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S. Korean presidential office downplays foreign minister's China remarks
President Lee Jae Myung's office on Tuesday downplayed Foreign Minister Cho Hyun's remarks about China in a recent media interview. In a note to reporters, the presidential office said Cho's remarks were meant to deliver his intention to "continue to foster a relationship between South Korea and China to contribute to people's economic well-being, regional stability and prosperity, despite some differences over some issues between the two countries." The presidential office also noted that it wo
Aug. 5, 2025 -
Lee offers condolences to Korean atomic bomb victims ahead of 80th anniversary of Hiroshima bombing
President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday offered his condolences to the Korean nuclear bomb victims, a day before Japan's Hiroshima marks the 80th anniversary of the devastating 1945 atomic bombing of the city. In a Facebook post, Lee wrote, "I express my deepest condolences and sympathy to the victims of the atomic bombing and their families who were caught in the tumult of history and suffered unimaginable pain in a place that was not their homeland but in a foreign land. "The two atomic bombs that
Aug. 5, 2025 -
Natl. Assembly expected to vote on contentious broadcasting bill despite filibuster by main opposition
The National Assembly is expected to vote on a controversial broadcasting bill aimed at reducing the government's influence over public broadcasters Tuesday, when the main opposition's filibuster in the parliamentary chamber to block the bill ends. The main opposition People Power Party launched the filibuster at around 4:01 p.m. the previous day, shortly after the ruling Democratic Party tabled a contentious amendment to the Broadcasting Act during a plenary session. The proposed bill is part o
Aug. 5, 2025 -
PPP launches filibuster to delay DP-led legislation
The main opposition People Power Party launched a filibuster Monday to delay the vote on a contentious bill proposed by the Democratic Party of Korea, denouncing what it called a "unilateral" legislative push by the ruling liberal bloc. The filibuster is the first by the conservative party in over a year. It targeted a revision of the Broadcasting Act, concerning the governance structure of public broadcaster KBS. Dozens of Democratic Party lawmakers walked out of the session as Rep. Shin Dong-u
Aug. 4, 2025 -
New leader of ruling party begins official schedule by paying tribute at national cemetery
The new leader of the ruling Democratic Party on Monday began his first official schedule by paying tribute at Seoul National Cemetery. The DP's new leadership, including leader Jung Chung-rae, and members of the party's Supreme Council paid their respects at the cemetery in the southern Dongjak Ward. Jung wrote a message in the guestbook that read, "I will build a more democratic Democratic Party, a more competent Democratic Party and a stronger Democratic Party to support the Lee Jae Myung adm
Aug. 4, 2025 -
Lee's approval rating rebounds to 63.3%: poll
President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating slightly rebounded to above 63 percent after falling for two weeks, a survey showed Monday, following a recent trade deal between South Korea and the United States. According to the survey by Realmeter and commissioned by a local news outlet, 63.3 percent gave a positive assessment of Lee's handling of state affairs, up 1.8 percentage points from the previous week, while the negative assessment dropped 1.6 percentage points to 31.4 percent. Realmeter exp
Aug. 4, 2025 -
New DP chair's hawkish remarks roil opposition
Partisan divisions in South Korea are deepening as Rep. Jung Chung-rae, the newly elected chair of the ruling Democratic Party, declared he would not work with the main opposition People Power Party until it shows genuine remorse over its alleged ties to former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3 martial law declaration. Following Jung's defeat of Rep. Park Chan-dae in Saturday's leadership election at the party's national convention, Jung said the People Power Party "must offer sincere reflection
Aug. 3, 2025 -
Ruling party faces backlash on tax code revision
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea is facing backlash amid speculation that Friday's sharp drop in the Korea Exchange's main board Kospi may be linked to the Lee Jae Myung government's push to expand taxation to a wider scope of investors to address a tax revenue shortfall. On Sunday, Rep. Park Sung-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party said in a statement that the ruling bloc has "launched a war against individual investors out of nowhere" through the proposed tax code revision, whic
Aug. 3, 2025 -
4-term lawmaker Jung elected new Democratic Party chief
Four-term lawmaker Jung Chung-rae was elected the new head of the ruling Democratic Party on Saturday. Jung, 60, earned 61.74 percent of the votes in the national party convention held at KINTEX in Goyang, northwest of Seoul. Jung is succeeding Lee Jae Myung as DP's leader, after Lee was elected president in June. Rep. Park Chan-dae finished a distant second at 38.26 percent. Votes cast by DP delegates (accounting for 15 percent) and dues-paying members (55 percent), and a public poll (30 percen
Aug. 2, 2025 -
Lee to go on weeklong summer vacation
President Lee Jae Myung’s weeklong summer vacation will start this weekend, during which he will spend his time at the presidential resort on an island located near the southern city of Geoje, his office said Friday. Lee’s official vacation period is from Aug. 4 to 8, but it will start from Saturday. At the historic resort on Jeodo Island, he plans to reflect on the country’s political situation and take time to “recharge by reading books and watching movies,” the presidential office said. Lee p
Aug. 1, 2025 -
Pro-labor, broadcast reform bills to be put to vote next week
Several contentious bills, including one pro-labor bill and three aimed at reducing government influence over public broadcasters, will be put to a vote at the National Assembly next week after a parliamentary standing committee approved them on Friday. The Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, led by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, voted in favor of passing the three broadcasting bills and the pro-labor bill dubbed the “Yellow Envelope Law” during a meeting. All four bills are s
Aug. 1, 2025 -
Special counsel fails to execute detention warrant for ex-President Yoon
A special counsel team failed to execute a detention warrant for jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday due to his "adamant refusal" after he repeatedly snubbed summonses. Assistant special counsel Moon Hong-ju, and a prosecutor and an investigator from special counsel Min Joong-ki's team arrived earlier in the day at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, where Yoon has been held since last month. They withdrew about two hours later, saying they had gone as far as
Aug. 1, 2025 -
Special counsel team begins executing detention warrant for ex-President Yoon
A special counsel team arrived at a prison Friday to execute a detention warrant for jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol after he repeatedly snubbed summonses. Assistant special counsel Moon Hong-ju was joined by a prosecutor and an investigator from special counsel Min Joong-ki's team as he entered Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, where Yoon has been held since last month. The team will attempt to bring Yoon out of his cell and take him for questioning over allegat
Aug. 1, 2025 -
Lee calls for building next-generation power grid with focus on renewable energy
President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for establishing a next-generation power grid as he underscored the importance of shifting the country's power supply infrastructure to one that centers on renewable energy. "Energy transition has become an essential task," Lee said as he presided over a meeting of senior presidential aides. "On top of an artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, the supply of renewable energy through power grid improvement has become very urgent." Lee instructed the gov
July 31, 2025 -
Court grants forcible summons as detained Yoon refuses to cooperate in wife's probe
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, already in custody over the martial law fiasco, is now facing another arrest warrant, this time to force him to appear for questioning in an investigation into his wife, Kim Keon Hee. The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday approved the warrant after Yoon failed to appear for questioning on both Tuesday and Wednesday without providing a valid reason. He is currently being held at the Seoul Detention Center. In response to the former president's refusal to coo
July 31, 2025