Yoon orders unlimited air-conditioned buses for Jamboree participants

President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the government to provide an unlimited number of air-conditioned buses and refrigerator trucks to protect participants of the World Scout Jamboree suffering from the heat wave. He also approved using the government’s reserve funds to provide aid for the event, Yoon’s office said Friday. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo chaired an unscheduled Cabinet meeting at Yoon’s request to discuss the budget for the annual Jamboree, which kicked off Wednesday

Aug. 4, 2023

Opposition party apologizes after suggesting elderly shouldn’t vote

South Korea’s main opposition party on Thursday apologized after a lawmaker and key official suggested older people are not as deserving of the right to vote on decisions about the future. Kim Eun-kyung, who heads the Democratic Party of Korea’s reform committee, visited the office of the senior citizens’ association in Seoul’s central Yongsan district and apologized for saying earlier that older people’s votes should not count as much as votes from younger people.

Aug. 3, 2023

LH to launch team to crack down on 'construction cartel'

The state-run Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) said Wednesday it will launch an "anti-cartel" headquarters as part of its effort to overhaul poor construction practices and stamp out the "construction cartel," a matter under scrutiny by the ruling party for potential collusion during the previous Moon Jae-in administration. LH CEO Lee Han-jun made the announcement at an emergency meeting of key officials, after a government-led probe found that the agency had failed to dete

Aug. 3, 2023

[Herald Interview] Bad bills happen when parties compete for popularity, says seasoned Assembly aide

When parties are competing for public approval, the outcome is usually rushed bills that backfire with unintended consequences once they take effect as law, according to Je Bang-hoon, a legislative aide of more than 15 years. “All bills, whether introduced by a lawmaker or submitted by a ministry, come to the Assembly to be considered. Lawmakers author and sign bills, all of whose process is prepared and assisted by aides like myself,” he said in an interview with The Korea Herald.

Aug. 2, 2023

PPP mulls parliamentary inspection into shoddy construction of parking lots

The ruling People Power Party said Wednesday it is considering a parliamentary inspection into what led to the shoddy construction of underground parking lots at apartment complexes built under contracts with the state-run housing developer. A land ministry inspection has found that not enough reinforcing rods were put into columns supporting underground parking lots at at least 15 Korea Land and Housing Corp. apartment complexes, even though the strength of such columns is significant in the fl

Aug. 2, 2023

World Scout Jamboree's opening ceremony to be held amid heat wave concerns

About 43,000 young Scouts from 158 countries are set to begin full participation in educational and cultural exchange programs of the 25th World Scout Jamboree on Wednesday, with the opening ceremony taking place in the Saemangeum Reclaimed Area on the southwestern South Korean coast in the evening. Amid a scorching heat wave sweeping across the nation, the opening ceremony is set to start at 8 p.m. at the jamboree campground, about 180 km south of Seoul, featuring welcome and opening speeches b

Aug. 2, 2023

Yoon meets with Belize PM Briceno, requests support for 2030 World Expo bid

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a meeting with Belize's Prime Minister John Briceno on Tuesday and requested the Central American country's support for South Korea's bid to bring the 2030 World Expo to its southern port city of Busan, the presidential office said. During the meeting held at the presidential office in Seoul, Yoon also expressed hope for increased exchanges between the two countries, noting that a growing number of Korean tourists are visiting Belize, pres

Aug. 1, 2023

Yoon calls for new school guidelines for fall semester to protect teachers

President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the Education Ministry on Tuesday to establish new school guidelines to protect teachers' rights from as early as the fall semester this year. He stressed that failing to address unruly behavior among children in classrooms is akin to giving way to violators of the law in the name of human rights. "Failing to discipline children who have refused to follow rules (in a classroom) for the sake of children's rights is no different than failing to punish criminals

Aug. 1, 2023

KCC nominee prepares for hearing despite calls for him to withdraw

Amid swirling controversies surrounding his eligibility, Lee Dong-kwan, special adviser for external relations to President Yoon Suk Yeol and nominee to head the Korea Communications Commission, commenced preparations on Tuesday for a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly. Lee arrived Tuesday morning at a temporary office set up in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, located within minutes of the state broadcasting watchdog’s headquarters. His appearance comes four days after the official

Aug. 1, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Tackling workplace discrimination, e-commerce fraud

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Labor Standards Act Proposed by Rep. Kim Ju-young (Democratic Party of Korea) ● With the expanding diversity of employment types, there has been a notable increase in cases of discrimination based on employment type. This amendment prohibits discrimination based on employment type and stipulates that work requiring the same or similar technologies, labor intensity and work conditions has equal value. Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on the Con

Aug. 1, 2023

Prosecutors seek arrest warrants for 2 lawmakers again over DP cash-for-votes scandal

Prosecutors sought arrest warrants for two lawmakers for a second time Tuesday over a cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the main opposition Democratic Party's 2021 leadership election, after the National Assembly refused to consent to their arrests earlier this year. Reps. Youn Kwan-suk and Lee Sung-man, now independents after quitting the Democratic Party, are accused of involvement in distributing cash envelopes, each containing 3 million won, to 20 Democratic Party lawmakers as part of

Aug. 1, 2023

Yoon vows to dismantle construction 'cartel' following faulty construction of underground parking lots

President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to eradicate "cartels" with vested interests in the construction industry on Tuesday, citing them as a reason behind shoddy construction practices revealed at apartment underground parking lots. Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting following revelations that not enough reinforcing rods were used in building underground parking lots at a number of apartment complexes across the country to cut costs and speed up construction. "Cartels with ve

Aug. 1, 2023

Bill proposed to protect North Korea escapees’ support funds

South Korean Rep. Ji Seong-ho, who fled North Korea in 2006, proposed a bill that protects North Korean escapees from having their cash assistance taken away by “brokers.” The bill, which seeks an amendment to the existing laws on the protection and resettlement of North Korean escapees, would allow them to open bank accounts for cash assistance that cannot be seized by a third party. The South Korean government has been providing financial assistance to people on basic income suppor

July 31, 2023

S. Korea seeks concrete results from summit with US, Japan

South Korea is discussing a joint statement on expanding trilateral security and economic ties with the US and Japan during a summit at Camp David in Maryland on Aug. 18, according to South Korea’s presidential office. The meeting, which US President Joe Biden will host to rally the two allies against China’s influence and North Korea’s aggression, is the first of its kind and comes at a crucial time when the US-led coalition is enjoying friendlier ties prompted by the recent S

July 31, 2023

Yoon set for weeklong vacation in Geoje

President Yoon Suk Yeol is looking to go on a weeklong vacation at a presidential vacation home in early August, according to the presidential office on Monday. Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee are to go to the presidential retreat of Cheonghaedae in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, from Wednesday to Aug. 8. This, however, would not mean they will stay out of touch, leaving open possibilities for them to make public appearances during the vacation, through events like visiting remote areas of S

July 31, 2023

Brother of man slain by North Korea to meet with families of Japanese abductees

The older brother of Lee Dae-jun, a fisheries official killed by North Korean troops at sea in September 2020, is on a two-day trip to Japan from Friday to meet with families of Japanese who were abducted by North Korea. The brother, Lee Rae-jin, told The Korea Herald on Friday that he hoped the meeting with Japanese families would be a new opportunity for a joint response to human rights violations perpetrated by North Korea. “In Korea and Japan the pain the families (of victims) shares i

July 28, 2023

Deadly underpass flooding ‘could have been prevented,’ official inquiry finds

An official inquiry concluded on Friday that the flooding in an underpass that led to 14 deaths earlier this month was a preventable tragedy. The Office for Government Policy Coordination in a press briefing said its 10-day inquiry found a failure to respond to the flooding across the police and fire departments as well as the respective municipal offices. The underpass in Osong, a city near the government complex in North Chungcheong Province, was completely submerged in the morning of July 15

July 28, 2023

S. Korean, Austrian FMs hold talks on trade, supply chain cooperation

The top diplomats of South Korea and Austria held consultations to discuss cooperation on supply chain issues and other areas of mutual interest, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. In the meeting held in Salzburg on Thursday, Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg, agreed to closely cooperate in promoting bilateral trade and investment in the fields of batteries, electric vehicles and semiconductors. The two sides also agreed to work closely to ens

July 28, 2023

Yoon commemorates 70th anniversary of Korean War armistice, honors UN forces for sacrifice

President Yoon Suk Yeol lauded the sacrifices and bravery of the United Nations forces as the foundation of contemporary South Korea during a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice. Speaking at the ceremony held at the Busan Cinema Center on Thursday, President Yoon expressed gratitude to the countries and veterans who participated in the Korean War and emphasized the enduring significance of the UN forces in preserving peace on the Korean Peninsula. "Toda

July 27, 2023

[Exclusive] Foldable smartphone pictured with Kim Jong-un likely Chinese product: NIS

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service believes the mobile device pictured next to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un earlier this month is likely a Chinese product, according to the state agency’s assessment obtained by the National Assembly on Thursday. In its assessment, the NIS said the foldable smartphone is believed to be a Chinese product smuggled in by rail after the cross-border freight train operations between North Korea and China resumed in September last year. The NIS

July 27, 2023