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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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Defense

Seoul, Washington diverge over joint drills as Korea signals flexibility, US stresses readiness

The differences between Seoul and Washington over joint military exercises have become more pronounced. South Korean leaders have publicly suggested scaling down the exercises to bring North Korea to the negotiating table, while U.S. officials oppose the idea and emphasize their importance for alliance readiness. Scaling down or postponing joint military exercises has been proposed by previous governments, mainly liberal ones, to create a reconciliatory environment with North Korea, as the North has often called the drills “a rehearsal of war.” President Lee Jae Myung and other officials in his administration have raised the issue as they seek to reopen dialogue with Pyongyang, as communication channels are currently severed. “If necessary, and if it helps the United States exercise strategic leverage, even the issue of joint military drills can be discussed and considered,” Lee said in a press conference on Dec. 3. “Simply saying such discussions are possible can help to open conditions for negotiations.” Unification Minister Chung Dong-young echoed this view, repeatedly say

Dec 14, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul, Washington diverge over joint drills as Korea signals flexibility, US stresses readiness
Society

Is CSAT obsolete? Calls grow for overhaul after test difficulty uproar

Korea’s all-important annual college entrance test, widely known as the CSAT, is facing an unprecedented crisis as furor over this year’s difficulty and alleged question flaws fuels calls not just for drastic reform but even for its abolition. Long treated as the arbiter of academic success, the exam is now under intense scrutiny over whether it still has a place in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). In an open letter sent to President Lee Jae Myung last week, 15 senior educators, including Park Do-soon, one of the CSAT architects, called for the abolition of the test. They criticized what they called a “lineup” test that, in their view, focuses on ranking students instead of educating them. “While the government talks of making Korea a top-three AI power, schools remain locked in 20th century rote learning and multiple-choice drills,” they said in a joint statement. “We must abolish the current system of ranking students through the CSAT and multiple-choice evaluations. It’s time to make a significant shift in education ― one that helps our children develop cri

Dec 14, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Is CSAT obsolete? Calls grow for overhaul after test difficulty uproar
  • Think your English is good? Try solving Korea’s 'insane' college entrance test!
  • Korea’s 'insane' English test becomes global talking point as readers weigh in
Law & Crime

Special counsel to announce result of 6-month probe into ex-President Yoon's martial law bid

A special counsel team will announce the results this week of its monthslong investigation into insurrection charges related to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law, officials said Sunday. Over the past six months, the team has indicted Yoon and 23 others for their alleged roles in the December 2024 martial law and has worked with military prosecutors to indict three additional military officials. Investigators sought arrest warrants in 11 cases, with courts approving five of them. Special counsel Cho Eun-seok is scheduled to announce the findings on Monday, officials said, marking his first public briefing since the probe was launched on June 18. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was indicted just six days after the investigation began, and Yoon was taken into custody on July 10, about four months after his release from detention. While Yoon had already been indicted by prosecutors on charges of leading an insurrection through his martial law bid, the special counsel additionally charged him with aiding the enemy, accusing him of ordering the dispatc

Dec 14, 2025By Yonhap
Special counsel to announce result of 6-month probe into ex-President Yoon's martial law bid
Politics

President Lee’s livestreamed ministry briefings heighten tensions across government

A series of annual policy briefings by government ministries to the president, beginning last Thursday and continuing this week, is heightening tension across the public sector as the proceedings are being livestreamed for the first time. The briefings are a routine end- or beginning-of-year exercise in which government ministries and public institutions report on their performance over the past year and outline plans for the year ahead. Under the administration of President Lee Jae Myung, the sessions running through Friday will involve 228 public institutions, including 19 ministries, five agencies, 18 administrations and seven commissions. Participants include ministers, vice ministers, senior civil servants and officials from affiliated public bodies. This year’s briefings have drawn particular attention because all sessions — excluding those related to national security — are being broadcast live for the first time, in line with the president’s stated commitment to greater transparency in state affairs. The unedited coverage has also captured instances in which Lee sharply

Dec 14, 2025By Anna J. Park
President Lee’s livestreamed ministry briefings heighten tensions across government
Politics

Presidential security service vows to minimize public inconvenience following relocation to Cheong Wa Dae

The Presidential Security Service (PSS) said Sunday it will ensure robust security around Cheong Wa Dae following the relocation of the presidential office to the compound, while working to minimize inconvenience to the public. The presidential office plans to move its office facilities from Yongsan district to Cheong Wa Dae later this month, marking a return to the historic compound after about three years. "The security zones were reclassified and designated within the minimum necessary scope based on legal standards and safety reviews," the PSS said in a statement. "It reflects a balanced security philosophy that ensures the head of state's safety while respecting the public's daily lives and convenience," it added. As part of the plan, jogging routes around Cheong Wa Dae, Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbok Palace and nearby neighborhoods will remain open to the public. The PSS also said it will keep nearby hiking trails accessible as much as possible. While traffic will be controlled at five entry points to Cheong Wa Dae, the service said it will not conduct security checks to verify citizens' de

Dec 14, 2025By Yonhap
Presidential security service vows to minimize public inconvenience following relocation to Cheong Wa Dae
Society

Lotte Department Store apologizes for asking customer to remove union vest

Lotte Department Store issued a formal apology Saturday after one of its security staff asked a customer wearing a labor union vest to remove it at a food court, sparking backlash over discrimination against union members and labor activists. In a statement posted on its website, Lotte said it was "deeply sorry for the inconvenience caused" when a guest wearing a vest with labor-related lettering was told to remove it at the company’s Jamsil branch in southern Seoul on Wednesday. "This was an inappropriate action, and we sincerely apologize to the customer who may have felt discomfort," CEO Jung Hyun-seok said in the apology. "We will thoroughly review all processes related to our customer service and do our utmost to prevent any recurrence." The incident occurred around 7 p.m., when members of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union's (KMWU) Goeje-Tongyeong branch tried to enter the department store’s basement restaurant area wearing union vests. Security personnel stopped the group, saying the vests might make other customers uncomfortable. When the union members refused to remove them,

Dec 14, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Lotte Department Store apologizes for asking customer to remove union vest
Global Community

Gov't pushes system to allow foreigners to use public transit with credit cards

The government has begun reviewing a system that would allow foreign tourists to use buses and subways in Korea with overseas-issued credit cards, officials said Sunday. The land and transport recently launched a bid to commission a study on introducing an open-loop public transportation payment system, which was to begin this month and run through the end of next year, according to the officials. The study aims to enable foreigners to pay public transportation fares directly with international credit cards. Currently, visitors must purchase and top up transportation cards with cash or buy prepaid cards designed specifically for foreigners, which often causes inconvenience. Through the study, the ministry plans to estimate the budget required to introduce the new system and determine who should bear the related costs. The need for improvement has grown as the number of foreign visitors rose 15.2 percent on-year to 15.82 million during the January-October period. Major global cities, including New York and London, have already adopted systems that allow passengers to use public transportat

Dec 14, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't pushes system to allow foreigners to use public transit with credit cards
Society

Deer at military academy brought back after short escape

A deer that lives on the campus of the Korea Military Academy in northern Seoul briefly wandered outside the grounds before being safely brought back, authorities said Sunday. The deer, which usually roams a park inside the academy, slipped past a vehicle barricade at one of the gates on Thursday afternoon. Gate personnel and CCTV operators spotted the animal but were unable to stop it as it quickly exited the campus. Two vehicles and about 10 firefighters were deployed to locate the deer, which was later found near a nearby stream. They guided it back toward the campus, and it returned safely about an hour and 10 minutes later, at around 2:30 p.m. No one was injured and no property damage was reported, according to authorities. The Army academy has been raising deer on its grounds for about 30 years, and eight deer currently live in the campus park.

Dec 14, 2025By Yonhap
Deer at military academy brought back after short escape
Defense

US Air Force completes recovery operation of crashed MQ-9 drone

A U.S. Air Force unit based in South Korea said Sunday it has completed the recovery operations of a MQ-9 drone that crashed off the country's west coast last month. The drone, also known as the Reaper, crashed near Maldo-ri Island off the western city of Gunsan, about 180 kilometers south of Seoul, on Nov. 24, with no injuries reported. An investigation into the cause of the incident is under way. "Following a thorough and collaborative effort, the recovery operation has now been successfully completed," the 8th Fighter Wing told Yonhap News Agency, in response to a query on follow-up measures. The U.S. Air Force had conducted the operation in cooperation with the South Korean Navy, the Coast Guard and the Army. "The combined expertise and resources of our two militaries were essential to the success of this operation," it said, thanking the South Korean military for the "strong partnership." The U.S. Air Force unit did not elaborate on whether it plans to deploy another MQ-9 to fill a potential reconnaissance gap caused by the crash, but said it remains committed to ensuring mission req

Dec 14, 2025By Yonhap
US Air Force completes recovery operation of crashed MQ-9 drone
Environment & Animals

Minor earthquake hits waters off Jeju Island but no damage

A 2.3 magnitude earthquake struck waters off the southern island of Jeju on Saturday. but there were no immediate reports of damage. The quake occurred at 9:30 p.m. in waters about 63 kilometers west of Jeju Island, some 450 km south of Seoul, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The epicenter was at a depth of 19 km. But the quake is not expected to have caused any damage, the KMA said.

Dec 13, 2025By Yonhap
Minor earthquake hits waters off Jeju Island but no damage
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