The Korea Times

Korea to offer $27.2 bil. to support local government mergers

The government will provide up to 40 trillion won ($27.2 billion) to support merger plans to turn four local governments into two so-called integrated special cities as part of the Lee Jae Myung administration’s push to strengthen regional development and decentralization. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok announced the plan during a press briefing in Seoul, Friday, saying the government would provide up to 5 trillion won a year for up to four years to each integrated special city formed through administrative mergers. The announcement comes as Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, as well as Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province, are seeking administrative integration, a step that would reshape local governance and carry political implications ahead of local elections in June. “Local governments that merge will be given clear incentives and a matching level of autonomy and responsibility,” Kim said, “Balanced regional development is not a policy meant to favor certain regions but a survival strategy for the country’s future.” Under the government’s plan, integrated special cities

Jan 16, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Korea to offer $27.2 bil. to support local government mergers

Politics

Rift widens in PPP as former leader faces expulsion

The main opposition People Power Party’s internal rift deepened Thursday after its leadership postponed a final decision on whether to expel former party leader Han Dong-hoon, highlighting doubts about the party’s ability to manage its own internal conflicts. The move came despite an earlier ruling by the party’s ethics committee to expel Han, a decision that had already triggered strong backlash within the conservative party. By declining to confirm the expulsion at the highest decision-making level, the leadership effectively slowed the process and drew further criticism that the party is drifting without clear direction. The dispute stems from what has been called the “party member bulletin board incident,” involving posts critical of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife on the PPP’s internal online board. The posts were made using accounts linked to Han’s family members. An internal review found that several of these accounts, all registered under Han’s relatives’ names, were accessed from the same few internet addresses, suggesting the activity may have be

Jan 15, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Rift widens in PPP as former leader faces expulsion

Defense

EXPLAINER What Korea’s 'quasi-fourth service' means for the Marines

Korea’s Marine Corps is undergoing a structural overhaul often described as a shift toward a “quasi-fourth service” system — a term that suggests elevation, but not full independence. The reform does not create a new military branch alongside the Army, Navy and Air Force. Instead, it redefines how the Marines are commanded and what responsibilities they formally carry out, while keeping them institutionally within the Navy. Defense officials say the goal is to correct a long-standing imbalance between authority and responsibility, rather than to expand the force or alter Korea’s joint command system. At the center of the change is operational control — who commands Marine units in peacetime and who is responsible when crises arise. Long-standing command imbalance Although the Marine Corps Headquarters was reestablished in 1987, its main combat units have not been under full Marine control for decades. Since 1973, the Army has had operational control of the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions, leaving the Marine Corps with administrative authority but limited command over its own fro

Jan 15, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

[EXPLAINER] What Korea’s 'quasi-fourth service' means for the Marines

Politics

Death penalty requested for Yoon in insurrection case, ruling set for Feb. 19

A special counsel team on Tuesday sought the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of leading an insurrection through the unconstitutional declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. The court plans to hand down its ruling on Feb. 19. The special prosecutors of the team described the martial law declaration as “an unprecedented and grave act of constitutional destruction.” The request for capital punishment came during the closing hearing of Yoon’s criminal trial, marking a pivotal moment in one of the most consequential cases in Korea’s modern constitutional history. Under Korea’s Criminal Act, the crime of leading an insurrection carries only three possible penalties: death, life imprisonment with labor or life imprisonment without labor. Fixed-term sentences and suspended sentences are not permitted. The prosecutors argued that Yoon was ultimately responsible for attempting to undermine the constitutional order by mobilizing the armed forces and police to suppress the National Assembly. Prosecutors said the actions posed a serious threat to democrat

Jan 13, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Death penalty requested for Yoon in insurrection case, ruling set for Feb. 19

Defense

S. Korea investigates alleged civilian drone incursion into NK

The South Korean government has launched an intensive investigation into an allegation that a South Korean drone crossed the border into North Korea, presuming that the drone, if really from the South, was launched by civilians and not the military. The investigation by the Lee Jae Myung administration is focused on showing Pyongyang that it has no intention to provoke, as it has been desperately seeking a breakthrough in stalled inter-Korean talks. According to the presidential office, Lee ordered a swift and thorough joint investigation by military and police to identify the responsible party, saying that if a civilian drone did indeed enter North Korean territory, it would constitute “a serious crime that threatens national security and peace on the Korean Peninsula.” In a statement released Sunday, the presidential office reiterated that the government had “no intention to provoke or incite the North in any way.” “The military will conduct a first-stage probe, which will be followed by a joint examination with the police. The government will make the findings public promptl

Jan 11, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

S. Korea investigates alleged civilian drone incursion into NK

Defense

Deactivated or not? Differing accounts raise questions about US Army unit in Korea

Conflicting accounts have emerged over the status of a U.S. Army aviation unit in South Korea. A congressional report described the unit as “deactivated.” However, both Korea's Ministry of National Defense and U.S. military officials said no decision has been made. The issue centers on the 5th Air Cavalry Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment (5-17 ACS), a U.S. Army unit stationed at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, which has carried out reconnaissance missions for the combined ROK-U.S. division. Since its activation in 2022, the squadron has operated AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and remotely piloted reconnaissance assets. A report updated on Dec. 31, 2025, by the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS) stated that the U.S. Army deactivated the 5-17 ACS on Dec. 15, 2025, as part of the Army Transformation Initiative, a broader effort to restructure force posture and modernize capabilities. While the CRS language was unambiguous, subsequent explanations from Seoul have created uncertainty rather than clarity. Korea's Ministry of National Defense said on Tuesday it had

Jan 8, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Deactivated or not? Differing accounts raise questions about US Army unit in Korea

People & Events

Quick-thinking high schoolers revive 80-year-old in heart-pounding rescue

The lunch rush was in full swing at a small restaurant in Ulsan when a sudden shout cut through the noise. “119! 119!” Two high school students working part-time in the dining hall looked up at the same moment. An elderly customer in his 80s was sitting motionless at a table, unresponsive. Other diners froze, unsure how to react. Yoon Jae-joon of Daesong High School and Moon Hyun-seo of Hwaam High School, both second-year students, had little time to think. Moon rushed to the man’s side, gently lowering him to the floor and tilting his head back to secure his airway. Yoon checked for breathing, found almost none, and immediately began chest compressions. Without exchanging words, the two divided their roles. After about two minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the man regained consciousness. Shortly afterward, paramedics arrived and took him to a nearby hospital. He survived. When asked later how he had been able to act so calmly, Yoon attributed it not to heroism, but to repetition. His father is a member of the special rescue team at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and had instru

Jan 7, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Quick-thinking high schoolers revive 80-year-old in heart-pounding rescue

Defense

PHOTO Defense minister visits Combined Forces Command

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, center, poses for a photo with Korean and U.S. service members, including Gen. Xavier Brunson, second from left, commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, during a visit to the command's headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense

Jan 6, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

[PHOTO] Defense minister visits Combined Forces Command

Politics

Defense budget backlog stalls payments for discharged soldiers

Delays in year-end defense budget disbursements have spilled over from government accounts into the lives of individual soldiers, with thousands of recently discharged service members receiving their government-backed, interest-accruing savings deposits later than scheduled. The Ministry of National Defense said payments under a government-backed savings program, which provides enlisted soldiers with a lump sum upon discharge, were delayed by around a week for roughly 15,000 soldiers who completed their service in December. Defense officials attributed the delay to a disruption in the flow of defense funds at the end of the fiscal year. The defense ministry said the required budget was transferred from the finance authorities in two installments, with the final installment arriving close to the Bank of Korea’s year-end settlement deadline, leaving little time to process payments. While the government has framed the issue as a temporary liquidity problem, this explanation has done little to ease the frustration among soldiers and their families. On online community forums, the delay was

Jan 6, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Defense budget backlog stalls payments for discharged soldiers

Politics

Lawmaker proposes releasing crime data on foreign residents by visa status, country of origin

A lawmaker has introduced legislation that would require the government to compile and publish crime statistics involving foreign nationals, broken down by nationality and visa status, claiming the need for more precise data to guide immigration and public safety policies. Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the main opposition People Power Party submitted a revision to the Immigration Control Act on Monday that would require the Ministry of Justice to compile and publish comprehensive annual statistics — including border crossings, foreign resident status and crimes involving foreign nationals — broken down by nationality and type of stay. The move reflects a growing push in Seoul for data‑driven evidence as Korea’s population rapidly diversifies. By demanding detailed breakdowns, proponents hope to move beyond generalizations, even as critics warn that such disclosures risk stigmatizing migrants and fueling an already sensitive national debate over immigration. Under current law, the ministry regularly discloses data on immigration flows and the number of foreign residents. But there is no clea

Jan 5, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Bahk Eun-ji

Read more

Korea to offer $27.2 bil. to support local government mergers

Rift widens in PPP as former leader faces expulsion

EXPLAINER What Korea’s 'quasi-fourth service' means for the Marines

Death penalty requested for Yoon in insurrection case, ruling set for Feb. 19

S. Korea investigates alleged civilian drone incursion into NK

Deactivated or not? Differing accounts raise questions about US Army unit in Korea

Quick-thinking high schoolers revive 80-year-old in heart-pounding rescue

PHOTO Defense minister visits Combined Forces Command

Defense budget backlog stalls payments for discharged soldiers

Lawmaker proposes releasing crime data on foreign residents by visa status, country of origin

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