Starting next year, the upper limit for parental leave benefits in South Korea will increase to 2.5 million won ($1,740) per month, up 1 million won from the current cap, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced Tuesday. The changes, approved at a Cabinet meeting, will take effect Jan. 1, 2025. Workers will also be able to apply simultaneously for parental leave, used by those raising young children, and maternity leave, used by the parents of newborns. If employers do not approve parental

Social Affairs Dec. 17, 2024

K-democracy? Lawmakers flooded with protest texts after impeachment boycott 진행자: 최정윤, Tannith Kriel 기사 요약: 윤석열 대통령 탄핵 소추안에 대해 국민의 힘 의원들 대다수가 투표를 보이콧 하면서 "탄핵 찬성해라"는 시민들 문자 폭탄 이어져 [1] Lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party have faced a barrage of protest text messages after an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol was scrapped due to their decision to boycott the vote. barrage of: 빗발치는 scrap: 폐기하다 [2] PPP lawmakers have been struggling to deal with an endless stream o

Podcast Dec. 16, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s suspension from office by the National Assembly has thrown his administration’s ambitious, flagship education and medical reforms, such as expanding medical school enrollment quotas and introducing AI-powered digital textbooks, into uncertainty amid the political upheaval. The government had positioned education reform as one of its four major policy pillars, but the political fallout from the impeachment may weaken the momentum for these initiatives, acco

Social Affairs Dec. 16, 2024

The National Investigation Headquarters' special task force revealed Sunday that over 1,500 military personnel from key units were mobilized for the Dec. 3 martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol. The troops included members of the Ministry of National Defense, Army Headquarters, Capital Defense Command, Special Warfare Command, Defense Counterintelligence Command, and Korea Defence Intelligence Command. The police also reported that it has questioned 43 military officials, includ

Politics Dec. 15, 2024

Prosecutors on Sunday sought an arrest warrant for Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, the former head of the Army Special Warfare Command, for his role in the short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3. Kwak is accused of deploying military units to the National Assembly during the martial law declaration and allegedly colluding with President Yoon Suk Yeol and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to incite a riot aimed at subverting the Constitution. He is under charges of insurrection and abus

Politics Dec. 15, 2024

  In a historic vote on Dec. 14, South Korea's National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol, marking a seismic moment in the country's political history. While the passage indicates that some ruling People Power Party members joined the opposition, the decision is widely seen as a condemnation of Yoon's controversial actions surrounding the Dec. 3 martial law declaration, not an endorsement of the opposition, according to experts and observers. To meet the

Politics Dec. 14, 2024

Power struggle intensifies among investigative bodies over Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law case 진행자: 최정윤, Tannith Kriel 기사 요약: 12.3 계엄령 선포 관련 주요 인물들 및 내란죄 등에 대한 수사에 대해 경찰, 검찰, 공수처 등이 수사권에 대한 혼선 계속돼 [1] The investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol’s controversial December 3 martial law declaration has descended into a jurisdictional tug-of-war among South Korea’s prosecutorial, police and anti-corruption agencies, raising concerns about the investigation's clarity and effi

Podcast Dec. 12, 2024

South Korean prosecutors filed an arrest warrant for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, accusing him of collaborating with President Yoon Suk Yeol to orchestrate an insurrection in the controversial Dec. 3 martial law declaration. This marks a significant development in the investigation, as prosecutors identify Yoon as the central figure behind the alleged coup attempt. Kim, summoned by the special prosecution investigation team for questioning on insurrection, abuse of power and other char

Politics Dec. 10, 2024

  The investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol’s controversial December 3 martial law declaration has descended into a jurisdictional tug-of-war among South Korea’s prosecutorial, police and anti-corruption agencies, raising concerns about the investigation's clarity and efficiency. At the heart of the dispute is the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which rejected a request from the prosecutor’s office to hand over all cases related to the mart

Politics Dec. 9, 2024

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol narrowly avoided impeachment on Saturday after the motion was scrapped for failing to meet the quorum of two-thirds of the 300-member Assembly. However, his legal troubles are far from over. Police, prosecutors and corruption authorities have all begun wide-ranging investigations into his controversial declaration of martial law and opposition parties vow to pursue alternative avenues of accountability. The prosecution said Sunday the president has been booke

Politics Dec. 8, 2024

In a dramatic turn of events during the Dec. 7 National Assembly vote on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment motion, all but one member of the ruling People Power Party vacated the chamber in a boycott. The motion is likely to fail to pass due to a lack of quorum. Only Ahn Cheol-soo remained among the ruling party members to cast a vote. However, two more lawmakers from the ruling party -- Kim Yea-ji, and Kim Sang-wook -- chose to return and cast their votes. Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a three-

Politics Dec. 7, 2024

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik pledged on Friday that the parliament would do everything in its power to safeguard South Korea’s democracy and protect its citizens, following concerns over rumors and reports that President Yoon Suk Yeol may declare martial law for a second time. Woo issued a stern warning against any attempt to declare martial law again, following reports suggesting Yoon may be considering such a move. “If there is another misjudgment by the President in de

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

How will vacancies at Constitutional Court impact impeachment process? After President Yoon Suk Yeol's unprecedented martial law declaration, the National Assembly is putting forward an impeachment motion amid growing calls for Yoon to resign. Here’s a clear breakdown of how the process could unfold and the challenges it faces under the current circumstances. Impeaching a president begins in the National Assembly, South Korea’s legislative body. If the Assembly succeeds in passi

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

Mass protests and calls for the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol are spreading across South Korea, with citizens from diverse sectors -- including education, religion, NGOs and the arts -- staging candlelight vigils and rallies denouncing his controversial declaration of martial law. This marks the largest nationwide candlelight protest movement since the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye in 2016. The wave of dissent has been particularly pronounced among university students an

Politics Dec. 5, 2024

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of emergency martial law on Tuesday has sparked widespread criticism, marking the first time in over 40 years that such a measure has been invoked. Political experts suggest that the unprecedented move is rooted in Yoon’s increasing political isolation, compounded by numerous scandals, legislative gridlock and growing tensions with both opponents and allies. Park Chang-hwan, a political commentator and professor at Jangan University,

Politics Dec. 4, 2024