Officials of South Korea’s legislative and executive branches as well as Cheong Wa Dae on Monday agreed on the need to prevent abuse of power by police, who will be given greater authority under a political reform bill being fast-tracked through the National Assembly.To increase checks and balances, the officials agreed to establish a head office to separate police tasked with investigative assignments from general police. They also talked about amendments to punish police intelligence officers

Floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party and the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party are expected to convene Monday over beer to discuss ways to resume stalled parliamentary talks. Amid a parliamentary deadlock, all eyes are on whether a consensus will be reached on the extraordinary parliamentary session in May, alongside the 6.7 trillion-won ($5.6 billion) extra budget that awaits parliamentary vote.“I am counting on detailing ways to normal

GWANGJU -- Gwangju streets at this time of the year are full of banners on events related to the May 1980 Democratic Uprising as the city remembers the brutal military crackdown on protesting citizens under former President Chun Doo-hwan, with exhibitions, forums, music contests and food sharing.The deadly military crackdown left an estimated 160 dead and some 5,000 injured in the course of 10 days from May 18, 1980.Experts say the figure is expected to be higher given that many of the dead were

Former US military intelligence specialist Kim Yong-chang, one of the four experts dispatched to Gwangju during the May 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement, on Monday reiterated that former President Chun Doo-hwan was in the city on May 21 -- when soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians in front of the then-South Jeolla Provincial Government Office.He also highlighted there was no North Korean involvement in the uprising and undercover soldiers were deployed to Gwangju from Seoul.Kim was wit

One person died and 12 were injured after a man drove into a crowd at a temple in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, police said Sunday.The incident happened at around 12:50 p.m. on a road near the entrance to Tongdosa Temple, where the victims were celebrating Buddha’s Birthday. The car, a SsangYong Motor Chairman sedan driven by a 75-year-old man surnamed Kim, veered off to the side of the road where people were resting and walking.  One person died and 12 were injured after a SsangYong Motor

It has been 39 years since the May 18, 1980, Gwangju Democratization Movement -- or Gwangju Uprising -- where hundreds of citizens in the city, located some 330 kilometers south of Seoul, were killed in a deadly military crackdown during the authoritarian regime of Chun Doo-hwan, who came to power in a military coup in 1979.While the official figures put the number of deaths at 165 over a 10-day period, it is thought that the actual number of those killed could be three times higher.Even the bas

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Wednesday elected Rep. Lee In-young as its new floor leader to navigate through the political impasse with main opposition Liberty Korea Parry and carry the party to victory in next year‘s general elections.Three-term lawmaker Lee, 55, received 76 votes out of 125 to clinch the floor leader’s position, vowing to win the upcoming general election in April next year.Lee’s rival Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon received 49 votes in the second round of voting.In his acceptance

The race to become the next floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party is heating up, with all eyes on who will be selected to lead the party through multiple tasks and next year’s general election.The party is slated to elect its next floor leader Wednesday from among three three-term lawmakers: Rep. Lee In-young, Rep. Noh Woong-rae and Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon.The election comes amid deepening conflict between the ruling party and the Liberty Korea Party due to the recent fast-tracking of key refor

Amid heightening tension between the country’s police and prosecution, Prosecutor-General Moon Moo-il is to cut short an overseas official trip and return home over the weekend, the prosecution said Friday.In light of his criticism of the fast-tracked bill that realigns investigative authority between the police and prosecution earlier this week, Moon’s latest move has sparked the possibility of a resignation.There are precedents of previous administrations’ prosecutor-generals stepping down fro

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Wednesday said he will “not stand idly by” as the main opposition Liberty Korea Party plans to set up tents at Gwanghwamun plaza in central Seoul as part of its protest against key reform bills that have been fast-tracked.Pledging to take firm action against the Liberty Korea Party, Park posted on social media that “taking over the plaza without authorization from Seoul government is illegal. I will not stand idly by as (Liberty Korea Party) tramples on the plaza.”“I

Struck with a severe food shortage due to frequent droughts, North Korea is considering requesting emergency disaster relief, said a report released by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.The IFRC depicted North Korea’s food crisis in detail in a report titled “DPR Korea: Drought and Food Insecurity,” saying, “The DPRK Red Cross Society, with the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, is considering a Disaster Relief Emer

A special committee on the sinking of the Sewol ferry on Tuesday decided to investigate main opposition Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn for allegedly hampering investigation of the tragic incident.Hwang had served as justice minister at the time of the tragedy, which claimed more than 300 lives on April 16, 2014.The special investigative committee has the authority to look into what it deems necessary in fact-finding and when a victim or the victim’s family requests investigation. “Upon

Physical and verbal violence, sit-ins, sleep-ins and property damage have dominated the National Assembly in the last few days, bringing back the zoo comparisons "Animal National Assembly" it had managed to shake off for a while.To list but a couple remarkable incidents, Rep. Chae Yi-bae of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party was locked in his office for six hours by Liberty Korea Party officials and called police for help, while National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang was hospitalized for hy

A tense standoff between the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party over the fast-tracking of reform bills continued Sunday, with both parties ordering their members to remain in the National Assembly building in case the special committees on political reform and judiciary reform hold surprise meetings.Vowing to spare no effort to stop the ruling party from fast-tracking key reform bills, the Liberty Korea Party was on the alert throughout the weekend. Divi

Deadlock between ruling Democratic Party of Korea and main opposition Liberty Korea Party over fast-tracking key bills turned to violent clashes overnight Friday.Violence sparked Thursday as Liberty Korea Party members formed human barricades in front of rooms on the second and fourth floors of the National Assembly, where the special committee on political reform and judiciary reform convene. (Yonhap)In doing so, the main opposition bloc sought to prevent the committees from opening a meeting t

An agreement reached Monday by leaders of the ruling party and three minor opposition parties roiled the country’s political scene Wednesday, intensifying divisions within the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party and sparking backlash from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party. In a dramatic turn of events, the Bareunmirae Party sent an official document to National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang notifying him of its plans to replace Rep. Oh Shin-hwan on the special committee on judiciary reform

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea and three minor opposition parties on Monday agreed to fast-track key reform bills this week after months of discussion amid strong opposition from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party. Floor leaders of the four parties, including Rep. Hong Young-pyo of the ruling party and Rep. Kim Kwan-young of the minor conservative Bareunmirae Party, reached a consensus on the electoral reform bill and the establishment of an independent investigative agency, among oth

Wednesday’s brutal arson and murders in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, which left five people dead and 15 others injured, put the spotlight on the glaring shortcomings in the country’s mental health care system. The total budget designated for mental health this year stands at 171.3 billion won ($150.1 million), accounting for 1.5 percent of the government budget for public health, data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare showed Monday.(Yonhap)The portion of the budget spent on mental hea

Growing up students are taught to embrace diversity in all corners of life, think in other people’s shoes and to not judge a book by its cover.　 In South Korea’s fast-paced, results-focused workplaces, however, core values are often forgotten, with companies applying unilateral recruitment processes, leaving almost no room to spare for persons with disabilities. The right assistance and a shift in social perceptions are needed to pave the way for disabled people to excel at work, ultimatel

President Moon Jae-in on Friday appointed Lee Mi-sun and Moon Hyung-bae as Constitutional Court justices, pushing ahead with the appointments despite fierce objections from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party.The appointment did not come as a surprise as the National Assembly’s Judiciary Committee had failed to reach a consensus on the two nominees Thursday, the deadline for the National Assembly to submit its confirmation hearing reports.Ruling party lawmakers refused to attend the Judiciar