The Korea Times

PPP stirs xenophobia as Seoul welcomes Chinese tourists visa-free

Members of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) are raising security and public safety concerns, as the Korean government on Monday began a visa-free entry program for Chinese tour groups. They claim the country will be vulnerable to visa overstays and illegal employment of Chinese nationals, especially as major government data networks remain offline following Friday’s fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) facility in Daejeon. Under the new policy, in place until June 30 next year, groups of three or more Chinese nationals are allowed to enter Korea without visas and stay for up to 15 days. Authorities are betting on the new influx of tourists, estimated to add around 1 million extra visitors, to provide a much-needed economic lifeline to the tourism and retail sectors. Upon the launch of the program, Rep. Na Kyung-won of the main opposition party called for its postponement, citing the disruption to administrative services caused by the fire. “Resident registration certificates cannot be issued, internal networks for civil servants are down and even mobile

Sep 29, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

PPP stirs xenophobia as Seoul welcomes Chinese tourists visa-free

Politics

Ruling party pushes through sweeping gov't overhaul, dismantling Supreme Prosecutors' Office and triggering protests

The National Assembly on Friday approved the first major government reorganization bill under the Lee Jae Myung administration, dismantling the Supreme Prosecutors' Office after 78 years and creating new agencies to separately handle investigative and prosecutorial functions. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which together with allied parties holds an overwhelming majority in the Assembly, submitted a motion on Thursday evening to end a filibuster by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). The motion was adopted Friday evening, bringing an end to a marathon debate. The reorganization bill was subsequently approved with 174 votes in favor, one against and five abstentions, out of 180 lawmakers present. Members of the opposition People Power Party boycotted the vote and held a massive protest in downtown Seoul days later. Central to the legislation is the dismantling of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, a central institution in Korea's criminal justice system since 1948. Its authority will be divided between two newly established bodies: the serious crimes investigation o

Sep 26, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Ruling party pushes through sweeping gov't overhaul, dismantling Supreme Prosecutors' Office and triggering protests

Foreign Affairs

Lee administration appoints ambassador to Japan

Lee Hyuk, head of the Korea-Japan Future Forum, formally assumed his post as Korea’s ambassador to Japan on Friday, becoming the first envoy to Tokyo under the Lee Jae Myung administration. Born in 1958, Lee passed the 13th foreign service examination and is regarded as one of Seoul’s leading experts on Japan. He has held key diplomatic positions, such as first secretary, counselor and minister at the Korean Embassy in Tokyo, as well as director of the Northeast Asia division and director-general for Asia-Pacific affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following his retirement from the ministry, he continued to work on bilateral exchanges, serving as head of the Korea-Japan Future Forum, which promotes dialogue among lawmakers, journalists, scholars and diplomats from both countries. According to observers, his pragmatic approach to bilateral issues is expected to align with the Lee administration’s emphasis on practical diplomacy driven by national interests. Upon taking office, Lee is expected to address a number of high-profile issues, including the planned visit of outgoin

Sep 26, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Lee administration appoints ambassador to Japan

Foreign Affairs

Korea steps up pressure on US over tariffs, visa dispute

Korea is intensifying pressure on the United States over unresolved visa issues and stalled negotiations on a $350 billion investment package, signaling that Seoul will not yield to Washington’s demands without protecting its own interests. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said in an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday that Korean companies’ projects in the U.S. will remain in limbo until the visa issue is resolved. “Without resolving the visa issue, meaningful progress is virtually impossible,” he said. His comments came after more than 300 Korean workers were detained in a raid at a Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Georgia earlier this month. The workers were released a week later. Kim stressed that, although the projects have not been fully suspended, difficulties remain. “Many workers will find it extremely difficult to enter or reenter the U.S. until this problem is settled," he said, adding that the visa dispute “has also cast a cloud over the $350 billion investment package agreed upon in July.” He emphasized that workers and their families ca

Sep 25, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Korea steps up pressure on US over tariffs, visa dispute

Politics

Kim Keon Hee becomes 1st ex-first lady to stand trial in Korea’s history

Kim Keon Hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, attended the first hearing of her corruption trial Wednesday, about six weeks after her arrest. Her appearance marked the first time in Korea’s history for a former first lady to stand trial on criminal charges. The Seoul Central District Court permitted reporters to take photos and film her for about one minute from her entry into the courtroom. As she entered, Kim was wearing a navy suit instead of prison uniform — attire allowed for a prisoner who has not been convicted yet. A prison badge marked with the number 4398 was attached to her jacket. During the identification process, as the judge asked her occupation, she answered “unemployed.” She also declined the option of a trial by jury. Kim's detention and indictment came after the launch of a special counsel team in July aimed to investigate multiple allegations involving her. The 51-year-old is accused of participating in the manipulation of Deutsch Motors shares between 2009 and 2012. She allegedly conspired with company executives and financiers to generate around 810 mi

Sep 24, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Kim Keon Hee becomes 1st ex-first lady to stand trial in Korea’s history

Politics

PPP’s street rallies expected to alienate swing voters ahead of local elections

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) returned to street protests over the weekend for the first time in six years, staging a large rally against the Lee Jae Myung administration in Daegu, a conservative bastion in the southeast of the country. The move has drawn criticism from within the party, with some officials warning that reliance on street politics could alienate swing voters ahead of next year’s local elections. PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok led the rally on Sunday in front of Dongdaegu Station, denouncing the president as oppressive and calling for his removal. “We must put an end to Lee Jae Myung,” Jang said, while senior party official Kim Min-su declared, “If his trials resume, his election will be nullified.” Organizers claimed some 70,000 people attended, though participation from lawmakers representing the capital region was limited. The event highlighted divisions within the party. Rep. Kim Jae-sub, a first-term lawmaker from northeastern Seoul, boycotted the rally and said on SBS Radio, “Street protests have little effect and do almost nothing to win bac

Sep 23, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

PPP’s street rallies expected to alienate swing voters ahead of local elections

North Korea

Attention rises over potential Trump-Kim meeting during APEC summit

Diplomatic observers are cautiously revisiting the once-faded prospect for a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, as Kim has signaled his intention to hold talks with the American leader. While Pyongyang demanded Washington drop the U.S.-South Korea alliance’s stated goal of denuclearization as a condition for talks, speculation is rising that Seoul may also take a flexible approach to induce dialogue, as President Lee Jae Myung suggested the North’s halt of nuclear weapons production as the first stage. According to the North’s state-run media Monday, Kim said he sees no reason to avoid talks with Trump, invoking his personal history with the U.S. leader. “I still have good memories of President Trump,” he said at the Supreme People’s Assembly in Pyongyang on Sunday, according to the Korean Central News Agency. “If the United States abandons its obsession with denuclearization and seeks peaceful coexistence based on reality, we have no r

Sep 22, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Attention rises over potential Trump-Kim meeting during APEC summit

Defense

Korea's military faces deepening troop shortage due to plummeting birthrate

Concerns are mounting that a sharp demographic decline could weaken South Korea’s ability to deter threats from North Korea, with the South’s military projected to shrink to roughly 270,000 troops by 2040. According to data provided by the Ministry of National Defense to Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the National Assembly’s defense committee project, Korea’s active-duty military personnel is expected to decrease to 290,000 in 2030, 260,000 in 2035 and 150,000 by 2040. Including officers, the total force is expected to fall to about 270,000 by 2040, down from approximately 450,000 this year. In contrast, North Korea is expected to maintain about 1.13 million troops through its universal conscription system, which obliges men to serve for 10 years and women for seven. Current estimates put the North’s force at around 1.2 million. With little sign of change in Pyongyang’s policy, the gap between the two militaries is set to widen further. The imbalance would leave South Korea below the “minimum planning ratio” set out in U.S. military doctrine, which states that a defending force mu

Sep 22, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Korea's military faces deepening troop shortage due to plummeting birthrate

Politics

US plan for $100,000 H-1B visa fee likely to complicate negotiations with Korea

The U.S. government’s decision to raise the H-1B visa application fee from $1,000 to $100,000 has alarmed businesses, with some fearing that it could complicate ongoing visa negotiations with Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Friday, raising the H-1B visa application fee a staggering 100-fold. The sudden measure, which took effect just after midnight on Sunday, applies only to new applicants as a one-time charge, leaving current visa holders and those seeking renewals untouched, according to the White House. Officials said that the secretary of homeland security may grant exemptions in cases deemed to serve U.S. interests. Nevertheless, the administration defended the measure as a safeguard against the misuse of the visa system and as a means of protecting American workers. “The H-1B program discourages future U.S. workers from entering science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and poses a threat to our national security,” a White House statement read. The H-1B visa enables foreign professionals specializing in STEM fields to work in the

Sep 21, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

US plan for $100,000 H-1B visa fee likely to complicate negotiations with Korea

Politics

Gov’t seeks passage of 4.5-day workweek bill this year despite industry pushback

The government said this week it will introduce legislation this year to pave the way for a 4.5-day workweek, moving forward with a key campaign pledge by President Lee Jae Myung. The plan is part of the administration’s 123 national policy initiatives and is designed to reduce average working hours and increase flexibility in the labor market. At a briefing in Sejong City on Wednesday, Cho Won-cheol, the minister of government legislation, said the government would submit the Reduced Working Hours Support Act to the National Assembly before year’s end. The measure would provide tax credits and other incentives to companies that cut employees’ working hours under the new framework. Alongside the bill, officials plan to revise 66 government decrees this year and send an additional 110 legislative proposals to parliament for review. According to a road map drawn up by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the reform will be implemented in three stages. The first step is the passing of the support law and the introduction of pilot programs within the year. In 2026, the government inte

Sep 19, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Bahk Eun-ji

Read more

PPP stirs xenophobia as Seoul welcomes Chinese tourists visa-free

Ruling party pushes through sweeping gov't overhaul, dismantling Supreme Prosecutors' Office and triggering protests

Lee administration appoints ambassador to Japan

Korea steps up pressure on US over tariffs, visa dispute

Kim Keon Hee becomes 1st ex-first lady to stand trial in Korea’s history

PPP’s street rallies expected to alienate swing voters ahead of local elections

Attention rises over potential Trump-Kim meeting during APEC summit

Korea's military faces deepening troop shortage due to plummeting birthrate

US plan for $100,000 H-1B visa fee likely to complicate negotiations with Korea

Gov’t seeks passage of 4.5-day workweek bill this year despite industry pushback

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