The main opposition Democratic Party said Friday it will take steps to impeach Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung over the prosecution's decision not to indict first lady Kim Keon Hee over her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme. "The (DP) leadership discussed the issue of impeaching the prosecutor general and concluded to go ahead with it," Jo Seoung-lae, a senior DP spokesperson, told reporters after a Supreme Council meeting. "The steps and timing of the impea

The ruling People Power Party on Friday voiced objections to a new opposition-introduced bill calling for a special counsel probe into allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee, calling it an "unconstitutional wicked bill." The main opposition Democratic Party introduced the bill on Thursday, the third time it submitted such a proposal after two previous versions were scrapped following revotes triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol's vetoes. The new bill expands the scope of th

Seoul's top envoy to Washington cautioned Thursday against economic "protectionism" as he highlighted the need to address barriers that preclude full defense industrial cooperation between South Korea and the United States. Speaking at a think tank forum, Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong pointed to a US legal mandate requiring US naval ships to be built in America as a challenge limiting efforts to expand collaboration between the US and its foreign partners. "This issue is particula

Ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon on Thursday stepped up his call for first lady Kim Keon Hee to refrain from public activities and explain multiple allegations against her, which include claims of her illegal involvement in the April 10 parliamentary elections. Han’s remarks come a day after the conservative bloc won two of the five seats in the regional by-elections in its respective strongholds -- Busan's Geumjeong District and Incheon's Ganghwa County – as President Yoo

4-year investigation ends, effectively clearing Kim's remaining legal risks

The office of President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Thursday to push for major reform agenda items after the ruling People Power Party won crucial by-elections on its home turf. The PPP secured victories in its traditional stronghold constituencies -- Busan's Geumjeong District and Incheon's Ganghwa County -- in Wednesday's by-elections as the party seeks to recover from waning approval ratings for both Yoon and the party following its crushing defeat in the April 10 parliamentary electio

Ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon on Thursday called again for first lady Kim Keon Hee to withdraw from public activities following the party's wins in crucial by-elections the previous day. Han of the People Power Party also reiterated his call for a presidential office reshuffle to remove those considered close to Kim and exercising undue influence on state affairs. "First lady Kim Keon Hee should refrain from public activities in keeping with her promise during the presidential elec

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on Thursday called for thorough preparations for uncertainties stemming from the upcoming presidential election in the United States. Choi made the remarks during a ministerial meeting on external economics, also pointing to escalating tensions in the Middle East as major external challenges, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. "The US presidential election is just about 20 days away, and there is a possibility of a wider conflict in the Middle E

Conservative bloc's defeat will put Han Dong-hoon’s leadership at stake, critics say

Rep. Lim Jong-deuk, former deputy national security adviser to President Yoon Suk Yeol and lawmaker on the National Assembly National Defense Committee, on Wednesday allayed concerns of North Korea waging war on account of its arms trade with Russia. “North Korea is in a difficult position to start a war at this point for a number of reasons. One is that North Korea is already sending large quantities of artillery shells and missiles to Russia, and likely to send troops as well,” he

South Koreans voted Wednesday to elect the education chief of Seoul and four local government heads, with the result expected to serve as a litmus test of public sentiment since the April general elections. Up for grabs in Wednesday's by-elections are five local administrative seats — the superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, as well as the heads of Busan's Geumjeong District, Incheon's Ganghwa County, and the Yeonggwang and Gokseong counties in South

Voters in Seoul headed to the polls on Wednesday to select the city's new education superintendent in a by-election, with a close race expected between a conservative former lawmaker and a progressive honorary Seoul National University sociology professor. The superintendent seat of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is one of five local administrative positions up for grabs in Wednesday's by-elections, with voting running from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The position was vacated when lef

NewJeans member Hanni appeared as a reference witness at a National Assembly audit of the Environment and Labor Committee on Tuesday, where she expressed her concerns about workplace bullying. "I hope that no one -- whether seniors, juniors, peer artists or even trainees -- has to experience what I went through,” Hanni said during the audit session. “If we respect each other as human beings, there would be no workplace bullying or ostracism.” The Vietnamese Australian sing

The government plans to spend 5.2 billion won ($3.8 million) to set up an automated security screening system next year to expedite the embarking and disembarking process for foreign cruise ship passengers at sea ports on South Korea's southern Jeju Island. According to Bae Sang-up, commissioner of the Korea Immigration Service under the Ministry of Justice, the automated security checkpoints will be set up by October next year at two ports -- Jeju International Passenger Terminal and Seogw

The rival parties engaged in heated exchanges over two high-profile incidents involving President Yoon Suk Yeol's wife, first lady Kim Keon Hee, and Moon Da-hye, daughter of former President Moon Jae-in, during a parliamentary audit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police on Thursday. The Democratic Party of Korea and other opposition lawmakers have raised concerns over first lady Kim Keon Hee's visit to Mapo Bridge on Sept. 10, an area notorious for frequent suicide attempts. The visit, made