Ahead of 4th interrogation, opposition leader says prosecution probe 'fabricated'

Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung appeared Thursday for his fourth interrogation by prosecutors since his presidential election rival Yoon Suk Yeol took office, accusing the conservative government of attacking democracy. It was the leader of South Korea's main opposition party's first time appearing for questioning regarding allegations of his involvement in a land corruption scandal that took place in 2015 in Baekhyeon-dong, an affluent district of Bundang-gu in S

Aug. 17, 2023

Funeral ceremony held for Yoon's late father

A funeral ceremony was held for President Yoon Suk Yeol's late father on Thursday, with only close family members, the deceased's former students and senior officials in attendance. Yoon Ki-jung, an honorary professor at Seoul's Yonsei University, died Tuesday at the age of 92. He was known as an expert on studying economic inequality using statistical methods and dedicated his career to teaching applied statistics from 1973 to 1997. The funeral was held at Seoul's Severance

Aug. 17, 2023

Yoon to depart for US to attend summit with Biden, Kishida

President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to depart for the United States on Thursday to attend a trilateral summit with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on ways to enhance security cooperation in the face of North Korea's nuclear threat. The summit will be held at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Friday, marking the first time the three countries' leaders will meet for a stand-alone trilateral summit that's not on the sidelines of a multilat

Aug. 17, 2023

Blame game builds as state inspector starts Jamboree fiasco probe

A blame game is brewing over the World Scout Jamboree, as Korea’s state auditor said it would look into how the event was organized from the day Korea was announced as the host country. “The inspection will look into the entire event, from the bidding stage to the planning process to the actual operation until the last day. All of the concerned parties, including central and municipal governments, will be subject to inspection,” an official at the Board of Audit and Inspection

Aug. 16, 2023

NK quiet on death of Yoon’s father

North Korea has not yet offered condolences to President Yoon Suk Yeol over his father's death, unlike previous instances when Pyongyang passed on its sympathies upon news of the deaths of South Korea's liberal-leaning leaders and their family members. Yoon's father, Yoon Ki-jung, an emeritus professor of applied statistics at Yonsei University, died Tuesday. This is the second time an incumbent president has lost a parent during his or her term. When former left-wing President

Aug. 16, 2023

Land minister discusses exporting S. Korean light rail system with Paraguayan president

Land Minister Won Hee-ryong met with incoming Paraguayan President Santiago Pena Palacios and discussed South Korean companies' participation in the South American country's light rail project, Won's office said Tuesday. Won paid a visit to Pena on Monday, local time, and asked for support for efforts to enact a special bill helping South Korean companies win the $600 million project to build a 45-kilometer light rail line between Asuncion, Paraguay's capital, and Ypacarai. S

Aug. 15, 2023

Gender Ministry back in firing line after Jamboree fiasco

The fate of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family appears uncertain, as it faces a state probe into its management of the World Scout Jamboree event, which concluded last week amid significant issues. The investigation could hold the ministry responsible for the inadequate preparation for the event, in which some participants left the campsite early, before an approaching typhoon cleared it entirely. The ministry's exposure to the debacle has already led to a revival in calls for its d

Aug. 15, 2023

Yoon calls Japan 'partner' with shared interests in Liberation Day speech

President Yoon Suk Yeol labeled Japan as South Korea's partner, sharing universal values and common goals, while underscoring the importance of trilateral security cooperation with Tokyo and Washington in deterring North Korea on the annual Liberation Day holiday that marks the end of Japan's 35-year colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. In a nationally televised address, Yoon also cautioned that South Korea remains under constant threat from "anti-state forces" aligned with

Aug. 15, 2023

President Yoon’s father dies at 92

Yoon Ki-jung, the father of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and an emeritus professor in the applied statistics department at Yonsei University, has died, the presidential office announced Tuesday. He was 92. Yoon had recently been admitted to Seoul National University Hospital. The cause of death was not disclosed. President Yoon went to be by his father‘s side during his final moments, after delivering a speech marking the nation’s 78th Liberation Day in the morning, according

Aug. 15, 2023

North Jeolla Province governor apologizes, defends against ‘defamation’ over Jamboree mishandling

As the 25th World Scout Jamboree concluded amid controversy over mismanagement and alleged misuse of funds, the governor of North Jeolla Province publicly bowed his head in apology, but he also said legal action would be taken against the spread of false information. “Many people expected and supported a large-scale international event in North Jeolla Province, but we are very sorry that we could not reap the beauty of the end,” Gov. Kim Kwan-young said in a press briefing Monday. &l

Aug. 14, 2023

Yoon pardons business tycoons to spur 'economic recovery'

President Yoon Suk Yeol carried out special presidential pardons on Monday for 2,176 individuals, including 12 prominent business tycoons, ahead of the Liberation Day holiday that falls on Aug. 15, on the premise of reviving the economy. The Ministry of Justice announced the special presidential pardons for recipients including businesspersons from smaller enterprises, business tycoons, politicians, corporate executives and prisoners who committed minor offenses out of economic distress. A total

Aug. 14, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Fighting digital piracy, mobile scams and strengthening AI ethics

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Copyright Act Proposed by Rep. Lee Yong-ho (People Power Party) ● Piracy websites providing access to pirated content continue to thrive, highlighting the need for stricter measures to discourage digital piracy. This amendment specifies the operation of a website that spreads links to pirated content as copyright infringements while raising maximum compensation for copyright infringement. Moreover, it grants public officers the authority to enter sites for

Aug. 14, 2023

Yoon thanks all those who helped smoothly wrap up jamboree

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday thanked religious circles, businesses and others who he said helped smoothly wrap up the 2023 World Scout Jamboree following turmoil, his office said. Yoon expressed his gratitude during a weekly meeting with his senior secretaries, saying "national brand image" is more important than anything for a country whose economy is heavily reliant on external factors. "I thank religious circles, businesses, universities and numerous local governments who

Aug. 14, 2023

Korea, US, Japan to discuss security cooperation at trilateral summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol will depart Thursday for a landmark summit with the leaders of the United States and Japan at Camp David, Maryland, which aims to create a framework for trilateral security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The wives of the three leaders will not accompany them to event. It will be the first standalone summit involving South Korea, the US and Japan. There have been 12 three-way summits in the past, but all have been held on the sidelines of a larger gathering. "

Aug. 13, 2023

[70th Anniversary] After 70 years, S. Korea mulls ‘grand strategy’

The last 70 years have marked South Korea’s ascent to an economic power able to cope with threats from North Korea, its nuclear-armed neighbor that it has yet to sign a peace treaty with to resolve the 1950-53 Korean War. Seoul’s postwar efforts had relied on working with the US, the South’s biggest ally. In the early 1960s, aid from Washington accounted for 35 percent of Seoul’s budget and 73 percent of its defense spending. The 1965 agreement the South signed with Japan

Aug. 13, 2023

‘Two-Korea’ unification increasingly favored

The majority of South Koreans favor a unified Korean Peninsula, but half of those prefer a model where the two Koreas remain separate, with each side able to freely cross the border, according to a survey released Friday. In a poll conducted by the National Unification Advisory Council from June 9-11, 52 percent of 1,000 South Korean respondents aged 19 and older considered keeping the two Koreas separate while allowing free travel across the border the best way to reunite the peninsula, which r

Aug. 13, 2023

[70th Anniversary] Congratulatory messages from government leaders

Recognition from prominent figures in the government inspires The Korea Herald to strive for excellence in the publication’s reporting and the commitment to our readers. – Ed. Choo Kyung-ho, Deputy prime minister and finance minister I extend my warmest congratulations on the 70th anniversary of The Korea Herald. Born in the ruins of the Korean War in 1953, The Korea Herald has made a great contribution to raising the country’s profile worldwide while serving as a window to a

Aug. 13, 2023

[70th Anniversary] Congratulatory message from President Yoon Suk Yeol on the 70th Anniversary of The Korea Herald

I offer heartfelt congratulations to The Korea Herald on the 70th anniversary of its founding. My profound appreciation goes to Mr. Jung Won-ju, chairman of Herald Corp., as well as its management and staff. I also extend congratulations to its readers. Founded in 1953 on Liberation Day, Aug. 15, The Korea Herald has served as a bridge between Korea and the international community while vividly reporting the Republic of Korea’s progress as the country overcame the ruins of war and impoveri

Aug. 13, 2023

[Weekender] Retreats and reads: Glimpse into Korean presidential summers

In the sweltering heat of South Korean summers, even the most powerful figures in Korea -- its presidents -- yearn for summer respite. Delve into the history of presidential summer vacations, their reading rituals that give the public a sneak peek into their minds and the seemingly unbreakable jinx of interrupted summer breaks. Obligatory reading list South Korean presidents like to reveal their summer reading lists, and their book picks often become bestsellers for the season. From these summ

Aug. 12, 2023

K-pop to the rescue: Troubled Jamboree to wrap up with concert

Over 40,000 young scouts have gathered at a stadium in western Seoul for a K-pop concert, marking the conclusion of this year's World Scout Jamboree, which encountered difficulties due to a heat wave, a tropical storm and insufficient preparations. The closing ceremony is set to commence at 5:30 p.m., before a K-Pop show from 7-9 p.m. The Jamboree campground was abandoned as Typhoon Khanun approached the site, which had already struggled to cope with a scorching heat wave and insufficient amenit

Aug. 11, 2023