President Lee Jae Myung on Friday stressed that fairness must guide policies supporting multicultural families, calling for a review of preferential benefits while emphasizing the need to strengthen support that addresses their specific disadvantages. It is the third consecutive day Lee has publicly raised concerns about preferential treatment for multicultural families, drawing criticism from political opponents who warn that questioning such benefits could fuel discrimination. "Fairness is a c

South Korea and the United States are close to finalizing a comprehensive agreement on relocating US military facilities at several air bases, including Gwangju, national security adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday. The agreement could help pave the way for the relocation of US military facilities at Gwangju Air Base, a key issue in plans to develop a semiconductor manufacturing cluster in the southwestern Honam region, one of three "megaprojects" pursued by the Lee Jae Myung administration. Wi str

Seoul is seeking a way out of its diplomatic dispute with Kyiv over the disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war, stressing that its engagement with Russia remains within the international sanctions framework. A senior presidential official said discussions were continuing with Ukraine, signaling Seoul's desire to resolve a dispute that has strained relations between the two countries. "We do not believe it is desirable for this issue to drag on. We are holding discussions

South Korea is weighing an expanded role for its Cheonghae naval unit, currently deployed overseas, to contribute to international efforts to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Cheong Wa Dae. National security adviser Wi Sung-lac said the government was “continuing to explore ways to play a necessary role and make contributions to protect our citizens and safeguard our economic interests.” “Specifically, we are carefully considering ways to expand and streng

South Korea and Germany agreed to elevate their ties to an "enhanced strategic partnership," pledging to expand the scope of cooperation to advanced industries and future growth sectors while strengthening defense and security ties. President Lee Jae Myung and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz outlined the expanded partnership in a joint statement issued after their summit at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Thursday. The two leaders noted that their meeting came "at a time of increased strategic conver

Securing critical supply chains in key industries and expanding high-tech cooperation sit high on the agenda as President Lee Jae Myung and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pursue stronger South Korea-Germany relations, according to Seoul. Lee is scheduled to host Merz at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Thursday afternoon, with renewable energy, power grids and defense also among the areas of potential cooperation. The two manufacturing powerhouses face growing pressure to diversify supply chains and

President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday that his administration will closely examine local governments' benefits for multicultural families that go beyond ensuring equal opportunities and support. “Policies that give preferential treatment to multicultural families in Seoul and other local jurisdictions have become an issue,” Lee wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Multicultural families are defined as households formed by a Korean national and an individual from a different cultural background. “We wi

President Lee Jae Myung urged the government on Wednesday to act faster to prevent avoidable deaths, on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy that claimed 159 lives. Lee made the remarks while chairing a national safety meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, his first time presiding over a plenary session of the Presidential Committee on Life and Safety since its launch in July. "Both before and after the tragedy, there have been many deaths that could have been prevented and many

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday defended his recent remarks on migrant workers, saying that his intention was to emphasize the need to prioritize hiring Korean workers to address the country's "serious unemployment problem." His explanation came amid criticism of comments he made at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, when he questioned foreign workers' contributions to the South Korean economy, saying that they send their earnings overseas. The comments sparked a backlash from migrant rights adv

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday suggested exploring alternatives to lengthy legislative procedures as his administration moves toward a decision on the extent and scope of lowering the age of criminal responsibility. Lee made the suggestion during a closed-door session of a weekly Cabinet meeting, where the Justice Ministry presented its review of public opinion survey results on lowering the age threshold, according to senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. The proposal revisits a lo

President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that low economic growth was the root cause of social unrest across Europe, and that South Korea must learn from the turmoil. His remarks came as Europe grappled with a wave of protests stretching from Albania to Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain, alongside mass demonstrations in France, where thousands of people have been arrested in recent weeks. The grievances vary across the continent, ranging from rising living costs and strained public services in Fran

President Lee Jae Myung reaffirmed the need for South Korea to join a major trans-Pacific trade pact, but vowed farmers and fishermen would not be left to shoulder the costs of trade liberalization without compensation. "We must no longer force losses and suffering on people simply because they lack power or are small in number," Lee said Monday during a meeting with around 110 farmers and fishermen at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. It marked the first time since 2018 that a sitting South Korean presid

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's whirlwind one-day visit to China's border city of Dandong on Saturday brought together two defining features of Pyongyang's relationship with Beijing: A longstanding alliance rooted in the Korean War and the prospect of expanded economic cooperation. The trip, Kim's sixth to China overall and his first in 13 months, came just nine days after the long-delayed opening of a bridge expected to boost cross-border trade. It also fell on the eve of a major Chinese comm

South Korea’s presidential National Security Office convened an emergency cybersecurity meeting on Thursday to coordinate a response to a critical vulnerability in PHP, a programming language widely used to power websites around the world. The meeting, chaired by Song Ki-ho, the third deputy director of the National Security Office, brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of National Defense and the National Intelligence Service, according to Cheong W

After a decade in limbo, South Korea's long-dormant presidential watchdog is poised for a revival under the Lee Jae Myung administration, bringing back a key check on presidential power. The independent inspector general is tasked with investigating suspected misconduct involving the president's spouse, relatives within the fourth degree of kinship and senior presidential aides. The revival of the post, vacant since September 2016, marks the restoration of an oversight mechanism designed to prev