One scene that stands out in this year’s presidential election is a wealth of “proof shots” going viral on the internet and social media. As polling stations opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday, citizens were seen taking selfies and proof shots in front of polling stations. While these photos emit a similar vibe with mundane poses and a shot of the election ink smudged on a hand, some took the photos a step further.Voters upload photos on Instagram to show they have cast their ballots.(Photos from Instagra

Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea cast his vote with his wife, Kim Jung-sook, in Hongeun Middle School in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, early Tuesday. Wearing a blue suit with a white shirt, Moon arrived at the school gate at 8:35 a.m. The venue was already crowded with citizens and reporters, trying to catch a glimpse of the presidential front-runner. “Only voting can change the reality,” he said after he came out from the polling station building. “Please bring together the strength

A woman with a knife was arrested at an outdoor electioneering event for conservative presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo on Monday.The woman appeared at the campaign stop in front of a shopping mall in Daegu with what appeared to be a fruit knife wrapped in white paper. She was immediately stopped by surrounding Hong supporters and was soon arrested.  (Screen captured from Youtube)She reportedly said after being caught, “I have worked for two hours and came here to talk about my unfair situati

On Monday, the day before Election Day, the five leading presidential candidates made their last-ditch appeals, asserting they are the only person who can safeguard national values and deliver on voters’ desires. Front-runner Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea reiterated calls for an “overwhelming victory” that would expedite what he called a “proud current of reform and integration.”Front-runner Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (Yonhap)“Please open a new wo

Candidates for the South Korean presidency are to blitz through key battleground regions Monday as the race enters its final hours before the crucial vote Tuesday. While front-runner Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea is trying to seal his lead at the polls, others are striving to turn the tables around. A conservative rival even claimed a “golden cross.”Moon, who consistently topped polls with some 35-40 percent in support, is scheduled to visit the southern city of Busan -- Korea’s s

“평생 이런 걸 본 적이 없어요.”지난 26일 서울 홍대입구역에서 유승민 바른정당 대선후보의 유세를 본 독일인 여행객은 한국의 대통령 후보 유세가 “신기하다”고 답했다.우리나라 시민들이 보기에는 익숙하기만 한 트럭 위 유세, 춤 공연 등은 상당수 외국인 관광객과 거주민들의 눈에 “특별한 볼거리”로 비춰졌다. 한국으로 여행 온 지 10일째라던 폴 벤하우스(Paul Venhaus, 24)씨는 웃음을 참지 못한 채 연신 스마트폰으로 사진을 찍어댔다. 유세 전후를 장식하는 유세단의 춤을 보고는 “춤과 율동이 후보들의 공약과 무슨 관계가 있는 건지 모르겠다”면서도 “매우 웃긴 광경(Ridiculous)”이라고 했다.   문재인 더불어민주당 대선후보 의정부 유세현장 (코리아헤럴드)이어 “큰 스크린이 달린 트럭들은 TV 프로그램을 광고하러 돌아다니는 줄 알았다”며 “(한국에 비교하면) 독일은 선거 유세가 밋밋하고 재미없다”고 덧붙였다.지난 1일 15,000여명(주최 측 추산)이 몰린 문재인 더불

SEJONG (Yonhap) -- The unemployment rate for the age group of 20s and 30s with no career experience hit a record high in the first quarter, due largely to a sluggish recruitment market and preference for hiring experienced workers, government data showed Saturday.The tally on the unemployed aged 20-39 who have never had a job came to 95,000 in the January-March period, recording the highest level since the government began to track related data in 1999, according to Statistics Korea. The number

Impeached former President Park Geun-hye had her residence moved to a quiet neighborhood in Seoul with little fanfare on Saturday.Park, who was ousted from office two months ago, remains in jail while facing bribery and other criminal charges, mostly involving her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil and key former aides.With Park away, movers arrived at her former home in Samseong-dong in southern Seoul at around 7:30 am. They started loading their trucks some half an hour later. Naegok-dong (Yonhap)P

The worst fine dust of 2017 blanketed much of South Korea on Saturday, as the authorities issued health warnings against the sandy, chemical-laden wind from China.The National Institute of Environmental Research said fine dust warnings have been issued in 12 cities and counties nationwide as of 7:30 am Seoul and a few other regions have been placed under an advisory. (Yonhap)The fine dust warning is issued when an hourly average dust concentration of more than 300 micrograms per cubic meter (㎍/㎥

YOKOHAMA, Japan (Yonhap) -- The South Korean economy will gain further momentum after the presidential election set to take place early next week, central bank governor said Saturday, citing strong exports and improved consumer sentiment amid signs of recovery in global economies.“In the past, domestic consumption tended to gather momentum on positive anticipation over the economy in the first year of the new administration, since the new government had pushed its drive for boost measures,

Former Olympic swimming champion Park Tae-hwan has won his much-anticipated season debut.The South Korean star captured the men‘s 400-meter freestyle title at Arena Pro Swim Series at McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta on Friday (local time), with the time of 3:44.38.He beat the runner-up, Felix Auboeck of the United States, by a whopping 6.01 seconds.Park’s winning time was the fourth-fastest 400m freestyle record of 2017. Sun Yang of China owns the fastest time of the season with 3:42.16. Park

“New Republic of Korea with Moon Jae-in. If you don’t vote, shy-shy-shy.” The familiar tune from K-pop girl group Twice blares from a loudspeaker atop a remodeled truck in a Seoul street, apparently being used for the campaign of presidential candidate Moon. The verse has been rewritten to encourage voters to support the liberal aspirant. A bigger truck, with a makeshift stage, is parked in the middle of a wide street in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul, with a large crowd gathered in front. On the sta

The first-ever early voting in a presidential election will begin Thursday, ahead of the main vote Tuesday. This is the first time early voting, in which voters can use any polling station, is being provided in a presidential election. According to the National Election Commission, there are 3,507 advance polling stations across the country, including Seoul Station, Yongsan Station and Incheon Airport.  National Election Commission officals install advance polling facilities in a community cente

The South Korean presidential race will enter its final week Wednesday, during which the publishing of poll results is banned. Under local regulations, the results of polls conducted from six days prior to the voting day cannot be published over concerns that opinion polls may “impede fairness and affect the election results.” However, polls can be conducted during the six-day period, provided that results are not published and the National Election Commission has been informed beforehand. Viola

Bareun Party presidential candidate Rep. Yoo Seong-min is facing increasing pressure from his own party to form a three-way conservative-centrist coalition.On Friday, 20 of the party’s 33 lawmakers released a statement calling for three presidential candidates-- Yoo, Liberty Korea Party’s Hong Joon-pyo and Ahn Cheol-soo of People’s Party -- to form an alliance to stop front-runner Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea.  Bareun Party’s Reps. Kim Sung-tae (right), Kim Hack-yong (center) and

Two presidential candidates on opposite ends of the political spectrum are making unusual progress in their popularity: Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party and Sim Sang-jeung of the progressive Justice Party. A Realmeter poll, released Thursday, showed the hard-line conservative Hong with 13 percent support, up 2.5 percentage points from the previous week. This is in spite of the controversy of an anecdote in his autobiography that he helped a friend with a failed sexual assaul

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles that try to capture the voter sentiment in key regions. The following is the third installment on Seoul, the nation’s capital. -- Ed.Nearly half of the nation’s 50 million population resides in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province and the number of votes up for grabs here is proportionally great -- roughly 17 million. Like other metropolitan cities of the world, the “greater Seoul area” also boasts diverse communities. Many residents here came

Leading presidential candidate Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea said he feels he is “nearing victory” in text messages sent to his camp staff and party members Monday. “I can visualize and hear your warm comradeship. I feel victory nearing us,” read the message revealed by Moon’s spokeperson Park Kwang-on. “I am certain of my victory.”Leading presidential candidate Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea (Yonhap)Moon expressed gratitude to his party members for their campaigning

Just one day after coming under fire for refusing to label North Korea “the main enemy” on live TV, leading presidential candidate Moon Jae-in was dragged further into controversy Friday over his stance on Pyongyang -- South Korea’s communist neighbor, brethren and foe. A former top diplomat renewed his claim that Moon had in 2007 suggested the Seoul government consult Pyongyang before deciding its position on a UN resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses. Song at that time served

Just one day after coming under fire for refusing to label North Korea “the main enemy” on live TV, leading presidential candidate Moon Jae-in was dragged further into controversy over his stance on Pyongyang, South Korea’s communist neighbor, brethren and foe. A former top diplomat Friday renewed his claim that Moon had in 2007 suggested the Seoul government consult Pyongyang before deciding its position on a UN resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses. Song at that time served a