PPP to roll out tax credit for nursing expenses, expand free lunches for older population

Indonesian employees at the Korea Aerospace Industries are under investigation on suspicion of attempting to leak secrets about South Korean fighter aircraft. The incident sparked calls for laws on leaks of confidential military information to be strengthened, the bills for which are currently stuck at the National Assembly. The KAI, the developer for the KF-21 fighters, caught the employees trying to take removable drives containing secret data last month. They have since been reported to the D

Korea allocates W1.17tr to set up extracurricular programs; Yoon says child care is government's duty

The main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday hinted he would launch satellite parties ahead of this year's general election scheduled for April 10, by upholding the current mixed-member proportional representation system. Lee said the Democratic Party of Korea plans to stick with the electoral system introduced to South Korea ahead of the previous general election in 2020, which critics lambasted for failing to serve its purpose of supporting minor parties. The system was initially ad

South Korea's public agency for defense acquisition and its Saudi counterpart agreed to expand cooperation between the two countries' defense industries Sunday. According to South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on developing partnerships between the defense industries of South Korea and Saudi Arabia. Under the MOU, South Korea and Saudi Arabia will form a working group for jointly developing and manufacturing

Ex-President Park Geun-hye held a book event for her autobiography in Daegu on Monday afternoon, fueling speculations that the disgraced former leader of South Korea is seeking to make a comeback as an influential figure in the country's politics. Park addressed the public during the event's Q&A at a hotel in Suyeong-gu in the city of Daegu -- her birthplace, where she still has sizeable support despite having been impeached and convicted on 16 charges of corruption in 2018. She ta

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods Proposed by Rep. Park Dae-chul (People Power Party) ● Food manufacturing companies have begun to reduce product volume or alter ingredient content in response to rising prices. To ensure consumers are informed of such changes, this amendment requires companies to indicate changes in product volumes or content on the packaging. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Restriction on Special Cases Concerning T

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday recorded a New Year's interview with public broadcaster KBS, his office said, as all eyes are on what he will say regarding allegations his wife accepted a luxury handbag as a gift in 2022. The filming took place at the presidential office in Seoul, the office said in a notice to reporters, without elaborating. The interview will reportedly air on KBS on Wednesday, two days before the start of the Lunar New Year holiday. Pressure has mounted on Yoon to addr

Ruling party interim leader mulls cutting back lawmakers' salary sparking criticisms of amplifying populist tone ahead of election

The government is likely to announce an increase in the medical school enrollment quota this week to address the shortage of doctors in remote areas and essential medicine despite strong opposition from the medical circle, officials said Sunday. If decided, it will be the first hike of the medical school enrollment quota in 19 years. The current limit stood at 3,058. The government has reportedly been looking to raise the annual enrollment quota at medical schools by as much as 2,000 from the cu

Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the ruling People Power Party on Friday made her first public appearance since being attacked by a teenager last week. Bae, who represents the eastern Seoul district of Songpa, attended a PPP meeting in her constituency Friday, eight days after a 15-year-old boy struck the lawmaker repeatedly in the head with a rock. Bae, who had her bleeding wound stapled, was discharged from a Seoul hospital last Saturday. She attended Friday's meeting wearing a green beanie over her

South Korean opposition Democratic Party of Korea chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung is facing criticism from the families of victims of North Korean abuses and defectors over his remarks “flattering” the Kim Jong-un regime. Lee Rae-jin, whose brother was killed by North Korean soldiers at sea in September 2020, told The Korea Herald on Friday he was “utterly dismayed” at the leader of a South Korean major political party “fraternizing with the criminal regime.” In rema

The South Korean government and the ruling People Power Party on Friday reached an agreement over the Ministry of Agriculture's plan to buy 50,000 tons of surplus rice to use for the international food aid program and to keep the domestic grain price afloat. The newly purchased rice will be sent to African and Asian countries as food aid through the World Food Program, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung told reporters at the National Assembly on Friday. She did not disclose further details. This

President Yoon Suk Yeol is considering holding a pre-recorded interview with public broadcaster KBS as pressure builds to address the alleged graft scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee, according to news reports on Friday. KBS is reportedly considering airing the interview next Wednesday, shortly before the Seollal holiday, or Korea's Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 10. The presidential office declined to confirm the reports as of Friday morning. KBS is currently led by Park Min, who th

The main opposition party on Thursday rejected the proposals from both the Cabinet and the ruling party to temporarily halt the enforcement of the wider implementation of the workplace safety law, which seeks to add accountability for small and medium-sized business owners for serious industrial accidents. The Democratic Party of Korea has decided not to accede to the request for a two-year extension of the grace period for companies with fewer than 50 employees. Following an initial two-year gr