People Power Party expresses hope for deeper Korea-US alliance

South Korea's ruling People Power Party on Wednesday expressed hope that US President-elect Donald Trump's second term would serve as an opportunity to forge a "deeper" alliance between Seoul and Washington. "We anticipate the South Korea-US alliance, forged by blood (since the 1950-53 Korean War) will become deeper," the ruling party here said in a commentary released via senior spokesperson Rep. Kwak Kyu-taek. "We sincerely congratulate Republican candidate D

Nov. 6, 2024

Alliance will strengthen regardless of US election results, says Han

South Korea’s ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon said Wednesday that the alliance between Seoul and Washington will strengthen regardless of who wins the latest US presidential election. “The South Korea-US alliance will strengthen regardless of the candidate who is elected president of the United States,” Han said in an emergency intra-party meeting on foreign affairs and security matters. The meeting was held a day after ruling party lawmakers compiled and reviewed

Nov. 6, 2024

S. Korea seeks to boost cooperation in Asia on AI-incorporated legal tech: minister

South Korea looks to bolster cooperation with Asian nations to adjust and deal with the spread of legal services utilizing artificial intelligence, an official said Friday. Lee Wan-kyu, minister of government legislation, highlighted the growing incorporation of AI technology in legal services across the world and the need for Asian nations to join heads to brace for future growth, at the 12th Asian Legislative Experts Symposium held in Yeouido, western Seoul. “As you are witnessing the si

Nov. 1, 2024

Han says controversies surrounding first lady must be resolved in November

Ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon on Wednesday said that the controversies surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee must be resolved by the end of next month, as he stressed the need to regain public trust in the conservative bloc. Han’s remarks made at a press conference marking his first 100 days in office came as a widening rift is observed within the ruling party over how to deal with multiple allegations regarding the president's wife, including her alleged involvement in

Oct. 30, 2024

From 'superstars' to 'privileged and spoiled': Doctors fight souring image

It used to be that when Park Ji-sun, a 45-year-old office worker, thought of a Korean doctor, it was the 2020 tvN drama series "Hospital Playlist" that first came to her mind. The series became an instant hit in South Korea, depicting the lives of five doctors battling to save lives together. It was so successful that it was renewed for a second season, which is rare for a Korean drama. "They were heroes with white gowns during the day, sometimes sacrificing their private lives in

Oct. 30, 2024

Bipartisan panel formed to address livelihood issues amid tension over first lady probe

The ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Monday officially launched a joint consultative body for livelihood issues amid persistent tensions over various controversies surrounding the first lady. The establishment of the joint consultative body aimed at carrying out common policy pledges comes nearly two months after an agreement was made between leaders of the two rival parties early last month during their first official talks. The consultative body wi

Oct. 28, 2024

세계보건기구, 한국 의정 갈등 묻자..."1차 의료 환경에서 서비스 공급 확장 필요있어"

[코리아헤럴드=정민경 기자] 세계보건기구(WHO)는 8개월째 이어지는 한국의 의정갈등에 대해 "1차 의료 환경에서 서비스 공급 확장 필요"가 있다고 말했다. 이달 중순 WHO 관계자는 한국의 의정갈등에 대한 유엔 전문 기구의 입장을 물어보는 코리아헤럴드의 질의에 "WHO는 환자들이 지역사회에 기반한 시설에서 가깝게 진료를 받을 수 있게 해주는 1차 의료 체계를 지지"하며 1차 의료 환경에서 서비스 공급 확정 및 인력 충원은 "인류가 미래에 직면할 문제"들을 돌파할 때 반드시 필요할 것이라고 했다. 미래에 직면할 문제들로 고령화 사회 속 노화 그리고 암, 당뇨병, 알츠하이머 등을 포함한 비전염성 질환(Non-Communicable Diseases)들을 관계자는 예시로 들었다. 관계자는 또한 WHO는 '의대증원'을 놓고 팽팽히 맞서고 있는 정부와 의료계가 "보건 인력 없이 (한 국가의) 보건 체계는 존재할

Oct. 28, 2024

First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders

Controversies surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee are likely to top the agenda at the upcoming second meeting between the leaders of the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party, observers said Sunday. People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon and Democratic Party Rep. Lee Jae-myung recently agreed to hold a second round of talks, following up on their first official meeting in early September. The date for the second meeting, however, is yet to be announced. The agreeme

Oct. 27, 2024

Critics slam this year's parliamentary audit as 'worst ever'

This year's National Assembly audit was slammed by critics on Thursday as the worst to date, with civic groups denouncing both sides of the political sphere for failing to carry out a proper audit. A monitoring group consisting of 270 different local civic groups here graded this year’s National Assembly audit a near-failing score of D-minus. The National Assembly Audit NGO Monitoring Group called this year’s parliamentary audit, which kicked off Oct. 7 and is set to wrap up Fri

Oct. 24, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korea building law database system for foreign nationals: minister

The South Korean government is stepping up its efforts to make the country more foreigner-friendly by building an accessible database system of the country's laws and legislation, the minister of government legislation told the Korea Herald earlier this month. As South Korea pushes to embrace foreign workers and immigrants to address population decline, the Ministry of Government Legislation -- a body focused on making the nation's legal system clear, consistent, and accessible both do

Oct. 23, 2024