The Korea Times

Choo Kyung-ho elected Daegu mayor, retains conservative stronghold

Choo Kyung-ho of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) was elected mayor of Daegu, Thursday, dashing what had appeared to be the liberal bloc's best chance in decades to break the conservative grip on the city. Multiple pre-election polls had shown the race within a razor-thin margin for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), but Choo ultimately won in the June 3 local elections with 53.92 percent of the vote against DPK candidate Kim Boo-kyum's 45.05 percent. “I would like to thank the citizens of Daegu for their tremendous support and choice,” Choo said. "I will never forget the trust voters have placed in me and I will repay it with tangible results.” He also promised to foster unity to move Daegu forward. “I will respect not only those who supported me but also those who chose another candidate, as I seek to bring everyone together and devote all my efforts to the development of Daegu,” he said. He interpreted his victory as “a stern mandate from the people to revive the struggling Daegu economy and restore the city’s dormant potential.” He vowed to strength

Jun 4, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Choo Kyung-ho elected Daegu mayor, retains conservative stronghold

Politics

Choo Mi-ae breaks gender barrier again as Korea's 1st female governor

Choo Mi-ae, a ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate who has repeatedly shattered gender barriers throughout her career, broke new ground again, as she was elected governor of Gyeonggi Province in the local elections, Wednesday. Choo garnered 55.04 percent of the vote, defeating the main opposition People Power Party's (PPP)'s Yang Hyang-ja who received 39.37 percent, in a rare all-female contest between the rival parties. The historic contest drew nationwide attention, as either candidate's win would have marked the first time a woman was elected to lead a provincial or metropolitan government in Korea. The victory marks another milestone in Choo’s career, which has been defined by a series of trailblazing achievements for a woman across the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Among those achievements are becoming the first female judge elected to the National Assembly, the first woman to serve six terms in parliament and the first elected female leader of a ruling party. She served as a judge for 10 years until 1995, when she entered politics after being recruited

Jun 3, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Choo Mi-ae breaks gender barrier again as Korea's 1st female governor

Politics

Cheong Wa Dae eyes Cabinet, aide reshuffle after local elections

Cheong Wa Dae is poised to carry out a broad reshuffle spanning both the Cabinet and the presidential office after Wednesday’s local elections, according to ruling party and government officials, Tuesday. The projected shakeup comes as President Lee Jae Myung approaches his first anniversary in office, Thursday, and looks to build fresh momentum for the remainder of his term. The prospect of a reshuffle has been fueled by growing speculation that Prime Minister Kim Min-seok will resign after the elections to run for the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). The leadership race has already begun to take shape, with Kim widely seen as a likely challenger to incumbent DPK Chairman Jung Chung-rae. Kim’s departure would require Lee to appoint a new prime minister, prompting speculation over potential successors, including Cabinet ministers and senior presidential aides. A chain of promotions and transfers would follow, leaving a number of posts to be filled across the government. “With the president marking his first anniversary in office, he will likely prefer someone

Jun 2, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Cheong Wa Dae eyes Cabinet, aide reshuffle after local elections

Society

Hanwha Aerospace plant explosion kills 5, injures 2

An explosion and fire at a Hanwha Aerospace plant in Daejeon killed five workers and injured two others, authorities said Monday. Under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, executives of the company could face penalties if the explosion is found to be the result of safety failures. Police and fire authorities said the explosion occurred at 10:59 a.m. About 100 firefighters, along with dozens of vehicles and other firefighting equipment, were dispatched to the scene, bringing the blaze under control about 50 minutes after it broke out and fully extinguishing it at 1:07 p.m. The seven workers were conducting cleaning operations to remove explosive residue from tools used in the manufacturing process of rocket propellant, according to a Hanwha Aerospace executive. The plant is the company's key facility producing equipment for the aviation, defense and space industries. The five victims died at the scene, where a blaze also broke out, while the two injured workers managed to escape on their own. One of them suffered severe burns over most of their body and remained hospitalized, while the ot

Jun 1, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Hanwha Aerospace plant explosion kills 5, injures 2

Defense

Korea shows uneasiness over USFK chief’s ‘dagger’ remarks

Korea showed uneasiness about remarks by the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander describing the country as a “dagger” in Asia — controversial wording that highlighted the country's strategic role in U.S. deterrence against China without reflecting its own strategic choices on regional security. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, along with officials from the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conveyed Seoul’s position through respective diplomatic and security channels regarding USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson’s remarks, according to Cheong Wa Dae, Saturday. While the presidential office did not elaborate on Seoul’s stance, analysts interpreted it as an expression of regret that reflected Korea’s efforts to maintain a balance amid the intensifying rivalry between the U.S. and China. “Brunson focused solely on the U.S. perspective, overlooking Korea’s own strategic calculations and its relationship with China,” a researcher at a private defense think tank said on condition of anonymity. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) ope

May 31, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Korea shows uneasiness over USFK chief’s ‘dagger’ remarks

Foreign Affairs

LEE'S 1ST YEAR IN OFFICE President steers through diplomatic headwinds with pragmatic approach

Since taking office about a year ago, President Lee Jae Myung has been navigating diplomatic headwinds with a pragmatic approach, which analysts say has served South Korea well in flexibly maintaining relations across Northeast Asia and beyond. The defining feature of Lee's foreign policy is what he calls "pragmatic diplomacy prioritizing national interests." He has pursued self-reliance over ideological alignment, guiding Seoul in a balancing act at a time of intensifying rivalry between Washington and Beijing, as security and economic issues became increasingly intertwined. Lee courted U.S. President Donald Trump through alliance-reassuring investments as Trump retreated from global leadership under his “America First” policy, while working with Chinese President Xi Jinping to fully restore bilateral ties after years of diplomatic unease, dating back to the 2017 deployment of a U.S. missile shield in South Korea. “I think that President Lee's pragmatic approach has been quite successful … With the U.S. and other Western powers making ideology secondary to national interest in

May 28, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

[LEE'S 1ST YEAR IN OFFICE] President steers through diplomatic headwinds with pragmatic approach

Defense

PHOTO Honoring Canada's Korean War veterans

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Kyung-ryul, left, shakes hands with a Canadian veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War during a ceremony in Victoria, Canada, Sunday (local time). The naval commanders from the two countries paid tribute to Korean War veterans at a memorial site in the city ahead of a joint naval cooperation exercise involving a 3,000-ton class Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy

May 25, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

[PHOTO] Honoring Canada's Korean War veterans

Politics

Policy chief says high rates, prices, exchange rate are ‘cost of success’ in economic leap forward

The presidential policy adviser assessed that the Korean economy is taking a leap forward, brushing aside concerns over the triple burden of costly borrowing rates, high prices and a weak Korean won, calling them instead the “cost of success.” In a Facebook post titled “The cost of success,” Saturday, Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief of staff for policy, said these three factors are not “a precursor to crisis, but friction emerging as the Korean economy enters a new phase.” “While corporate performance is at an all-time high, interest rates and the exchange rate are rising, and housing prices are starting to heat up again, with markets and the media raising concerns about a crisis,” he said. “The problem lies not in the economy itself, but in the framework through which it is perceived,” he added. Kim’s post came as the lower bound of fixed mortgage rates at major commercial banks bounced back above 5 percent, while the benchmark interest rate remains unchanged at 2.5 percent since May last year. The Korean won is weakening against the U.S. dollar, with the exchange

May 25, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Policy chief says high rates, prices, exchange rate are ‘cost of success’ in economic leap forward

Foreign Affairs

Israel releases captured Korean nationals following president’s criticism

Israel has released two Korean nationals who were captured while heading for the Gaza Strip aboard humanitarian aid ships, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. Their release came a day after President Lee Jae Myung criticized Israel for capturing the two as a violation of international norms, while also pointing to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and referring to him as a “war criminal,” in remarks widely seen as unusually direct at the highest diplomatic level. “The Lee Jae Myung government expresses strong regret over Israel’s capture of our citizens following the seizure of the vessels. At the same time, it highly appreciates and welcomes Israel’s prompt release of our nationals,” presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said during a press briefing. She referred to two Korean nationals, each aboard separate vessels seized by the Israeli navy in international waters, one near Cyprus on Monday and the other near Gaza on Tuesday. Kang noted that Lee had expressed concerns over the safety and rights of the Koreans

May 21, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Israel releases captured Korean nationals following president’s criticism

Foreign Affairs

President raises ICC arrest warrant for Israeli PM

President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday Korea should consider complying with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he strongly criticized Israel for seizing Korean nationals in international waters. Lee called their detention “way out of line” as he mentioned the Israeli military’s seizure of Gaza-bound humanitarian ships carrying Korean activists, while receiving a briefing on the Middle East conflict during a weekly Cabinet meeting. The president questioned the legal basis for intercepting the ships, asking whether the vessel had entered Israeli territorial waters or violated any recognized boundary. “There are even minimum international norms, and they are violating all of them,” Lee said. “How belligerent parties deal with each other is not really for us to intervene in, but is it justifiable to seize, arrest and detain a third-country vessel that was trying to provide aid or volunteer support?” The president assessed that the fact that the activists aboard the vessels did not follow the Seoul governmen

May 20, 2026By Yi Whan-woo

Yi Whan-woo

Read more

Choo Kyung-ho elected Daegu mayor, retains conservative stronghold

Choo Mi-ae breaks gender barrier again as Korea's 1st female governor

Cheong Wa Dae eyes Cabinet, aide reshuffle after local elections

Hanwha Aerospace plant explosion kills 5, injures 2

Korea shows uneasiness over USFK chief’s ‘dagger’ remarks

LEE'S 1ST YEAR IN OFFICE President steers through diplomatic headwinds with pragmatic approach

PHOTO Honoring Canada's Korean War veterans

Policy chief says high rates, prices, exchange rate are ‘cost of success’ in economic leap forward

Israel releases captured Korean nationals following president’s criticism

President raises ICC arrest warrant for Israeli PM

Top 5 stories