The government and ruling party are scrambling to roll out measures to curb real estate prices, faced with mounting criticism that the Moon Jae-in administration’s related polices have failed. On Tuesday, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s Rep. Kang Byung-won proposed an Income Tax Act revision outlining the toughest-yet measures to curb real estate speculation, which could see a capital gains tax rate as high as 90 percent imposed on certain transactions. The bill comes a d

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Monday awarded civil servants of his office selected for outstanding performance, gifting them with commemorative plates to symbolize his “plate theory.” The plates were given to a number of officials within the Prime Minister’s Office for proactive administration. Recipients include the COVID-19 response team and officials who developed ideas for enabling the public to attend religious services while maintaining social distancing -- via onl

President Moon Jae-in’s approval rating dropped to the lowest in three months, while the gap between the ruling and main opposition parties narrowed, a poll showed Thursday. According to a poll conducted by Realmeter, Moon’s approval rating came to 49.4 percent in the first week of July. This is the first time the figure has dropped below 50 percent in Realmeter polls since the third week of March. A Gallup Korea poll for the final week of June also showed similar results, puttin

South Korea and the European Union on Tuesday agreed to continue cooperating on a range of global issues, from the COVID-19 pandemic and environment to multilateralism and global security issues, in a teleconference summit. President Moon Jae-in spoke with President of the European Council Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in place of the canceled South Korea-EU summit that was originally planned to be held in Seoul last month. In his opening remarks, Moo

Cheong Wa Dae on Friday urged relatives of people thought to have died during the Korean War to give DNA samples to aid in the efforts to identify remains. Speaking at a briefing on the government’s efforts to recover remains of South Korean soldiers who died in the war, and to identify and return them to their families, Cheong Wa Dae deputy spokesman Yoon Jae-kwan urged surviving families to give DNA samples.  “Securing DNA from families is very important, which is need to v

North Korean soldiers were spotted dismantling propaganda loudspeakers on Wednesday, a day after the country’s leader Kim Jong-un put on hold military actions against South Korea. According to the North’s state media Korean Central News Agency, Kim on Tuesday presided over a preparatory Central Military Commission meeting and put on hold plans proposed by the General Staff Department of the Korean People’s Army. On June 14, the North had announced plans to increase military

The Korean War was a much more dangerous time for civilians than soldiers, with civilians facing a host of dangers ranging from massacres and abductions to starvation and forced conscription. At a time when the population of the Korean Peninsula stood at about 30 million, more than 3.5 million civilians are estimated to have been killed, wounded or missing as a direct result of the war. In comparison, the combined number of military members who died or went missing -- South Korean and allied f

Former US national security adviser John Bolton’s claims in his memoir “seriously distort” the truth, and could seriously damage South Korean and US interests, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday. “Former adviser John Bolton describes negotiations between the leaders of Korea and the US, and North Korea and related situations from his point of view. (The memoir) does not reflect accurate facts. Also, the truth is seriously distorted in large parts,” Chung Eui-yong, head of

Seoul and Washington’s point men on North Korea are to meet and discuss the developments on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday. According to the ministry, Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, will meet with Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and discuss the situation on the peninsula and the allies’ response. It did not give details on whne or where the discussions would take place. A

Seoul expressed deep concern Wednesday over North Korea’s words and actions, calling them “senseless” and warning again that Pyongyang will have to bear the final consequences. “We clearly warn that North Korea’s senseless words and actions will not be tolerated anymore,” said Yoon Do-han, President Moon Jae-in’s senior public relations secretary. He was referring to the remarks from Kim Yo-jong -- sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un -- critic

Giving Kim Yo-jong -- sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un -- the lead in raising tension with the South is a move with several implications, experts say. Pyongyang has been raising tensions with Seoul in recent days, blowing up the inter-Korean liaison office and warning of reestablishing military presence in Kaesong industrial park and Kumgangsan resort. Such moves could set inter-Korean relations back by two decades. While North Korea’s actions, and warnings, have far-reaching

North Korea on Tuesday demolished an inter-Korean liaison office in its territory near the border, following through on threats and leaving South Korea with little in the way of options. According to Seoul’s Ministry of Unification, the North blew up the four-story building at 2:49 p.m., hours after its military warned of refortifying areas disarmed in accordance with inter-Korean agreements. A National Security Council meeting presided over by National Security Office chief Chung Eui-y

The government of Gyeonggi Province on Friday announced that it would take action to prevent people from sending anti-North Korean propaganda over the inter-Korean border, in line with the central government’s policies. The provincial government plans to designate several border regions as “danger zones” and prohibit anyone planning to send leaflets from entering. Those areas include parts of the cities of Gimpo, Goyang and Paju, as well as Yeoncheon County. The Gyeonggi gov

North Korea and the US are taking contrasting stances on bilateral relations on Friday, the two-year anniversary of the first meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. On Friday, the North continued to ratchet up the rhetoric, and hinted at the possibility of a provocation involving its nuclear weapons program. Ri Son-gwon, the North’s foreign minister, stated through the Korean Central News Agency that North Korea will not give into US demands and

The Ministry of Unification on Thursday requested the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to investigate two NGOs sending propaganda to North Korea on suspicion of violating inter-Korean cooperation, environmental and aviation laws. The NGOs -- Fighters for a Free North Korea, led by defector Park Sang-hak; and Keumsaem, headed by Park’s younger brother Park Jung-oh -- are accused of violating the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, Aviation Safety Act and Public Waters Management a

President Moon Jae-in’s North Korean policies are drawing heavy fire after Pyongyang snapped all inter-Korean communications, casting doubts on the future of relations between both countries. On Tuesday, North Korea’s dissatisfaction with Seoul came to a head, with Pyongyang ending communications with the South on all lines, and warning of hostile actions to exact the price of “betrayal.” Accusations and threats against the South are nothing unusual for the North, but

North Korea on Tuesday cut all inter-Korean communication channels in what it called the first step in exacting the price of betrayal by South Korea. In addition to the move -- the seventh of its kind since 1976 -- the North’s official media reported that Pyongyang’s leaders have already reviewed phased plans for “projects against the enemy” saying that all activities concerning the South will now be hostile. The North has officially blamed leaflets sent by South Kor

North Korea on Tuesday cut all communication channels including the hotline between Cheong Wa Dae and its leadership, prompting concerns for tensions escalating between the two Koreas. The decision was announced by the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency, which also announced that all projects concerning South Korea will now become “projects against the enemy.” “From 12 noon June 9, the communication line between the North and South’s governments main

President Moon Jae-in’s approval ratings that had risen to a 10-month high in May, appear to be on a downward trend, as local politics, which was overshadowed by the country’s fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, returned to public attention. Various polls conducted in the first week of June showed that Moon’s ratings have dipped, with some putting the figure at below 60 percent. Gallup Korea poll for the first week of the month put his approval rating at 62 percent, down

President Moon Jae-in on Monday spoke out against attempts to damage the campaign of “comfort women,” survivors of Japanese military sexual slavery, and pledged action to ensure the transparency of nongovernmental organizations. Speaking at a weekly meeting with senior aides, Moon addressed the matter for the first time, saying the scandal had shed light on issues with NGOs but must not be used to damage the integrity of the movement. The campaign for an apology and reparations f