The Korea Times

Gov't considers gasoline price ceiling to curb sudden spike

The government is planning to take strict action against gasoline price gouging, as domestic fuel prices have surged amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, President Lee Jae Myung condemned the sharp rise in retail gasoline prices, warning that attempts to exploit a national crisis for profit will not be tolerated. In line with the president’s directive, the government is reviewing a price ceiling that would prevent gas stations from raising prices beyond a designated level. “Objectively, there has not been a serious disruption to global oil supplies, yet prices suddenly skyrocketed,” Lee said. “I’ve heard that prices differ between morning, afternoon and evening, and that some gas stations have raised prices by nearly 200 won per liter ... It appears some are trying to profit from a national crisis with little regard for the hardships of others.” He added that while it is understandable that concerns over potential disruptions to the global oil supply have pushed international crude prices higher, the sudden surge in retail f

Mar 5, 2026By Anna J. Park

Gov't considers gasoline price ceiling to curb sudden spike

Defense

Iran war raises prospect of shifting USFK assets to Middle East

Officials in Seoul and Washington are monitoring the possibility that, should the conflict with Iran extend beyond initial expectations, some U.S. military assets currently based in South Korea — including air defense systems and other rapidly deployable units — could be sent temporarily to the Middle East, a prospect that has raised concern about readiness on the Korean Peninsula. Military experts interviewed by The Korea Times said a limited redeployment, particularly of air defense systems, could not be ruled out. Still, they emphasized that any such move would likely be carefully calibrated to avoid weakening allied deterrence on the peninsula. Washington has drawn on forces from the Korean Peninsula in the past. Between March and October last year, it redeployed two Patriot missile batteries and roughly 500 service members from U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) to the Middle East. Those units were used to bolster defenses at American installations in Qatar after Iran fired missiles in June following U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites. Given this precedent, experts say Patriot systems coul

Mar 4, 2026By Anna J. Park

Iran war raises prospect of shifting USFK assets to Middle East

Foreign Affairs

Korea, Philippines to expand cooperation in nuclear energy, critical minerals

Korea and the Philippines agreed to expand cooperation on nuclear power projects and critical mineral supply chains, President Lee Jae Myung announced Tuesday, following a summit during his two-day state visit to Manila. Speaking at a joint press conference after talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Malacanang Palace, Lee said the two countries decided to strengthen practical cooperation in the nuclear energy sector. “We agreed to enhance substantive cooperation in the field of nuclear power,” Lee said. “Based on the results of the feasibility study on resuming the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation for the introduction of new nuclear power projects, our two countries will position themselves as optimal partners in nuclear energy cooperation.” Construction of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in 1976 but was suspended in the mid-1980s. In 2022, the Philippine government decided to revive the long-dormant project to address chronic electricity shortages with the goal of beginning operations by 2032. In 2024, un

Mar 3, 2026By Anna J. Park

Korea, Philippines to expand cooperation in nuclear energy, critical minerals

Defense

Korea's defense ministry freezes drone procurement over performance concerns

The Ministry of National Defense has decided to temporarily suspend spending on a budget allocated for additional drone purchases, after it emerged that the country’s Drone Operations Command had sought to acquire two dozen drones that have been widely criticized for poor performance. According to data the command submitted to Rep. Boo Seung-chan of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee, the unit set aside 1.34 billion won ($914,000) this year to purchase 24 small reconnaissance drones. The drone is a domestically developed model unveiled in 2023 by the Agency for Defense Development as part of an in-house research initiative. Within six months, the agency had produced 100 drones, each costing about 30 million won. The model is the same type of drone the command deployed to Pyongyang in October 2024 as part of a controversial infiltration operation, during the presidency of Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative leader who favored a hard-line deterrence policy toward North Korea over engagement. However, because the program prioritized low

Mar 3, 2026By Anna J. Park

Korea's defense ministry freezes drone procurement over performance concerns

Foreign Affairs

President Lee orders emergency response to Khamenei's death

In response to escalating instability in the Middle East, following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Lee Jae Myung has instructed relevant ministries to maintain a full emergency response system. According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, Sunday, Lee issued the directive as he departed for a four-day official visit to Singapore and the Philippines. The president asked Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and the related authorities to oversee and sustain the emergency response posture. “We are closely watching related developments and are implementing multi-layered measures to protect our citizens overseas,” the Presidential Office said in a statement. “We hope stability and peace in the Middle East will be restored as soon as possible.” Lee also ordered officials to provide frequent updates on the evolving regional situation and its potential economic impact, emphasizing that the protection of Korean nationals abroad must remain the government’s top priority. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media Saturday that Kha

Mar 1, 2026By Anna J. Park

President Lee orders emergency response to Khamenei's death

Lee arrives in Singapore to begin two-nation Southeast Asia swing

North Korea

Lee vows to respect N. Korea’s system in March 1 address, seeks end to hostility

President Lee Jae Myung pledged Sunday to respect North Korea’s political system and refrain from hostile actions, saying confrontation serves neither side’s interests on the Korean Peninsula. “As my administration has repeatedly made clear, we respect the North’s system and will neither engage in any type of hostile acts nor pursue any form of unification by absorption,” Lee said during a ceremony marking the 107th anniversary of the March First Independence Movement. He stressed that his government has prioritized action over rhetoric in easing inter-Korean tensions. “Just as we have proactively taken a series of measures through actions rather than words to reduce military tensions and restore mutual trust between the two Koreas, we will consistently do everything necessary to build peace on the Korean Peninsula and restore inter-Korean trust,” he said. Lee also pledged to work toward resuming dialogue with Pyongyang. “We will continue our efforts to restart talks with the North,” he said, adding that Seoul will play a “pacemaker” role by coordinating with the Uni

Mar 1, 2026By Anna J. Park

Lee vows to respect N. Korea’s system in March 1 address, seeks end to hostility

Politics

Ruling party pushes through judicial reform bill allowing constitutional complaints against court decisions

Korea’s National Assembly on Friday passed a controversial bill allowing constitutional complaints against court rulings, after the ruling bloc moved to end a 24-hour filibuster staged by opposition lawmakers who had denounced the measure as a fundamental shake-up of the country’s judicial order. The amendment to the Constitutional Court Act, which brings court judgments within the scope of constitutional complaints, was approved at 7:44 p.m. during a plenary session led by the ruling party. The bill passed in a 162-63 vote among 225 lawmakers present, after lawmakers from pro-government parties voted to close debate. All lawmakers from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) who were in attendance voted against the bill, joined by a few other lawmakers from minor parties. Legislators from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and other pro-government parties overwhelmingly backed the measure. At the heart of the bill, formally an amendment to the Constitutional Court Act is a plan to permit individuals to file constitutional complaints against finalized court judgments un

Feb 27, 2026By Anna J. Park

Ruling party pushes through judicial reform bill allowing constitutional complaints against court decisions

Politics

DPK presses ahead with contentious ‘law distortion’ bill despite mounting opposition

Korea’s National Assembly on Thursday passed a controversial amendment to the Criminal Act, known as the “law distortion” bill, driven by the majority-holding ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). The measure is one of three flagship judicial reform initiatives the party has pledged to advance. The new provision criminalizes the intentional misapplication of the law by judges and prosecutors in ongoing criminal trials or investigations to unlawfully benefit or harm a party. Those convicted face penalties of up to 10 years in prison and suspension from office for the same period. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) fiercely opposed the bill, launching a filibuster on Wednesday and denouncing it as a “malicious law” that would undermine the judicial system. After 24 hours of debate, however, the DPK and other pro-government lawmakers voted to end the filibuster and moved forward with its passage. After passing the Legislation and Judiciary Committee earlier this week, the original draft drew significant pushback, with opponents arguing that it violates the constitutio

Feb 26, 2026By Anna J. Park

DPK presses ahead with contentious ‘law distortion’ bill despite mounting opposition

North Korea

Kim Yo-jong promoted to ministerial level, returns to N. Korea’s Politburo

Kim Yo-jong, the influential younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has been promoted to department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, the North’s state media reported Tuesday — a move that elevates her to a ministerial rank and further consolidates her position within the inner circle of power in Pyongyang. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the decision followed an expanded plenary meeting of the Central Committee held a day earlier. Although the report did not specify which department Kim would lead, analysts said she was likely to take charge of the influential propaganda and agitation department, which oversees messaging, ideology and the personality cult surrounding the leadership. Kim previously served as a deputy director in that office and has long been seen as a key architect of the regime’s public statements and media strategy. The reshuffle also restores Kim as an alternate member of the Politburo, the party’s top decision-making body. She had held a seat there until 2020, and her omission from

Feb 24, 2026By Anna J. Park

Kim Yo-jong promoted to ministerial level, returns to N. Korea’s Politburo

Foreign Affairs

Korea, Brazil to deepen rare earths cooperation under new strategic partnership

Korea and Brazil agreed to strengthen cooperation in critical minerals, including rare earth elements, the leaders of both countries announced following their summit in Seoul on Monday. President Lee Jae Myung and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also decided to elevate the bilateral ties to a strategic partnership. Speaking at a joint press conference following their summit, they said they adopted a four-year action plan. “We will expand bilateral cooperation across a wide range of areas, including critical minerals, the environment, the space industry, culture and small and medium-sized enterprises,” Lee said, explaining that the four-year plan would serve as a blueprint for advancing these efforts. Specifically, the two countries signed 10 memorandums of understanding to enhance cooperation in critical minerals, artificial intelligence, broader economic and industrial sectors, science, public health and public security. Lula underscored the importance of bilateral relations in these areas. “Brazil possesses the world’s largest reserves of freshwater and rare earth e

Feb 23, 2026By Anna J. Park

Anna J. Park

Read more

Gov't considers gasoline price ceiling to curb sudden spike

Iran war raises prospect of shifting USFK assets to Middle East

Korea, Philippines to expand cooperation in nuclear energy, critical minerals

Korea's defense ministry freezes drone procurement over performance concerns

President Lee orders emergency response to Khamenei's death

Lee vows to respect N. Korea’s system in March 1 address, seeks end to hostility

Ruling party pushes through judicial reform bill allowing constitutional complaints against court decisions

DPK presses ahead with contentious ‘law distortion’ bill despite mounting opposition

Kim Yo-jong promoted to ministerial level, returns to N. Korea’s Politburo

Korea, Brazil to deepen rare earths cooperation under new strategic partnership

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