Police chiefs face pretrial hearing over rebellion, insurrection allegations

Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Kim Bong-sik were to face pretrial hearings Friday afternoon for alleged violations of the Constitution over allegations of rebellion and insurrection. According to the Seoul Central District Court, the pretrial hearings for the two police chiefs were to be held at 3 p.m., a day after police filed arrest warrants for both Cho and Kim for violations of the Criminal Act concerning insurrection-related d

Social AffairsDec. 13, 2024

Websites help protesters find prepaid meals, drinks, bathrooms

As thousands of protesters gather to demand President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, dedicated websites are popping up with information on where to find rest areas, bathrooms and even meals paid for by supporters in the general public. An anonymously created website called "Siwido Bapmeokgo (Torch Map)," whose name translates to "Eat First, Then Protest,” shows eateries and cafes near the protest sites where citizens hav

Social AffairsDec. 13, 2024

Thailand reaffirms tourism, economic ties with S. Korea

The Thai Embassy in Seoul reiterated deepening tourism and economic ties with South Korea, marking the country's National Day. Thai Ambassador to Korea Tanee Sangrat, in his remarks at the event, highlighted renewed momentum in Thailand-South Korea relations, citing high-level visits and the first meeting between Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol at the ASEAN Summit. Sangrat underscored the leaders' commitment to closer

Foreign AffairsDec. 13, 2024

Rep. Han Ki-ho offered defense minister post after initial nominee declines: reports

Rep. Han Ki-ho of the ruling People Power Party has reportedly been offered the role of defense minister after the initial nominee declined to take the position amid the political turmoil following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s controversial martial law declaration. According to local media reports, the Presidential Office informed Han of the nomination on Thursday. A four-term lawmaker, Han serves on the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee and is a retired three-star Army gen

DefenseDec. 13, 2024

Records related to Itaewon tragedy, Marine's death to be preserved

The National Archives ordered the preservation of investigative records related to the 2022 deadly crowd crush in Itaewon and the 2023 death of a Marine during a search and rescue mission, the state body said Friday. Under the order, records for the ongoing investigation concerning the deceased Marine corporal shall be preserved for the next five years. Article 27-3 of the Public Records Management Act states that the head of the state archives body can order a record to be preserved if deemed n

Social AffairsDec. 13, 2024

Yoon's approval rating down to 11%: Gallup Korea

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating has fallen to just 11 percent, hitting his lowest point again in the aftermath of his martial law declaration on Dec. 3, the most recent poll result showed Friday. Previous polls showed that Yoon's approval rating during the poll between Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 stood at 16 percent, while the figure has been on a downward trend over the week, to 13 percent for the Dec. 4-5 period and 11 percent for the Dec. 6-7 period. In the meanwhile, 85 percent of respondent

PoliticsDec. 13, 2024

Pro-Yoon floor leader pushes for amendment to Constitution

Newly elected Floor Leader of the ruling People Power Party Rep. Kweon Seong-dong said Friday he asked National Assembly Speaker Rep. Woo Won-shik to kick off parliamentary discourse to amend the Constitution of South Korea. Kweon told reporters after his meeting with Woo on Friday morning that he suggested the speaker take the lead in the discourse to amend the Constitution. South Korea last amended the Constitution in 1987 in the wake of its transition to democracy. "Now is the right time

PoliticsDec. 13, 2024

Courts condemn arrest order for judge as threat to judicial independence

South Korea’s judiciary on Friday criticized the revelation that a sitting judge was reportedly included on a list of individuals whose location was to be tracked for potential arrest during martial law operations on Dec. 3. Describing it as a "serious violation of judicial independence," both the Supreme Court and the Seoul Central District Court issued statements Friday condemning the action as a threat to the rule of law. A local media outlet, the JoongAng Ilbo, reported Frida

Social AffairsDec. 13, 2024

$5m reward for tips on N. Koreans in US extortion scheme

The US government on Thursday offered rewards of up to $5 million for information related to North Korean IT workers and companies engaged in illegal activities including money laundering and "certain cyber activity that supports the DPRK's (North Korea's) weapons of mass destruction.” North Korean IT companies Yanbian Silverstar Network Technology Co., based in China, and Volasys Silverstar, based in Russia, are accused of deploying workers to be hired for remote and free

North KoreaDec. 13, 2024

Sierra Leonean citizen dies in Ansan, needs urgent funeral support

A Sierra Leonean citizen named Obai Kamara died in Ansan on Wednesday without the resources to provide for a funeral, according to the Embassy of Sierra Leone. Kamara, who came to South Korea in 2022, had been battling serious health challenges. According to his close friends in Ansan, his condition worsened following a recent trip to Sierra Leone, and he returned to South Korea critically ill. Despite receiving medical treatment, Kamara succumbed to complications arising from kidney issues and

Foreign AffairsDec. 13, 2024

Opposition leader urges ruling party lawmakers to vote for Yoon Suk Yeol impeachment

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung, in a televised speech on Friday, urged ruling party lawmakers to vote in favor of the motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol in the National Assembly's session on Saturday. "It's not Yoon Suk Yeol or your party that you're supposed to protect," said Lee, who leads the party that controls the majority in the Assembly. "It's the people wailing in the streets, in the cold, and their livelihoods that you're sup

PoliticsDec. 13, 2024

Natl. Assembly to question PM, ministers over martial law imposition

The National Assembly is set to hold a parliamentary session Friday to question the prime minister and other officials that attended a controversial Cabinet meeting shortly before President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law declaration. The main opposition Democratic Party will also report a new impeachment motion against Yoon over his failed bid to impose martial law, days after he survived impeachment due to a lack of quorum. During Friday's interpellation session, opposition lawma

PoliticsDec. 13, 2024

Trump calls NK role in Russia's war 'complicating' factor, says he gets along 'very well' with Kim

US President-elect Donald Trump has said that Pyongyang's involvement in Russia's war in Ukraine is a "very complicating" factor, while boasting about his personal ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump made the remarks in an interview with US magazine TIME published Thursday as he commented on issues related to Russia's war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East. "When North Korea gets involved, that's another element that's a very compli

Foreign AffairsDec. 13, 2024

Police retrieve ex-defense minister's phone during raid on defense ministry

Police retrieved a secure mobile phone used by former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun during a raid on the defense ministry headquarters Thursday, officials said. Police investigators located the phone sent to the presidential office compound to seize evidence related to President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law last week. The defense ministry building is located in the same compound alongside the presidential office and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) headquarters.

PoliticsDec. 12, 2024

Protesters in standoff with police near Yoon's residence

Protesters calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment were in a standoff with police outside the presidential residence in Seoul on Thursday. Around 1,000 protesters marched to the residence's entrance in Hannam-dong and shouted slogans, such as "Arrest insurrection ringleader Yoon Suk Yeol," as of 5:40 p.m. in defiance of police warnings. Yoon has been accused of staging an insurrection through his short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3. The protesters, inclu

Social AffairsDec. 12, 2024

Will second impeachment vote be different?

With seven ruling party members now saying they will back a second impeachment vote against President Yoon Suk Yeol, the motion looks likely to need just one more backer to pass. Rep. Jin Jong-oh and Rep. Han Ji-ah of the People Power Party revealed their decisions for Saturday's impeachment vote, becoming the sixth and seventh ruling party lawmakers who will vote for Yoon's impeachment following Rep. Kim Sang-wook, Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, Rep. Kim Yea-ji, Rep. Cho Kyung-tae and Rep. Kim J

PoliticsDec. 12, 2024

National Election Commission refutes Yoon’s accusation

The National Election Commission on Thursday blasted President Yoon Suk Yeol’s accusation against the election management system earlier in the day, denouncing his claim as a “self-denial” of the very election system that led him to become president. In a televised public address, Yoon cited disbelief of the NEC as one of the reasons for declaring martial law last week. "Allegations of election fraud based on strong suspicion is equivalent to a self-denial of the very elec

Social AffairsDec. 12, 2024

Beijing objects to Yoon’s talks of ‘Chinese spies’

China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol's public address, in which he defended his martial law decree and denounced main opposition party policies by citing allegations of Chinese nationals spying in South Korea and expressing concerns over China's growing green industry. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said China is "deeply surprised and dissatisfied" with President Yoon’s remarks, adding that Beijing has taken note o

Foreign AffairsDec. 12, 2024

From protest songs to K-pop, generations unite through ‘protest playlist’

Nationwide protests calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment have brought a notable change from previous demonstrations: a connection across generations through music. Recent protests have seen a wide range of music transcending generational boundaries. Shared through platforms like YouTube and X, the so-called "protest playlist" includes everything from K-pop hits beloved by younger Koreans, to traditional protest songs that were the anthems of the democratization moveme

Social AffairsDec. 12, 2024

Full text of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's address to the nation on Thursday

Below is a full, official translation of President Yoon Suk Yeol's address to the nation on Thursday. My fellow Koreans, I stand here today to clarify my position regarding the declaration of martial law. The opposition parties are currently going berserk, claiming that the declaration of martial law equates to insurrection. Is what they claim true? Who are these forces paralyzing state affairs and disrupting the constitution in the Republic of Korea? Over the past two and a half years, t

PoliticsDec. 12, 2024