A four-day vote of confidence in the People’s Party Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo kicked off Wednesday, as he called for an all-member ballot to make a final decision on a proposed merger with the fellow minor opposition Bareun Party. The two minor opposition parties have long struggled to gain a foothold at the National Assembly, as two major parties dominate the legislative process. As a way of reaching a breakthrough, the leaders of the center-left People‘s Party and center-right Bareun Party have p

Political parties on Thursday expressed anger and called on the government to come up with a solution, as they reacted to the Foreign Ministry’s task force findings on Wednesday that revealed the former Park Geun-hye administration had deliberately kept secret parts of the 2015 agreement made with Japan on military sex slaves issue. The task force also concluded that the 2015 deal failed to resolve the issue and did not reflect the public sentiment.The main opposition Liberty Korea Party, howeve

A four-day vote of confidence began Wednesday for People’s Party Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo to decide on a proposed merger with the center-right Bareun Party. The vote is being conducted online from Wednesday to Thursday, and by ARS poll for another two days. The People’s Party has about 270,000 members.  People’s Party Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo (right) and Bareun Party Chairman Yoo Seong-min speak at a conference on political merger at the National Assembly on Wednesday. (Yonhap)The question being pos

The divide between political parties over when to hold a public referendum on constitutional revision has delayed the opening of a plenary session, raising concerns that pending bills will be held off until next year.The one-month parliamentary session for December, which was to end Saturday, was automatically extended to Jan. 9 after a plenary session scheduled Friday was canceled.　 First-term lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea urge opposition parties to cooperate on holding a

The presidential office on Sunday confirmed it imported anthrax vaccines this year, but denied claims that it has only vaccinated its officials against the disease.Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Soo-hyun said in a press release that the purchase was planned by the former administration in early 2016 and that this was reflected in the budget this year.  Presidential office spokesman Park Soo-hyun (Yonhap)“The need to introduce anthrax vaccines came after the anthrax delivery accident at the US m

South Korean President Moon Jae-in stressed the importance of cooperation between Seoul and Beijing, calling for joint efforts in dealing with North Korea’s nuclear issues, in an address given at Peking University on Friday.“North Korea’s nuclear tests and missile launches are not limited to South Korea. Its nuclear provocations have raised tension, and threatens not only Seoul but also threatens peace and development of China,” he said in a special lecture to 290 student audiences at the Peking

Incheon Global Campus in South Korea is emerging as a leading global education hub in Northeast Asia, providing education to foster the next generation of global leaders in various sectors. A project led by the central government and Incheon Metropolitan City, the educational complex has the campuses of five universities ranking in the top 100 in the global university index.  (Incheon Global Campus)National and local governments have invested about 1 trillion won ($918 million) in the IGC, aimin

President Moon Jae-in’s ongoing campaign to right past wrongs has put the main opposition Liberty Korea Party on edge. From a first-term lawmaker to party heavyweights, over seven of its politicians have been investigated for corruption or are soon to face interrogation. The latest to come under scrutiny was five-term lawmaker Rep. Won Yoo-chul, who on Wednesday was questioned by the prosecution on the allegation of receiving hundreds of millions of won in illicit political funds from local busi

South Korea’s Personnel Ministry expressed support for personnel reform initiatives pursued by Uzbekistan on Tuesday. Seoul’s Ministry of Personnel Management and Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations signed a memorandum of cooperation on Nov. 23 to promote exchanges and cooperation in the field of personnel administration and mutual development, according to the ministry.  (Yonhap)“Following the recent signing of the memorandum, Korea will assist Uzbekistan with its successful

Democratization in North Korea should be earned by North Koreans, just like the people in the South achieved economic development and democracy, said Thae Yong-ho, a high-profile North Korean defector, in his acceptance speech for a human rights award at the National Assembly on Monday.  Thae Yong-ho. YonhapThe KNA Human Rights Forum and Korean Parliamentary League on International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for Asian Human Rights presented the Human Rights Activist award to Thae, the former de

Former presidential aide Cho Yoon-sun appeared at the prosecutor’s office on Sunday to be questioned over bribery involving the nation’s spy agency during the Park Geun-hye administration. “I will earnestly do my part in the questioning,” she told reporters as she appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office at around 9 a.m. Former presidential secretary Cho Yoon-sun appears in front of Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office to be questioned over bribery allegations, in Seoul o

The National Assembly passed next year‘s government budget proposal of 428.8 trillion won ($394.5 billion) Wednesday, amid objections from the main opposition party which had demanded the reduction of new public service jobs to be created.Main opposition party lawmakers protest the Assembly's unilateral passage of the revision of the corporate tax law on Wednesday. (Yonhap)In the plenary session, 160 of the 178 Assembly members voted in favor of the budget bill, with 15 lawmakers against and 3 a

It is a cliche in Korean soap operas for the vicious and disapproving mother of the male lead to pressure the female lead to “remove” the baby she’s expecting. She soon disappears, struggles through life as a single mom, and later by chance reunites with the man who, after finding out she didn’t give up the baby despite stigma and obstacles, falls back in love with her. All of this is as if abortion were a valid option for women in South Korea. Pro-choice activists hold up banners and images of

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry sent a chartered airplane to Indonesia on Thursday to bring home hundreds of Korean nationals stranded there after airports in Bali were closed due to an imminent volcanic eruption.The Asiana Airline’s passenger carrier that departed from Incheon Airport at 3 p.m. will pick up 276 South Koreans from Juanda International Airport near Surabaya, Indonesia. Asiana Airlines flight attendants bound for Bali, Indonesia, wait to board the aircraft on a special mission to b

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday ordered the Foreign Ministry to consider sending chartered planes to rescue hundreds of South Korean nationals stranded on Bali, as the Indonesian resort island has closed its international airport due to a possible volcano eruption.“Take measures to securely escort Korean residents and travelers in Bali, and review plans such as sending chartered planes,” President Moon said at an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, according to his chief press