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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.

Yoon vows to support Coast Guard's modernization

President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers remarks at a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Coast Guard's establishment in Incheon, Monday. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk Yeol pledged Monday to support the Coast Guard's modernization as he marked the 70th anniversary of its establishment during a ceremony in the western port city of Incheon.Yoon attended the ceremony at the Ara Seohae lock gate along with some 2,000 people, including government officials, foreign diplomats and the family members of Coast Guard officers killed at sea.Thanking front-line officers for their service and expressing his respect for the officers killed in the line of duty, Yoon said the Coast Guard has guarded the nation's maritime sovereignty and security while defending the people's lives and safety over the last 70 years."Thanks to your work, illegally operated foreign vessels have decreased, while the rate of people rescued from maritime accidents has exceeded 99 percent," he said."More than any other time, our seas are being managed safely, but disasters can happen anytime at sea and maritime accidents grow i

Aug 28, 2023
Yoon vows to support Coast Guard's modernization

Prosecution summons DPK leader for questioning next week

Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung, center, speaks to reporters after undergoing questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul, Aug. 18. YonhapProsecutors summoned opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday to appear for questioning next week over allegations of third-party bribery in connection with a company's allegedly illegal money transfers to North Korea.The Suwon District Prosecutors Office said it notified the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to appear for questioning next Monday, after he did not comply with the prosecution's previous summons last week.The two sides have been scheduling the date of his questioning, with the DPK saying earlier in the day Lee will present himself to prosecutors in September when there are no plenary sessions scheduled at the National Assembly.The investigation centers on allegations that Ssangbangwool Group, an underwear manufacturer, unlawfully remitted $8 million to North Korea between January 2019 and January 2020 on behalf of Gyeonggi Province.Lee served as Gyeonggi

Aug 28, 2023
Prosecution summons DPK leader for questioning next week

Calls grow for steps to limit number of political banners

Banners installed by political parties hang near a crosswalk in Seoul's Mapo district, June 21. Korea Times photo by Ha Sang-yunBy Lee Hae-rinAmid a surge in complaints by the public as well as safety concerns over political banners mounted outdoors, calls are growing here to put a legislative restriction back in place to regulate political parties from putting them up.According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, Monday, the number of civil complaints concerning political banners went down by 12 percent from April to 3,680 in May. The decrease is believed to be the result of the ministry's new regulatory guidelines on installing political banners, issued in May. But the figure still remains much higher than last year's 2,000 ― before the amendment to the Outdoor Advertisements Act took effect in December 2022 ― which gave political parties the freedom to install banners without local government permission.Previously in Korea, banners could be installed outdoors without local government permission only if they involved school or religious events, safety and traffic instructions o

Aug 28, 2023By Lee Hae-rin
Calls grow for steps to limit number of political banners

Ideological dispute over historical figures engulfs Korean politics

A bust of independence fighter Hong Beom-do is seen outside the Ministry of National Defense's headquarters in Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. YonhapGov't considers relocating bust of independence fighter from defense ministryBy Lee Hyo-jin Ideological conflicts surrounding historical figures are escalating among politicians, as the government seeks to relocate the bust of independence fighter Hong Beom-do, which currently stands near the defense ministry building.The Ministry of National Defense said Monday that it is considering relocating the bust citing Hong's past involvement with Soviet communist forces. The plan has triggered protests from opposition parties and an association representing independence fighters.The dispute is a recurring theme in Korean politics where conservatives and liberals tend to hold different views on Korea's history following its independence from Japanese colonial occupation from 1910 to 1945.“There have been recent indications about General Hong Beom-do's affiliation with the Communist Party and other activities related to it,” said def

Aug 28, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
Ideological dispute over historical figures engulfs Korean politics
  • Gwangju's plan to honor communist composer stirs controversy

Korea struggles to shift immigration policies amid demographic changes

Getty Images BankBy Jung Da-hyunKorea's demographic challenges, marked by the lowest birth rate in the world and an aging population, are fueling discussions on the need for more comprehensive immigration policies.The National Assembly Research Service released, Monday, a report titled “Relationships with Foreigners in Korean Society: Exploring Directions of Immigration Policy.”In light of the increasing societal interest in immigration policies, the report aims to provide an overview of the status of foreigners residing in Korea and the need for a unified strategy on immigration.As of December 2021, foreign nationals made up approximately 3.8 percent of Korea's population, totaling around 1.96 million residents, according to the report. Statistics Korea predicts the number to rise to 3.23 million, or 6.4 percent of the population, by 2040.These statistics highlight the urgency for formulating an inclusive immigration policy.Front page of the report, titled “Relationships with foreigners in Korean society: exploring directions of immigration policy”, released

Aug 28, 2023By Jung Da-hyun
Korea struggles to shift immigration policies amid demographic changes

Yoon, PM eat seafood lunch amid public concern over Fukushima water release

A staff member is served a tray of sliced raw fish at the in-house cafeteria of the presidential office in Seoul, Aug. 28, in this photo provided by the presidential office. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ate seafood during their weekly lunch meeting Monday, the presidential office said, as the government tries to promote seafood safety in the wake of Japan's release of radioactive water into the ocean.Seafood was also served at the in-house cafeteria of the presidential office. The top office has said various kinds of seafood will be served at the cafeteria throughout the week, beginning with sliced raw fish and grilled mackerel Monday."The number of people who dined at the cafeteria today was 1.5 times more than usual, including many staff members who canceled their lunch appointments to dine at the cafeteria," the presidential office said in a notice to reporters.Senior presidential secretary for political affairs Lee Jin-bok and senior press secretary Kim Eun-hye were among the diners, it said. The cafeteria ran out of raw fish early due to high dem

Aug 28, 2023
Yoon, PM eat seafood lunch amid public concern over Fukushima water release
  • Korea to conduct 100-day intensive inspection into seafood imports on Fukushima woes

Educators poised to take collective action on Sept. 4 over young teacher's suicide

Teachers stage a rally in front of the National Assembly, Saturday, calling for measures to better protect teachers' rights and unearth the truth behind the July 18 suicide of a young elementary school teacher. YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeTens of thousands of educators across the country are poised to take yearly leave on Sept. 4, with nearly 500 schools moving to designate the day a discretionary holiday, as part of protests against the government and the National Assembly as teachers call for measures to better protect their rights in the workplace and call for justice following the suicide of a young teacher in July.The day marks the 49th day since a teacher in her 20s ended her own life inside her classroom at an elementary school in Seoul's affluent Seocho District on July 18. She allegedly had been in conflict with the parents over an incidence of violence involving some of her students.In many Buddhist traditions, 49 days is the total mourning period, as Buddhists believe that rebirth takes place within 49 days of death. The Ministry of Education warned that it will respond sternly to

Aug 28, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
Educators poised to take collective action on Sept. 4 over young teacher's suicide

Gifted criminal law scholar lived life as dissident-in-exile in US

Criminal law professor Ryu Ki-chyon, right, and his wife Helen Silving in this undated photo / Korea Times fileProfessor emeritus uncovers legacy of mentor who lived ahead of his time By Kang Hyun-kyungChoi Chong-ko, a professor emeritus of law at Seoul National University, has found life after college inseparable from his mentor and advisor, the late Ryu Ki-chyon (1915-1998), better known by his English name, Paul K. Ryu, to people living outside of Korea.He met his mentor in the late 1960s when Choi took Ryu's criminal law course. Their bond deepened as they continued to exchange thoughts about their areas of academic focus and issues of mutual interest as a professor and a student.When Ryu passed away in 1998 in San Diego, California, Choi teamed up with several like-minded classmates to initiate a campaign to establish a foundation to commemorate his mentor, his legacy and academic accomplishments. Their years of coordinated work bore fruit in 2004 with the launch of the Paul K. Ryu Foundation in Seoul. Having served as president of the foundation since, Choi released Ryu's biogr

Aug 28, 2023By Kang Hyun-kyung
Gifted criminal law scholar lived life as dissident-in-exile in US

Gov't plan to remove busts of pro-Soviet independence fighters causes stir

Busts of five Korean independence fighters are seen during an unveiling ceremony at the Korean Military Academy in Seoul in this 2018 file photo. Korea Times fileBy Lee Hyo-jin A plan by the Ministry of National Defense to remove the busts of Korean independence fighters from the military academy, citing their involvement with the Soviet Communist Party, is causing a stir in political circles.Local media outlets reported last week that the defense ministry is reviewing whether to remove the busts of five independence fighters currently standing in front of the main building of the Korean Military Academy in Seoul. The independence fighters represented are Hong Beom-do, Ji Cheong-cheon, Lee Beom-suk, Kim Jwa-jin and Lee Hoe-young. The ministry, which initially denied the reports, later confirmed that discussions are underway about relocating the monuments.“Considering the identity of the military academy, which is a place for nurturing officers to protect liberal democracy and South Korea against potential aggression from communist countries like North Korea, there have been con

Aug 27, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
Gov't plan to remove busts of pro-Soviet independence fighters causes stir

2 under investigation for attempting to march toward Japanese Consulate in Busan following Fukushima protest

Members of environment activist groups stage a rally at Haeundae Beach in the southeastern port city of Busan to protest Japan's discharging of contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Aug. 24. YonhapTwo protesters have been taken into custody after attempting to march toward the Japanese Consulate in the southeastern city of Busan following a rally denouncing Tokyo's release of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, police said Sunday.After Saturday's rally, participants clashed with the police as they moved toward the Japanese diplomatic mission about 700 meters away at around 8 p.m., and the two were taken to a police station for questioning after going beyond the authorized area for the rally. They are under investigation on charges of obstruction of official duty, officials said.Protest rallies have been held in many parts of Korea since Japan began discharging contaminated water from the crippled nuclear power plant into the ocean Thursday.On Thursday, 16 university students were apprehended after attempting to barge into th

Aug 27, 2023
2 under investigation for attempting to march toward Japanese Consulate in Busan following Fukushima protest
  • Thousands rally in Seoul to protest Fukushima wastewater release
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