People Power Party lawmakers on Thursday asked the Democratic Party of Korea to apologize after a former aide for one of its lawmakers, Rep. Sul Hoon, came under investigation over suspicion of leaking secrets obtained through the Assembly office. The former Democratic Party aide, who worked for Sul for nearly three years until March, is being investigated by the National Intelligence Service on suspicion of using the security clearance granted to some Assembly staff to access and leak classifie

South Korea and North Korea on Thursday marked the 70th anniversary of the cease-fire to the Korean War, a three-year conflict that left the Korean Peninsula divided, still with no formal peace treaty in sight, amid growing tension in the region. President Yoon Suk Yeol paid respects to soldiers who fought for the US-led United Nations Command in the 1950-53 war at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan, the only place in the world dedicated to fallen UN soldiers. The visit, the first for a sitting K

The government is adopting the strictest method possible to detect possible radiation in seafood imports from Japan to ensure that not a single trace of hazardous material will be allowed, a senior official said Thursday. "The government once again reiterates that the people need not worry about the safety of seafood on our table," Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said during a daily briefing on the Fukushima issue. Park explained t

Prosecutors raided the home and office of a former regional business lobby leader Thursday in connection with a cash-for-vote scandal involving the opposition Democratic Party's 2021 leadership election. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent investigators to the home and office of Park Yong-ha, a former head of the Yeosu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and 13 other locations to seize evidence. The scandal centers on allegations that Song Young-gil's campaign distributed

The United States and South Korea held a working group meeting on North Korea's cyber threat this week, the state department said Wednesday, amid their joint efforts to cut off illicit funds from being funneled into the North's illegal weapons development programs. The working group meeting was held in South Korea on Wednesday, led by US Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak and her South Korean counterpart, Lee Jun-il, according to the state department. "The Repu

The ethics committee of the ruling People Power Party on Wednesday decided to suspend Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo's party membership for 10 months over his controversial golf outing when the country was struggling with damage from heavy downpours. Hong played golf for one hour on July 15. Though play was suspended due to rain, critics say it was inappropriate for a public servant to play golf at a time when the country was struggling with massive damage caused by the heavy rains that claimed

The recent suicide of a newly employed teacher, who is believed to have suffered from bullying by parents as well as overwork, has sparked a dialogue in Korea to come up with policies to respond to the widespread bullying of teachers in public schools. Leading officials from the ruling People Power Party met with Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho on Wednesday to discuss measures to protect teachers from harassment and violence perpetrated by both parents and students. “At our public schools,

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday tapped a former vice foreign minister as South Korea's new ambassador to Russia, his office said. Lee Do-hoon, who served as second vice foreign minister for about a year until last month, was tapped to succeed Chang Ho-jin, who was appointed first vice foreign minister earlier this year. Lee also previously served as Seoul's top nuclear envoy. (Yonhap)

The ethics committee of the ruling People Power Party was set to meet Wednesday to decide the level of disciplinary measures against Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo over his controversial golf outing when the country was struggling with damage from heavy downpours. Hong played golf for one hour on July 15. Though play was suspended due to rain, critics say it was inappropriate for a public servant to play golf at a time when the country was struggling with massive damage caused by the heavy rains that

The Ministry of Justice said Wednesday it will create a new organization dedicated to responding to international investment disputes involving foreign capital firms. The ministry unveiled its plan to establish the tentatively titled International Legal Affairs Bureau as part of an upcoming organizational change, according to the official gazette. The new bureau will play a role in preventing investor-state dispute settlement cases and strengthening the government's capabilities to deal wit

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with a Luxembourgish veteran of the Korean War on Tuesday as part of commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the armistice signing. Leon Moyen, a veteran who fought for South Korea under the UN flag during the 1950-53 conflict, was invited by the government ahead of the July 27 anniversary. During their meeting at the presidential office, Yoon thanked Moyen for his dedication during the war, referring to the veteran's courage in returning to South Korea even a

Recent statements by Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea, show a “clear intention to be offensive,” according to South Korean national intelligence authorities. In a series of statements issued earlier this month, Kim Yo-jong referred to South Korea as the Republic of Korea, in a rare move which some -- including defector-turned-lawmaker Rep. Tae Yong-ho -- have interpreted as North Korea rec

Nearly a third of Korean legislators, or 94 out of 283 sitting lawmakers, have a criminal record, according to a report by a nongovernmental organization. The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice presented its findings in a press conference Tuesday, detailing the 94 lawmakers' 150 recorded offenses. The report distinguishes between political and non-political crimes, with the former mainly associated with activism during military dictatorship. Excluding political offenses, the numb

Seoul education chief, progressive teachers oppose revision, argue education should remain politically neutral

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Mutually Beneficial Cooperation Between Large Enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises Proposed by Rep. Lee Dong-ju (Democratic Party of Korea) ● Unfair transaction practices persist among commissioning enterprises, invoking calls to reinforce regulations against commissioning enterprises that engage in unfair transaction practices. This amendment prohibits companies from misusing technical data of the commissioned company befor