A State Department spokesperson said Wednesday that South Korea has illustrated the strength of its democratic foundation as the Asian country has been trying to address the aftermath of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law bid last month. Speaking in a press briefing, Matthew Miller, the spokesperson, made remarks in response to a reporter's question about Yoon having been taken into custody this week for a probe into his short-lived martial law imposition on Dec. 3. "I think

US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday welcomed a deal between Israel and the Hamas militant group to halt fighting in Gaza and release Israeli hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners. Following weeks of negotiations brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas reached the deal that raised the prospects of an end to the devastating war that broke out in the wake of Hamas militants' attack on Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. "There was no other way

Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio stressed the need Wednesday for Washington to take a "serious" look at North Korea policy to explore how to lower the risk of "inadvertent" war between the two Koreas and prevent a crisis on the Korean Peninsula without encouraging countries to seek their own nuclear arms. During a confirmation hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Florida senator also accused "rogue states" and "dictators" in the North, Russia and Iran of sowing "chaos," a

Investigators are set to begin a second day of questioning of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law at 2 p.m. Thursday, the state anti-corruption agency said. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials said the session was rescheduled from the morning to the afternoon after Yoon requested a postponement, citing health reasons. Yoon's lawyer, Yun Gap-geun, however said the president will not undergo any further questioning. "President

Prosecutors on Wednesday sought a 7 1/2-year prison term for a man who killed nine people after ramming his car into pedestrians near Seoul City Hall. In July last year, the 69-year-old driver, surnamed Cha, pulled his car out of a hotel parking lot and darted into a nearby one-way road in the reverse direction before plowing through a sidewalk guardrail and striking pedestrians. Prosecutors requested the sentence during a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, saying the driver continues

-Yoon, identified as insurrection leader, is exercising right to remain silent -Yoon is first sitting president taken into custody -Yoon says decided to appear for questioning to prevent ‘bloodshed’ -CIO mulls requesting warrant to extend detention -Massive operation with 1,100 officers ended without physical conflict SEOUL/GWACHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- President Yoon Suk Yeol was detained in a large-scale law enforcement operation at the presidential residence Wednesday, on charges of mastermi

Political division in South Korea is nothing new, but the constant clashes between the extreme factions on both right and left, in parliament and even on the streets, has become overwhelming for many ordinary Koreans. "It's happening everywhere," says Lee Soo-hyun, pointing out how people are shouting in defense or condemnation of President Yoon Suk Yeol day and night on the streets. Lee, a cram school teacher in Gangnam-gu, who considers herself a centrist, feels particularly overwhelmed by the

South Korea's Presidential Security Service, which had resisted efforts to detain President Yoon Suk Yeol, stepped aside Wednesday morning, opening the Yoon up to arrest and themselves to a new level of scrutiny

'Only the beginning': Concerns about S. Korea’s political future still linger despite Yoon’s detention With South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol taken into custody by investigators on Wednesday, mixed voices among protesters for and against Yoon’s detention echoed in front of Yoon’s residence at Hannam-dong in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. From around 5 a.m., the streets of Hannamdaero began to swell with pro- and anti-Yoon protesters, with one side demanding he be detained and the other chanting h

Martial law imposition was 'high-level political act': Yoon's statement to court With suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol taken into custody by the joint probe team Wednesday morning, it is likely that Yoon's second hearing in his impeachment trial scheduled for Thursday will take place without his attendance. According to police, Yoon can be held and questioned for up to 48 hours from 11 a.m. on Wednesday, making it unlikely that Yoon will appear in court for his hearing scheduled for Thursday at

Following is a timeline of events leading to President Yoon Suk Yeol's detention on Wednesday, stemming from his short-lived declaration of martial law on Dec. 3. Dec. 3 South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declares martial law in a late-night announcement Dec. 4 National Assembly votes to demand lifting of martial law Yoon declares end to martial law Six opposition parties jointly submit parliamentary motion to impeach Yoon Dec. 5 Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun resigns Dec. 7 Yoon says he will

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Pentagon chief, referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power” in a written statement for Tuesday’s confirmation hearing – shattering a longstanding taboo by granting such a designation to Kim Jong-un’s regime and drawing considerable attention in Seoul. Seoul's Defense, Foreign and Unification ministries immediately dismissed Hegseth’s statement when asked for comment, each emphasizing in their respective statements that North Korea can never

Investigators have 48 hours to question Yoon face-to-face; extension would require formal arrest warrant The investigators who took President Yoon Suk Yeol into custody Wednesday have over 200 pages of questions to ask him about his Dec. 3 martial law declaration. The current detention warrant grants them 48 hours to address them face-to-face. Yoon, suspended from office since Dec. 14 last year, was arrested at his presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, at around 10:33 a.m. Wednesday and

In a prerecorded video message released shortly after his arrest Wednesday, suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol claimed again that the investigation of him was illegal, and that he was only complying with it to "prevent disgraceful bloodshed." Yoon was taken into custody at the presidential residence by investigators of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, in a second attempt to execute a court-issued warrant for his arrest this month related to his Dec. 3 botched imposi

The floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party said Wednesday that President Yoon Suk Yeol's detention by investigators marked the "first step" in restoring the country's constitutional order and democracy. Rep. Park Chan-dae made the remarks after investigators detained Yoon earlier in the day over his short-lived imposition of martial law last month. "(It) is the first step to restoring the constitutional order and democracy, and upholding the rule of law," Park said in a meeting of