Solar power projects carried out during the Moon Jae-in administration appear likely to come under the scrutiny of law enforcement, raising speculations of a more far-reaching probe aimed at the previous government. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, President Yoon Suk-yeol said that alleged irregularities in solar power projects will be processed through the “standard legal system,” saying that the developments were “deplorable.” “The people’s taxes should be

President Yoon Suk-yeol will meet US President Joe Biden and Japan's leader Fumio Kishida bilaterally on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the presidential office confirmed Thursday. Yoon will depart Sunday for a seven-day trip to the UK, the US and Canada. After attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London on Monday, Yoon will fly to New York to attend the 77th UN General Assembly. Kim Tae-hyo, the first deputy director of the National Security Office, told rep

They can be charged with violating public goods or trespassing but not defamation

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday condemned recent findings that 261.6 billion won ($187.5 million) of government money was misappropriated under a power project pursued under the previous Moon administration. Speaking to reporters as he arrived for work, Yoon called the findings by the Office of Government Policy Coordination under the prime minister "deplorable" and suggested the need for legal consequences. "It's truly deplorable that taxpayers' precious money, whic

The Constitutional Court was to hold an open hearing Thursday on whether the National Security Act is constitutional, the first public hearing on the law enacted during the Cold War in response to threats from communist North Korea. The case follows a total of 11 petitions filed by individuals and district courts challenging the anti-communist law that was enacted in late 1948 in the height of ideological rivalries between the democratic South Korea and the communist North Korea. The law aims to

New polls have shown a strong lead for main opposition Democratic Party of Korea chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung among voters on the left, while voters on the right did not have a clear favorite. In a Sept. 8-9 poll of 1,004 South Koreans aged 18 and older, conducted by polling company Next Research, 69.7 percent of liberal voters said they wanted Lee to run in the next presidential election. Lee enjoyed overwhelming support in the poll, ahead by a far margin over former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon u

Yoon Jong-in, the chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, has tendered his resignation about a year before his three-year term ends next year, officials said Wednesday. Appointed by former President Moon Jae-in, Yoon took office as the inaugural chairperson of the then newly established PIPC in August 2020. His term was to end in August 2023. He recently submitted a letter of resignation, commission officials said without elaborating. The ruling People Power Party has urge

The police transferred the case of main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday to the prosecution, on charges of third-party bribery connected to the Seongnam FC sponsorship scandal. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency handed over the results of a supplementary investigation to the prosecution, in which the provincial police agency found Lee guilty of offering bribes to a third party. This was a reversal of the results of the previous investigation by the Bu

Former President Lee Myung-bak, who has been out of prison for health problems, plans to file a request with the prosecution that the suspension of his prison sentence be extended, a lawyer said Tuesday. Lee was released from prison in late June after the prosecution suspended his 17-year prison sentence for three months due to chronic illnesses, including diabetes. The suspension is scheduled to expire later this month. Lee plans to file a request for its extension around this weekend, lawyer K

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday expressed his deepest condolences after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, praising the late queen for showing a spirit of freedom and peace in a changing world. "I express my deepest condolences to the British people and the royal family," Han told a Cabinet meeting. "Through a period of upheaval after World War II, the Queen showed the world a spirit of freedom, peace, service and dedication." Han also expressed hope for South Korea and

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) announced members of its new emergency committee Tuesday, completing transition to a new leadership amid an ongoing dispute with former party leader Lee Jun-seok. Emergency Committee Chairman Chung Jin-suk announced the nine emergency committee members, including Reps. Kim Sang-hoon and Jeong Jeom-sig as well as Joo Ki-hwan, a former investigator at the Supreme Prosecutors Office known as a close aide to President Yoon Suk-yeol. The new members, whose appointm

A proposed bill that bans the recording of phone calls and conversations without consent has prompted a debate on the boundary of privacy in a country where recorded clips of conversations often make headlines in whistleblowing cases and political spats. A group of ruling People Power Party lawmakers, led by Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, proposed the bill in late August that bans phone recordings and conversations without the consent of everyone taking part. Those who breach the law can face up to 10 yea

President Yoon Suk-yeol plans to attend the funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II set to be held in London next week, the presidential office said Sunday. Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday at the age of 96 after reigning for 70 years. The state funeral for her will take place on Sept. 19 at Westminster Abbey in London, and Yoon will attend the funeral, according to a press release by Kim Eun-hye, senior presidential secretary for public affairs. Yoon is largely expected to visit London ahe

The minor progressive Justice Party will adopt a resolution later this month pledging a massive overhaul of itself to win back the minds of the people, officials said Saturday. The resolution will be adopted on Sept. 17 and the party will form a new leadership next month to push earnestly for a set of reform measures, party officials said. The move comes as the party's popularity has shown few signs of recovering from record low approval ratings, a stark contrast with just a few years ago w

It was during the 20th presidential election that the young generation suddenly surged as a tie-breaking vote, making the two largest parties desperate to entice them. The People Power Party focused on male voters in their 20s -- previously a reliably liberal demographic -- with Lee Jun-seok, who was the youngest party leader in the South Korean history at the time. The Democratic Party recruited Park Ji-hyun, a 26-year-old anti-sex crime activist, to shore up its appeal to young female voters.