The chief of the coast guard for Taean, South Chungcheong Province, has been removed from the post, and the chief of the Central Regional Coast Guard has been reprimanded over a recent series of illegal entries into the country through the West Sea. The Korea Coast Guard on Friday said that coast guard chief Ha Man-sik was removed from the post for failing to respond to boats carrying illegally entering immigrants from China. Since April 20, three boats connected to illegally entering the c

Choi Seo-yeon has claimed in a memoir that she served former President Park Geun-hye without any personal gains in mind, living as an “invisible person.” Choi, better known by the name Choi Sun-sil, is Park’s confidante at the center of the scandal that led to Park’s eventual impeachment, removal from office and imprisonment. Choi is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence on various corruption charges. She is also the daughter of Choi Tae-min, a late cult leader

The 21st National Assembly kicked off Friday with the plenary session boycotted by the main opposition over friction with the ruling party, despite repeated promises to seek “cooperative politics.” On Friday, the new parliament’s plenary session opened with members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, main opposition United Future Party and other minor parties. The main opposition, however, left the session just 12 minutes after it opened, following the address by the par

The United States has accepted South Korea’s initial offer to cover the wages of its citizens employed by the US Forces Korea until the year-end, inching forward in the prolonged defense cost-sharing negotiations, according to officials Wednesday. “The Department of Defense has accepted the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) proposal to fund the labor costs for all US Forces Korea (USFK) Korean National (KN) employees through the end of 2020,” the US Department of Defense said i

South Korea being invited to the G-7 meeting is a step toward a new international order that will raise the country to a new level in international society, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. “In the words of President Trump, G-7 is outdated, and the possibility of G-7 becoming G-11 or G-12 has grown,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-seok said at a press briefing about the previous day’s telephone conversation between President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump. On Mond

President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged the National Assembly to quickly approve the third supplementary budget bill, stressing that South Korea’s government debt is growing at a slower rate than other major economies. Speaking at an emergency economy meeting, Moon said the government will employ all resources at its disposal to offset the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, and to lay the foundations for building “pioneering economy.” Monday’s event was the sixth emergen

President Moon Jae-in, meeting with floor leaders of the two main political parties on Thursday, asked for bipartisan cooperation in the government’s response to unprecedented challenges amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. 　 In the meeting with Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon of the ruling Democratic Party and Rep. Joo ho-young of the main opposition United Future Party, Moon also stressed the importance of communication among the leaders of both parties and the president, saying that discussions on c

The government will push to ease regulations on inter-Korean exchange and contact with North Koreans, the Ministry of Unification said Tuesday. The changes, which will be included in the revision of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, are thought to be aimed at aiding the Moon Jae-in administration’s plans to lay the foundations for inter-Korean projects. The revision, which will be submitted to the National Assembly within the year, will allow South Koreans to contact North K

Addressing the officials responsible for drawing up the national fiscal strategy, President Moon Jae-in on Monday called for bold support measures, saying the state must spearhead efforts to soften the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at the National Fiscal Strategy Meeting, Moon also downplayed concerns that his administration’s fiscal policies could threaten the country’s fiscal stability, saying Korea was more economically stable than average compared with other OECD s

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday pledged to quickly roll out the “Korean New Deal” saying that the country can emerge from the COVID-19 crisis as a leader in the era of digital economy. Speaking at a meeting with leaders of industries experiencing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Moon said that the economic crisis sparked by the pandemic is spreading to a wider range of industries, but the country has built opportunities from crisis. “We have shaped our future by

North Korea is probably having difficulty importing grain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while continuing to experience a shortage in food production, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification said Tuesday. “COVID-19 is likely to have significantly hampered North Korea in importing resources from outside,” a Unification Ministry official said. Early on in the pandemic, North Korea closed its borders and is reported to have imposed strict quarantine measures on anyone who has tra

President Moon Jae-in on Monday again pledged to resolve controversies surrounding the May 18 Democratic Uprising in 1980, and urged those involved in atrocities to come forward to open a “path of forgiveness and reconciliation.” Speaking at the event marking the 40th anniversary of the uprising in Gwangju, which was crushed by the military junta of Chun Doo-hwan, Moon said that the movement sowed the seeds of democracy that gave rise to today’s South Korea. The event, hel

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday pledged increased support for local startups and to lay the foundations for the drive to make the country into a “digital powerhouse.” Speaking at a meeting with 21 young entrepreneurs included in Forbes’ list of under 30 Asian entrepreneurs, Moon reiterated his vision of building a “pioneering economy,” and the role of startups have in that vision. “Startups must survive the valley of death to become global companies. Th

The National Assembly appears likely to convene for another extraordinary session next week, with the end of the current parliamentary term fast approaching. According to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and main opposition United Future Party, the two sides have tentatively agreed to hold an extraordinary session sometime next week to process uncontested bills. The ruling party’s Floor Leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon and his opposition counterpart Rep. Joo Ho-young are set to meet to d

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday asked the parliamentarians to prioritize strengthening quarantine and public health capabilities at the incoming 21st National Assembly. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Moon said that strengthening related capabilities including upgrading the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be prioritized. The term of the current National Assembly will end on May 29, giving way to the lawmakers elected in this year’s general elections for their fou

The ruling Democratic Party is hoping to hold another extraordinary session of the National Assembly next week, but avoiding the lowest ever bill processing rate appears unlikely. The outgoing parliament has until May 29 to pass pending bills, with many in the pipeline, including some pertaining to the country’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. According to Democratic Party deputy floor leader Rep. Kim Young-jin, the ruling and main opposition United Future Party are negotiating on

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday pledged to build a “pioneering economy” in the post-COVID-19 era, focusing on “turning a crisis into an opportunity” for the remainder of his term. In a special address to the nation on the third anniversary of his inauguration, Moon focused on economic issues, outlining his plans to lay the foundations for economic growth and to strengthen South Korea’s standing in the international community. “The fear of unemployment is s

Major universities in Seoul are to raise the proportion of new students selected through regular admissions to over 30 percent starting in 2022, Korean Council for University Education data shows. Regular admissions are decided primarily on the basis of a nationwide standardized test administered once a year. Rolling admissions often give more weight to other selection criteria such as extracurricular activities, internships and volunteer work. According to Sejong University, major universi

The defense cost-sharing negotiations between Seoul and Washington appear likely to continue, with the US reportedly proposing a raise more than three times higher than South Korea’s offer. According to a local daily, the Trump administration has proposed that Korea pay about $1.3 billion. Citing an unnamed source, local daily Dong-A Ilbo reported that the US has proposed that Seoul’s share be raised to the “$1.3 billion level,” which would be about 49 percent up from

A new facility that is probably linked to North Korea’s ballistic missile program is nearing completion, a US think tank said. In a report published onTuesday (US time), Beyond Parallel, a website specializing in North Korean matters run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic International Studies, said the facility -- located about 17 kilometers northwest of Pyongyang International Airport -- is most likely linked to the North’s missile program. The website predicted th