Ruling Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Song Young-gil was discharged from a hospital Tuesday, a day after he was wounded in a hammer attack during his campaigning for the party's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung. In Monday's attack, a YouTuber in his 70s struck Song in the head from behind with a hammer several times during campaigning in Seoul's Sinchon area. He was immediately taken to a hospital and received stitches on his head. The assailant was immediately taken into police custody.

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol were set to wrap up their hard-fought campaigns with final rallies in Seoul on the eve of the election Tuesday as both sides claimed they would ultimately emerge victorious. The ruling Democratic Party (DP) said the weekend's record turnout of 36.93 percent during the two-day early voting reflected the convergence of Lee's supporters following last week's surprise merger deal between two leading opposit

Civic groups have filed complaints against top officials of the National Election Commission (NEC) over their alleged mishandling of the early voting for the March 9 presidential election among COVID-19 patients last week. The election watchdog came under fire over the weekend following revelations that virus patients were not allowed to put their votes into ballot boxes, and election officials instead collected them in plastic bags and other unofficial containers during the early voting for inf

US President Joe Biden's mentioning of South Korea in his State of the Union address showed his gratitude for Seoul's joining of sanctions on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a senior official at Cheong Wa Dae said Monday. In his first State of the Union address last week, Biden thanked South Korea, along with dozens of other countries, for condemning what he called Russia's "unjustified" and "totally unprovoked" aggression on Ukraine. US officials have since informed the South

Police will deploy a total of 68,786 personnel to provide security at polling and counting stations across the nation during Wednesday's presidential election, officials said Monday. The personnel will be deployed to 14,464 polling stations and 251 ballot counting stations as police will go on higher alert on the election day for possible emergencies, officials said. Police also plan to set up hotlines between polling places and police stations to respond to possible contingencies, and patrol th

The National Election Commission (NEC) decided Monday to allow COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine to put their votes into ballot boxes themselves after an earlier decision to collect their votes in unofficial containers first sparked widespread complaints of foul play. The election watchdog came under fire following revelations virus-infected voters and people under self-isolation were not allowed to put their votes into ballot boxes and election officials instead collected them in plast

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday consoled residents in the eastern coastal area that has been ravaged by a massive wildfire and vowed swift government support for the victims, his office said. He met some of the displaced people at a makeshift shelter in Uljin, 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as authorities mobilized 44 helicopters and 4,000 personnel to contain the blaze that began Friday. Among some 7,400 people who evacuated due to the fire, 1,000 are staying in temporary shelters set up at

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and main opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol are set to converge on Seoul in the homestretch of their campaigns Sunday. With the election three days away, Lee of the liberal Democratic Party will crisscross the capital for campaign rallies in the districts of Dobong, Seongbuk, Eunpyeong, Seodaemun, Gwanak and Yongsan. Yoon of the conservative People Power Party, meanwhile, will start the day in Seoul's eastern district of Gangdong before stumping

The wives of the two leading presidential candidates emerged as a key variable in this year's election as both were hit with embarrassing scandals that negatively impacted their husbands' campaigns. Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of ruling Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, was often seen accompanying her husband on the campaign trail before a major scandal broke over the Lunar New Year holiday from late January to early February. The scandal centered on allegations that an aide to Kim bullied a

The following are key election pledges of South Korea's two leading candidates for the March 9 presidential election -- Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party. While many of the pledges have been officially announced by the candidates and their election camps, some are based on earlier remarks and known views. 〈Foreign Relations〉 -- North Korea and nuclear talks Lee says he will take a conciliatory approach toward North Korea if e

Yoon Suk-yeol has undergone a dramatic transformation from a prosecutor general serving President Moon Jae-in to an opposition presidential contender vowing to investigate the administration's "deep-rooted evils" if elected on March 9. Yoon, 61, rose to prominence as a prosecutor investigating high-profile cases under the previous conservative administration of President Park Geun-hye, including the massive corruption scandal that led to her impeachment and imprisonment. His status ear

South Koreans will elect a new president this week, capping off a neck-and-neck race between two leading contenders whose promises of improved livelihoods and a fairer society were largely overshadowed by scandals and feuds. Wednesday's election has shaped up to be a two-way race between former Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party and former prosecutor-general Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party. Lee, the liberal candidate, has used his back

Early voting for next Wednesday’s presidential election kicked off at 3,552 polling stations nationwide, as the country reported a new daily record of 266,853 COVID-19 infections.  All of the three main candidates -– the ruling party’s Lee Jae-myung (left photo), the main opposition party’s Yoon Suk-yeol (center) and minor left-wing party’s Sim Sang-jung –- cast their ballot in the morning. Both Lee and Yoon were not accompanied by their respective wive

President Moon Jae-in cast his ballot Friday, as South Korea began two-day early voting for next week's presidential election. Wearing a face mask and disposable gloves, Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook voted at a polling booth inside the Samcheong-dong community service center near Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Moon's office said. Earlier in the day, Moon encouraged people to cast their ballots, saying, "As the sovereign of a democratic republic, I hope all people will participate in exercisi

South Korea will provide emergency humanitarian aid of $10 million for Ukrainian citizens and refugees, President Moon Jae-in said after a 30-minute phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Thursday night. “We are on the phone again under a very unfortunate situation,” Moon was quoted as saying during the call, and expressed his deepest condolences to the victims and their bereaved families of the war in Ukraine. “We pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice o