The Korea Times

Top conglomerates announce massive domestic investments as tariff uncertainties cleared

The nation’s top conglomerates announced massive domestic investment plans worth hundreds of trillions of won Sunday, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and semiconductors, as well as other next-generation growth engines. Their leaders unveiled these plans during a meeting with President Lee Jae Myung at his office in central Seoul's Yongsan District. The meeting took place two days after their business uncertainties were cleared following the completion of a joint fact sheet between Korea and the United States regarding tariffs and security. During the meeting, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun said the group would invest 125.2 trillion won ($86.4 billion) over five years from 2026, which is more than a 40 percent increase from its previous five-year investment of 89.1 trillion won. The investment is aimed at bolstering Hyundai’s research and development capabilities, expanding production facilities and accelerating initiatives in AI, robotics, electrification and hydrogen-based mobility, which Chung said would reinforce the country’s position in th

Nov 16, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Top conglomerates announce massive domestic investments as tariff uncertainties cleared

Politics

Gov’t probe into martial law fiasco ignites fears of political purge among military, public officials

The government’s decision to launch a special task force to investigate military and public officials involved in last year’s martial law fiasco has sent shockwaves through the country’s ministries and armed forces. Officials worry they could be swept into a wide-ranging review of the chain of command and reporting practices during the crisis. The Prime Minister’s Office recently designated 49 central administrative bodies for examination by what it calls the “Constitution-respecting government innovation task force.” Officials of those organizations were, according to the Lee Jae Myung administration, involved in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law imposition last December, although their ranks and degrees of involvement varied. Of the 49, 12 organizations — including the ministries of national defense, foreign affairs, economy and finance, and interior and safety, as well as the National Police Agency, National Fire Agency and Coast Guard — have been chosen for in-depth scrutiny. Each agency must establish its own task force by Nov. 21 and submit its findings

Nov 13, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Gov’t probe into martial law fiasco ignites fears of political purge among military, public officials

Politics

Acting prosecutor general quits in wake of uproar over appeal

Acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok resigned Wednesday amid a political uproar over the prosecution’s decision not to appeal a court ruling in a contentious land development case that potentially implicates President Lee Jae Myung. The dispute centers on the Daejang-dong urban development project, a sprawling plan launched while Lee was mayor of the city of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The project has since become one of the most politically charged issues of his presidency. The presidential office said it would accept Noh’s resignation once Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho formally recommends his dismissal, signaling deepening tensions between the administration and prosecutorial leadership. The controversy over the Daejang-dong development project has escalated into a full-blown confrontation between the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). The dispute, rooted in questions over land acquisition and zoning approvals in Seongnam — a satellite city of Seoul — and its Daejang-dong district, has spilled from parliamentary debates

Nov 12, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Acting prosecutor general quits in wake of uproar over appeal

People & Events

Myongji Hospital chief elected as new leader of Int'l Hospital Federation

Lee Wang-jun, chairman of Myongji Hospital in northwestern Seoul, has been elected president of the International Hospital Federation (IHF), becoming the second Korean to lead the global organization, which represents hospitals and healthcare associations. The Korean Hospital Association announced Tuesday that Lee was chosen during the IHF’s 48th World Hospital Congress held in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday (local time). His two-year term will run from 2027 to 2029. Until then, he will serve in the federation’s six-year executive leadership cycle, a decision-making group consisting of current, former and incoming presidents. Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Geneva, the IHF is a nonprofit organization representing more than 30,000 hospitals and 70 national hospital associations worldwide. It also serves as an official partner of the World Health Organization. Korea joined the federation in 1966, and Kim Kwang-tae served as the first Korean to serve as IHF president from 2013 to 2015. Lee pledged to increase participation in Asia and Africa, stating that he wanted to make the federa

Nov 12, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Myongji Hospital chief elected as new leader of Int'l Hospital Federation

Politics

PHOTO Demolition of boiler towers

Boiler towers No. 4 and No. 6 at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant collapse moments after a controlled demolition on Tuesday, six days after a deadly accident at the site. Fire authorities said about 70 rescuers across eight teams would begin a search operation around the remains of Boiler No. 5, located in the center. Joint Press Corps

Nov 11, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Politics

Lee vows zero tolerance on hate speech, calls disinformation criminal

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday vowed to enforce a zero-tolerance policy on hate speech and disinformation, describing them as “crimes that clearly go beyond the limits of free expression.” The president also directed his Cabinet to introduce swift measures to strengthen penalties and discipline, including the automatic dismissal of civil servants who use discriminatory language. Chairing a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, Lee said that hate speech and false information on social media are “eroding social trust and undermining democracy.” “We can no longer overlook hate or disinformation disguised as opinion,” he said. “Acts that distort facts or violate human dignity are crimes that must be punished as such.” Lee instructed ministers to devise legislative and enforcement steps without delay, and asked police authorities to play a leading role in stopping the spread of false content. He said that the government must “draw a clear boundary between legitimate speech and incitement that endangers the public.” Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho said the

Nov 11, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Lee vows zero tolerance on hate speech, calls disinformation criminal

Politics

Top prosecutor faces internal criticism for 'succumbing to power'

The leadership of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office is facing vehement criticism from within, as well as from opposition politicians who accused the office of “succumbing to power” after its decision not to appeal a court ruling in a development scandal case linked to President Lee Jae Myung. The scandal began in 2015 when a small private developer, Hwacheon Daeyu, allegedly colluded with officials from the urban development unit in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, securing hundreds of billions of won in profits while the city government lost money on the project. At the time, Lee was the mayor of Seongnam. Several people involved in the project were given prison terms and fines for bribery and abuse of power as a result of the most recent ruling on Oct. 31. The heads of the nation’s 18 regional prosecutors’ offices issued a statement Monday to demand that acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok explain why he ordered investigators of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office to not appeal the ruling. The unusual statement addressing the top prosecutor came afte

Nov 10, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Top prosecutor faces internal criticism for 'succumbing to power'

Politics

PPP in total disarray: no renewal, no message, no direction

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is slipping deeper into political turmoil, caught between hard-line supporters and a widening public backlash. Since the martial law crisis late last year under then-President Yoon Suk Yeol of the PPP, political observers say the country's main conservative party has yet to show any signs of reform. It has instead relied on boycotts of parliamentary sessions and government events, along with inflammatory rhetoric and internal feuds that have alienated moderate voters. The party’s boycott of President Lee Jae Myung’s policy speech, its declaration of “total war” against the administration, and a series of verbal gaffes by senior members have reinforced its image as combative but purposeless. Even during last month’s parliamentary audit, the PPP failed to mount a single effective challenge, fueling perceptions that the opposition has lost its political edge entirely. “Today’s PPP can hardly be called a healthy opposition,” political commentator Park Sang-byoung said. “The party is paralyzed by a self-serving system dominated by

Nov 7, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

PPP in total disarray: no renewal, no message, no direction

Politics

Kim Keon Hee admits receiving 2 Chanel bags, denies bribery or ties to husband’s presidential duties

Former first lady Kim Keon Hee admitted Wednesday that she received two Chanel handbags from an individual associated with the Unification Church, acknowledging the gifts for the first time but denying allegations of bribery or that they had any connection to her husband’s official duties. In a statement released through her lawyers, Kim said she had accepted “two handbag gifts from Jeon Seong-bae,” a spiritual figure also known as “Geonjin,” who was allegedly acting on behalf of Yoon Young-ho, a former official of the Unification Church. However, the lawyers added that there was “no collusion with the church and no form of solicitation or quid pro quo involved. Kim also rejected prosecutors’ claims that she accepted a Graff diamond necklace valued at 62 million won ($43,000). “The allegation about the necklace is clearly untrue,” her lawyers said. This is the first time Kim has acknowledged receiving luxury goods since her indictment in August on charges of bribery and stock manipulation linked to Deutsch Motors, a local BMW dealer. She had previously told special pros

Nov 5, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Kim Keon Hee admits receiving 2 Chanel bags, denies bribery or ties to husband’s presidential duties

Defense

Hegseth vows full US support for Korea’s nuclear submarine program

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the United States will fully support Korea’s plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines, reaffirming U.S. President Donald Trump’s prior approval of the initiative. “President Trump has approved this historic step, and I want to reaffirm that decision. As defense authorities, we will, of course, do our best to actively and fully support it,” Hegseth said during a joint press conference with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back after the 57th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul. He added, “There are other agencies involved, including the Department of State and the Department of Energy, and we will continue to coordinate closely with them. President Trump wants our allies to be strong, and the Republic of Korea is a model ally. Because of that, the president has been open to Korea acquiring greater and more advanced capabilities.” The comment by Hegseth, who is also referred to by his government as the secretary of war, came after Trump said on social media last week, following a su

Nov 4, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Bahk Eun-ji

Read more

Top conglomerates announce massive domestic investments as tariff uncertainties cleared

Gov’t probe into martial law fiasco ignites fears of political purge among military, public officials

Acting prosecutor general quits in wake of uproar over appeal

Myongji Hospital chief elected as new leader of Int'l Hospital Federation

PHOTO Demolition of boiler towers

Lee vows zero tolerance on hate speech, calls disinformation criminal

Top prosecutor faces internal criticism for 'succumbing to power'

PPP in total disarray: no renewal, no message, no direction

Kim Keon Hee admits receiving 2 Chanel bags, denies bribery or ties to husband’s presidential duties

Hegseth vows full US support for Korea’s nuclear submarine program

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