Tuesday's declaration of martial law was the first by a South Korean president in over 40 years. South Korea has had a total of 17 martial law declarations so far since it was first imposed in Oct. 21, 1948. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law to “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and to protect the constitutional order of freedom." Yoon labeled the opposition as "anti-state activities plotting rebellion," in the emergency televised address. Interim

Politics Dec. 3, 2024

Ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law, calling the decision "wrong," in a statement released late Tuesday. He added that he plans to stop the president's move "alongside the people."

Politics Dec. 3, 2024

The ruling People Power Party on Tuesday denounced the main opposition’s delay in passing the revision to the country’s espionage law, which aims to broaden the scope of activities that are punishable. The revision to Article 98 of the Criminal Act, floated by the ruling party earlier this year, seeks to change the wording of the legislation defining subjects punishable by law, from “a person who acts as a spy for an enemy country” to those from “a foreign nation.&r

Politics Dec. 3, 2024

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Monday submitted motions to the National Assembly to impeach the head of the state audit agency and three prosecutors involved in two different scandals surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee. The Assembly will put the motions to a vote during a plenary meeting scheduled for Wednesday, in accordance with plans announced by the main opposition, which holds the majority in the 300-seat parliament. By law, an impeachment motion must be put to a vote bet

Politics Dec. 2, 2024

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik on Monday postponed a parliamentary vote on the 2025 budget bill by one week, amid the main opposition’s push to unilaterally pass its proposed budget cuts. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, which holds a majority in the 300-seat National Assembly, had been gearing up to put the downsized budget bill to a vote during Monday’s plenary session. The opposition proposal would cut over 4 trillion won ($2.86 billion) from the initial 677.

Politics Dec. 2, 2024

The presidential office on Friday criticized the main opposition party's plan to report impeachment motions for the head of the state audit agency and three prosecutors involved in two different scandals surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee. “(The impeachment proposal against the chair of the Board of Audit and Inspection) marks the first of such case in our constitutional history and damages the foundation of the constitutional order,” presidential spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon said du

Politics Nov. 29, 2024

Minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party spokesperson and now ex-prosecutor Lee Kyu-won was disbarred from the practice of law for failing to uphold his duties to the profession and engaging in political activities while on duty, officials said Friday. The Ministry of Justice announced that they have officially revoked Lee’s license on Tuesday for “refusing to come to work following the April 10 general election without any justifiable explanation” and “violating the prose

Politics Nov. 29, 2024

The opposition-led National Assembly on Thursday passed two bills that could limit the authority and the power of the current ruling bloc. The Assembly, in a 179-102 vote, passed a bill that strips the current ruling People Power Party of the right to recommend candidates for a special counsel when investigating allegations against the president or the president’s family members. The revision to the Act on the Appointment of Independent Prosecutor bans the political party that the presiden

Politics Nov. 28, 2024

South Korea’s state weather agency said Thursday that its short-range weather forecast will start providing an overview of potential weather conditions up to five days ahead, instead of the previous four days. The update will allow viewers to see weather predictions up to Friday when they check the system on Monday, the Korea Meteorological Administration explained. However, due to current technological limits, forecast details for the fifth day, such as precipitation probability, will b

Social Affairs Nov. 28, 2024

Prosecutors on Wednesday raided the ruling People Power Party headquarters and its offices in western Seoul as part of an inquiry into claims that a self-proclaimed power broker interfered in the conservative party’s 2022 by-election candidate nominations. The Changwon District Prosecutors' Office conducted a search and seizure based on the allegations that Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, received around 76 million won ($54,400) from former People Power Party Rep. Ki

Politics Nov. 27, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday vetoed a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into multiple allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee, including her alleged meddling in past elections, with the legislation marking the third of its kind. Tuesday’s approval comes 12 days after the National Assembly passed the bill on Nov. 14, in a vote boycotted by the ruling People Power Party. Yoon has already vetoed two similar special counsel bills passed in December 2023 and September, wh

Politics Nov. 26, 2024

● Updated law: The Special Act on Supporting Jeonse Fraud Victims and Housing Stability What it does: Allows "jeonse" fraud victims to live in public housing without paying rent for 10 years Took effect: Nov. 11 Punishment: None "Jeonse" is a unique Korean system in which renters give landlords a large returnable deposit instead of paying monthly rent. The system has existed for decades, but in recent years, scammers have taken advantage of the system, refusing to return th

Social Affairs Nov. 25, 2024

Main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was acquitted Monday of subornation of perjury, with the Seoul Central District Court ruling him not guilty of allegedly asking a former mayoral secretary to provide false testimony in his favor in late 2018. Last year, prosecutors charged Lee with attempting to persuade a witness to make false testimony in his favor in December 2018, for a court trial over an alleged election law violation. Lee was accused of lying during a televised debate during his campai

Politics Nov. 25, 2024

Tensions between the rival political parties are expected to escalate in the following days, with the main opposition seeking to put a bill calling for a special counsel investigation into allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee up for a revote on Nov. 28. On Nov. 14, the opposition-led Assembly passed the revised special counsel probe bill in a 191-0 vote, as the ruling People Power Party lawmakers boycotted the vote. The Assembly has previously passed two similar bills, in December 2023

Politics Nov. 24, 2024

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea is planning to pass a bill that raises the threshold for a planned tax on virtual asset-related gains, up to 50 million won ($35,800) from the previously planned 2.5 million won, sources said Thursday. The original scheme for crypto tax gains would have taxed crypto-related income of over 2.5 million won per year starting January 2022, but it has been pushed back twice to January 2025. Main opposition Rep. Jin Sung-joon said the party would carry out

Politics Nov. 21, 2024