Army Gen. Kim Seung-kyum was set to take office as the new head of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Tuesday as Seoul seeks to cement its alliance with Washington and beef up defense to counter North Korea's evolving military threats. Kim will become the first general to take the JCS helm without a parliamentary confirmation hearing since 2006, when the legislative procedure was introduced. His hearing did not proceed amid partisan wrangling over parliamentary committee form

President Yoon Suk-yeol challenged reporters Tuesday to compare his personnel choices with those of the previous administration, suggesting he was doing no worse a job than his predecessor. Yoon put up the defense a day after his pick for health minister withdrew over allegations she diverted political funds for personal use and his nominee for chief of the antitrust regulator was forced to apologize over allegations he sexually harassed students in the past. "Well, did you see any praisewo

South Korea and Malaysia jointly held a virtual subpanel session of a regional defense forum involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Tuesday to discuss cybersecurity cooperation, Seoul's defense ministry said. The experts' cybersecurity working group of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) kicked off the two-day session as Seoul seeks to deepen cooperation with the regional bloc on multiple fronts, including security. South Korea and Malays

　Seven out of 10 South Koreans believe the government should only provide nonmilitary aid to Ukraine, a survey showed.  　In the survey of 1,000 people aged 18 or above conducted by Gallup Korea from June 21-23, 72 percent said the government of President Yoon Suk-yeol should only send medical, food and other nonlethal aid.  　Only 15 percent said the government should also provide weapons. 　Eighty-four percent said they are interested in the Ukraine-Russia war while 13 percent said

South Korea's new coronavirus cases sharply increased Tuesday amid concerns about the virus' resurgence following eased social distancing restrictions. The country added 18,147 new COVID-19 infections, including 171 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,413,997, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Tuesday's tally nearly tripled from 6,253 the previous day and nearly doubled from 9,894 a week ago. The KDCA has said the pace of decline has recentl

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases dropped below 3,000, according to its state media Tuesday. More than 2,500 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It did not provide information on whether additional deaths have been reported. As of June 15, the death toll had stood at 73, with the fatality rate at 0.002 percent. The tot

South Korea will investigate Eastar Jet Co. to see if there was any violation in the process of the budget carrier having obtained government approval last year for flight resumptions, the transport ministry said Tuesday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recently found that Eastar Jet submitted false accounting documents to receive air operator certificate (AOC) approval from the ministry on Dec. 15. Eastar's financial statements published in the Financial Supervisory Serv

WASHINGTON -- A US bill is seeking to express concerns over the proposed abolishment of South Korea's Ministry of Equality and Family, the bill showed Monday. The House of Representatives bill on the 2023 budget for the state department will also urge the secretary of state to remain "actively engaged" in promoting gender equality in South Korea if passed. "The Committee is concerned about the abolishment of the South Korean Ministry of Equality and Family and urges the Secre

El Salvador wants to build strategic alliances and cooperate with Korea on road infrastructure, urban mobility, new technologies and energy, the country’s Public Works and Transportation Minister Edgar Romeo Rodriguez Herrera told The Korea Herald in a recent interview. Rodriguez emphasized the need to collaborate with strong allies experienced in economic growth and social development and cited South Korea as a model for expanding national infrastructure and comprehensive developmen

President Yoon Suk-yeol has tapped Yoon Hee-keun, deputy commissioner general of the National Police Agency, as the new national police chief, informed sources said Monday. If appointed, he will replace Commissioner General Kim Chang-yong, who offered to resign in late June after the president strongly chastised police over recent personnel reshuffle flip-flopping. The nominee will undergo a parliamentary confirmation hearing, although an approval is not mandatory. President Yoon did not acce

Victims call for government to support direct negotiations with liable Japanese firms

The Kazakhstan Embassy opened an exhibition to honor the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan-Korea diplomatic relations in Seoul on Thursday. Co-hosted by the Kazakhstan Embassy and Korean Foundation, the exhibition titled “Land of Hope” showcases the history of Koreans in Kazakhstan, dating to 1937 when large numbers of the Korean diaspora in the Soviet Union’s Far East were deported to Central Asia.　 The exhibition presents more than 100 different exhibits, including basic neces

The Belarusian Embassy celebrated National Day and the 30th anniversary of Belarus-Korea diplomatic relations on Thursday at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul. Delivering welcome remarks at the ceremony, Belarusian Ambassador to South Korea Andrew Chernetsky recalled his country’s liberation from Nazi invaders on July 3, 1944. “In that terrible war, every third inhabitant of Belarus died,” he said, adding that war memories continue to live in generations of Belarusian people. Chernet

Translation services crucial in refugee screening process but in short supply

Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea are facing an inquiry over claims that they tried to cajole the bereaved family of Lee Dae-jun -- a fisheries official who was fatally shot by North Korean troops at sea in 2020 -- into admitting that he had attempted to defect to North Korea. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea confirmed to The Korea Herald that it began an inquiry into the claims after a receiving a petition from a civic group last week. The inquiry from