The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Monday took 11 of the total 18 standing committee chair positions for the first two years of the 22nd National Assembly, which began its four-year term on May 30, in voting boycotted by the ruling People Power Party. The opposition-led Assembly elected representatives from the main opposition to chair 11 standing committees, including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the House Steering Committee, in a plenary session held in the evening

The two largest parties here have locked horns over selecting the heads of the standing committee chiefs for the first two years of the 22nd National Assembly, which began its four-year term on May 30. On Friday, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, which accounts for the majority of the single-chamber, 300-member parliament with 175 seats, submitted a list of its nominees for the heads and members of the 18 standing committees to the Assembly’s proceeding division. The list draw

A controversy surrounding accusations that former first lady Kim Jung-sook spent an “excessive” amount of taxpayers’ money to fund her 2018 trip to India has resurfaced in recent days, with the ruling party proposing a special counsel investigation. Ruling People Power Party Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun on Monday floated a bill that mandates a special counsel investigation into allegations that the former first lady wrongfully used her position and public funds to take a personal trip t

South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee hosted a luncheon for a group of first ladies from 16 African nations visiting to participate in the first-ever Korea-Africa Summit on Tuesday, marking a full return to public engagement after nearly six months of her absence from the public eye. The luncheon was held at Sangchunjae, a traditional Korean-style house located within the perimeters of the former presidential residence of Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul. Kim, who was in charge of hosting the lunch

[코리아헤럴드=조정은· 정민경· 김아린 기자] “국회의원이 선거에서 얻은 득표 중 90~95%는 당원도, 팬덤도 아닌 일반 국민에 의한 것입니다. 장관도 나이 어린 의원에게 ‘존경하는 의원님’이라고 높여 부르는 이유가 있습니다. 의원은 국민의 대표자이기 때문입니다. 22대 국회가 이를 기억하고 국민 눈높이를 최우선으로 두길 바랍니다.” 김진표 국회의장은 21대 국회 마지막 날인 29일 코리아헤럴드와 만나 이렇게 말했다. 김 의장은 진영·팬덤 정치가 국회를 “지지층을 결집시키고 상대당을 악마화하는 선전장으로 전락시켰다”며 국회의원들이 “당심이 아닌 민심을 듣기를 바란다”고 당부했다. 마지막 본회의가 파행으로 끝난 것에 대해 김 의장은 여야가 “대화와 타협 없이 각자의 입장만 고집하며 목숨을 건 싸움의 정치를 하고 있다”고 했다. 그러면서 김

South Korea’s politicians on Friday remained divided on the issue of reviving party district offices, 20 years after they were shut down due to bribery and corruption accusations. As the 22nd National Assembly kicked-off its four-year term Thursday, main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Kim Young-bae proposed a bill that would mandate the return of district offices, which were all shut down in 2004, two years after it was found they were abused in a 2002 political bribery scandal.

Article 1 of South Korea’s National Assembly Act states that the parliament is a representative body of the people. However, Kim Jin-pyo, the speaker of the 21st National Assembly and a political heavyweight with 50 years in public service, views the widespread phenomenon of fandom politics as a major obstacle to the country's representative democracy. He believes this trend is the primary cause of increasing political confrontations, which continue to undermine the spirit of compro

A bill mandating a special counsel probe into the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s response to the death of a young marine last year failed to pass in a revote held during the final plenary session of the 21st National Assembly on Tuesday. The bill was scrapped after failing to win two-thirds of approval from lawmakers physically present in the parliamentary vote, which is required to override the presidential veto under current law. Of the 294 Assembly members that participated in the revot

The main opposition party here on late Sunday denounced the latest bilateral talks between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, calling it Yoon’s “declaration of surrender” to Tokyo. The Democratic Party of Korea, in a written briefing released after the conclusion of talks between Yoon and Kishida, criticized the South Korean leader’s decision to recognize the Japanese government’s apparent pressure on Naver to give up its

As South Korea and African countries combat threats from existing global economic risks and the climate crisis, the upcoming Korea-Africa Summit will serve as an opportunity to open a new chapter in ties, the dean of the African Group of Ambassadors and the president of the Herald Media Group said Thursday. “Through the upcoming (first-ever) Korea-Africa Summit (scheduled for June 4-5), the relations between South Korea and Africa will enter a completely new chapter from where it stands no

Students from South Korea and Tanzania stressed the importance of achieving a sustainable future through co-prosperity at the Africa Day 2024 Korea Business Forum held Thursday. Pearl Mavura, a 15-year-old student from Tanzania, and Ra Jian, a 16-year-old student attending an international school here, took turns expressing their hopes for a better future, in line with the potential partnership that could form through the upcoming Korea-Africa Summit scheduled June 4-5. Mavura kicked off her spe

The outgoing National Assembly speaker stressed Sunday that the reform of the national pension scheme must kick off before the start of the new parliament later this month, saying now may be the “golden time” to do so. Rep. Kim Jin-pyo’s remarks come as the tension between the ruling and the main opposition has risen over the details of the pension reform plan, such as the size of the contributions made by National Pension Service subscribers and the benefits they receive. &ldq

Ruling People Power Party interim leader Hwang Woo-yea on Thursday called for unity in the political sphere backed by a bipartisan alliance to mark the 15th anniversary of liberal late President Roh Moo-hyun’s death. “Former President Roh had always emphasized the spirit of unity and co-prosperity alongside mutual compromise in politics,” the conservative ruling party leader said in a party leadership meeting. “We hope the new leadership will cooperate in carrying out the

Outgoing National Assembly Speaker Rep. Kim Jin-pyo said Wednesday that he plans to hold a revote on the vetoed bill mandating a special counsel investigation into alleged state interference in a probe into the death of a young Marine next week. Kim, who is to step down from his current position at the end of this month, said that an extraordinary plenary meeting for the revote will be held on May 28, regardless of the two largest political parties’ different stances towards the vetoed bil

A hand grenade explosion killed one recruit and severely wounded a noncommissioned officer during a training session held at an Army boot camp in the administrative city of Sejong, officials said Tuesday. “Around 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday, an accident involving a hand grenade explosion occurred during grenade throwing training at (the Army's 32nd Infantry Division) in South Chungcheong Province,” the Republic of Korea Army said in a statement released via text message to reporters. &

Cho Kuk, leader of the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party on Friday called for a constitutional reform through the incoming parliament, including the adoption of a two-term, four-year US-style presidential term limit, instead of the current single-term, five-year system. Cho remarks are in line with the main opposition Democratic Party’s earlier proposal to adopt the US-style system, but observers said it was an attempt to cut back President Yoon Suk Yeol’s remaining three years

A rift opened up Friday between supporters of the new National Assembly speaker candidate and Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Woo Won-shik and those close to main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung. The “pro-Lee” faction of the opposition party took issue with a party vote held the previous day, in which Woo was elected the sole candidate for the next Assembly speaker. In the process, Woo, who is known to have relatively moderate political views, defeated Rep. Choo Mi-ae, a six-term lawm

The new chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office on Thursday pledged to take “all necessary measures” to carry on its ongoing probe into the luxury bag scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee, disregarding criticism from the opposition party regarding his appointment. The latest vow comes a few days after the Justice Ministry’s surprise personnel reshuffle announcement on Monday, which replaced the now-former chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Off

The latest surprise reshuffle of senior prosecutors announced by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration sparked fierce debate among the main rival parties Tuesday with the opposition calling the move an attempt to hinder the ongoing probe into the luxury Dior bag scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee. On Monday, the Justice Ministry named Lee Chang-soo, head of the Jeonju District Prosecutors’ Office, who is viewed as a close aide to Yoon, as the new chief of the Seoul Central District Prose

A Korean American pastor accused of gifting a luxury Christian Dior handbag valued at 3 million won ($2,210) to first lady Kim Keon Hee in September 2022 was summoned and questioned by prosecutors for the first time Monday. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sought to investigate the motive behind Choi Jae-young’s decision to hand the luxury bag to Kim, while using a spy cam to secretly film the meeting, according to officials. Whether Choi violated the nation’s Improper S