South Korea - The Korea Times

Global arms race underway as nations scramble to modernize militaries

Australia, Japan, Vietnam beef up military spending, while Southeast Asian countries, driven by budget constraints, rely on balancing act to counter China By Kang Hyun-kyungNorth Korea, China and Russia are the dangerous trio that has sent countries worldwide scrambling to equip themselves with both conventional and state-of-the-art weapons to counter the risks they pose.According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the global military budget hit an all-time high of $2.24 trillion in total in 2022, up 3.7 percent from the previous year.The U.S. took the lion's share with nearly 40 percent of total defense budget spending, followed by China and Russia. South Korea came ninth with $46.4 billion, slightly ahead of Japan, which spent $46 billion.“We have North Korea here whose threat continues to grow year after year,” Kim Min-seok, a former spokesman at the Ministry of National Defense and vice president of Korea Aerospace Industries Association in Seoul, told The Korea Times. He said China's ambitious maritime strategy is another ominous sign th

Aug 1, 2023By Kang Hyun-kyung

Global arms race underway as nations scramble to modernize militaries

43,000 young Scouts gather at Saemangeum for World Jamboree

Scouts participating in the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, wave to reporters, Tuesday, when the quadrennial event began its 12-day run. NewsisLargest international youth camp to continue until Aug. 12By Jun Ji-hyeThe 25th World Scout Jamboree kicked off on Tuesday on reclaimed land at Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, bringing together over 43,000 young Scouts from 159 countries around the world. The World Jamboree, which is held every four years, will continue through Aug. 12 at the 8.84-square-kilometer campsite on the country's west coast.Organized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement, the event aims to offer a venue for young people from around the world to learn about each other's cultures and build friendships through outdoor camping and various cultural activities.Korea was chosen to host the 25th edition at the 41st World Scout Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, in August 2017. This is the second Jamboree being held in Korea. The first one took place in Goseong, Gangwon Province, in 1991. Korea has become the sixth country in the worl

Aug 1, 2023By Jun Ji-hye

43,000 young Scouts gather at Saemangeum for World Jamboree

World Scout Jamboree's opening ceremony to be held amid heat wave concerns

Prosecutors seek arrest warrants for 2 lawmakers again over DPK cash-for-votes scandal

Independent lawmakers Youn Kwan-suk, left, and Lee Sung-man are seen during a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, June 12. YonhapProsecutors sought arrest warrants for two lawmakers for a second time Tuesday over a cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) 2021 leadership election, after the National Assembly refused to consent to their arrests earlier this year.Reps. Youn Kwan-suk and Lee Sung-man, now independents after quitting the DPK, are accused of involvement in distributing cash envelopes, each containing 3 million won, to 20 DPK lawmakers as part of the election campaign of former DPK leader Song Young-gil.Song ultimately won the election and served as DPK chairman until March 2022. In May, prosecutors sought arrest warrants for the two, but the National Assembly rejected a request for consent to their arrests. By law, lawmakers cannot be arrested without parliamentary consent while the National Assembly is in session.With the Assembly out of session until Aug. 16, the two can now be arrested. The Seoul Central Di

Aug 1, 2023

Prosecutors seek arrest warrants for 2 lawmakers again over DPK cash-for-votes scandal

Yoon vows to dismantle construction 'cartel' following faulty construction of underground parking lots

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Aug. 1. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to eradicate "cartels" with vested interests in the construction industry on Tuesday, citing them as a reason behind shoddy construction practices revealed at apartment underground parking lots.Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting following revelations that not enough reinforcing rods were used in building underground parking lots at a number of apartment complexes across the country to cut costs and speed up construction."Cartels with vested interests that disregard people's safety must be smashed up," Yoon emphasized. The issue of cartels with corrupt forces has been a recurrent subject of concern for Yoon. The land ministry found that 15 apartment complexes constructed by the state-run Korea Land Housing did not use sufficient reinforcing rods in their underground parking lots. The discovery came after two upper structures of an underground parking lot under construction in Geomdan in the western city of Incheon collapsed in April due

Aug 1, 2023

Yoon vows to dismantle construction 'cartel' following faulty construction of underground parking lots

PM suggests to Yoon vice minister reshuffle over deadly underpass flooding

Prime Minister Han Duk-soo, left, and President Yoon Suk Yeol speak before their weekly meeting at the Presidential Office in Seoul's Yongsan District in this file photo taken on June 13, 2022. Korea Times filePrime Minister Han Duck-soo suggested to President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday the reshuffling of a vice minister-level official for his alleged mishandling of a deadly underpass flooding that claimed the lives of 14 people earlier this month, according to ruling-party officials.The underground roadway in Osong in western Cheongju, 112 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was flooded on July 15 after an embankment was brought down by the rising water level amid torrential downpours, submerging several vehicles, including a bus.The Office for Government Policy Coordination, under the Prime Minister's Office, conducted an inspection to determine the causes behind the flooding, and it revealed negligence on the part of the National Agency for Administrative City Construction (NAACC), a state body responsible for building the administrative city of Sejong.The director of the NAACC was found

Jul 31, 2023

PM suggests to Yoon vice minister reshuffle over deadly underpass flooding

Another Cabinet reshuffle expected soon

President Yoon Suk Yeol poses for a selfie with actors after seeing a play in Seoul during his summer vacation last year on Aug. 3, 2022. Courtesy of presidential officePresident to take week-long leave from Aug. 2By Nam Hyun-wooSpeculation is growing that President Yoon Suk Yeol might carry out another reshuffle of his Cabinet in the near future ― most likely after spending a week on summer vacation starting Wednesday. According to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter, at least two ministers will likely be sent packing, while some other ranking officials at the presidential office may also be replaced as Yoon seeks to tighten his grip on state affairs on the back of improving job approval ratings.Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang speaks during a government committee meeting at the Government Complex in central Seoul's Gwanghwamun, July 20. YonhapAmong Cabinet members in the hot seat are Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang and Science and ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho.In May, President Yoon sent his then-secretary for industrial policy Kang Kyun

Jul 31, 2023By Nam Hyun-woo

Seoul to crack down on illegal distribution of K-content

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyoon, fourth from left, speaks at a meeting of officials from the ministry and the ruling People Power Party on countermeasures against illegal distribution of Korean cultural content, at the National Assembly, Seoul, Monday. YonhapGov't to cooperate with international police to combat unlawful activitiesBy Lee Min-youngThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Monday an initiative to eliminate unlawful distribution of K-content as it impedes the industry's expansion. This plan involves partnerships with the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Korea Communications Commission and the National Police Agency. The initiative follows President Yoon Suk Yeol's directive to devise a comprehensive government-backed strategy to eradicate illegal content distribution.The K-content industry, encompassing K-drama, K-pop, K-webtoon and other fields, has gained worldwide popularity and become a driving force for the Korean economy. In 2021, content exports reached $12.45 billion, sur

Jul 31, 2023By Lee Min-young

Seoul to crack down on illegal distribution of K-content

Yoon's approval rating bounces back to 37.3% after falling for 3 consecutive weeks

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a ceremony at the Busan Cinema Center, July 27. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating bounced back to 37.3 percent after falling for the past three consecutive weeks, a poll showed Monday.In a poll of 2,517 eligible voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, positive assessments of Yoon rose by 0.7 percentage point from the previous week, while negative assessments inched down 0.4 percentage point to 59.5 percent.The approval rating had reached 42 percent in the last week of June but had been on a downward trend since the first week of July.Positive assessments mostly rose among those living in the country's capital, Seoul, and the surrounding areas of Incheon and Gyeonggi Province.Negative assessments, meanwhile, mostly increased among respondents living in the central cities of Daejeon and Sejong, along with Chungcheong Province.The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.Additionally, approval ratings for the two major parties moved in opposite directions.In

Jul 31, 2023

Yoon's approval rating bounces back to 37.3% after falling for 3 consecutive weeks

ANALYSIS Experts see slim chance of US soldier's swift return from N. Korea

A TV screen shows a file image of American soldier Travis King during a news program shown in Seoul Station, July 24, AP-YonhapPyongyang may seek to capitalize on King's defection for political gainBy Kim Yoo-chulWhile a conversation has commenced, there has been no substantive communication between the United States and North Korea on the issue of the 23-year-old U.S. Army Private Travis King, detained in North Korea after crossing the military demarcation line on July 18.How to respond to the North's escalating military provocations, from the U.S. and its allies' standpoint, isn't the prime issue here ― rather, it is about how to secure King's return to the U.S.The fate of King, who crossed into the North, still remains uncertain. While it's believed that he is being held in custody by North Korean authorities, North Korea has remained tight-lipped in relation to his whereabouts. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the U.S. side is working with Sweden and South Korea for the return of King. As the incident happened at a very tense time in terms of geopolitics, disre

Jul 31, 2023By Kim Yoo-chul

[ANALYSIS] Experts see slim chance of US soldier's swift return from N. Korea

DPK's infighting reaches turning point as two Lees meet

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Jae-myung, right, and the party's former chairman Lee Nak-yon hold a flower basket during their closed-door dinner at a restaurant in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Democratic Party of KoreaBy Nam Hyun-wooThe main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is experiencing a turning point in its internal struggle between a faction close to Chairman Lee Jae-myung and those who are not, following a long overdue meeting between the incumbent and former leaders of the party.Former Chairman Lee Nak-yon, who exerts a significant amount of influence among the so-called anti-Lee Jae-myung faction, returned home in June after staying in the United States for over a year. His return has ignited a power struggle with the current chairman over the party's direction and message to the public, especially given the ongoing factional disputes since Lee Jae-myung assumed leadership of the nation's progressive party.According to DPK senior spokesperson Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, the two Lees had dinner in Seoul, Friday, and agreed that “the DPK's vict

Jul 30, 2023By Nam Hyun-woo

Politics