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Yoon considering pardons for Liberation Day

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, July 18. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk Yeol is considering granting special pardons to a number of people on the occasion of Aug. 15 Liberation Day, a ruling bloc official said Friday, leading to speculation the list could include officials who served under former President Park Geun-hye.This would be the third time Yoon has granted presidential pardons after those marking Liberation Day last year and New Year's Day this year."There's a chance President Yoon will grant special pardons on Liberation Day this year as well," the senior ruling bloc official told Yonhap News Agency. "It's currently under consideration."Among potential beneficiaries are An Chong-bum, a former senior presidential secretary for policy coordination during the Park administration, and former Second Vice Culture Minister Kim Chong.Both were sentenced to prison terms in connection with their roles in a massive influence-peddling scandal that led to Park's ouster.From among businesspeople, Choi Gee-sung, a former head of Samsu

Jul 21, 2023

Yoon considering pardons for Liberation Day

Panel recommends expulsion of lawmaker over cryptocurrency suspicions

Rep. Kim Nam-kuk attends a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapAn advisory panel of the parliamentary ethics committee on Thursday recommended independent lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk be stripped of his parliamentary seat over dubious cryptocurrency holdings.Yoo Jae-pung, the chair of the panel, announced the decision, which marks the most severe disciplinary measure that can be taken against a lawmaker accused of misconduct.A preliminary investigation revealed Kim, formerly affiliated with the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), conducted over 200 cryptocurrency trades while attending parliamentary committee meetings. The balance of cashable assets in his cryptocurrency wallets amounted to approximately 9.9 billion won ($7.8 million) at one point in late 2021.The first-term lawmaker has come under fire following revelations that he had owned around 800,000 Wemix coins in 2021, worth around 6 billion won, a significant amount inconsistent with his frugal image. This spurred suspicions about where the money came from and whether he used insider information.Sin

Jul 20, 2023

Panel recommends expulsion of lawmaker over cryptocurrency suspicions

PM visits mourning altar of underpass flooding victims

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo visits a mourning altar set up at the government building of North Chungcheong Province, in Cheongju, central Korea, Thursday. YonhapPrime Minister Han Duck-soo expressed his condolences Thursday for the tragic loss of more than a dozen people killed in the flooding of an underpass in the central city of Cheongju last week.The underground roadway was flooded Saturday when a nearby river overflowed after an embankment was brought down by rising water levels due to torrential downpours, resulting in the loss of 14 lives.Han visited a mourning altar set up at the government building of North Chungcheong Province, where he offered his condolences to the bereaved families of the victims. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo answers questions from reporters at a mourning altar set up at the government building of North Chungcheong Province, in Cheongju, central Korea, Thursday. Yonhap"I feel heavy responsibility for the regrettable deaths," Han wrote in a register book. Han further expressed his commitment to making the country a safer place.Heavy downpours that battered

Jul 20, 2023

PM visits mourning altar of underpass flooding victims

Pyongyang's two-track IT approach is slap in Seoul's face

gettyimagesbankNorth Korea launched cyberattacks against South Korea even during inter-Korean IT cooperation period in 2000sBy Kang Hyun-kyungThe geopolitical landscape of the Korean Peninsula in the early 2000s was quite different from what it is today. Contrary to the tense security standoff at present, in which the two Koreas are on a collision course, there was an atmosphere of peace following the historic first inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, North Korea on June 15, 2000. Then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung sought to introduce a set of measures that could help impoverished North Korea, reeling from mass starvation that killed hundreds of thousands of residents during the Arduous March in the mid-1990s, rise on its own feet.It was against this backdrop that the agreement aiming to facilitate inter-Korean partnership in information technology was signed during the summit between Kim and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-il, the father of current North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The idea behind the agreement was that the two sides would be better off if they teamed up i

Jul 20, 2023By Kang Hyun-kyung

Pyongyang's two-track IT approach is slap in Seoul's face

Yoon visits US nuclear sub in joint show of force

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during his visit to the Busan Naval Base for a tour of the USS Kentucky nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine, Wednesday. Joint Press CorpsNorth Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles as U.S. flexes nuclear capabilities in BusanBy Nam Hyun-wooPresident Yoon Suk Yeol visited the Busan Naval Base, Wednesday, and toured the Ohio-class nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) USS Kentucky which docked at the southeastern port city a day earlier. The visit marked the first visit of a U.S. submarine of its class in 42 years and follows Seoul and Washington's first Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) meeting, which was aimed at giving greater visibility to South Korea in U.S. nuclear planning in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack. It was also seen as a show of force to Pyongyang, which appears to be growing ever more belligerent, as evidenced in the launch of two more short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) on Wednesday morning.Yoon's tour of the USS Kentucky was the first time for the leader of a U.S. ally to set foot in an SSBN. &ldqu

Jul 19, 2023By Nam Hyun-woo

Yoon visits US nuclear sub in joint show of force

Daegu mayor says he 'humbly accepts' criticism over his golf outing during downpours

Daegu City Mayor Hong Joon-pyo apologizes to reporters in a press room inside Daegu City's administrative office, Daegu, Wednesday. Yonhap Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo apologized Wednesday after coming under criticism for playing golf over the weekend when the country was grappling with damage from heavy downpours.Hong had initially balked at the criticism, arguing he did nothing wrong as there was no report of damage in Daegu when he played golf Saturday, and he can do whatever he wants to do during his free time. He even said he wonders why tennis is OK and golf is not.But his attitude further raised the eyebrows of many, and the ethics committee of Hong's ruling People Power Party decided Tuesday to start deliberations on the case for possible disciplinary action."Even though it was a weekend event and there was no violation of the disaster response manual, I humbly accept criticism that it was inappropriate at a time when flood damage was feared across the nation,"

Jul 19, 2023

Daegu mayor says he 'humbly accepts' criticism over his golf outing during downpours

Next year's hourly minimum wage raised 2.5% to 9,860 won

Jeong Yong-jae, left, a senior official at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, protests after the next year's hourly minimum wage was set at 9,860 won at the Minimum Wage Commission meeting at the Government Complex in Sejong, Wednesday. YonhapLabor, business circles both unhappy about new wage hikeBy Jun Ji-hyeThe hourly minimum wage for next year was set at 9,860 won ($7.8), a 2.5 percent increase from this year, the Minimum Wage Commission said, Wednesday, after the conclusion of marathon talks.The new minimum wage translates into a monthly pay of nearly 2.07 million won, up from 2.02 million this year.Both labor and business circles criticized the new minimum wage ― the former slammed it for failing to reflect inflation, while the latter claimed the hike will increase the burden of personnel expenses faced by businesses.The Minimum Wage Commission reached the decision at its 15th meeting that started Tuesday afternoon and continued through early Wednesday morning. The commission was originally composed of 27 members ― nine each representing the public's interest, businesses

Jul 19, 2023By Jun Ji-hye

Next year's hourly minimum wage raised 2.5% to 9,860 won

EXCLUSIVE US soldier who fled to NK skipped flight claiming missing passport: sources

A banner advertising a DMZ tour can be seen on a tour bus at Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Wednesday. AP-YonhapExact reason for defection remains unclearBy Lee Hyo-jinAn American soldier who defected to North Korea during a Joint Security Area (JSA) tour on Tuesday apparently lied that his passport was missing to avoid boarding a flight back to his home country, where he faces disciplinary action, according to sources, Wednesday.Travis King, a 23-year-old Army private, crossed the inter-Korean boarder at around 3:27 p.m., Tuesday, while on a tour of the JSA, also known as the border truce village of Panmunjeom, in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.King, who was facing disciplinary action in the United States on charges of assault he committed in Seoul, fled to North Korea, a day after he was scheduled to return to Fort Bliss in Texas aboard an American Airlines flight.On Monday, the American soldier was escorted by military police from Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, to Incheon International Airport. The soldier then went through a s

Jul 19, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin

[EXCLUSIVE] US soldier who fled to NK skipped flight claiming missing passport: sources

Next year's hourly minimum wage set at 9,860 won

Members of the Minimum Wage Commission are in recess at the government complex in the central city of Sejong, July 19. YonhapNext year's hourly minimum wage was set at 9,860 won ($7.80) Wednesday, an increase of 2.5 percent from this year.The Minimum Wage Commission, composed of 27 members, nine each representing public interest, business and labor, reached the decision in a meeting that started Tuesday and continued through early Wednesday in the central city of Sejong.The new minimum wage for 2024 is 240 won higher than this year's 9,620 won and translates into a monthly wage of nearly 2.07 million won. The commission determined the minimum wage level in a vote as the labor and business sides remained sharply divided and were unable to reach a decision through agreement.The labor side had initially proposed 12,210 won as the 2024 minimum wage, a 26.9 percent increase from this year's 9,620 won, citing rising inflation, while the business side had suggested a freeze.A key point of attention had been whether the 2024 minimum wage would surpass the 10,000 won threshold for the first t

Jul 19, 2023

Next year's hourly minimum wage set at 9,860 won

DPK adopts resolution on giving up immunity from arrest on 'reasonable' warrants

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's floor leader, Rep. Park Kwang-on, is seen addressing a party caucus at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapThe main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Tuesday adopted a resolution committing all of its lawmakers to give up their immunity from arrest as part of reform measures amid criticism the privilege is used to protect corrupt politicians.Under the resolution, all 168 members of the DPK in the National Assembly will relinquish the privilege on the condition that an arrest warrant sought by the prosecution is deemed "reasonable," according to the DPK's spokesperson, Rep. Kim Han-kyu."The lawmakers have agreed to give up their immunity on reasonable arrest warrants," Kim told reporters after a general meeting, adding that the party will take into account the "eye level" of the public when making such decisions.By law, lawmakers in Korea are immune from arrest while the parliament is in session and can only be arrested when the National Assembly consents to it. But criticism has arisen recently that the privilege

Jul 18, 2023

Politics

Politics

Yoon considering pardons for Liberation Day

Panel recommends expulsion of lawmaker over cryptocurrency suspicions

PM visits mourning altar of underpass flooding victims

Pyongyang's two-track IT approach is slap in Seoul's face

Yoon visits US nuclear sub in joint show of force

Daegu mayor says he 'humbly accepts' criticism over his golf outing during downpours

Next year's hourly minimum wage raised 2.5% to 9,860 won

EXCLUSIVE US soldier who fled to NK skipped flight claiming missing passport: sources

Next year's hourly minimum wage set at 9,860 won

DPK adopts resolution on giving up immunity from arrest on 'reasonable' warrants

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