South Koreans will elect their new leader today, in what could mark a grand finale to eight months of political turmoil that saw sitting President Park Geun-hye ousted by a peaceful grassroots rebellion. It is a crucial vote that will decide the direction of the country over the next five years, amid the global and regional crosscurrents surrounding the Korean Peninsula. A liberal is the favorite to win, but there is the specter of a Trump phenomenon. Will Moon Jae-in take the presidency as poll

May is “family month” in South Korea, with the Children’s Day and Parents’ Day holidays falling on May 5 and May 8. Taking a cue from the special occasions, major presidential candidates have set out child-, senior- and family-friendly pledges. Front-runner Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea has vowed to make children happier, emphasizing the importance of play in a country where private education starts years before entering the school system.  Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)“(Enhancing)

As major candidates crisscross the country to drum up support in the final stretch to Tuesday’s presidential election, so too do a handful of fringe candidates -- to much less success. Among them are Cho Won-jin and Kim Sun-dong, who represent two opposite extremes of South Korea’s political spectrum. Cho of the far-right Saenuri Party is in the race with a clear mission: to save former President Park Geun-hye. The arrested conservative Park is standing a criminal trial for corruption after bein

  

With only six days remaining to the election, Moon Jae-in’s lead appears to be nearly insurmountable: He garnered 42.4 percent of support in the latest Realmeter poll released Wednesday, against the next two candidates who stand tied at 18.6 percent. 　The race, however, is not over yet. An upset is still possible, although not likely. 　Here is a look at three key variables that could significantly alter the dynamics of the race in the final stretch to the May 9 election. 　Moon Jae-in of the Demo

South Korean presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party said he would revive capital punishment if elected, saying criminals are “going on the rampage.” “Because we no longer carry out death penalty, high-profile murder cases continue, such as the ones involving (serial killers) Yoo Young-chul and Kang Ho-soon,” Hong said on campaign trail in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on Sunday.  South Korean presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party (

Primary to high schools here without indoor gyms are now required to create indoor spaces for sports in preparation for days when air quality is poor, South Korea’s Ministry of Education said Thursday, as it strengthens efforts to protect young students from worsening air pollution. The ministry has announced a set of anti-air pollution guidelines that include restricting the outdoor activities of students when the concentration of airborne pollutants is high.The capital blanketed in a gray haze

As the weather starts to heat up, many are taking up cycling for either commuting or sport. The number of bicycle riders has gone up steadily over the past few years here. According to the Korea Transport Institute, it now stands at more than 13 million people, translating into 1 in 4 Koreans.The growing affection toward bikes is hardly a surprise for commuters. People in metropolitan cities with notorious rush-hour traffic need an alternative transportation option.  Ho Sung-hyun bikes downhill.

A local startup is offering prizes to randomly selected voters who cast their ballots in the May 9 presidential election to encourage voter participation. Turnout varies greatly from election to election, and about a fifth of South Koreans remain uncertain whether they will vote on May 9. In an unusual attempt to boost participation, Yoon Byung-joo and his colleagues created voteforkorea.org -- a nonprofit website that will reward three randomly selected voters.An image of a website opened by a

For some voters, figuring out which presidential candidate fits best with the issues and qualities they care most about can be a cumbersome task. This is particularly so if the election is being held with an exceptionally high number of candidates and an excruciatingly tight schedule, as is the case with South Korea’s upcoming presidential vote. To help voters overcome such difficulties and make an informed choice, at least two free-of-charge services have emerged. They entail an online candidat

Of the 15 candidates running for the South Korean presidency, Ahn Cheol-soo of the centrist People’s Party is the richest, showed data from the National Election Commission. The entrepreneur-turned-candidate topped other contenders in personal fortune, reporting his assets to be worth 119.69 billion won ($105.2 million), about 74 times the average of the 14 other candidates which stood at 1.69 billion won.Ahn Cheol-soo of the centrist People’s Party (Yonhap)The lion’s share of Ahn’s wealth is in

The United States designed none of its major trading partners as a currency manipulator Friday, but put six countries, including China, Japan and South Korea, on its "monitoring list" for closer watch on their currency practices."No major trading partner of the United States met the standards identified in Section 3004 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 for currency manipulation in the second half of 2016," the Treasury Department said in a report to Congress."Additionally, US

North Korea rolled out prototype intercontinental ballistic missiles and other military hardware at a massive parade on Saturday to celebrate the birthday of the country's late founder, as third-generation leader Kim Jong Un looked on in delight. State television showed Kim, wearing a black suit and white shirt, stepping out of a limousine and saluting his honor guard before walking down a red carpet. He then stepped up to a podium and clapped with senior government officials to address the thou

South Korea's election authorities began taking official registrations Saturday from those seeking to become the country's chief executive in the upcoming election, as two front-runners submitted their paperwork.After the two-day registration, the official campaign period for the May 9 presidential election will begin Monday, according to the National Election Commission.A total of 26 potential candidates had registered with the NEC after preliminary registrations began on March 10, when former

North Korea staged a massive military parade on Saturday to mark the 105th birthday of late state founder Kim Il-sung amid growing tensions on the divided peninsula over its nuclear and missile program.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over the parade at the square named after the founder in Pyongyang with soldiers marching in formation, according to live footage aired by the country's state TV broadcaster."The most powerful and cutting-edge striking and defense means in our own style lin

Former President Park Geun-hye enjoyed special treatment at a detention center, including staying outside the cell where she now resides over charges of bribery, a local media outlet reported Friday. At the Seoul Detention Center, south of Seoul, Park reportedly refused to step inside a humble 11-square-meter cell designed to hold about six inmates, demanding that “new wallpaper” be put up because it looked “unclean,” according to a report from No Cut News. Photo credit: YonhapThe facility hurri

Students in Seoul will be prohibited from participating in outdoor activities when fine dust levels are high, the city’s education authority said Monday, as it steps up measures to prevent health damage caused by air pollution. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education notified primary to high schools in Seoul to refrain from outdoor activities when fine dust concentration levels exceed 50 micrograms per cubic meter and 25 micrograms per cubic meter for ultrafine dust.(Yonhap)Under the new guid

President Donald Trump says he's had "a very good call" with Chinese leader Xi Jinping dealing with what Trump calls "the menace of North Korea." Trump tweets that he spoke with Xi on Tuesday night. And Trump says in an interview with Fox Business News that solving the standoff with North Korea isn't "as simple as people would think."  (AP-Yonhap)Trump says China's long history with North Korea complicates China's ability to crack down on the North's nuclear program.  Trump and Xi recently held

German prosecutors say a letter found near the scene of the Dortmund team bus blasts suggests a possible Islamic extremist motive for the attack, and one suspect has been taken into custody.Frauke Koehler, a spokeswoman for federal prosecutors, said Wednesday that two suspects from the "Islamist spectrum" have become the focus of the Dortmund investigation. She says at a news conference that both of their apartments were searched and one of them has been detained.She says the letter at the attac

A lawyer for one of the women accused of murdering North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's estranged half brother with a chemical nerve agent said Tuesday that Malaysia has potentially compromised the case and that he's afraid his client will become a scapegoat.In an interview with The Associated Press, the attorney for Siti Aisyah said the man who he believes recruited his client was allowed to leave Malaysia late last month, after the country struck a surprise deal with North Korea.(Yonhap)"(He) may