Prosecutors demanded a nine-year prison term for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who was indicted on bribery charges involving former President Park Geun-hye, at a final retrial Wednesday. The court designated Jan. 18 next year as the date for a final ruling. 　 Prosecutors also demand seven-year jail terms for two other former Samsung executives, Jang Choong-ki and Park Sang-jin. “Samsung is a group with such overwhelming power that it is said that Korean companies are

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug recently urged his counterparts from China and Japan to cooperate to resolve health and security crises caused by the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. In recent videoconferences with Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, and Oshima Tadamori, speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan, Park raised the need for a meeting of the National Assembly speakers from the three nations. &ldqu

As President Moon Jae-in enters his fifth year in office, his disapproval ratings have reached their highest level yet, a survey showed Monday. Moon has recently faced strong criticism over the nation’s vaccine rollout plans and also caused controversy over disciplinary action against the top prosecutor. Moon is poised to drive up his ratings by speeding up the launch of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and carrying out a ministerial-level reshuffle. Accor

Seoul court’s decision lifting the two-month suspension on Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl drew mixed reaction from rival parties on Thursday. While the opposition bloc, including the main opposition People Power Party, hailed the decision, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea expressed regret, saying the ruling undermines the stability of the administration. Choi In-ho, a senior spokesman for the Democratic Party of Korea, said, “We deeply regret that the judiciary‘s jud

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl will return to his work immediately as a Seoul court approved his suit to overturn his two-month suspension. As the top prosecutor won the legal battle, political blows are inevitable for Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, who lost to Yoon twice, and President Moon Jae-in, who endorsed Yoon’s suspension. The second interrogation, which was held two days after the first held on Tuesday, began at 3 p.m. and ended one hour and 20 minutes later.  At around

Land Minister nominee Byeon Chang-heum repeatedly apologized for controversial past remarks after being blasted by opposition lawmakers at his confirmation hearing Wednesday. He also pledged to supply more homes in station areas to address housing shortages. At the parliamentary confirmation hearing, lawmakers from the opposition party called for the nomination of Byeon, CEO of the state-run housing developer Korea Land & Housing Corp., to be withdrawn, saying he does not have “the m

The process of reviewing the legalities of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl’s suspension began Tuesday, with a Seoul court holding a hearing on Yoon’s suit to lift the suspension. The court’s decision could turn the tables yet again on Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. The Seoul Administrative Court held a hearing at 2 p.m. to interrogate the suspension of the order filed by Yoon against Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae. Yoon did not attend. Deliberation ended at 4:16 p.m. The

Hwangudan Altar, located next to the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, is an artifact in the middle of the city, but not many people know it. The altar, which was designated as Historical Site No. 157 on July 15, 1967, was where an emperor performed sacrifices to heaven. King Gojong performed sacrifices to heaven at the end of the Joseon Dynasty when he proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897 after the First Sino-Japanese War.  King Gojong’s declaration of the Korean Empire and

South Korea said Friday it would prioritize frontline workers and people in high-risk groups in vaccinations, but some of them may have to wait until November next year. Yang Dong-gyo, head of the medical safety prevention bureau of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said at a briefing that the government aims to complete the vaccinations before the flu season begins in November. Priority groups include the elderly, residents of group facilities such as nursing homes, chronic

With growing interest in whether social distancing rules will be raised to Level 3 after the daily average number of confirmed cases in Korea surpassed 900 this week, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Friday social consensus should be achieved sufficiently before moving to stricter rules. The government would “make a bold decision” when it deemed it necessary, he added. “We are collecting opinions from related ministries, local governments and experts as we need to quickly

South Korea’s National Assembly presided over the sixth MIKTA Speakers’ Consultation on video Thursday. The theme of the event was “Complex challenges and parliamentary leadership in a pandemic era.” Launched in 2013, MIKTA is a consultative body made up of five middle powers -- Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey and Australia -- that share the core values of democracy and a free-market economy. Since 2015, each of the five member states has hosted one meeting with Korea

To combat concerns about fine dust, especially during the winter, the city government of Seoul has toughened regulations on high-polluting vehicles and construction sites in the December-to-March period. The Seoul Metropolitan Government first launched the winter season fine dust management program last year to lower the fine dust levels of the city during the winter, when they are usually at the highest. This year, the city government implemented the program starting from Dec. 1 and it will

South Korean movie director Kim Ki-duk died of complications from COVID-19 in Latvia on Friday.  News reports from Russia said the director died in the hospital from complications associated with COVID-19. Kim Ki-duk's family confirmed to multiple Korean media that the news was correct and that they had received a call on the day.  According to the sources, Kim arrived in Latvia in the middle of last month. He reportedly lived there with the help of film industry figures in L

Posco CEO Choi Jeong-woo has been chosen for a second term, the company said Friday. The steelmaker’s board of directors unanimously decided to reappoint Choi, whose term expires in March. The appointment is subject to final approval at the company's shareholders’ meeting, slated for March. Choi took office as the company’s ninth CEO in July 2018. It is customary for Posco CEOs to serve consecutive terms.  By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com) 　 　

Audi Volkswagen Group has unveiled its electrification strategy and business plans in the Korean market over the next years. The group said in a digital press conference Friday its four affiliated brands -- Audi, Volkswagen, Lamborghini and Bentley -- will release more than 20 new models next year and eight electric car models within three years in the Korean market. The German automaker plans to increase the proportion of electric vehicle sales in Korea to 11 percent of the total sales b