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PPP files constitutional complaint against revision to Criminal Procedure Act

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Thursday filed a constitutional complaint against a recent legal revision abolishing prosecutors' authority to conduct direct investigations, calling it a measure that dismantles the country's criminal justice system. The move came amid concerns that scrapping the prosecution's investigative authority under the revision to the Criminal Procedure Act could conflict with their constitutionally recognized authority to request warrants. "The abolishment of supplementary investigative authority fundamentally undermines the foundation of the Criminal Procedure Act and could result in dismantling the entire criminal procedure system," Rep. Kim Tae-kyu, head of the PPP's legal advisory committee, said as he submitted the complaint to the Constitutional Court. "We believe it is absolutely necessary to raise the issue of its unconstitutionality and seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court," he added. The PPP argued that the revision violates a set of constitutional principles, including the prosecution's authority to request warrants and citizens'

1d agoBy Yonhap
PPP files constitutional complaint against revision to Criminal Procedure Act

PM visits Jeju Air crash site, seeks to comfort bereaved families

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook on Thursday visited the site of a 2024 plane crash and sought to comfort bereaved families of the 179 victims amid delays in recovering the remains and determining what exactly led to the crash and who is responsible. "I am truly sorry and heavy hearted to see you all here," Han said during a meeting with bereaved family members at Muan International Airport, about 290 kilometers south of Seoul, where the Jeju Air plane belly-landed, crashed into a concrete mount and erupted into flames on Dec. 29, 2024. "It is hard to imagine what you have gone through," she said. "As a government representative, I feel responsibility." Han said she is aware that what the bereaved families want the most is to determine the exact cause, adding that the reason the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board moved from the land ministry to under the prime minister's office is to ensure its independence and fairness. Han also offered a flower at the mourning altar set up at the airport. Efforts to recover the victims' remains and belongings are still ongoing. The government

1d agoBy Yonhap
PM visits Jeju Air crash site, seeks to comfort bereaved families

Cities race to host public institutions as relocation push heats up

The government’s plan to relocate hundreds of public institutions outside the Seoul metropolitan area is gaining ground with President Lee Jae Myung throwing his support behind it, intensifying competition among municipalities seeking to host major organizations. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is drawing up a road map for the second round of relocations, reviewing roughly 350 institutions and their affiliates currently based in the capital region. The plan comes after the first round of relocations was completed in 2019. It could be outlined this month or by September at the latest, according to Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yoon-duk. He added that the road map would then be reported to the president. The relocation drive gained further momentum from Lee’s repeated calls to group institutions in related sectors within the same regions. “Balanced regional development is a matter of national survival, so we cannot approach it by simply scattering institutions around,” Lee said in March. At a nationally televised news conference marking his fi

1d agoBy Yi Whan-woo
Cities race to host public institutions as relocation push heats up

Lee's approval rating hits record low since inauguration: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating fell to the lowest level since his inauguration, a poll showed Thursday. In a National Barometer Survey (NBS) conducted from Monday to Wednesday, Lee's approval rating stood at 49 percent, down 4 percentage points from the previous poll conducted two weeks earlier. It marks the first time his approval rating fell below 50 percent in the biweekly survey. The result came after another local pollster, Realmeter, said Lee's approval rating fell to the lowest point since his inauguration in June 2025 in its weekly survey released earlier this week. Realmeter had attributed the decline to several factors, including the government's proposed property tax revision and controversy surrounding a recently passed revision to the Criminal Procedure Act that strips prosecutors of their authority to conduct direct investigations. The new tax adjustments seek to impose a heavier tax burden on owners of high-end homes and homeowners who do not reside in their properties, as part of efforts to stabilize the housing market. Critics, however, have raised concerns that

1d agoBy Yonhap
Lee's approval rating hits record low since inauguration: poll

Lee reportedly holds golf outings with senior opposition lawmakers

President Lee Jae Myung has held a series of golf meetings with senior lawmakers from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), sources said Thursday, in an apparent effort to foster dialogue with the opposition party. Lee played a round of golf in June with six-term PPP Rep. Joo Ho-young, who represents a constituency in the southeastern city of Daegu and served as deputy speaker during the first half of the current Assembly, and four-term Rep. Park Duk-hyum, the current deputy speaker, according to multiple ruling and opposition party officials. All speakers and deputy speakers from both the first and second halves of the Assembly were said to have been invited. Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik reportedly attended the round, while former Speaker Woo Won-shik was among those who did not join as they do not play golf, an official said. The lawmakers are said to have discussed regional issues, including the need to push ahead with the integration of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province. During a press conference marking his first year in office in June, Lee said any further administrative

1d agoBy Yonhap
Lee reportedly holds golf outings with senior opposition lawmakers

DPK struggles with young voters amid policy backlash

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) continues struggling to win over voters in their 20s and 30s, as a series of controversies over housing, investment and criminal justice reform feeds a broader feeling that the party is not addressing the concerns of young adults. While the liberal party used to enjoy larger support from young people compared with the conservative People Power Party, its members, especially lawmakers, are now perceived as presenting policies that make life harder for the younger generations. The latest case of frustration erupting among young people was in response to a suggestion from DPK Rep. Hwang Hee, who last week proposed converting retired buses for use as temporary housing for young people to help provide relief from high housing prices. “If they had seriously thought about what people in their 20s are actually worried about, I don’t think they could have come up with something like this,” said Kim, a 28-year-old office worker in Seoul. “Lawmakers should first ask themselves whether they would be willing to live there.” Hwang later apologized f

2d agoBy Bahk Eun-ji
DPK struggles with young voters amid policy backlash

Special counsel indicts ex-President Yoon over messages justifying martial law

A special counsel team indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday on charges of instructing officials to justify his failed martial law bid to the United States and other major partner nations. Special counsel Kwon Chang-young's team said it charged Yoon with abuse of power in its first indictment against the jailed former president. With the new indictment, Yoon is standing a total of eight trials in connection with his imposition of martial law in December 2024, his wife's alleged corruption and other offenses. Prior to Wednesday, the number was down to seven after the Supreme Court last month finalized a seven-year prison term for his obstruction of investigators' attempt to detain him following his martial law bid. The latest indictment concerns allegations that Yoon instructed the presidential National Security Office and the foreign ministry immediately after declaring martial law to send messages justifying the emergency order to key nations, including the U.S., Britain, Japan and members of the European Union. Shin Won-sik, the then national security adviser, allegedly e

2d agoBy Yonhap
Special counsel indicts ex-President Yoon over messages justifying martial law

Contenders in DPK leadership race make final push in televised debate

Three candidates vying for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leadership made their final pitches in a televised debate Wednesday, reiterating their commitment to working for the success of the Lee Jae Myung administration just days before the party picks a new leader. The DPK is set to hold a national convention Monday to elect its new chair, who will play a key role in overseeing the nomination of candidates for the parliamentary elections in April 2028. The race has largely been a competition between former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, considered a key political ally of Lee, and former DPK leader Jung Chung-rae, who has faced criticism from some party members for focusing on appealing to his own hard-line supporters than on fully backing the president. Kim vowed to unite the DPK and lead the party to secure a win in the next general elections. "I will firmly lead the party for both the success of the administration and victory in the general elections," Kim said in his opening remarks. He vowed to support the government's "three megaprojects" initiative that aims to transform t

2d agoBy Yonhap
Contenders in DPK leadership race make final push in televised debate

Lee says 7 future industries will serve as new growth engines, strategic assets

President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday Korea should identify and nurture new growth engines in the new era of artificial intelligence (AI) and beyond, positioning seven future industries as drivers of future economic growth and key national strategic assets. The president made the remarks at a meeting to designate seven industries as "seeds" for the country's future growth and explore ways to nurture them as the country's new growth engines, in addition to semiconductors. Korean chipmakers have posted record-high revenues over the past several quarters amid soaring demand for semiconductors for AI application. Seoul now seeks to identify new sectors to sustain the semiconductor boom by designating seven future-oriented sectors as strategic areas for the future economy and national security. They are small modular reactors (SMRs), nuclear fusion, renewable energy, quantum technology, aerospace, advanced biology and supply chains for advanced materials and components. "By making the best of the rare opportunity provided by the semiconductor industry, we should prepare the next engines of gr

2d agoBy Yonhap
Lee says 7 future industries will serve as new growth engines, strategic assets

Gov't to establish deregulation committee for venture, startup businesses: PM

The government will soon establish a deregulation committee dedicated to improving regulations hindering startups in emerging industries, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Wednesday. The envisioned committee, to be set up under the presidential Regulatory Rationalization Committee, will deal exclusively with regulations hampering startups and venture businesses, Han said during a public discussion on venture and startup businesses. "This committee will deal with regulations on emerging industries and new technologies separately (from other regulations) so as to improve them in a speedy manner," Han said. "It will serve as an exclusive organization for startup and venture business regulations." Han also said that small and medium-sized enterprises should play an important role in the "three megaprojects" initiative. The initiative calls for a national transformation driven by semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers, and the government envisions the creation of two memory chip fabrication plants by Samsung Electronics and two fabs by SK hynix in the southwestern city of Gwangju an

2d agoBy Yonhap
Gov't to establish deregulation committee for venture, startup businesses: PM
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