President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday appointed Han Byung-do as his senior secretary for political affairs. The post had remained vacant since Jun Byung-hun resigned from the post on Nov. 16, after being implicated in a corruption investigation. “Han has a keen understanding of the president’s philosophy in state affairs. As he has shown during the 17th National Assembly, and as the political affairs secretary, he is the right man for conveying the president’s thoughts to the National Assembly,” Cheo

South Korea’s presidential office on Thursday denied reports it is considering halting joint military drills with US Armed Forces during the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.  President Moon Jae-in gives a speech at an event promoting the Pyeongchang Winter Games held in New York on Sept. 20. During his trip to the US, Moon said that his administration will do all it can to facilitate North Korea`s participation in the games. Cheong Wa DaeOn Thursday, a number of local media outlets

Constitutional Court chief nominee Lee Jin-sung took the stand at a parliamentary confirmation hearing Wednesday, with opposition parties honing in on his views on national security and a controversy surrounding the term of the chief of the court. Lee is the second Constitutional Court nominee to undergo the confirmation hearing process since President Moon Jae-in took office in May. Moon had initially nominated Constitutional Court Justice Kim Yi-su, who was rejected by the parliament, resultin

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan arrives in Seoul on Wednesday for a four-day state visit.The Uzbek president is set to hold his first summit with Korean President Moon Jae-in.The plans for Mirziyoyev to address the National Assembly, however, has been cancelled on request from Uzbekistan. The visit -- Mirziyoyev’s first to Korea -- marks the latest step in the Moon administration’s efforts to expand Seoul’s diplomatic horizons. (Yonhap)Moon will host a welcome event Thursday, which wi

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan arrived in Seoul on Wednesday on a four-day state visit.The Uzbek president is set to hold his first summit meeting with Korea’s President Moon Jae-in. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.The visit, Mirziyoyev’s first to Korea, marks the latest step in Moon Jae-in administration’s efforts to expand Seoul’s diplomatic horizonsMoon will host a welcome event on Thursday, which will be followed by summit meetings between the two sides. As with US Pre

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday appointed Hong Jong-haak as the chief of the new Ministry of SMEs and Startups, completing his Cabinet more than six months into his five-year term.Hong, Moon’s second choice to lead the SME Ministry, was appointed without parliamentary approval. Although nominees for Cabinet posts are required to undergo parliamentary confirmation hearings, the president does not require the approval of political parties to appoint ministers.  Minister of SMEs and Startups Hong

The move to revise related laws to tighten the reins on the National Intelligence Service is gaining traction, with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea set to propose a revision this week. The revision, which the ruling party says will provide legal grounds for suggestions from the NIS’ own reform committee, calls for tougher control of the agency’s budget and the actions of the president and the NIS chief. National Intelligence Service. YonhapIf approved, the bill would make it mandatory to do

The prosecution on Monday raided the office and home of Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan in connection with the National Intelligence Service’s alleged misuse of its covert operations budget. Choi, a four-term lawmaker of the conservative main opposition Liberty Korea Party, is suspected of having received 100 million won ($91,000) from the NIS in 2014. He was at that time the vice prime minister and finance minister for the conservative Park Geun-hye administration.  Investigators remove records from Rep.

Former President Lee Myung-bak is facing increasing heat over suspicions he was involved in the election interference scandal surrounding the military and national spy agency. Former President Lee Myung-bak enters a vehicle at the Incheon Airport after arriving in the country from Bahrain on Wednesday. (Yonhap)Rep. Kim Dong-cheol, floor leader of the minor opposition People’s Party, on Tuesday urged the prosecution to question Lee, accusing the former president of being the root of “accumulated

 The government on Wednesday rolled out emergency response measures following the 5.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the southeastern industrial city of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province.The quake occurred at around 2:29 p.m. some 9 kilometers north of Pohang and a series of aftershocks followed, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. A quake that struck South Korea last year at magnitude 5.8 in the nearby city of Gyeongju is the only stronger one on record.The initial quake, the second

The probe into alleged wrongdoings of the National Intelligence Service continues to expand, once again bringing the integrity and role of the spy agency into question. In the early hours of Tuesday, Lee Byung-kee was taken into custody, becoming the first former NIS director to be detained in the latest investigation into the spy agency.  Former National Intelligence Service chief Lee Byung-kee is surrounded by reporters at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Monday. (Yonhap)Later

President Moon Jae-in called for stepped-up efforts Tuesday to form a regional community among Southeast Asian countries and three Northeast Asian nations including China and Japan. Moon’s suggestion of forming a regional community came at an annual summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as the ASEAN Plus Three. The regional forum involves the leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries, plus the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China. (Yonhap)On the sidelines of the event in Manil

The leaders of South Korea and China on Saturday reaffirmed joint efforts to peacefully resolve North Korea’s nuclear threat, highlighting the recent normalization of bilateral ties estranged by the deployment of a US missile defense system in South Korea. South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping prior to their talks in the central Vietnamese city of Danang on Saturday. (Yonhap)At a summit, the leaders “shared the view on the need to stably manage

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday held a summit meeting with Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, taking the first step in his plans to strengthen relations with Southeast Asian nations. Moon began his eight-day tour of Southeast Asia on Wednesday with a state visit to Indonesia. In addition to holding one-on-one and expanded summit talks, Moon met with Indonesia-based Koreans, and with the two countries’ business leaders. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in (left) and Indonesian President

US President Donald Trump was prevented by fog from visiting the Demilitarized Zone on Wednesday, ruining the surprise that he may have planned for some weeks. US President Donald Trump waits next to helicopters at US Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul, Wednesday, waiting for bad weather to clear so they can try and make a second attempt to fly to the Demilitarized Zone. AFP-YonhapSpeaking to reporters at the White House on Oct. 25, Trump declined to elaborate on whether he planned a visit to the DM