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  • Politics

    Justice minister nominee hits back over lobbying allegations

    Justice minister nominee Kim Seung-won said Tuesday, that if he is appointed, he will prevent information about an investigation by the police or prosecution from being “used politically.” His pledge is an apparent counterattack against independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon’s disclosure of probe materials about Kim’s alleged illegal lobbying activities. The justice minister nominee said Han, a former prosecutor, should disclose how he obtained the investigation materials. "If I am given the opportunity to serve as minister, I will correct [the practice of] the political use of investigative information," Kim said in his opening remarks at his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly. Kim, also a two-term lawmaker, was suspected of using his influence to lobby for the approval of a pharmaceutical company's COVID-19 clinical drug trial in October 2021, although prosecutors later suspended the indictment following an investigation. Han brought back the allegation after Kim's nomination was announced. Kim and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) then claimed that Han obtained con

    2 MIN READBy Yi Whan-woo
    Justice minister nominee hits back over lobbying allegations
  • South Korea

    Seoul city bus union to go on strike Wednesday after wage talks fail

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Seoul city bus union to go on strike Wednesday after wage talks fail
  • South Korea

    Consecutive presidential terms? Don't even dream about it

    4 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Consecutive presidential terms? Don't even dream about it
  • Defense

    Defense chiefs of Korea, Japan agree on defense cooperation based on 'mutual understanding'

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Defense chiefs of Korea, Japan agree on defense cooperation based on 'mutual understanding'
  • South Korea

    Seoul's city bus union sets 9 pm Tuesday deadline for strike

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Seoul's city bus union sets 9 pm Tuesday deadline for strike
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Campus

Kwangwoon University draws attention for commitment to R&D

Kwangwoon University is drawing attention for having rapidly risen in both domestic and international performance indicators under its current president, Yun Do-young. The university’s upward trajectory is reflected in national assessments of research and academic performance. Local daily The JoongAng reported in its university rankings for last year that Kwangwoon placed eighth nationwide in the faculty research category, driven by strong metrics in scholarly output and technology commercialization. According to the ranking, Kwangwoon topped in citations per journal article, ranked fifth in technology transfer income per science-technology faculty member and placed 10th in income per technology transfer case. The university also secured first place nationwide in the Field-Weighted Citation Impact metric in the 2025 edition of The JoongAng's rankings — a measure of research influence that adjusts for disciplinary norms, the school said. Kwangwoon University also made significant international gains in the 2025 CWTS Leiden Ranking, compiled by the Centre for Science and Technology Stu

Dec 18, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan
Kwangwoon University draws attention for commitment to R&D
South Korea

Defense ministry to convene disciplinary committee against 8 generals involved in martial law

The defense ministry said Thursday it plans to convene a committee meeting this week to decide on disciplinary action against eight general-level officers involved in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law bid. The disciplinary committee meeting, set for Friday, comes as the defense ministry has been stepping up efforts to revamp the military in the aftermath of the Dec. 3 martial law attempt last year, which led to the suspension of high-level officers across the armed forces. Among those whose status will be reviewed in the meeting are Kwak Jong-keun, former chief of the Army Special Warfare Command; Yeo In-hyung, former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command; and Lee Jin-woo, former head of the Capital Defense Command. "The ministry has comprehensively reviewed disciplinary measures in consideration of the ongoing investigation, trial ... and stability of the military," Chung Binna, ministry spokesperson, said in a regular press briefing. "But there was a need to normalize the management of general-level officers to seek a personnel overhaul and fill the vacuum

Dec 18, 2025By Yonhap
Defense ministry to convene disciplinary committee against 8 generals involved in martial law
South Korea

Gov't to form task force to handle Coupang data breach case

The government said Thursday it will form an interagency task force to handle the recent large-scale data breach at e-commerce giant Coupang. The decision was made at a meeting of science and technology–related ministers chaired by Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, the government said. Led by Ryu Je-myung, second vice minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the task force will consist of officials from the science ministry and other organizations, including the Personal Information Protection Committee, the Korea Media Communications Commission and the Financial Services Commission. The task force will hold regular and ad hoc meetings to share information on police and government investigations into the breach and discuss ways to strengthen the company's accountability. The move comes after the government vowed to take stern action against Coupang, which confirmed last month that the personal information of 33.7 million customer accounts had been compromised. The company has since come under fire for a lukewarm response to the incident and an intransigent stance toward Korean author

Dec 18, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't to form task force to handle Coupang data breach case
Law & Crime

Unification Church leader's ex-chief of staff quizzed about alleged bribery of politicians

Police investigating the Unification Church's alleged bribery of politicians questioned a former chief secretary of the church's leader Han Hak-ja on Thursday. Jeong Won-ju, former chief of staff to Han, appeared at the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) at 9:43 a.m. before being questioned as a witness about bribery allegations involving former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo and other politicians. Jeong was known to be the second-highest ranking official in the Unification Church and one of Han's most trusted aides. She was tight-lipped at the entrance of the KNPA when reporters asked several questions about the suspected bribery. The police are expected to intensively question Jeong about whether and how tens of millions of won in cash and luxury watches were delivered to Chun, Rep. Lim Jong-seong of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and former United Future Party lawmaker Kim Gyu-hwan between 2018 and 2020. In addition, she is expected to be questioned about whether there was an order from Han regarding a Unification Church foundation's purchase of 500 books authored by Chun for 10

Dec 18, 2025By Yonhap
Unification Church leader's ex-chief of staff quizzed about alleged bribery of politicians
Politics

Lee set to receive policy briefings from defense ministry

President Lee Jae Myung was set to receive a policy briefing Thursday from the defense ministry and its affiliated agencies, with a likely focus on military reform following the failed martial law attempt by former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The policy briefings are a process in which government ministries report to the president their key policy agendas and priorities, and the president gives directions. They usually take place in the early part of the presidency. On Thursday, Lee will be briefed by the Ministry of National Defense, the Military Manpower Administration, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, among others. The briefing is expected to address the Lee government's push to retake the wartime operational control from the U.S., fostering the defense industry and other issues. Also drawing attention is whether and how Lee will address the military's deep involvement in Yoon's botched martial law imposition last December. Many of the military personnel are undergoing investigations or have been indicted over their martia

Dec 18, 2025By Yonhap
Lee set to receive policy briefings from defense ministry
Defense

US Senate approves annual defense policy bill restricting USFK troop reduction

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate has passed an annual defense policy bill that includes a measure to restrict the government from unilaterally reducing the current troop level of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), a week after the House of Representatives approved it. The upper chamber approved the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026 in a 77-20 vote Wednesday. The bill will become law after U.S. President Donald Trump signs it following the Senate approval. The bill says that amounts authorized under the act may not be obligated or expended to reduce U.S. troops in South Korea, though it leaves open the door for the use of the funds following the certification that the USFK troop reduction is in the U.S. national security interest and that the action is being undertaken only after appropriate consultations with allies, including South Korea. Also, without such a certification, funds allocated under the act may not be expended to complete the transition of wartime operational control from the United States to South Korea in a manner that deviates from a bilater

Dec 18, 2025By Yonhap
US Senate approves annual defense policy bill restricting USFK troop reduction
Health

Korea reports 2 new bird flu cases at chicken farms in Chungcheong Province

Korea reported two new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) at layer farms in its central region Wednesday, bringing the total to 14 cases since the cold season began. The H5N1 bird flu was detected at a farm in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, and at another farm in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. The Cheonan farm has now reported four cases of highly pathogenic AI since 2020, including the latest outbreak, according to the Central Disaster Management Headquarters (CDMH). The CDMH said it is conducting special quarantine inspections at the affected farms, while strengthening monitoring of vehicles visiting the sites to prevent further spread of the disease. Authorities will carry out comprehensive inspections of laying hen farms nationwide through the end of the year.

Dec 17, 2025By Yonhap
Korea reports 2 new bird flu cases at chicken farms in Chungcheong Province
Defense

Arms agency chief, British ambassador discuss strengthening cooperation

The head of the state arms procurement agency and the top British envoy in Seoul held talks Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the arms industry, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. In the meeting, DAPA Minister Lee Yong-cheol and British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks concurred on the significance of a strategic partnership between South Korean defense firm Hanwha Ocean and British defense firm Babcock, according to DAPA. They also noted that ongoing cooperation between Hanwha Systems and Britain's BAE Systems on satellites and envisioned cooperation on developing advanced aircraft engines could potentially lead to joint exports, and agreed to hold follow-up consultations next year. "Britain is a key value-sharing friendly nation and is an optimal partner ... in the arms industry," Lee said, voicing hope their bilateral cooperation would lead to tangible outcomes.

Dec 17, 2025By Yonhap
Arms agency chief, British ambassador discuss strengthening cooperation
Environment & Animals

Korea to ban free disposable plastic cups

The Korean government plans to ban the free distribution of disposable plastic cups as part of a broader push to curb plastic waste, officials said Wednesday. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced during a presidential policy briefing earlier in the day that this measure will be included in a comprehensive plastic reduction road map, which is scheduled to be released early next year. Under the plan, cafes and other businesses will be required to charge customers for disposable plastic cups. Climate Minister Kim Sung-hwan said the government intends to allow individual businesses to set their own prices for disposable cups, while establishing a minimum price range of around 100 won ($0.07) to 200 won to reflect production costs and discourage excessive use. The announcement comes as the government continues to reassess the disposable cup deposit system, under which customers pay a refundable deposit of 300 won when receiving drinks in disposable cups and receive the money back upon returning them. The system was promoted under the previous Moon Jae-in administration and

Dec 17, 2025By Anna J. Park
Korea to ban free disposable plastic cups
Politics

New Coupang CEO’s ‘empty’ pledge for compensation stokes outrage

Coupang’s founder Kim Bom-suk came under bipartisan fire Wednesday after refusing to appear at a National Assembly hearing on the company's massive customer data breach affecting more than 33 million people, with lawmakers lashing out at him for evading responsibility. The much-awaited hearing took place without the presence of the company's founder, also known as Bom Kim, who is the chairman of Coupang Inc., the parent company of its Korean unit, Coupang Corp. He said days earlier that he would be unable to attend because he lives overseas and was busy with commitments in his capacity as chief executive of the global company. Instead, the top executive to attend was Harold Rogers, who was appointed as the Korean unit’s interim CEO only a week earlier, after his predecessor Park Dae-jun resigned — an appointment and attendance widely interpreted as a shield for Kim. Lawmakers on the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee condemned Kim for showing a "disregard for both the Assembly and Korean consumers." "We will take steps to launch a full parl

Dec 17, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
New Coupang CEO’s ‘empty’ pledge for compensation stokes outrage
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