A local court is reviewing an arrest warrant request against a YouTuber under police custody for attacking the chief of the ruling party with a hammer on Monday. The Seoul Western District Court on Wednesday started reviewing an arrest warrant request filed by law enforcement for attacking Rep. Song Young-gil, head of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, while Song was campaigning in Seodaemun-gu, western Seoul, on Monday afternoon. The 70-year-old man surnamed Pyo, who runs a political YouTu

The winner of the 20th presidential election, expected to be announced early Thursday, will be provided with the same protective security and escort services as the incumbent president immediately upon victory. According to the Presidential Security Service on Wednesday, the office has already assembled a team to provide protection for the president-elect, his or her spouse and directly related family members. The team will be tasked with providing escort and security services for the presiden

The winner of the presidential election, like many of his predecessors, will immediately face the uniquely South Korean problem of population decline and its potential to wreak further havoc on growth in regions outside the capital. South Korea's total fertility rate hit 0.81 births per woman last year, down from 0.84 a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea last month. It marked the lowest figure since 1970 when the agency started collecting related data, and is the lowest rate recorded a

The election campaigns for the presidential election wrapped up Tuesday, with candidates each promising a brighter future for Korea. While the front-runners spent the last day of campaigns claiming to be the right choice for the nation’s future, their campaigns have been marred with scandals and accusations, which all but buried pledges and policy initiatives. On Tuesday, all major candidates marked an end to their campaign journeys in central and symbolic areas of Seoul, having spent

Accusations of rigging online opinions have been raised yet again, further marring a presidential race that has already been characterized by mudslinging, now in its final days. The accusations follow a news report that revealed a recording file that could potentially damage presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party, and its rapid spread online upon release Sunday night. However, claims emerged that the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and campaign officia

COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine will be allowed to vote after 6 p.m. at the same voting booths and ballot boxes as other voters on Wednesday, the election watchdog said Monday, after facing criticism for its lackluster management of early voting booths and ballot boxes for infected voters over the weekend. The National Election Commission said following an emergency internal meeting held Monday morning that COVID-19 patients and those under quarantine orders will be given between 6 p.

South Korea saw an unprecedented turnout in early voting for the 20th presidential election, but immense discomfort and suspicions of electoral fraud arose with election watchdog's lack of preparation in running voting booths for COVID-19 patients. During the two-day early voting period for the March 9 election, more than 16.3 million, or 36.93 percent, of 44.2 million eligible voters cast their ballots, according to the National Election Commission on Saturday. The highest turnout was in South

Whoever wins the 20th presidential election on March 9, the winner faces the complex task of bringing unity among South Koreans -- a pledge repeated by almost all recent presidents -- and measure out policies to bring naysayers to the table for the next five years. The race so far has largely been centered on mudslinging and denunciations, especially between ruling party candidate Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea and his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Part

Early voting started for the 20th presidential election on Friday, with candidates and political heavyweights casting their votes to encourage more voters to participate. The National Election Commission on Friday opened early voting at 3,552 polling stations across the country, and eyes are on how high the turnout would be in the continued dead heat race between the two main candidates. Polling stations will open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. COVID-19 patients and those under sel

The presidential election campaign committee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is keen on interpreting the effects of the merger deal announced from the opposition with less than 24 hours to go before early voting was due to start at 6 a.m. on Friday. Campaign staff members for the ruling party's candidate Lee Jae-myung insist the effects of the candidacy merger will be limited, and experts agree to an extent. Yet they agree the announcement will increase the odds of presidential nominee

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said he has no plans to raise more taxes in carrying out his proposed welfare policies, speaking against his own major campaign promise made just months earlier. During a TV debate held Wednesday, Lee said he has "no plans for any tax increase whatsoever," arguing that the funds needed to finance his state-led welfare policies will be supplied through natural increase in tax income from expected economic growth

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea vowed to have the government assume responsibility for all financial losses that South Koreans incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. During a TV debate program held Wednesday, Lee said the state has a duty to compensate all the losses people have had to shoulder as a result of following the government’s COVID-19 protocols. And if elected, he would enlarge the budget and increase spending to execute the vision. Le

With just a week to go until Election Day, many poll results are still showing a tight neck-and-neck race between the two major candidates, a situation unusual compared to past presidential elections. A Realmeter survey of 1,007 adults conducted from Monday to Tuesday showed Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party in the lead with 46.3 percent, closely followed by Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea at 43.1 percent. Minor centrist People’s Party candidat

A London-based betting exchange running a live prediction of the 20th presidential election for South Korea showed the main opposition party candidate with a higher chance of winning the race against his ruling party rival as just a week remains before Election Day. As of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, a betting page for the South Korean presidential election on Smarkets predicted presidential nominee Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party at 69.44 percent chance of winning the election

Former Jeju Province Gov. Won Hee-ryong is unveiling documents on the controversial Daejang-dong development project, alleging that presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea was the mastermind behind the whole project. During a press conference held Monday at the headquarters of the main opposition People Power Party, Won unveiled a series of documents that Won claims directly link Lee to the scandal, as seen from his hand-written signature. Won said the docume

Presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung’s comment on endorsing an end-of-war declaration resurfaced during a televised presidential debate Friday night, in which Lee accused those against the move of being “anti-state” and thereby denouncing the diplomatic views of his presidential race competitors. Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor centrist People’s Party asked Lee to elaborate on what he meant by saying those against the end-of-war declaration are not just being pro-Japanese, bu

The two major presidential candidates again dedicated much of their given times on a televised debate Friday night to denounce each other on key allegations, as the tight race continues between them with less than two weeks left until voting day. Presidential nominee Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party concentrated fire on voicing claims that Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is the mastermind behind the controversial land development scandal currently un

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea picked close-mindedness and lack of efforts toward political integration as the reasons behind what brought criticism toward the incumbent Moon Jae-in administration. But he insisted that the Moon government was not entirely a failure in itself, seemingly expressing partial support for the administration associated with his own party. The response was made to a question from Ahn Cheol-soo of the People&rs

Presidential nominee Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party insisted that talks for a candidacy merger between him and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party will not continue unless his call for a public survey is not agreed to. Rep. Sim Sang-jung, the presidential nominee of the minor progressive Justice Party, asked whether Ahn and Yoon are still working on merging their candidacies. Ahn said the negotiation has already fallen through, and that talks woul

Verbal attacks have grown increasingly fierce between the two main presidential candidates in Korea, with less than two weeks remaining until Election Day. At campaign rallies for Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and his main rival Yoon Suk-yeol of the opposition People Power Party, officials from each camp devoted much of their energy to denounce and criticize the other side, to the extent of even leveling false accusations combined with insults. "You know, prosecut