yaksu Station to Gupabal Station for nearly two hours, according to Seoul Transportation Corp. on Friday. The fire broke out in a tunnel between Muakjae Station and Dongnimmun Station, authorities said. Seoul Metro resumed operations between Yaksu Station and Gupabal Station at 8:12 a.m. Trains did not run for two hours in either direction as smoke plumed from the subway tunnel. N

Social Affairs Dec. 23, 2022

Floor leaders of the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea have reached a compromise over the budget bill proposal of 638 trillion won ($499 billion) for next year. The two parties are anticipated to pass the bill at the extraordinary plenary session of the National Assembly at 6 p.m. on Friday, with the amount reduced by nearly 5 trillion won, according to the floor leaders, a belated move as the deadline for the passage of the budget bill was Dec. 2. The c

Politics Dec. 22, 2022

South Korea's Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled in favor of the launch of the police bureau, backing the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s moves to regain control of the police. As soon as Yoon took office, he moved to create the unit so the police would fall under government control, after the police took over most of the right to investigate by Yoon’s predecessor and the opposition-led Assembly. The National Police Commission filed the complaint on Sept. 30. The litigation w

Social Affairs Dec. 22, 2022

HANOI, Vietnam -- Key figures of South Korea and Vietnam pledged to cultivate a century-long perspective on the two nations’ shared prosperity which will lay the foundation for a shift in regional dynamics, in the wake of an upgrade in bilateral ties earlier this month. Long-lasting economic, industrial and cultural exchanges, as well as reciprocal cooperation between Korea and Vietnam are vital in the face of the global uncertainties disrupting industrial supply chains worldwide, said s

Industry Dec. 18, 2022

HANOI, Vietnam -- Behind the explosive economic growth of Vietnam, which achieved a 5 percent growth of real gross domestic product annually for two decades -- 1.7 times faster than the global average -- lies its dependence on foreign government aid for development and direct capital investment projects. As Hanoi looks to set the stage for full-fledged modernization nationwide, there is a growing need for Southeast Asia's fourth-largest economy to be independent, in part through promoting h

Industry Dec. 18, 2022

HANOI, Vietnam -- Sing-alongs at a mini concert of a legendary singer, a surprise appearance of Vietnam's national hero, eye-catching choreography, and festivities: these were the moments that captured the hearts of some 1,000 people at the Korea-Vietnam Economic Cooperation Forum 2022 held at the InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 Friday. The event, designed to celebrate the 30 years of economic ties between South Korea and Vietnam, also hosted performances on its sidelines to mark the cu

Industry Dec. 18, 2022