South Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun will depart for the United States on Monday for talks on the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that excludes electric vehicles assembled outside North America from tax incentives. The IRA, signed by US President Joe Biden in August, gives tax credits to buyers of EVs assembled only in North America, sparking concerns that carmakers here will lose ground in the US market as they make EVs at domestic plants for export. During the three-day stay through Wedn

　About two-thirds of South Koreans are opposed to a proposed bill that would ban the recording of phone calls without consent, on the belief that such recordings can be used to protect themselves or for public good, such as whistleblowing, a survey showed. 　A group of ruling People Power Party lawmakers, led by Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, has proposed the bill to ban recording phone calls without the consent of all parties to the conversation. 　Those who breach the law would face up to 10 years in p

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit the lowest for a Monday count in six weeks, as the virus is slowing at a steady pace. The country reported 37,548 new COVID-19 infections, including 286 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 23,606,740, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally is the lowest Monday figure since 35,853 on July 25. The recent virus wave has been slowing with the daily infection cases declining from as high as 180,000 in mid-Augus

Police are expected to wrap up an investigation into academic falsification charges against first lady Kim Keon-hee this week without sending the case to the prosecution for possible indictment, sources said Monday. Kim has been accused of fraud, obstruction of business and document forgery for falsifying some of her academic and career credentials on resumes she submitted to several universities between 2001 and 2014 while applying for a teaching job. A civic group and others filed complaints a

Super Typhoon Hinnamnor has gradually moved northward to reach waters off the southern island of Jeju on Monday, the state weather agency said, as South Korea braces for what could be the most powerful storm ever to hit the country. As of 5 a.m., the typhoon, the 11th this year, was located 550 kilometers south-southwest of Jeju's Seogwipo, moving north at a speed of 22 kilometers per hour, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The speed is faster than an earlier estim

President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating fell slightly to 32.3 percent last week, ending a three-week rising streak, as ongoing leadership turmoil at the ruling People Power Party (PPP) disheartened conservative supporters, a poll showed Monday. The approval rating was down 1.3 percentage points from the previous week, while the disapproval rating rose 1.6 percentage points to 64.9 percent, according to the poll of 2,516 voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday. By political lea

North Korea is taking precautionary measures as it braces for a "super strong" typhoon churning toward the Korean Peninsula, according to its state media Monday. North Korean officials have inspected buildings at risk of flooding or collapsing while fishing boats out in the sea were recalled to port as Typhoon Hinnamnor is expected to bring heavy rains, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Pyongyang has taken measures to prevent damage in areas frequently hit by mudslides an

The progressive minor opposition Justice Party voted down a reform motion advising all five of the party's proportional representation lawmakers to step down over the party's recent election defeats. The motion recommending the resignation of the five Justice Party lawmakers on proportional representation seats, including Reps. Ryu Ho-jeong and Jang hye-yeong, was rejected in a party referendum conducted online from last Wednesday through Sunday, the party announced on its website. A total o

Yoon Suk-yeol government accelerates procedures to fully operate existing THAAD battery

China's top legislator Li Zhanshu will make a visit to Seoul next week for a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, the speaker's office said Sunday. It is part of a four-nation trip by Li, chief of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, who is currently ranked No. 3 in the Chinese Communist Party. He plans to arrive here on Sept. 15 for a three-day stay, leading a large-scale official delegation including four minister-level and three vice minister

Korea is bracing for typhoon Hinnamnor, which is expected to be one of the strongest typhoons to hit the country. It is a “super strong” typhoon, the highest in Korea's four-tier system, with an atmospheric pressure of 920 hectopascals at its center and a maximum wind speed of 54 meters per second. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea's Jeju Island and southern regions are expected to come under influence of Hinnamnor starting Monday. The typhoon is expected t

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's new moon rocket sprang another dangerous fuel leak Saturday, forcing launch controllers to call off their second attempt this week to send a crew capsule into lunar orbit with test dummies. The inaugural flight is now off for weeks, if not months. The previous try on Monday at launching the 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket, the most powerful ever built by NASA, was also troubled by hydrogen leaks, though they were smaller. That was on top of leaks det

Controversy surrounding Kim enters center of political arena, even overshadows Yoon’s policy visions, critics say

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 100,000 for the fourth straight day, according to the country's health authorities Sunday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said 72,144 new COVID-19 infections, including 241 from overseas, have been confirmed, with the total caseload having risen to 23,569,192. The daily caseload jumped to 115,615 cases on Aug. 30 from 43,114 a day earlier, but it continued to decline in the past six days from Aug. 30 through Sunda

As Typhoon Hinnamnor is expected to bring heavy rains accompanied by strong winds to the southern part of the country, including the island of Jeju, the coastal towns are preparing themselves ahead of the arrival of typhoon. Fishing boats are either moved onto land or docked at the ports. Parasols at Gwangalli Beach in the port city of Busan are being removed. The South Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education announced that the schools under the periphery of the typhoon to switch to onli