Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik on Tuesday called on the prosecution and police to resolve their bitter feud over investigative powers or face government arbitration. The two sides have been at odds recently over a corruption case involving a senior prosecutor accused of taking bribes from a conman and a mid-sized conglomerate. Kim expressed regret to Justice Minister Kwon Jae-jin and Public Administration and Security Minister Maeng Hyung-kyu, who are in charge of supervising the respective agenci

The independent counsel is considering charging President Lee Myung-bak’s son and several aides as the team wraps up its one-month inquiry into alleged irregularities in a canceled property deal.Lee Kwang-bum plans to announce the result of the investigation Wednesday after Lee refused extend the investigation period by an additional 15 days.Sources said Tuesday the special prosecutor is weighing indicting the president’s son Lee Si-hyung without detention. It may also file charges against sever

Prosecutors have summoned a reporter who revealed a recorded conversation by the chairman of a private scholarship foundation linked to Saenuri Party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye. The journalist, Choi Sung-jin, working for the Hankyoreh newspaper, is accused of illegally eavesdropping on the talks between Choi Phil-lip, chairman of the Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation, and senior officials from MBC. He reported on Oct. 13 and Oct. 15 that they met at the foundation chairman’s office in cen

The special counsel team investigating suspected malpractice in the scrapped retirement home project for President Lee Myung-bak questioned Kim Baek-joon, the former presidential secretary for administrative affairs, on Saturday.Kim returned home at around 12:50 a.m. Sunday after 10 hours of questioning at the counsel’s office in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul.On his way out, the former aide took back an earlier statement and answered “No” to reporters’ questions about whether the Presidential Secu

The government on Wednesday unveiled a set of plans to promote medical tourism with the aim to attract 1 million foreign patients per year by 2020. In the “global health care promotion scheme” the government pledged to support marketing campaigns, ease immigration and investment rules and improve transport, accommodation, consulting and other services for international patients.It also includes measures to help domestic medical service providers expand overseas.The Ministry of Health and Welfare

The Defense Ministry promoted nearly 120 colonel- and general-grade officers Wednesday in a routine shake-up that also affected the chief of the Capital Defense Command and the deputy chiefs of the Army and the Navy.Five Army major generals were promoted to lieutenant generals, including Lt. Gen. Shin won-sik, who was also appointed to head the Capital Defense Command, and Lt. Gen. Hwang In-moo, who was named the deputy Army chief of staff, the ministry said.In the Navy, Vice Admiral Sohn Jung-m

A group of South Korean lawmakers on Tuesday visited Dokdo prompting an immediate protest from Tokyo.Seventeen members of the parliamentary National Defence Committee flew to the islets on military helicopters for a day-long visit, an aide to committee member Han Ki-ho said.The trip ― described as a government inspection session ― was aimed at checking security measures around the islands which are guarded by the South’s coastguard, the aide told AFP.A picture released by the committee showed th

The voter registration of overseas Koreans for the presidential election in December ended Saturday (local time) with the registration rate marking 9.7 percent, or nearly 220,000, according to the National Election Commission on Sunday. The figure is up from 5.6 percent, or around 120,000, in the general election in April.Registration was available at overseas commissions in 107 countries for around 2.2 million eligible voters. As the overseas electorate could play a critical role in the electio