The leader of South Korea’s main opposition party Rep. Lee Jae-myung, who is currently involved in several criminal trials, said Monday he will not shun the prosecution’s supposed bid to “come after” him and “willingly face” arrest. Lee’s remarks, delivered during the National Assembly plenary session, come after the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea-controlled Assembly already struck down his arrest warrant bill in February. Over the course of t

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol aligning with the US and Japan while shifting away from China was exacting a toll on the country’s economy, the leader of the political opposition said Monday. Addressing the National Assembly plenary session, the main opposition party leader said ties with China “have gone downhill” since Yoon took office, accusing the president of “having given up on diplomacy.” “We used to have the largest trade surplus with China. The p

Head of agency responsible for the test offers to step down

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Restriction of Special Taxation Proposed by Rep. Kim Sang-hoon (People Power Party) ● The South Korean government has recently enhanced tax support for facility investments in semiconductors and other national strategy industries to bolster domestic production capabilities. However, the offered tax credits can only be claimed via corporate tax deductions, which means that businesses that invest in national strategy industries but fail to generate

The government and the People Power Party agreed Sunday to expand the inspection of radioactivity levels in the ocean, in response to heightened public concern over the planned release of contaminated water from Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. The agreement was reached during a policy consultation meeting between the People Power Party and top government officials. The nuclear power plant, which was severely damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, is scheduled to rele

The government and the ruling People Power Party agreed Sunday to enact a special bill to expand the disclosure of personal data of violent crime assailants to the public, in response to heightened public concern over a series of heinous crimes. The agreement was discussed during a policy consultation meeting between the PPP and top government officials, including Prime Minster Han Deok-soo and Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon. According to the agreement, the plan will include suspects involved in

North Korea has recently tightened controls on elites stationed abroad to stop them from defecting, South Korean intelligence authorities found. According to a National Intelligence Service document obtained by the National Assembly, North Korea is keeping even closer track of its officials working at diplomatic and other offices overseas. Wary that they may take advantage of loosened border controls post-COVID, North Korea has “scaled up surveillance” on overseas officials, the docu

President Yoon Suk Yeol intends to deliver a speech in English during the presentation at the upcoming General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris, France, with the aim of attracting the 2030 World Expo to Busan. The BIE General Assembly is scheduled to take place June 20-21, with the fourth presentation taking place on the first day. This presentation will be livestreamed worldwide via the BIE's official YouTube channel. The order of the presentations will be as f

Yoon's remark on making Suneung easier didn't confuse students, according to ministry

South Korean authorities said Thursday they are looking into unofficially set up Chinese “police stations” across the country after the alleged presence of such an entity came under scrutiny in Seoul earlier this year. The National Intelligence Service, together with the police, are probing suspected activities of covertly operating “police stations” for the Chinese government, not just in Seoul but in other regions, including Jeju Island south of the peninsula. Last mont

Education Ministry replaces official overseeing Suneung after Yoon’s remarks

South Korea and Japan joined hands to boost cooperation on the development of key industry materials and advanced technologies in such major fields as semiconductors and displays, Seoul's industry ministry said Friday. The two nations held an event Wednesday to launch a project to jointly conduct technology research and development programs in the fine chemical fields as part of efforts to strengthen their industry competitiveness, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Th

Chinese government-run Confucius Institutes in South Korea allegedly led “hostile activities” targeting rallies in support of Hong Kong democracy movement, according to a lawmaker in Seoul. The Institutes mobilized Chinese students here to stage counter-protests against pro-Hong Kong rallies at South Korean universities, People Power Party Rep. Choe Jae-hyeong office told The Korea Herald quoting an intelligence report. At the instruction of the Institutes, Chinese students defaced p

South Korea plans to soon finalize its own analysis of contaminated water from Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant before the neighboring country begins to discharge it into sea, the chief of the country's nuclear safety watchdog said Thursday. "We are speeding up the analysis, and we will finalize it before the discharge (of contaminated water)," Nuclear Safety and Security Commission Chairperson Yoo Guk-hee told lawmakers. Last month, a team of South Korean experts c

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday ordered the Education Ministry to come up with measures to alleviate parents' financial burden on private education spending and to have the Suneung, the nation's scholastic aptitude test, only include materials taught in schools' classrooms. Speaking to reporters at the presidential office, Education Minister Lee Ju-ho said the ministry will come up with relevant measures as ordered by the president. The announcement came as South Korea sees a