President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday said that the government will consult with Japan, victims of Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement and civic organizations on what to do with Tokyo‘s funds earmarked for victims.In a nationally televised press conference, Moon reaffirmed the Foreign Ministry’s announcement a day earlier that the government would not to seek a renegotiation of the deal, but would replace Japan’s funds with a governmental fund.“It means that we will heal the wounds of the victims wi

The last two seasons were something of a struggle for South Korean slugger Park Byung-ho, who was mostly toiling in the minors of the Minnesota Twins system and awaiting a call-up that never came. Park Byung-ho (Yonhap)Now that he's back with his former Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club, Nexen Heroes, Park said he feels "right at home.""It's great to see some familiar faces, and I feel really comfortable now," Park said at a press conference in Incheon on Tuesday, moments after arriving bac

(Yonhap)Thousands of union members of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., South Korea's leading shipbuilder, have voted down a tentative wage deal, the union said Tuesday, a move that could lead to the resumption of drawn-out wage negotiations.The union said 56.1 percent of 8,804 union members who cast ballots voted against the agreement signed by the company and the union in December. More than 1,000 union members did not participate in the vote held earlier in the day at the shipyard in Ulsan, an in

"The Handmaiden" by Korea's celebrated film director Park Chan-wook has been nominated for best non-English movie at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the organizer said Tuesday.The movie, based on Sarah Waters' Victorian lesbian crime novel "Fingersmith," is among five nominees for the Best Film Not in the English Language category. Other films include "First They Killed My Father" produced by Hollywood actress and director Angelina Jolie.The erotic thriller was one of 21

The South Korean government said Tuesday that it will not seek to renegotiate the 2015 Korea-Japan deal on Korean victims of Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement, but reiterated that the controversial agreement cannot resolve the “comfort women” issue.　Sticking to the deal under which Japan apologized to the victims and provided 1 billion yen ($8.8 million) to a fund to support them, the Foreign Ministry said that it will replace Japan’s money for the victims from the government’s budget. 　“We can

Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan vowed Monday to enhance bilateral diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis, a day before high-level talks between the two Koreas are to be held in the South.  Lee Do-hoon (L), the special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, shakes hands with Kong Xuanyou, China`s assistant foreign minister, before their meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul on Jan. 5, 2018. (Yonhap)Lee D

For Father Vincenzo Bordo, an Italian-born Catholic priest who has lived in Korea for 28 years, the happiest moment of the day comes at 4:30 p.m. when homeless people start to flock to his soup kitchen. “Many of the homeless people come a long distance to have the meal -- most likely the only meal they can have for the day,” Father Bordo, wearing an apron, told The Korea Herald during an interview at Anna’s House in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.“People think homeless people end up being on the st

South Korea and North Korea agreed Friday to hold their first high-level talks in more than two years next week to discuss Pyongyang’s potential participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, hours after Seoul and Washington decided to delay joint military exercises until after the Games.The Unification Ministry said that North Korea informed the South at 10:16 a.m. through a faxed massage that it has accepted Seoul’s offer to hold talks next Tuesday on the South Korean side in the truce vill

South Koreans have become more negative toward migrant workers compared to four years ago amid the prolonged economic downturn, a poll showed Wednesday.  A foreign worker works on a machine at a factory (Yonhap)According to the Overseas Koreans Foundation survey of 820 people July 31-Aug. 25, 61.1 percent of the respondents residing in the country’s seven largest cities find it hard to accept foreign workers as members of Korean society. The figure is up 3.6 percentage points from a 2013 survey.

President Moon Jae-in on Monday vowed his efforts to continue his fight against the accumulated ills to create a fairer society and improve people’s livelihoods this year in his New Year’s message to the nation.  President Moon Jae-in goes on a hike on Monday to mark the first day of a new year. Cheong Wa DaeHailing South Koreans for getting through difficulties in the face of political turmoil and security challenges posed by North Korea’s provocations, Moon said his priority in state affairs t

President Moon Jae-in granted pardons to 6,444 people Friday, including an ex-liberal lawmaker, evictees involved in the deadly Yongsan disaster and migrant workers, which the presidential office said aims to help ordinary people without money or power and foster unity. In a reversal of tradition, business tycoons, political bigwigs and close associates of the president were excluded from the presidential pardons executed for the first time since President Moon Jae-in came to power in May. Justi

A Seoul court on Thursday rejected the prosecution’s request for a warrant to arrest Cho Yoon-sun, a former culture minister and presidential aide to ousted President Park Geun-hye, on charges of bribery and abuse of power.  (Yonhap)Judge Oh Min-seok of the Seoul Central District Court said that her charges are disputable and that it is difficult to acknowledge the possibility of her destroying evidence, given the progress of the investigation.The prosecution sought an arrest warrant for Cho on

South Korean civic groups demanded Wednesday the government nullify the Korea-Japan deal over Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women, after a task force revealed that the government led by ousted President Park Geun-hye had made secret agreements with Japan in connection with it. Protesters sit on chairs while holding flowers in tribute to the deceased victims of Japan’s sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II, at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul after staging this

The Minister of Government Legislation discussed regulatory policies and ways to improve legislative efficiency with the US legislative bodies during a four-day visit to the US earlier this month, the ministry said. Minister Kim Oe-sook visited the US Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and the Office of the Legislative Counsel of the US House of Representatives from Dec. 20-24 to learn from the US in responding to legislative challenges in the face of the “fourth industrial revolution,

The South Korean government said Friday that it will accept 56,000 foreign workers on the low-skilled work scheme next year, the same number as this year, as part of its efforts to tackle the labor shortage in the manufacturing sector. The committee in charge of managing the foreign labor force also unveiled plans to improve the working and living conditions of migrant workers in the farming sector and to curb foreign workers who stay illegally in the country. Headed by Hong Nam-gi, minister of

South Korea’s top court upheld Friday the lower court’s ruling that cleared Hong Joon-pyo, leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, of bribery charges in a high-profile lobbying scandal. The Supreme Court also confirmed Lee Wan-koo, former prime minister under ousted President Park Geun-hye, was not guilty of bribery charges in connection with the scandal, citing a lack of evidence. Hong and Lee were indicted in July 2015 as part of the prosecution’s probe into a suspected “bribery lis

The prosecution plans to visit former President Park Geun-hye in jail for questioning over alleged bribery involving the state spy agency, as she refused to appear before the prosecutors’ office for questioning Friday. In a document sent to the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office on Thursday, Park said that she could not appear for questioning due to her frail health. Park, who is standing trial on corruption charges, has been in custody since March at the Seoul Detention Center. Park Geun-hye (Yo

As the year’s end draws nearer, the festive season is in full swing. An ice skating rink is the splendid backdrop to Winter Wonderland. Families, friends and lovers of all ages don their skates and glide around the ice rink. Children are seen practicing their skating skills with dreams of becoming the next speed skater champion Lee Sang-hwa or figure skating queen Kim Yu-na. If you are looking to enjoy winter sports in the city, Lotte World Ice Rink is located inside the nation’s most popular th

Won Sei-hoon, former director of the National Intelligence Service, was called in for questioning Thursday over allegations that the state spy agency suppressed liberal artists and exerted undue influence over a public broadcaster. Won Sei-hoon (Yonhap)The questioning is said to have focused on allegations that Won, already jailed for meddling in the 2012 presidential election, interfered in domestic politics by blacklisting thousands of cultural figures deemed critical of the conservative Lee M

A Seoul court on Thursday handed down prison terms for two former party campaign officials of the minor opposition People’s Party for offering a fake tip to tarnish then-liberal candidate Moon Jae-in’s campaign in the lead-up to the presidential election in May. Lee Joon-seo (Yonhap)The Seoul Southern District Court sentenced Lee Joon-seo, a former member of the party’s supreme council, to eight months in prison and sentenced Lee Yoo-mi, a rank-and-file member of the party, to one year in jail,