Yoon arrives at Camp David, holds summit with Biden

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Friday to attend a trilateral summit with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Yoon and Biden sat down for a bilateral meeting before going into the trilateral summit scheduled for later in the day. The three leaders are expected to discuss ways to enhance security and economic cooperation in the face of North Korea's nuclear threat and China's growing militar

Aug. 19, 2023

Nominee for KCC chief blasted for alleged media suppression, son's bullying

The National Assembly confirmation hearing for Lee Dong-kwan, the nominee to chair South Korea's broadcasting regulator, the Korea Communications Commission, on Friday turned into a heated exchange between the opposition and ruling parties over a string of serious allegations against the nominee, including that his son bullied a fellow student in high school and that he attempted to suppress media freedom. Lee introduced himself as the KCC nominee at the start of the hearing saying that, as

Aug. 18, 2023

7 year prison term finalized for ruling party lawmaker, removed from parliament

The top court finalized a seven-year prison term for Rep. Jung Chan-min of the ruling People Power Party on bribe charges Friday, a sentence that automatically stripped him of his parliamentary seat. Jung was charged with taking some 352 million won ($263,650) worth of bribes from a real estate developer between 2016 and 2017 in return for business favors while he was serving as the mayor of Yongin in Gyeonggi Province. The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a lower court's seven-year sentence

Aug. 18, 2023

Biden sends condolences to Yoon over father’s death

US President Joe Biden sent his condolences and a bouquet of flowers to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose father recently passed away, the presidential office said on Friday. The flowers and message were delivered to Yoon's accommodations in Washington, D.C., before his arrival there. The leaders of the two countries are expected to speak by phone shortly. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden wrote in the card, "You are in our prayers and we wish you peace as you mourn

Aug. 18, 2023

Opposition leader Lee returns home after 13-hr questioning over corruption scandal

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung returned home early Friday after more than 13 hours of questioning by prosecutors over suspicions surrounding a land development project in Seongnam, located just south of Seoul, during his previous term as the city's mayor. Lee of the main opposition Democratic Party is facing allegations that he facilitated business favors for a private developer in connection with a property development project in Seongnam's Baekhyeon-dong district during his term as

Aug. 18, 2023

S. Korea, US, Japan leaders to formalize new 3-way partnership at Camp David

  President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday has departed to attend the first standalone trilateral summit with US and Japanese leaders, a high-profile gathering widely expected to formalize a new three-way cooperation on security and economy to deter the growing aggression from North Korea and to brace for economic uncertainty. At the US presidential retreat Camp David, the leaders are set to adopt the "Camp David Principles" and the "Spirit of Camp David," documents laying ou

Aug. 17, 2023

North Korea planning ICBM launch around trilateral summit, joint drills: NIS

South Korea’s intelligence agency believes North Korea is planning a number of military provocations around this week’s trilateral summit with the US and Japan, or the joint drills with US troops later this month. Rep. Yoo Sang-bum, the executive secretary of the National Assembly intelligence committee, told reporters Thursday signs of North Korea preparing an imminent ICBM launch were detected by the National Intelligence Service. There has been an unusual increase in activities ar

Aug. 17, 2023

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