South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin joined a Group of 20 (G-20) foreign ministers' meeting in Indonesia on Friday to discuss regional and global issues in his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage as Seoul's top diplomat He arrived on the resort island of Bali on Thursday for a two-day stay to take part in the session focusing on economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It also set the stage for Park's bilateral talks with his counterpart from the world's 20 adva

South Korea's first reported monkeypox patient has been discharged from a hospital after recovering following self-isolation treatment, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Friday. The South Korean, who was admitted to Incheon Medical Center upon arriving in the country from Germany on June 21, left the hospital Thursday after doctors concluded there was no virus infectivity. The isolation treatment of the person, whose identity was withheld, lasted 15 days. "The

Chairman warns to fight the ruling in court

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has defended his remarks that led to a resignation offer by the head of the Korea Development Institute (KDI), a state-run think tank, who was appointed by the previous Moon Jae-in administration. KDI President Hong Jang-pyo, an architect of the income-led growth policy under the Moon government, tendered his resignation earlier this week, days after Han called for Hong to step down, saying the government and KDI should be on the same page when it comes to policies an

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a mausoleum for his late grandfather and national founder Kim Il-sung to mark the 28th anniversary of his death, according to state media Friday. Kim paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of Kim Il-sung and the current leader's late father Kim Jong-il lie in state, on the occasion of the memorial day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, without specifying when the visit was made. Kim Il-sung, who fou

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon has tested positive for COVID-19 following his trip to the United States, his ministry said Friday. Han took a polymerase chain reaction test late Thursday upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, and the result came back positive early Friday morning, according to the justice ministry. The minister will work from home until Wednesday in compliance with the mandatory seven-day self quarantine for those with COVID-19. Han visited Washington and

The Minister of Youth World Forum organized by the International Youth Fellowship was held in Busan on Thursday, bringing together youth and education policymakers from around the world.  The forum, annually held alongside IYF World Camp, had been on hold for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  IYF World Camp is an international event involving youth and college students from 50 countries.   In this year’s forum, ministers and vice ministers of 26 youth and

A letter of apology will have a smaller impact in court, beginning in October this year, according to the Sentencing Commission, an independent agency affiliated with the Supreme Court, Thursday. An apology letter is a widely used measure in court, through which defendants can show that they are sorry for their offending behavior and fully understand the seriousness of their wrongdoings. However, while apology letters have been widely regarded as an effective measure to improve defendants&l

South Korean Foreign Minister meets with Singaporean PM and ministers to agree on economic cooperation

Some 3.6 trillion won ($2.8 billion) earmarked in the Education Ministry budget for early childhood, elementary and secondary education will be reallocated for higher and lifelong education, such as nurturing semiconductor talent, the ministry said Thursday. The revamped education subsidy plans were put forward “in consideration of the changing education environment,” the ministry said in a statement. The extra budget will be used to strengthen research and training at universiti

Ahead of a major festival, LGBT community fears stigmatization

After the previous summit with US President Joe Biden in May, President Yoon Suk-yeol’s attendance at the NATO summit was a straight one-two punch that proved a change in the new Korean government’s foreign policy. Contrasting with the Moon Jae-in government’s friendly stance toward China, Yoon instead moved boldly without hesitation. He chose to prioritize the alliance with the US. Under the framework of a Korea-US-Japan cooperation, this could be understood as a signal of a

Yoon orders ministries to conduct thorough investigation of public sector assets

Joint cybersecurity advisory issued to raise alarm about ransomware attacks by N. Korea

Presidential office’s explanation does little to douse fire