Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Customs Act Proposed by Rep. Park Soo-young (People Power Party) ● Proposed by Rep. Park, this bill aims to extend tariff exemptions on imported aircraft parts until the end of 2029 to alleviate costs in aircraft manufacturing and maintenance, which rely heavily on global supply chains. Under the current law, import tariffs on aircraft parts are fully exempt until the end of this year. Starting next year, the exemption rate is set to decrease by 20 percent

SEOUL, Oct. 27-- South Korea's presidential office on Sunday held a meeting to discuss the economic impact of Israel's recent attack on Iran, and measures to protect and evacuate its nationals in the Middle East in the event of an emergency. Early Saturday, Israel's military conducted strikes against various targets in Iran, including missile manufacturing facilities, in response to Iran's missile attack earlier this month, according to foreign media reports. The office of

Controversies surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee are likely to top the agenda at the upcoming second meeting between the leaders of the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party, observers said Sunday. People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon and Democratic Party Rep. Lee Jae-myung recently agreed to hold a second round of talks, following up on their first official meeting in early September. The date for the second meeting, however, is yet to be announced. The agreeme

Yoon administration seeks to replace parenting-related terms with more positive language

  President Yoon Suk Yeol called for all-out measures to protect Korean nationals amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, the presidential office said Saturday. Earlier in the day, Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Iran in return for the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile barrage on Israel earlier in the month. "The top priority is to protect Korean nationals (in Iran and Israel), and all necessary measures should be drawn up to prepare for worsening situations

Seoul keeping close eye on North Korea-Russia military cooperation

South Korea's main opposition party lawmakers on Friday rallied in the halls of the National Assembly to condemn President Yoon Suk Yeol for his proposed shift in Ukraine aid policy in response to North Korean troop deployment by Russia. “The Yoon administration is reportedly considering providing ‘offensive weapons’ to Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops. This is an incredibly dangerous idea that treats people’s lives like pawns i

Shin Won-sik, national security adviser for President Yoon Suk Yeol, is scheduled to attend a trilateral meeting of the top national security aides representing South Korea, the United States and Japan, according to the presidential office on Friday. "Shin is on a trip to the US to attend the meeting there scheduled on Friday," an official of the presidential office said on condition of anonymity. The three-way meeting is meant to discuss "ways to maintain continuity in the cooper

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating fell 2 percentage points to 20 percent in the fourth week of October, matching the record-low previously recorded in the second week of September, according to a weekly estimate by Gallup Korea on Friday. Additionally, the number of South Koreans who disapproved of the job Yoon was doing hit 70 percent -- an all-time high. The pollster's survey conducted Tuesday to Thursday on 1,001 respondents indicated that issues surrounding Yoon's wife

President Yoon Suk Yeol said weapons manufactured in South Korea will safeguard Poland's national security, as Yoon hosted a state dinner for Polish President Andrzej Duda Thursday, according to Yoon's office on Friday. Yoon was quoted by his office as saying that South Korea and Poland recognize the significance of national security, adding he was confident that South Korean-made arms will protect the land and air of Poland, and Polish-made drones will safeguard South Korea's lan

Ruling People Power Party (PPP) chief Han Dong-hoon's call for appointing an independent inspector general investigating corruption by the president's family has sparked internal conflict, driving a wedge between him and the floor leader. During a supreme council meeting Thursday, Han reiterated his calls to begin the process to appoint an independent inspector general responsible for investigating corruption by the president's spouse, close relatives and senior presidential aides

Prosecutors on Thursday reaffirmed their demand for a fine of 3 million won ($2,174) against the wife of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on charges of providing free meals to several people ahead of the 2021 party election to pick a presidential candidate. The Suwon District Prosecutors Office demanded the fine against Kim Hye-kyung during the closing hearing on charges of election law violations. She was indicted for providing meals worth 104,000 won to the wives of three former and current p

This year's National Assembly audit was slammed by critics on Thursday as the worst to date, with civic groups denouncing both sides of the political sphere for failing to carry out a proper audit. A monitoring group consisting of 270 different local civic groups here graded this year’s National Assembly audit a near-failing score of D-minus. The National Assembly Audit NGO Monitoring Group called this year’s parliamentary audit, which kicked off Oct. 7 and is set to wrap up Fri

Leaders condemn NK troops' presence in Russia

NIS says North Korean trash balloons not linked to activist leafleting