The Democratic Party will push to stamp out fake news by legislating a new law that obliges media to pay punitive damages for the spread of malicious disinformation and misinformation, officials said Friday. The new law the ruling party aims to pass through the National Assembly by the end of this month calls for the payment of compensation three to five times the calculated amount of damage caused by false information in news, they said. The imposition of extraordinary financial penalties was

South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed back to Seoul on Thursday after a weeklong trip to Europe, during which he focused on making clear Seoul's commitment to playing a bigger role in global issues and improving strategic ties with Austria and Spain. He joined a Group of Seven summit in Cornwall, Britain, last weekend as a guest. Moon received an invitation to take part in last year's G-7 summit, scheduled to be hosted by the U.S., as well but it was called off due to the pandemic. Cheong

MADRID/SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that he believes an 18th-century map he was shown by Spain’s Senate library demonstrates Dokdo has always been a part of Korea, Cheong Wa Dae said. Moon, who flew to Spain after a summit in Austria, is wrapping up his three-day state visit Thursday. He began his Europe trip last week with the G-7 summit in England. The map, which was produced in 1737 and is believed to be the oldest one drawn by a European, shows the Dokdo islets as p

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Thursday announced his intention to run for president next year, promising to become a leader to build a strong economy and stamp out inequality. Chung launched his bid for the nomination of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) under the slogan of "Strong Korea, Economic President." "I will be an economic president of a strong Republic of Korea, who fights all inequalities," he said during an event in Seoul to kick off his candidacy. &qu

MADRID/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in said a "very valuable" ancient map he witnessed in Madrid on Wednesday shows Dokdo is part of Korean territory. Moon, now on a state visit to Spain, made the remarks after looking at the "Map of Joseon Kingdom" at the Spanish Senate Library, according to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Moon's mention of Dokdo, the easternmost South Korean islets, came amid rising diplomatic conflict between South Korea and Japan o

The conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has seen an influx of new members, especially those in their 20s and 30s, in the wake of the sensational ascent of young new party leader Lee Jun-seok. According to party officials, some 23,000 people nationwide have joined the PPP as new members since May 12, including 10,000 who joined through online processes. The figure marks about a tenfold increase from the same period a year earlier, which came amid Lee's surprise ascent to the p

Small modular reactors currently under development can help supply energy to North Korea which suffers from chronic power shortage, ruling Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil said on Wednesday. “With the North’s denuclearization as a precondition, SMRs can be a useful way to supply energy to North Korea which is mountainous and has a weak power grid,” Song said in his first speech as the representative of a parliamentary negotiating group since taking office as DP chairman

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) will push to include not only universal COVID-19 stimulus checks and support schemes for small businesses but also special cashback rewards for credit card spending in the upcoming extra budget aimed at fighting the aftermath of the pandemic, the party's chairman said Wednesday. "The DP and the government will draw up the extra budget based on a package of three measures -- additional aid for small businesses hit by (antivirus measures), disaster relief pay

The head of South Korea's ruling party on Wednesday proposed the installation of small modular reactors (SMRs) in North Korea, calling it a useful way to supply energy to the country when it is free from nuclear weapons. "Under the precondition of resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, SMRs could be a useful way to supply energy to North Korea that has many mountainous regions and a shortage of power transmission and distribution networks," Rep. Song Young-gil, chairman of the ruli

South Korea will work toward advancing its relationship with Japan frayed by common history issues, a key presidential official said Wednesday, amid news that Japan canceled agreed-upon talks between the leaders of the two nations during the recent Group of Seven (G-7) summit. According to a Seoul foreign ministry official, Japan canceled a tentative agreement to hold a "pull-aside" meeting between their leaders on the sidelines of the recent G-7 summit held in Cornwall, Britain, taki

Under the leadership of young new leader Lee Jun-seok, the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) will set out this week to pick its new team of spokespeople through a rare debate tournament, party officials said Wednesday. The party will conduct a three-week-long public audition to recruit two chief and two other deputy spokespersons, starting with an official notification of the audition Friday, according to the officials. It is part of a series of sensational campaign promises Lee made r

MADRID -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in received a "golden key" from Spain on Tuesday, as he expressed hope that it would bring big luck to the Korean Peninsula. He also said that he would open the door of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic with the key. The president was given the gift by the mayor of Madrid, Jose Luis Mart?nez-Almeida, during a visit to City Hall in accordance with a longtime tradition for a foreign state guest in Spain. The mayor said the key means that the do

A former South Korean top prosecutor plans to officially announce his presidential bid later this month, his spokesman said Tuesday. Yoon Seok-youl, who has been a front-runner in opinion polls, will publicly “show the result” of his contemplation later in June or early July, Yoon‘s spokesman Lee Dong-hoon told Yonhap News Agency. Lee said Yoon will decide whether to join the main opposition People Power Party after meeting various officials. In the latest poll conducted by

The new leader of the main opposition party said Tuesday that former chief prosecutor Yoon Seok-youl, who has topped polls on presidential preference, should start talking about his ability to run state affairs. “Other than his image of resistance against the Moon Jae-in administration, (Yoon) must answer people’s questions on whether he can run state affairs,” Lee Jun-seok, the newly elected chief of the People Power Party, said in a YTN radio interview Tuesday morning. &ldq

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) said Tuesday it will seek to pass legislation this month to expand alternative statutory holidays. The legislative initiative, if approved, will enable the designation of official alternative holidays for a broader range of national holidays that fall on weekends, according to party officials. Currently, alternative statutory holidays are allowed only for Chuseok, Korea's autumn harvest celebration, Lunar New Year's Day and Children's Day in May in the case th