The Korea Times

Ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee indicted over corruption charges

A special counsel team on Friday indicted Kim Keon Hee, wife of impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol, on charges of political fund violations, stock manipulation and bribery. This is the first time in Korea’s history that the spouse of a former president has been indicted. She also became the first presidential spouse to be arrested when she was put behind bars on Aug. 12. Following Friday’s decision, both Yoon and Kim are set to face trial. Yoon was already arrested and indicted over his insurrection charges in connection with his martial law imposition in December 2024. According to the probe team, Kim faces three major charges. First, she allegedly took part in a stock manipulation scheme involving Deutsch Motors between 2010 and 2012, earning illicit profits of 810 million won ($582,552). Second, between 2021 and 2022, she and Yoon allegedly had political broker Myung Tae-gyun conduct opinion polls without paying fees worth 2.7 billion won. Finally, she allegedly accepted luxury goods, including a diamond necklace and Chanel handbags, valued at around 800 million won, from th

Aug 29, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee indicted over corruption charges

North Korea

Kim Jong-un and S. Korean Assembly speaker may cross paths in China

As North Korean leader Kim Jong-un prepares to attend China’s Victory Day celebration on Wednesday, speculation is mounting over whether he could cross paths with Woo Won-shik, South Korea’s National Assembly speaker, who will also be in Beijing for the event. It would mark the first time under President Lee Jae Myung that senior figures from both Koreas appear on the same stage. The ceremony, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Asia, is expected to draw more than two dozen heads of state, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. For Kim, it will be his first multilateral appearance in six years, after a stretch of intense focus on ties with Moscow. Beijing initially inquired about the attendance of South Korea’s president, but Seoul, after consultations with Washington and wary of sending mixed signals about alliance priorities, chose to send the Assembly speaker instead. The decision puts him in the unusual position of sharing a stage with the North's leader. Although a handshake would carry great symbolic significance, anal

Aug 28, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Kim Jong-un and S. Korean Assembly speaker may cross paths in China

People & Events

Remains of Korean War soldier killed on Armistice Day reunited with daughter

On the day the armistice halted the Korean War in July 1953, Army Sgt. Kim Geum-deuk, just 28, was killed in battle. Seven decades later, his remains have finally returned home, giving his only daughter a long-awaited chance to meet the father she barely knew and to reckon with a loss that has shadowed her entire life. Born in 1925 in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, Kim was the fifth of seven siblings. In 1951, amid the war, he and his wife welcomed their daughter, Soon-im. Two years later, he left his young family behind and enlisted in the 7th Division of the Army. He was deployed to the front lines and took part in the bloody Battle of Jeokgeunsan and Samhyeon in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. This clash saw two South Korean divisions fighting four Chinese divisions in a desperate struggle to stabilize the line. On July 27, 1953 — the very day the armistice was signed — Kim was killed in action. His bravery was recognized posthumously in 1963 with the Hwarang Order of Military Merit. Last November, the Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification (MAKRI), part of the Ministry of N

Aug 27, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Remains of Korean War soldier killed on Armistice Day reunited with daughter

Foreign Affairs

After summit, questions remain on defense costs, alliance and N. Korea

The first summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump concluded without incident, defying expectations of friction. After nearly two hours of talks at the White House, the two leaders presented a cordial front. However, analysts noted that significant questions remain unresolved, from how much Seoul will increase its defense spending to whether reshaping the bilateral alliance could eventually mean fewer American troops on the Korean Peninsula. Equally uncertain is how North Korea will respond to Trump’s pledge to reengage. For now, analysts said, the absence of explicit demands from Trump was significant in itself. Many had expected him to present Seoul with a hefty security bill to maintain the 28,500 American troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula, either by pressing for higher cost-sharing or by raising the prospect of reductions. But no such moment ever came. Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, said the outcome was better than many had anticipated. “This summit took place on an uneven playing field, so [South]

Aug 27, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

After summit, questions remain on defense costs, alliance and N. Korea

Foreign Affairs

SUMMIT Trump floats US ownership of bases in Korea, challenging decades-old pact

U.S. President Donald Trump caused a stir during his first summit with President Lee Jae Myung on Monday by suggesting that Washington could seek ownership of land used for American bases in Korea. This remark, made at the White House, marked a sharp break from the agreement that has long governed the U.S. military on the peninsula for decades. When asked whether he would consider reducing the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, Trump declined to provide a direct answer. “Well, I don’t want to say that now, because we’ve been friends and we’re friends,” he told reporters. He then moved on to the issue of bases, adding, “They would say, 'but we gave you land.' I said, 'no, you didn’t. You lease us land.' There’s a big difference between giving and leasing. Maybe one of the things I’d like to do is ask them to give us ownership of the land where we have the big fort.” His use of the word "fort" underscored Trump's blunt style when it comes to framing alliance matters. This remark stands in contrast to decades of bilateral agreements, including the Mutual Def

Aug 26, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

[SUMMIT] Trump floats US ownership of bases in Korea, challenging decades-old pact

Defense

Military eyes updated drone playbook for new era of warfare

Facing a rapid evolution in aerial combat, Korea's military has begun drafting a unified playbook for drone warfare in a move that signals a fundamental shift in its strategy for future conflicts. The initiative aims to replace the disparate instructions currently used by each branch with a single, standardized manual for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Officials announced on Monday that the Drone Operations Command has been designated as the lead research body to draft the joint drone operations manual. The command has launched a preliminary study lasting three months to gather case studies and technical data from Korea and abroad, with the aim of establishing a comprehensive set of instructions. “Recent conflicts, including the war between Russia and Ukraine, have highlighted the growing role of drones in modern warfare,” an official from the command said. “We are now in the early research stage to prepare for establishing a full manual.” The move to standardize drone operations comes as Korea faces growing unconventional threats from its neighbor to the north, whi

Aug 25, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Military eyes updated drone playbook for new era of warfare

Politics

Ceremony held to celebrate launch of Lee gov’t with citizens

President Lee Jae Myung celebrated the beginning of his administration in a special ceremony Friday, presenting a pledge to keep citizens at the heart of his government. Held at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul in the evening, the event was organized after Lee’s inauguration on June 4 took place without the usual ceremony inviting dignitaries from home and abroad as well as citizens. Lee took office just one day after winning the snap presidential election, without the customary two-month transition period. The presidential office said the ceremony, in which citizens “appointed” the president, was designed to be “a festival where citizens, as the true holders of sovereignty, appoint the president themselves.” While thousands of citizens attended, 80 people from across the country, representing fields ranging from science and medicine to agriculture, the arts and grassroots leadership, presented Lee with symbolic “letters of appointment.” These letters took the form of illuminated plaques, which were placed inside a large cube at the center of the square. Each plaque rep

Aug 15, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Ceremony held to celebrate launch of Lee gov’t with citizens

Politics

Poll finds more Koreans oppose than support Cho Kuk pardon

A recent poll shows that public opinion remains deeply divided over the special pardon granted to Cho Kuk, former leader of the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, on Liberation Day, with opposition outweighing support. Announced by President Lee Jae Myung on Monday, the pardon restored Cho’s political rights upon his release at midnight on Friday. A Gallup Korea survey of 1,007 adults nationwide, conducted for three days starting Tuesday, found that 43 percent supported Cho’s pardon, while 48 percent opposed it. Nine percent withheld their judgement. By age group, support was highest among people in their 40s at 58 percent and those in their 50s at 59 percent. However, among young people aged 18 to 29, 50 percent were against the pardon. Of those in their 30s, 62 percent were opposed, while among people in their 60s, 54 percent opposed. For those aged 70 or older, 56 percent were opposed. Politically, 72 percent of progressives supported the pardon, while 75 percent of conservatives opposed it. Among moderates, half opposed the pardon compared to 43 percent who supported it, and un

Aug 15, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Poll finds more Koreans oppose than support Cho Kuk pardon

Politics

Cho Kuk to be freed at midnight, sparking widespread speculation over party merger

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, who later led the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, is set to be released at midnight on Friday under a special Liberation Day presidential pardon, which will also reinstate his political rights. Having served roughly eight months of his two-year prison sentence, he will leave Seoul Southern Detention Center at midnight, with politicians and analysts eager to hear his first public comments. Talk of Cho’s political comeback is already fueling intense speculation at the National Assembly and beyond. He is being touted not only as a possible candidate in the mayoral elections in Seoul or Busan, but also as a potential long-term presidential contender within the wider liberal bloc. According to a party official, he will initially spend time with his family and close associates before formally rejoining the Rebuilding Korea Party. His first official move is expected to be filing the paperwork to reinstate his membership, paving the way for a comeback as party leader. The party has already shortened the term of all its current Supreme Council members an

Aug 14, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Cho Kuk to be freed at midnight, sparking widespread speculation over party merger

Politics

Lee gov't aims to reclaim wartime OPCON by 2030

The Lee Jae Myung administration will seek to reclaim wartime operational control (OPCON) of the military from the U.S. within the next five years, establishing the goal as a key part of its foreign and security policy, according to its five-year policy road map announced Wednesday. The blueprint links this initiative to a broader strategy of pragmatic diplomacy and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, as well as to strengthening the country’s defense industry to enable it to become one of the world's top four arms exporters. The goals were announced by the State Affairs Planning Committee, a de facto transition team for the Lee administration following the snap election resulting from former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. Since its launch on June 16, the committee has held a series of discussions to come up with a road map outlining five national objectives, 23 strategic initiatives and 123 key policy tasks developed from Lee’s campaign pledges. Hong Hyun-ik, vice president of the Institute of Democracy who led the committee’s foreign and security affairs division, sai

Aug 13, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Bahk Eun-ji

Read more

Ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee indicted over corruption charges

Kim Jong-un and S. Korean Assembly speaker may cross paths in China

Remains of Korean War soldier killed on Armistice Day reunited with daughter

After summit, questions remain on defense costs, alliance and N. Korea

SUMMIT Trump floats US ownership of bases in Korea, challenging decades-old pact

Military eyes updated drone playbook for new era of warfare

Ceremony held to celebrate launch of Lee gov’t with citizens

Poll finds more Koreans oppose than support Cho Kuk pardon

Cho Kuk to be freed at midnight, sparking widespread speculation over party merger

Lee gov't aims to reclaim wartime OPCON by 2030

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