my timesThe Korea Times
lhj

Lee Hyo-jin

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.

Go to Email

Read more

Politics

PPP faces candidate shortage for local elections as heavyweights skip primaries

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is facing growing strain ahead of the June 3 local elections after several political heavyweights opted out of the party’s primary races, potentially weakening its chances against the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). According to the party's primary registration list that was finalized Sunday night, candidate sign-ups were weak across key regions, including the Seoul metropolitan area and South Chungcheong Province. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, considered one of the party's most prominent figures, opted out of the PPP's Seoul mayoral primary. His announcement, made just hours before the registration deadline, came as a surprise to many as he previously hinted he would seek a fifth term. His decision comes amid a widening rift with the PPP leadership. Oh has publicly urged PPP chairman Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok to clarify the party’s political direction and distance its leadership from supporters of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his martial law debacle, saying it would improve the party’s chances in local elections. Rep. Na Kyung-won, a

Mar 9, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
PPP faces candidate shortage for local elections as heavyweights skip primaries
Defense

Korea, US kick off major spring drills amid speculation over Patriot redeployment

Korea and the United States kicked off their major spring joint Freedom Shield exercise Monday amid speculation that U.S. Forces Korea's (USFK) Patriot missiles have been deployed to the Middle East as regional tensions rise. The 11-day exercise, which runs through March 19, involves about 18,000 personnel and incorporates lessons drawn from recent wars to reflect evolving and realistic threats in its operational scenarios, according to Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. With Seoul and Washington accelerating efforts to transfer wartime operational control to Korea, this year's drills are also expected to focus on assessing and verifying whether conditions for the transition have been met. The exercise comes amid rising indications that Patriot missile systems operated by USFK have been redeployed to the Middle East, as demand for interceptor missiles and air defense systems grows following the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Several U.S. military transport aircraft have been seen arriving at and departing from a U.S. air base in Pyeongtaek, just south of Seoul, in recent days, fueling

Mar 9, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea, US kick off major spring drills amid speculation over Patriot redeployment
Global Community

Seoul immigration to bring on-campus services to 27 universities

International students in Seoul will be spared long lines at immigration offices this month as authorities plan to offer registration services directly on university campuses through an on-site visit program. The Seoul Immigration Office and its Sejongno branch will visit 27 universities that have large numbers of foreign students from March 9 to April 9, Yonhap News Agency reported Friday. The measure is intended to reduce crowds at immigration offices, where international students typically gather early in the semester to complete foreign resident registration and other administrative procedures. Immigration officials will visit campuses to process fingerprint registration and other documents required for foreign resident registration. The Seoul Immigration Office will visit 19 universities where around 4,000 international students are enrolled, including Seoul National University on March 11, Konkuk University on March 17 and Hanyang University on March 18. The Sejongno branch will operate similar services at eight universities where about 2,800 foreign students are enrolled, including

Mar 6, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Seoul immigration to bring on-campus services to 27 universities
Defense

USFK may send Patriot missiles to Middle East

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) may be or is suspected of preparing to deploy some of its Patriot batteries to the Middle East, as tensions escalate following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Korean authorities are closely monitoring the situation and have not ruled out the possibility that USFK assets could be moved to the region. According to local reports, USFK recently relocated several Patriot missile defense launchers and interceptors from other U.S. bases in Korea to Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. In addition to the missile batteries already stationed there, additional equipment was deployed as of Thursday, noticeably increasing the number of launchers at the base. U.S. military transport aircraft, including C-17 and C-5 cargo planes, were also spotted at the site on the same day. The C-17 was previously used to transport two USFK Patriot batteries to the Middle East between March and April last year, just months before Washington carried out airstrikes on Iran in June under Operation Midnight Hammer. The two Patriot units returned to Korea in October. The developments come

Mar 6, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
USFK may send Patriot missiles to Middle East
Foreign Affairs

'We will do our utmost to avoid Iran becoming North Korea,' says Israeli envoy to Seoul

Israeli Ambassador to South Korea Rafael Harpaz on Thursday defended ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as a necessary measure to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal akin to North Korea’s, portraying Pyongyang’s nuclear buildup as a stark warning to the international community. Speaking at a press briefing in Seoul, Harpaz said the operation against Iran was aimed primarily at halting its nuclear and ballistic missile programs before they reach what he described as an irreversible stage. "Our goal is that Iran won’t have nuclear weapons, as it happened to North Korea. We will do our utmost to avoid Iran from becoming North Korea," the envoy said. Harpaz drew parallels between Iran's current nuclear ambitions and North Korea's past nuclear development, arguing that international inaction decades ago allowed Pyongyang to advance its nuclear program. "We learned the lessons from what happened here around 1994," Harpaz said, referring to the first North Korean nuclear crisis, when the United States considered a surgical strike on Pyongyang's nuclear facilities. "I know the

Mar 5, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
'We will do our utmost to avoid Iran becoming North Korea,' says Israeli envoy to Seoul
Foreign Affairs

Korea moves to assist travelers stranded in Middle East

Korea has shifted its Middle East diplomatic corps to an emergency footing, moving to secure extraction routes for citizens stranded there as escalating regional hostilities disrupt commercial airspace. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday it intensified its coordination with defense and intelligence agencies, scrambling to navigate a volatile security environment for thousands of Koreans currently in the region. Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina convened a meeting with officials from the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the National Intelligence Service, where they weighed different evacuation options for travelers stranded in the Gulf region by flight cancellations. Korea's embassies in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, along with the consulate in Dubai, provided updates on efforts to assist Koreans and discussed ways to strengthen coordination between missions. Kim urged officials to continue verifying the safety of Korean nationals in countries near Iran, where conflict has intensified following a U.S.-Israeli joint s

Mar 4, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea moves to assist travelers stranded in Middle East
Foreign Affairs

US delegation's visit to Korea for nuclear sub talks further delayed by Iran crisis

A planned visit by a U.S. delegation to Seoul for high-stakes security talks has been delayed as Washington grapples with escalating tensions in the Middle East, a setback that could slow negotiations over Korea's push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines and secure broader rights to nuclear fuel. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tuesday, the U.S. side has yet to provide specific dates for the trip, which had been expected in late February or early March. The delay comes as U.S. officials focus on the fallout from Saturday's joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran, which included the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran immediately vowed retaliation, raising the prospect of a broader regional conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is not ruling out further military action, including the possible deployment of American troops, according to U.S. media reports. The postponement has complicated matters for officials in Seoul, where security negotiations have become a priority following agreements reached at an October summit between President Lee

Mar 3, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
US delegation's visit to Korea for nuclear sub talks further delayed by Iran crisis
Foreign Affairs

PM orders review of evacuation flight plans amid Iran crisis

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Monday the government will take preemptive measures, including reviewing plans to deploy transport aircraft for possible evacuations, as Middle East tensions escalate following the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes. "We must take preemptive measures against all possible scenarios. Volatility in financial markets and rising oil prices — risks we had anticipated — are already materializing. The government must be prepared to respond immediately in case the situation is prolonged," Kim said during an emergency meeting on the Iran crisis with relevant ministries. Kim ordered officials to prioritize the safety of Korean nationals in the region, including those stranded in airports due to widespread flight cancellations. He also instructed the finance ministry to take the lead in assessing the concerns of companies affected by the crisis and informing businesses of available support measures. The session followed President Lee Jae Myung's order to establish a prime minister-led emergency response system to address

Mar 2, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
PM orders review of evacuation flight plans amid Iran crisis
North Korea

US strike on Iran dampens prospects for Trump-Kim talks in April

The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation is likely to cast a shadow over efforts to revive diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang, analysts said Monday, as Pyongyang's trust in U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be eroding amid heightened security concerns. The attack, which came amid stalled nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, is expected to reinforce North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's long-held belief that nuclear weapons are the ultimate guarantee of his regime's survival. After the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Saturday (local time), Trump wrote on social media hours later that the Iranian leader had been killed in the operation, declaring, "Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead." The Iranian government later confirmed his death. The latest episode, which came two months after the U.S. government's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, appears to have unsettled Kim. This is likely to lower the chances of a possible Trump-Kim meeting, which

Mar 2, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
US strike on Iran dampens prospects for Trump-Kim talks in April
Global Community

More than 300 adoptees file complaints in Korea's renewed adoption probe

More than 300 overseas adoptees submitted complaints to Korea's truth-seeking body Thursday, marking the first wave of petitions in the renewed state probe into alleged misconduct in the nation's decades-long intercountry adoption program. As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) reopened its headquarters in Seoul's Jung District at 9 a.m., adoptees stepped forward as the first petitioners of the commission's third term. Stacks of documents — including adoption records and applications from 311 adoptees — totaling roughly 50,000 pages were delivered in boxes and submitted to the commission. The TRC, an independent state body mandated to investigate historical injustices, is set to revisit alleged misconduct in Korea's overseas adoption system, which sent roughly 200,000 babies and children abroad, mostly to Western countries, between the 1960s and 1980s. For decades, adoptees and advocacy groups have argued that the government failed to adequately regulate adoption agencies and safeguard the rights of children, allowing abuses to occur with little oversight. Thursday's launch

Feb 26, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
More than 300 adoptees file complaints in Korea's renewed adoption probe
previous page
2627282930
next page

Top 5 stories

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.