China's top nuclear envoy on Sunday arrived in Seoul for talks with his South Korean counterpart, amid lingering tensions caused by North Korean missile launches and hardening rhetoric. Liu Xiaoming, special representative on Korean Peninsula affairs, told reporters that he will meet officials of the incumbent and incoming Korean governments to discuss "political solutions" for Korean peninsula issues. Touching on pending issues related to North Korea, the envoy said that said tha

Victim services, attorneys oppose bills to expand police power

The World Forestry Congress, the world‘s largest gathering of foresters, kicked off its five-day run in Seoul on Monday. The 15th edition of the WFC will be running from Monday through Friday at Coex in Gangnam. The WFC is the most influential global forestry gathering, held every six years under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It’s the first time the WFC has been held in South Korea, and it is also the first time in 44 years that the

The government policy to lift the outdoor face mask mandate was to officially in Monday, with some raising concern about the new measure’s potential effects on spreading of COVID-19 infections. Starting Monday, masks are only mandated indoors and during outdoor activities of events that carry a high risk of infection, such as gatherings of 50 or more people, concerts and sports games. All forms of public transportation and enclosed facilities require masks, but locations like above-ground

A murder case is gripping South Korea with a curious blend of fatal attraction, gaslighting and insurance fraud, but law enforcement authorities face a tough fight to prove the crime. It is the story of a man named Yoon Sang-yeop, who drowned in the summer of 2019 during a trip to a valley with his wife Lee Eun-hae and her friends, just four hours before his life insurance expired. How it came to light Lee, 31, is now under arrest together with Cho Hyun-soo, 30, with whom she was in an ext

South Korea should actively participate in global efforts to maintain peace and stability in South China Sea

New presidential office to be streamlined to two offices and five secretaries

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday stressed the government's efforts in enhancing labor rights as he thanked workers for their dedication in the fight against the novel coronavirus. In his message marking the 132nd Labor Day, Moon said his government worked hard on guaranteeing fundamental labor rights in the past five years. "We ratified key International Labor Organization conventions, raised minimum wage and exercised the 52-hour work week system ... and made progress in work-life balance,&

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 40,000 on Sunday, marking a steady decline from early last month, with the country set to lift the outdoor mask mandate in a major step toward return to normalcy. The country reported 37,771 new COVID-19 infections, including 30 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,275,649, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Sunday's tally is a marked drop from the previous day's 43,286 and 50,568 reported Friday. In terms of Sun

The ruling party-dominated National Assembly on Saturday passed one of two controversial bills on prosecution reform amid strong protest from the main opposition party, heralding bipartisan standoff down the road. For the past weeks, the Democratic Party (DP) has vowed to pass the two bills on prosecution reform which would immediately deprive the prosecution of all investigative powers. Early this week, the ruling party railroaded the legislation through the judiciary committee and said it

From nasal swab for teddy bears to vaccine syringe-shaped stationary, COVID-19 makes its way into play time

The streets of Mariupol, destroyed by constant bombing and shelling from Russian troops, are now littered with rubble, shell fragments and remains of broken buildings. A local resident walks near a collapsing apartment building, likely damaged by Russian air strikes. While Russia declared victory over Mariupol last Thursday, the marks of Ukraine’s fight against Russian forces remain.  This photo shows a shrine among the debris, amid Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, taken on Thurs

South Korea's incoming administration will strive to establish a system for the two Koreas and the United States to have dialogue anytime through a liaison office at the truce village of Panmunjom or Washington, D.C., the nominee to become Seoul's top diplomat said Saturday. In a written report to lawmakers ahead of his confirmation hearing, Park Jin pointed out that the three nations are "core parties concerned" with Korean Peninsula security issues. Setting up such a liaison offi

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 50,000 on Saturday as the omicron curve has turned downward and the country is set to lift the outdoor mask mandate. The country reported 43,286 new COVID-19 infections, including 12 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,237,878, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The number of new virus cases marks a sharp drop from 50,568 reported the previous day. There were 70 more COVID-19 deaths, with the death t

  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stressed the need to bolster the country's military power to "preemptively and thoroughly contain" nuclear threats from hostile forces, according to Pyongyang's state media Saturday. He met with top military commanders who organized a massive street parade in Pyongyang earlier this week, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Kim was quoted as calling on his military commanders to maintain the "absolute superiority" of the arm