The Capital Defense Command’s high-ranking official Oh Sang-bae appeared at the third hearing in the former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s criminal trial on Monday, testifying that he had heard Yoon considering a second attempt to impose martial law. On the night of the martial law declaration, Oh rode to the National Assembly in the same vehicle as Lt. Gen. Lee Jin-woo, then commander of the Capital Defense Command. Oh testified that during the ride, he overheard the president order the commander vi

The Seoul High Court said Monday that it had postponed the first formal hearing in a trial in which Lee Jae-myung faces subornation of perjury charges, which was scheduled to be held on May 20, until after the June 3 presidential election. The court’s announcement can be seen as an additional effort to present Lee — who is a candidate in the election — with equal opportunities to campaign. The announcement follows previous decisions to delay two other criminal trials — one a retrial on charges o

Disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol will have to walk through a gauntlet of journalists for the first time when entering the courthouse since his April 4 ouster, on Monday, as he must now enter through the court's public entrance to attend his criminal hearing, just as any other defendant normally would. Yoon’s public appearance at the Seoul court comes after it banned use of the underground parking lot, which he had previously used to avoid the press and what is called in Korea the "photo

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday announced this year’s Seoul International Garden Show will be held at Boramae Park in Dongjak-gu, southwestern Seoul, on the largest scale and for the longest duration, starting from May 22. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the eco-friendly festival, the city government is set to showcase 111 gardens from among a broader range of participants, ranging from students and local communities to garden artists, private firms, state agencies and local go

Unionized bus drivers across 22 regions in South Korea announced a simultaneous, nationwide strike on May 28 if ongoing negotiations fail. The Korean Automobile and Transport Workers’ Federation shared that the decision was made after a meeting early Thursday. A KATWF official reported that the union would put all proposals on the table and approach negotiations with an open mind to minimize public inconvenience. But if no acceptable agreement is reached within the 15-day mediation period, a nat

The anti-corruption investigative agency attempted to conduct a search and seizure at the presidential office Wednesday as part of an investigation into allegations that former President Yoon Suk Yeol influenced the outcome of a military investigation into the death of a young marine in July 2023. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials announced that its prosecutors and investigators were dispatched to the presidential National Security Office and secretary's office in Yo

South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the former chair of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea and front-runner for the presidency, made two knowingly false statements during the 2022 election campaign — which the court said must be judged by a higher standard given his candidacy. The court concluded that Lee’s denial of personal ties with the late Kim Moon-ki, a key figure in the Seongnam land development scandal, amounted to the offense of “publicly announcing

All of South Korea’s law enforcement agencies are now investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol, with seven criminal cases underway following the loss of his presidential immunity after his April 4 ouster. While controversies surrounding Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, drew attention during his presidency, investigations had stalled due to Article 84 of the Constitution, which shields sitting presidents from prosecution except for insurrection or treason. Yoon also vetoed multiple bills call

The Supreme Court of Korea overturned the lower court’s decision to acquit former Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung on two charges of election law violations, sending the case back to the Seoul High Court. The top court’s 10-2 ruling Thursday reversed the Seoul High Court's verdict from late March, which found the evidence presented against Lee regarding false statements "did not prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt." Chief Justice Jo Hee-de said in the televised proceed

The prosecution investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3, 2024 declaration of martial law on Thursday indicted Yoon for abuse of power. Yoon will face a criminal court trial for his alleged obstruction of the exercise of rights through the abuse of power, constituting a violation of Article 123 of the Criminal Act, when he declared martial law nearly five months ago, according to the prosecution’s special investigation team led by Park Se-hyun, chief prosecutor at the Seoul High Pro

As the Supreme Court of Korea decided to deliver its verdict on Lee Jae-myung’s election law violation case on Thursday, just nine days after it first reviewed the case on April 22, speculation is growing over the reason for the top court’s earlier-than-expected ruling date. While many election law violation cases that are appealed to the Supreme Court take more than three months to process, Lee’s case has garnered both public and legal analysts’ attention because the court conducted two hearing

Prosecutors carried out a search and seizure of the private residence of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee on Thursday, as part of an investigation into alleged corruption via ties between the former presidential couple and a shaman, Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geon Jin. Wednesday’s raid by the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office is seen as an effort to secure evidence related to Jeon’s alleged violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and his alleged

The Supreme Court of Korea announced Tuesday that it will deliver its verdict on Lee Jae-myung’s election law violation case Thursday at 3 p.m. The Democratic Party of Korea presidential contender's ruling is set to come 10 days before the official presidential candidate registration deadline on May 11, which is earlier than many had anticipated. Lee’s case, which was initially assigned to a panel of four justices, was referred to the grand bench on April 22. Chief Justice Jo Hee-de had decided

Myung Tae-kyun, accused of fabricating polls to influence the candidacies of conservative political figures, was summoned for questioning Tuesday morning, in a widening investigation into his alleged corrupt ties with the former presidential couple and current Seoul mayor. The pollster's summons to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office suggests the investigation into his alleged ties with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol and former first lady Kim Keon Hee is approa

The base fare for a subway ride in the Seoul area with a transportation card is scheduled to increase by 150 won ($0.10) to 1,550 won starting June 28, meaning a round-trip fare will exceed 3,000 won for the first time. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that the hike was confirmed by the local governments of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, and Korea Railroad Corp. on April 24. The subway fee adjustment marks the first fare hike in 18 months since the city increased the ba