Kwon Oh-eul, a former three-term lawmaker from South Korea’s conservative bloc, was nominated Monday as the new minister of patriots and veterans affairs by President Lee Jae Myung, the presidential office said. The appointment is seen as part of Lee’s push for national unity, as he seeks to form his first Cabinet with figures from across the political spectrum. Kwon, 68, served in the National Assembly under the now-defunct Grand National Party, a predecessor of the main opposition People Power

Clashes between rival parties are intensifying over key issues confronting the Lee Jae-myung administration in its early days — including the confirmation of Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok, a proposed supplementary budget, and the authority of the State Affairs Planning Committee. President Lee Jae Myung hosted a luncheon with the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the opposition People Power Party at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on Sunday, as the two parti

The rainy season is approaching, but that doesn't mean outdoor fun is off the table. Across the country, summer festivals are making the most of the season — rain or shine. Here’s a guide to five activity-packed outdoor festivals — from a pool of tomatoes to paddle boats in a lake of lotus flowers — stretching from the outskirts of Seoul to the southern countryside. A pool full of tomatoes Just 90 minutes from Seoul, the town of Toechon in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, transforms into a sea of red

Rep. Kim Byung-kee, a three-term lawmaker widely regarded as President Lee Jae-myung’s ally, was elected Friday as the new floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The party said Kim won a majority of votes in an internal election, defeating Rep. Seo Young-kyo, a four-term lawmaker. “I believe party members and fellow lawmakers elected me with the hope that I would become a bridgehead for the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration,” Kim said in his acceptance speech at the Nati

Seven out of 10 South Koreans believe President Lee Jae-myung will perform well during his five-year term, according to a poll released Friday, showing public confidence in Lee during the early days of his presidency. The survey, conducted by local pollster Gallup Korea from Tuesday to Thursday — about a week after Lee was sworn into office — found that 70 percent of respondents expect him to do well. Twenty-four percent said they do not expect him to perform well, while 6 percent were undecided

South Korea and Indonesia have finalized an agreement to set Jarkarta’s contribution to the joint development of the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet at 600 billion won ($437 million), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Friday. The agreement, signed during the Indo Defence exhibition in Jakarta earlier this week, follows more than a year of negotiations and delays surrounding payment terms and a diplomatic row over a technology leak. Indonesia has so far paid around 400 billion won. Th

South Korea on Wednesday suspended its loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at North Korea, as part of the liberal Lee Jae-myung administration's efforts to ease tension with Pyongyang. According to the presidential office, President Lee ordered the broadcasts, via loudspeakers installed in border area, to be halted starting 2 p.m. Wednesday. “This decision reflects President Lee’s commitment to restoring trust with North Korea and advancing his peace policy for the Korean Peninsula,” Lee's spokesperson

A South Korean KF-16 fighter jet was damaged during a multinational air combat drill in the United States, the South Korean Air Force said Wednesday. According to the military, the incident occurred around 4 p.m. during takeoff at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska. A fire broke out in the aircraft, causing partial damage, and an emergency ejection was carried out. The flight was part of the Red Flag-Alaska exercise hosted by the United States Pacific Air Forces. The KF-16, a twin-sea

Rep. Lee Jun-seok, presidential candidate for the minor conservative New Reform Party in the June 3 election, is facing mounting public backlash for alleged misogyny in a remark he made in a televised debate, with more than 500,000 people signing a petition calling for his expulsion from the National Assembly. The petition quickly gained traction, surpassing 510,000 signatures as of 5 p.m. Tuesday — just six days after it was posted on the National Assembly’s official website on June 4. By law,

Nearly six out of 10 South Koreans believe President Lee Jae-myung will perform well in office, according to a poll released Monday. The survey, conducted by local pollster Realmeter on Wednesday and Thursday last week — shortly after the June 3 presidential election — found that 58.2 percent of respondents expect Lee to perform well. In contrast, 35.5 percent said they do not expect him to do well, while 6.3 percent said they were unsure. The poll was conducted among 1,012 adults aged 18 and ol

People Power Party interim leader Kim Yong-tae pledged Sunday to hold a party convention to elect a new leader by early September, in efforts to reunite the conservative bloc reeling from its presidential election defeat, ahead of next year’s local elections. "Conducting the local elections under elected leadership, rather than the current interim system, is essential not only to win the race but also to restore the conservative bloc," Kim said during a press briefing at the National Assembly in

Rep. Lee Jun-seok, presidential candidate of the minor conservative New Reform Party, may have proven himself as a new political force in South Korea's conservative landscape, but he faces criticism for his refusal to merge candidacies with People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo. The merger between the youngest candidate in Korean history and Kim could have led to Lee Jae-myung's defeat, the conservatives believe. According to the National Election Commission, Kim and Lee secured 41.1 percent

Rep. Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the minor conservative New Reform Party, accepted his third-place finish on Tuesday but said he had no regrets about not uniting candidacies with the People Power Party’s Kim Moon-soo. “If the current result stands, Lee Jae-myung will take office. Given the immense challenges of national unity and economic recovery, I hope he makes thoughtful and appropriate decisions,” Lee said at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, after exit polls were rel

More than 79 percent of eligible voters had cast their ballots by the time polls closed on Tuesday, marking the highest turnout since the 1997 presidential election, according to the National Election Commission. The polls were open between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day — two hours longer than usual, as stipulated for early elections. Including last week's two days of early voting, 35,240,416 out of 44,391,871 eligible voters cast their ballots, amounting to 79.4 percent, the NEC reported. T

Minor presidential hopefuls including Kwon Young-guk of the Democratic Labor Party and Song Jin-ho, an independent, are set to appear on the final ballot in Tuesday’s election — despite polling in the low single digits and holding little prospect of victory. Kwon, an engineer-turned-human rights lawyer, is better known for his legal advocacy than for his political profile. Nicknamed the “street lawyer,” he has represented victims in some of South Korea’s most high-profile labor disputes and civi