Prosecutor-turned-president wants to teach rule-breaking unions a lesson, but some fear worst labor crackdown in years

The Democratic Party of Korea escalated its campaign against Japan on Monday, accusing President Yoon Suk Yeol of being weak on Tokyo and its plan to gradually release treated wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant. Ahead of the plenary session of the National Assembly, Democratic Party lawmakers issued a joint statement vowing to stop Japan from discharging the wastewater into the sea altogether. “Our party will do everything in our power to block Japan from dumping i

Rep. Yang Hyang-ja, an independent lawmaker who was formerly a chip technician at Samsung Electronics, is poised to set up a new political party. Yang, 56, will hold a launch ceremony for the party at the KBIZ Hall of the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Seoul, on June 26. The launch ceremony will include an announcement about the new party, including information on the party's members. Yang's office told The Korea Herald on Monday no further information could be provided. Yang i

The ‘Chung Sun-sin Prevention Bill’ will define cyberbullying as school violence, operate shelters for bullying victims

Prosecutors raided a consulting company in Seoul on Monday as part of an investigation into alleged illegal election funding involving Song Young-gil, a former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party. The prosecution suspects that a think tank paid consulting fees to the company on behalf of Song's campaign during the party's leadership election in 2021. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent investigators in the morning to several locations, including the consulting

The National Assembly is to hold a vote Monday on whether to give consent to the potential arrests of two lawmakers accused of involvement in a cash-for-vote campaign ahead of the main opposition Democratic Party's 2021 leadership election. Prosecutors had sought arrest warrants for the two -- Reps. Youn Kwan-suk and Lee Sung-man -- for their alleged involvement in a campaign to distribute "cash envelopes" to Democratic Party members to help then candidate Song Young-gil win party chai

South Korean, Chinese foreign ministries each summon respective ambassadors

The state audit agency cautioned Jeon Hyun-heui, chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), on Friday for providing inappropriate support for an official who faced disciplinary action over workplace bullying. The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) announced the result of its 10-month-long inspection regarding 13 complaints filed last year against her. Jeon, who was appointed by former President Moon Jae-in, has been under pressure to resign by the ruling People Power

The National Election Commission (NEC) decided Friday to accept the state auditor's inspection into a hiring corruption scandal involving high-ranking officials. The election watchdog initially refused to comply with an inspection by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) last week, citing its status as an independent agency. But the commission reversed its position amid grown criticism from the public and political circles. "In light of the significant public suspicion surrounding

Kim Tae-hyo, President Yoon’s deputy national security adviser, reaffirmed the country’s push to prioritize diplomacy with countries that value freedom -- the administration’s signature foreign policy that has essentially put the country in a US-led coalition against China and Russia. At a forum Friday to mark Yoon’s first anniversary of taking office in May 2022, Kim described freedom as a “core interest” that will determine whether the country will have a se

The Foreign Affairs Ministry summoned the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea to strongly warn him of remarks that could be interpreted as an intervention in domestic affairs, Friday. First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin summoned Ambassador Xing Haiming to the ministry building Friday morning and expressed regret over Xing's unfiltered criticism of South Korea’s foreign policy, which was made during a meeting with main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung the pr

South Korea will manage relations with China to foster a “healthy relationship,” President Yoon Suk Yeol’s national security adviser said, suggesting Seoul would not give in to Beijing’s demands as easily as the previous administration. Cho Tae-yong said the Yoon administration is seeking to advance Korea’s global status with a “principled approach and reciprocity,” meaning Beijing would have to reciprocate what it asks Seoul to do. China has been trying

  Lee Dong-kwan, special adviser to President Yoon Suk Yeol for external relations, whom Yoon is reportedly considering as the next head of the Korea Communications Commission, has raised controversy as allegations over his son having bullied a fellow high school student in 2011 have reemerged. Lee said some of the allegations made by the media and members of the main opposition party were “distorted and exaggerated” as he went over details of his son's school violence case in a

Japan envoy vows to allay wastewater concerns with science, transparency

The competition in the chip industry is an “all-out war,” President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday, vowing to back local chipmakers with interagency support amid the intensifying tech competition between the US and China. “The government and the private sector should come together to ride out challenges ahead. … The government will closely work with allies like the US to resolve issues involving the industry,” Yoon said at a meeting attended by senior officials, lawma