Amid turbulence, Yoon to address nation in news conference Thursday

President Yoon Suk Yeol will hold a news conference on Thursday at 10 a.m., as the South Korean leader approaches the halfway point of his five-year term on Nov. 10, watchful of challenges at home and abroad. Yoon's news conference comes at a turbulent time due both to heightened external uncertainties -- as the US begins counting ballots from Wednesday here that will determine its next president as well as control of the US Congress -- as well as scandals here involving him and his wife. T

Nov. 5, 2024

Yoon to hold news conference on Thursday

President Yoon Suk Yeol will hold a news conference on Thursday at 10 a.m. as the South Korean leader approaches the halfway point of his five-year term, Yoon's office announced on Monday. According to the presidential office, Yoon will map out his administration’s policy direction for the future and engage in a sincere discussion of topics that have drawn public interest. Yoon’s aides proposed that he take the opportunity to communicate with the public before he departs for an

Nov. 4, 2024

Amid record-low approval rating, Yoon forgoes Assembly budget address

President Yoon Suk Yeol skipped his 2025 budget address at parliament on Monday as he faces record-low popularity with his domestic agenda now overshadowed by the main opposition party having ramped up the pressure on him based on the recent revelation of a phone conversation suggesting he interfered in an election. On Monday, Yoon's approval rating fell 2.2 percentage points to the lowest point of 22.4 percent since his inauguration in May 2022, according to a poll by Realmeter. The poll o

Nov. 4, 2024

Presidential Bio Committee to launch in December

South Korea's Presidential Bio Committee will hold its inaugural meeting in December, with President Yoon Suk Yeol chairing the committee of roughly 20 experts in the field of biotechnology, to bolster the nation's push to achieve a biotechnology breakthrough. Park Sang-ook, senior presidential secretary for science and technology, said in a briefing Sunday that Lee Sang-yup, vice president for research at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, will serve as the vice c

Nov. 3, 2024

Scandal-hit ex-lawmaker denies corruption claims as pressure on Yoon mounts

Former lawmaker and veteran politician Kim Young-sun, a central figure in allegations that President Yoon Suk Yeol meddled in the June 2022 by-elections, denied accusations that she paid for Yoon's political forecasting and alleged poll manipulation expenses in exchange for the ruling party's nomination to run for her seat in the National Assembly. The prosecution interrogated Kim on Sunday regarding what they consider a violation of the Political Funds Act, namely Kim's wiring of

Nov. 3, 2024

Opposition accuses Yoon of favoritism, election meddling

South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday accused President Yoon Suk Yeol of favoritism and unlawful interference in the 2022 by-election, disclosing a private call between Yoon and his former political consultant Myung Tae-kyun. The party claims the recording reveals Yoon’s involvement in election matters while serving as the incumbent president. In the May 2022 phone recording disclosed to media by the Democratic Party, Yoon, then the president-elect, told

Oct. 31, 2024

Seoul weighs monitoring team in Ukraine, affirms no artillery shell supply plans

South Korea on Wednesday acknowledged the need to send a "monitoring team" to the Ukraine battlefield, but it denied allegations that it was considering supplying 155 mm artillery shells upon Ukraine's request. "We are obliged to look into, analyze and monitor North Korean armed forces' activities (in the Russia-Ukraine war) while taking a defensive posture," an official of the presidential office said on condition of anonymity Wednesday. "We feel the need to create and

Oct. 30, 2024

150 new K2 tanks to feature domestically produced power packs

The state-run Defense Acquisition Program Administration on Monday announced its bid to make 150 new K2 tanks' power packs -- which comprise a 1,500-horsepower engine and transmission -- fully homegrown. The tanks with South Korean-made 1,500-horsepower engines and gear shifts will be manufactured by 2028, according to the plan. A notable change in the manufacturing plan, according to DAPA, is the adoption of a transmission system produced by a South Korean company SNT Dynamics. Currently,

Oct. 30, 2024

Ukraine envoy to travel to S. Korea as Yoon, Zelenskyy vow strategic cooperation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will appoint a special envoy to South Korea following talks held with President Yoon Suk Yeol over the phone pledging strategic cooperation in a bid to counter North Korean troops in Russia, according to the presidential office Tuesday. Yoon and Zelenskyy "denounced the illicit military cooperation between North Korea and Russia with the strongest language possible," as the two countries agreed to seek strategic countermeasures, Yoon's offic

Oct. 29, 2024

Selected NK troops, generals may be deployed to front lines: NIS

A contingent of North Korean troops, including high-ranking generals, deployed to Russia may now be positioned on the front lines of the Ukraine war, South Korea’s spy agency reported Tuesday, adding that the Kim Jong-un regime appears to be clamping down on information about the troop dispatch internationally. "Troop movements between Russia and North Korea have been assessed as underway, with the agency examining the potential relocation of certain personnel, including high-ranking

Oct. 29, 2024