National Assembly’s impeachment committee readies for 1st hearing next week

The South Korean National Assembly’s impeachment investigation committee, which will serve as a prosecutor in the Constitutional Court’s impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol, began preparations Friday for its first hearing set for Dec. 27. The panel, comprising 11 lawmakers from the three opposition parties and 17 legal representatives who will assist the lawmakers, held its second round of meetings on Friday. The People Power Party lawmakers expressed their intention not t

PoliticsDec. 20, 2024

Arrest warrant requested for military intelligence commander

A join investigation team probing the martial law case requested an arrest warrant Friday for the chief of the Defense Intelligence Command on suspicion of taking part in martial law operations. Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho, detained by investigators earlier this week, is suspected of sending troops in his command to the National Election Commission's office in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, on Dec. 3 after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. He is also suspected of discussing martial l

PoliticsDec. 20, 2024

N. Korea's flood victims brought to Pyongyang write letters of thanks to leader Kim

North Korean victims of late July's floods in the country's northern border region have written letters of thanks to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while wrapping up their four-month stay in Pyongyang, the North's state media reported Friday. In August, Kim ordered more than 15,000 vulnerable flood victims from the North Phyongan, Jagang and Ryangang provinces, including children, the elderly and sick people, to be brought to Pyongyang and provided with shelter. North Korea held

North KoreaDec. 20, 2024

Medical student sentenced to 26 yrs in prison for murdering his girlfriend

A Seoul court on Friday sentenced a medical school student to 26 years in prison on charges of murdering his girlfriend for allegedly breaking up with him. The 25-year-old, surnamed Choi, who attended a medical school in Seoul, was indicted with physical detention for stabbing his girlfriend to death on the rooftop of a building in southern Seoul on May 6. The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence for Choi, saying he had "brutally murdered" the victim, who was blindside

Social AffairsDec. 20, 2024

Ruling, opposition parties butt heads over acting president's authority

With Prime Minister Han Duck-soo carrying out the presidential duties of beleaguered President Yoon Suk Yeol, the ruling and the main opposition parties are clashing over the interim leader's rights regarding presidential veto and the appointment of Constitutional Court justices. Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, expressed regrets on Friday about Han exercising veto on the six bills recently passed unilaterally by the Democratic Party. The bills inc

PoliticsDec. 20, 2024

Acting defense minister, US defense chief reaffirm alliance regardless of politics in phone talks

Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed Friday that the alliance between their nations remains "ironclad" regardless of political situations, Seoul's defense ministry said, in the wake of the short-lived Dec. 3 martial law imposition. During their phone talks, they discussed the security situation, their combined defense posture and policy cooperation against North Korean threats while reaffirming the bilateral alliance is a linchpin fo

Diplomatic CircuitDec. 20, 2024

Gen. Brunson to take office as new USFK chief this week: Pentagon

Gen. Xavier Brunson will assume office as the new commander of US Forces Korea this week, the Pentagon press secretary said Thursday, reiterating the United States' "ironclad" commitment to the bilateral alliance. Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder made the remarks, saying US Indo-Pacific Command Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo will preside over the ceremony on Friday, where Gen. Paul LaCamera will turn over command of the 28,500-strong USFK to Brunson, former commander of First Corps. The USFK com

DefenseDec. 20, 2024

Qatar recalls 50 years with Korea, marks National Day

The Qatar Embassy in Seoul commemorated 50 years of diplomatic relations with South Korea, celebrating the occasion alongside Qatar’s National Day on Monday. Qatar’s National Day, observed Dec. 18, honors the accession of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani in 1878, who unified the peninsula bordered by Saudi Arabia and surrounded by the Persian Gulf. Qatar established diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1974, with the Qatari Embassy in Seoul opening in 1992. According to the K

Foreign AffairsDec. 20, 2024

Acting minister, US defense chief reaffirm 'ironclad' alliance regardless of politics

Despite ongoing political turmoil in South Korea prompted by the Dec. 3 martial law imposition, acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have reaffirmed the decadeslong "ironclad" alliance between the two countries, Seoul's Ministry of Defense said Friday. In a phone call, Kim "expressed his gratitude for the US government's support of the ironclad South Korea-US alliance despite the current domestic situation," according to Seoul�

PoliticsDec. 20, 2024

Investigators seek to quiz Yoon over martial law on Christmas Day

A joint law enforcement team investigating the martial law case said Friday it has requested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appear for questioning next week over his involvement in the botched martial law imposition. The team sent the summons to Yoon to appear for questioning at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials building in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, at 10 a.m. next Wednesday, its official said. It was the second summons request the investigation team has deli

PoliticsDec. 20, 2024

Pentagon says N. Korea suffered 'several hundred' troop casualties during combat against Ukraine

The United States believes North Korea has suffered "several hundred" troop casualties during combat alongside Russian forces against Ukraine, a Pentagon spokesperson said Thursday, noting that the figure could go up. Pentagon press secretary Major Gen. Pat Ryder made the remarks after South Korea's National Intelligence Service told lawmakers in Seoul that at least 100 North Korean troops, who were dispatched to Russia, were killed in action (KIA), with the number of injured Nort

Foreign AffairsDec. 20, 2024

US plans on high-level in-person engagement with Han's administration during last weeks of Biden govt.: Campbell

The United States plans on having high-level in-person engagement with the administration of South Korea's Acting President Han Duck-soo, a top US diplomat said Thursday, stressing that the Biden administration fully supports Han's interim role. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell made the remarks amid concerns that the ongoing political turmoil in the aftermath of President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law attempt and his subsequent impeachment would negatively affect bila

Foreign AffairsDec. 20, 2024

N. Korea-linked hackers stole $1.34b from crypto platforms this year: Chainalysis

Hackers linked to North Korea stole more than $1.3 billion from crypto platforms this year, marking the largest ever annual amount that they have raked in from hacking activities, a report from a blockchain analysis firm showed Thursday. Chainalysis released its analysis on North Korea-affiliated hackers' activities, saying that they stole $1.34 billion across 47 incidents, marking a significant jump from roughly $660.50 million across 20 incidents recorded last year. "Hackers linked t

North KoreaDec. 20, 2024

S. Korea issues influenza alert amid soaring infection cases

South Korea's disease control agency said Thursday it has decided to issue an influenza alert this week amid an increasing number of patients. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the alert will be issued starting Friday, under which the institution will bolster its monitoring of local infections and promote related vaccinations. The announcement came after the number of people infected with influenza per 1,000 patients among sampled hospitals reached 13.6 last week, surpass

Social AffairsDec. 19, 2024

Prosecutors investigate police officials over alleged role in martial law case

Prosecutors launched an investigation into around 10 police and military officials Thursday for their alleged involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief declaration of martial law earlier this month. Prosecutors seized mobile phones belonging to Woo Jong-soo, chief of the National Office of Investigation, as well as several other police and military officials, as part of their probe into the office, the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station and the Ministry of Defense's investigative u

Social AffairsDec. 19, 2024

Church officials who called for 'spicy martial law' accused of instigating insurrection

Civic group Peace Tree said Wednesday it has filed a criminal complaint against a far-right church group that called for President Yoon Suk Yeol to launch a second round of martial law. The left-leaning civic group said it filed for charges of "agitation of insurrection," as stipulated in Article 90 of the Criminal Act, against multiple individuals, including a close confidant of controversial pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon. Jeon, a Christian pastor known for far-right views, has accused the o

Social AffairsDec. 19, 2024

Justices at Constitutional Court hold 1st meeting

The Constitutional Court of Korea, set to deliver a final decision on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment within 180 days, held its first closed-door meeting Thursday with six justices of the nine-seat court. At the meeting, justices were expected to share opinions on the resolution of whether to uphold or overturn Yoon’s impeachment. Their discussion was based on research conducted by a 10-member constitutional task force on the legal grounds and facts behind Yoon’s Dec. 3

Social AffairsDec. 19, 2024