A fresh row has erupted following a recent expose of the Democratic Party of Korea’s apparent bid to publish the identities of the victims of the fatal Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon, Seoul.  While the Democratic Party argued that the victims needed to be remembered publicly, critics said respect for privacy should come before the public’s right to know. In a text message conversation that was leaked to the press, the deputy head of the Democratic Party-run think tank told

Two of opposition leader's closest aides now under investigation

President Yoon Suk-yeol will attend the upcoming ASEAN and G20 summits to strengthen economic and security ties with the region and present the nation’s new Indo-Pacific and ASEAN strategies. During the six-day journey, he could have multilateral talks with the US and Japan, but the chance of bilateral meetings with Japan and China appears low. The president will depart for Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Friday to attend the ASEAN summit and then leave for Bali, Indonesia on Monday to join the

South Korea will carry out special inspections into 35 mines across the country that are deemed to have relatively high chances of accidents by the end of this year in the wake of a recent collapse case, the industry ministry said Wednesday. The plan came as two miners had been trapped for about 10 days in a collapsed zinc mine in the county of Bonghwa, 244 kilometers southeast of Seoul. They were safely rescued on Friday and have been recovering quickly, according to their families and official

Prosecutors raided the home of one of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung's closest confidants Wednesday over suspicions that he received bribes from real estate developers, officials said. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent investigators to the house of Jeong Jin-sang, a vice chief of staff to Lee, to seize evidence related to the allegations, the officials said. Jeong, nicknamed Lee's "right-hand man," is known to be one of the party leader's two closest aides, along with

　President Yoon Suk-yeol saw his approval rating dip slightly at the end of last week, a survey showed, in the aftermath of the Halloween crowd crush. 　In a poll of 2,521 Korean adults conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, 34.2 percent positively assessed Yoon's job performance, down 1.5 percentage points from the previous week. 　Yoon’s disapproval rating was 62.4 percent, up 0.7 percentage point. 　In terms of daily rating, support for Yoon dropped from 35.7 percent T

Former President Moon Jae-in returned to the state a pair of dogs that he had been in custody of since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave them as a gift in 2018, Moon's side and Presidential Archives said on Tuesday. One male named Songkang and a female named Gomi, both indigenous North Korean Pungsan-breed, were delivered to officials of the Presidential Archives at a university veterinary hospital in Daegu, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul. After the handover, the Presidential Archiv

Democratic Party of Korea blasts Yoon over Itaewon response

As the world watches the outcome of the US midterm elections, South Korean experts say the results will bring subtle changes for Korea. If the Republican Party prevails, President Joe Biden's economic policies with US allies may see subtle changes, but the US stance on North Korean issues is unlikely to change, experts say. South Korea is paying special attention to the US midterm elections over whether the result could affect some of the US’ economic policies such as the Inflatio

Amid criticism over wasted budget and inappropriate use of manpower, President Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Kun-hee moved into the new official residence located in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, Monday, six months after Yoon's inauguration. The presidential office said that Yoon and his wife moved from their private residence in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, to the Hannam-dong residence on Monday. It took nearly 10 minutes for the president to travel from his home in Seocho-dong to the pre

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered the interior ministry Tuesday to double-check the country's anti-missile evacuation and other emergency response systems amid heightened tension in the wake of a series of North Korean missile launches. Han issued the order during a Cabinet meeting, saying there has been criticism of the government's air raid alert system when a North Korean missile flew across the inter-Korean sea border toward Ulleung Island last week before crashing near South Kor

Former President Moon Jae-in has notified the South Korean government of his intent to return the dogs that were gifted to him by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un back to the state. Moon on Saturday relayed his decision to the Ministry of Interior and Safety that he wishes to return a pair of dogs and their puppy that he was taking care of since May, according to local reports on Monday. Of the three dogs, a pair, Gomi and Songang, were given to the former president by the North Korean leader dur

Yoon strongly criticizes police and hints at major revamping of police

President Yoon Suk-yeol apologized to the nation Monday for the deadly Itaewon crowd crush, saying he will ensure a thorough investigation into the tragedy and hold those responsible to account. Yoon issued the apology during a meeting held to review crowd control and other safety regulations in the wake of the tragedy that killed 156 people on Oct. 29. "I dare not compare myself to the parents who lost their sons and daughters, but as the president who should protect the people's lives and

Candlelight vigils honoring the 156 people killed in the Itaewon crowd surge were held across South Korea over the weekend, with some gathering thousands of people. While the events were to commemorate the dead, some participants held signs calling for President Yoon Suk-yeol to step down and appeared focused on delivering a rebuke to the current administration. On Saturday, thousands of people gathered in central Seoul, paying tribute to the Itaewon victims and clutching white candles. Contrast