Ex-PPP leader proposes bill to abolish CIO

Rep. Lee Jun-seok, a leading figure in the minor Reform Party and the former chair of the ruling party, said Tuesday that he has proposed a bill to abolish the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, questioning the agency's capacity and political neutrality over handling high-profile cases such as Yoon's insurrection charges. "Today, I submitted a bill to the National Assembly calling for the abolishment of the CIO," Lee said at a press conference at the National Assembly in

March 11, 2025

North Korea slams South Korea-US military drill as preemptive strike rehearsal

North Korea denounced South Korea and the United States on Tuesday, claiming the two allies are using the annual Freedom Shield exercise ― a large-scale joint military drill that began the previous day ― as a rehearsal for a preemptive strike on its nuclear facilities. The Korean Central News Agency, a North Korean state-run media outlet, accused the two allies of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula by increasing the scale of their joint drills, referring to the Freedom Shield exercise.

March 11, 2025

N. Korea launches ballistic missiles as S. Korea-US military drill begins

North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the West Sea on Monday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported, in an apparent protest against South Korea and the United States' large-scale annual military drill. The JCS said in a message sent to press in Seoul that it detected North Korea launching multiple ballistic missiles from inland areas of the Hwanghae provinces toward the West Sea at around 1:50 p.m. "Our military has reinforced surveillance and vigilance while maintaining

March 10, 2025

Impeachment trial unaffected by court’s order to release Yoon: opposition

Ruling party's potential presidential contenders also voice support for court decision The responses from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and the ruling People Power Party showed sharp contrast after the Seoul Central District Court approved a request by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal team to cancel his detention on Friday. The Democratic Party argued that the ruling should be kept separate from the impeachment trial and would remain unaffected, while urging the prosecution to app

March 7, 2025

Allies halt live-fire drills after Korean jets accidentally bomb village

The South Korean military has suspended all live-fire drills in its annual joint exercises with the United States after two KF-16 fighter jets accidentally bombed a civilian area during a training exercise the previous day. US Forces Korea also confirmed in a statement released Friday that no US Air Force aircraft were involved in the drill. However, USFK said it will pause live-fire drills that were supposed to be conducted as part of Freedom Shield 25, while the planned command post exercises

March 7, 2025

Two South Korean Air Force jets mistakenly bomb border village; at least 15 injured

Pilot erred by entering coordinates of wrong strike target, Air Force official says Two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a village near the inter-Korean border during a live-fire drill Thursday morning, injuring at least 15 people and damaging several buildings. Two people were seriously injured, while 13 sustained minor injuries, according to fire authorities at around 2 p.m. Of the 13, 10 people were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. One person, 60, w

March 6, 2025

S. Korea, US to hold 1st Freedom Shield drill since Trump's return

South Korea and the United States will conduct their annual Freedom Shield combined military exercise, a large-scale drill aimed at strengthening the allies' readiness and deterrence capabilities, from Monday to March 21, military authorities announced Thursday. According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, this year’s Freedom Shield exercise will incorporate realistic threat scenarios reflecting North Korea’s recent military tactics and strategic shifts, including its growing partnership wi

March 6, 2025

S. Korean fighter jet accidentally drops bombs on civilian village, injuring seven

A fighter jet accidentally dropped multiple bombs on a civilian village in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Thursday, injuring seven people and damaging several buildings. The South Korean Air Force confirmed that during a live-fire drill conducted as part of the Freedom Shield Exercise 2025, the annual military exercise between the South Korean and US militaries, a KF-16 fighter jet mistakenly released eight MK-82 bombs outside the designated firing range near the Seungjin Training Ground in Poch

March 6, 2025

S. Korea's aid to North Korea drops to zero in 2024

Korea provided no humanitarian assistance to North Korea in 2024 at both government and private levels, marking the first-ever complete halt since Seoul began its aid efforts in 1995, data from the Unification Ministry showed Wednesday. The cessation follows a steady decline over the past five years. According to the ministry, aid amounted to 10 billion won ($6.9 million) in 2023, down from 26 billion won in 2022 and 31 billion won in 2021. The steepest drop occurred in 2020, when support was ne

March 5, 2025

S. Korea, Australia discuss enhanced military cooperation

Acting South Korean Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles on Wednesday discussed ways to enhance military cooperation, including collaboration in the defense industry, according to South Korea’s Defense Ministry. During the conversation, Kim highlighted the significant progress in military and defense industry cooperation between the two nations and reaffirmed Seoul’s commitment to further strengthening ties through joint exercises

March 5, 2025