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FM Cho summons Cambodian ambassador in Seoul over job scam, confinement concerns
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Friday summoned the Cambodian ambassador in Seoul to protest the death of a South Korean student in Cambodia linked to an employment scam and urged stronger measures to tackle the rising number of online scams and detentions targeting South Koreans. The Korean college student in his 20s was reportedly tortured to death in August by a local criminal organization in the Southeast Asian country. Cambodia's police listed cardiac arrest resulting from torture and extreme
Oct. 10, 2025 -
Korean activist detained by Israel on Gaza aid ship to return home after voluntary release
The South Korean activist aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship who was detained by the Israeli military will soon return home after being released voluntarily, the Foreign Ministry announced Friday. The activist, identified as Kim Ah-hyun, was deported voluntarily Friday morning from Israel on a flight bound for Istanbul and will soon be home, according to the ministry. Kim had reportedly been detained at a prison in southern Israel. Kim, 27, was among scores of activists detained Wednesday by the Israe
Oct. 10, 2025 -
Finance minister stresses policy implementation in meeting with key agency chiefs
Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol met with the heads of key finance ministry-affiliated agencies on Friday, underscoring the importance of thoroughly implementing the government's key policy priorities, Koo's office said. The meeting brought together the heads of the National Tax Service, the Korea Customs Service and the Public Procurement Service, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. "Please contribute to improving the productivity of public services and to spreading innovation in th
Oct. 10, 2025 -
Arrest warrant sought for ex-justice minister over alleged martial law involvement
A special counsel team has filed for an arrest warrant for a former justice minister over his alleged role in last year's short-lived martial law imposition, officials said Thursday. The special counsel team investigating the martial law turmoil sought the warrant to arrest former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae on charges including involvement in the incident and abuse of power, officials said. On Dec. 3, then President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, but the National Assembly voted to lift
Oct. 9, 2025 -
President a reality TV hit, but controversies persist through Chuseok
Political disputes persisted through the Chuseok holiday over President Lee Jae Myung and his wife Kim Hea Kyung's recent appearance at JTBC's cooking reality show "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator." Although the latest episode, aired Monday, recorded the viewership ratings of 8.9 percent — the highest of all episodes in two seasons — Lee's political opponents continued to accuse the liberal president of turning a blind eye to the "national disaster" stemming from the recent massive data cent
Oct. 9, 2025 -
Parliament's regular audit to summon hundreds of business tycoons
Hundreds of business tycoons are expected to appear at the regular parliamentary audit, an annual legislative review process, which the National Assembly is poised to start on Monday. Chey Tae-won, chair of electronics-to-chemicals giant SK Group, is one of the business leaders called to testify at the parliamentary audit. Chey will be summoned on Oct. 28 over the group's alleged unfair market practices involving its affiliates. Chey's appearance -- just before he is set to host the APEC CEO Sum
Oct. 9, 2025 -
Lee’s approval rating rebounds to 53.5%, highest in four weeks
President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating has rebounded to 53.5 percent, a 1.5 percentage point increase from the previous week, ending a three-week slide, according to a Realmeter poll released Monday. The survey, conducted by Realmeter at the request of Energy Economy News from Sep. 29 to Thursday, among 2,017 adults nationwide, found that 43.3 percent of respondents viewed Lee’s performance negatively, down 0.8 percentage points from the previous week. Realmeter attributed the rebound to a se
Oct. 7, 2025 -
Lee says issue of separated families 'top priority'
President Lee Jae Myung said Saturday that the issue of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War must be addressed as a "top priority" between the two Koreas. Lee made the remark in a speech read on his behalf by Second Deputy National Security Adviser Lim Woong-soon at a ceremony marking the third Separated Families Day. "Unfortunately, inter-Korean relations are currently mired in deep distrust, but the issue of separated families remains the top priority that South and North Korea must wo
Oct. 4, 2025 -
Unionized workers at 14 airports suspend strike; Incheon airport walkout continues
Unionized workers at 14 airports across South Korea decided to suspend their strikes Saturday, but employees at the nation's main Incheon International Airport said they will continue their indefinite walkout, raising concerns of travel disruptions during the Chuseok holiday period. The workers at the 14 airports said they will resume their duties through Oct. 14, when the presidential office is scheduled to meet with officials from the state-run Korea Airports Corp. for talks on the issue. "If
Oct. 4, 2025 -
Trump expected to visit S. Korea on Oct. 29 ahead of APEC summit: sources
US President Donald Trump is considering visiting South Korea later this month just ahead of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, sources said Saturday. Government circles speculate that Trump may hold bilateral summits with South Korea and China before the APEC gathering opens and depart without attending the main session of the summit, slated for Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in the southeastern city of Gyeongju. "President Trump is expected to arrive on Oct. 29 and visit Gyeongju," a ruling party of
Oct. 4, 2025 -
Lee extends condolences over death of official handling govt. service outage
President Lee Jae Myung on Friday expressed condolences over an interior ministry official who died while working on the restoration of online government services following a fire-caused outage. The official, who had led a team overseeing the recovery efforts, fell to his death at the government complex in the central city of Sejong earlier in the day. "I pray for the repose of the deceased, who dedicated himself until the very last moment of his life to fulfill his mission as a public servant,
Oct. 3, 2025 -
Ruling party lawmaker proposes bill to ban rallies that incite hatred, discrimination
Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea has proposed a revision to the Assembly and Demonstration Act that would ban rallies inciting hatred or violence against specific groups, the lawmaker's office said Friday, amid growing concerns over anti-China sentiment in the country. The proposal, submitted Thursday, would add rallies “organized primarily to incite or promote discrimination, hatred or violence against specific groups such as races, nationalities or people with disabil
Oct. 3, 2025 -
Chinese Embassy expresses regret over anti-China protest
The Chinese Embassy in Seoul denounced a large protest planned for Friday by a conservative group in South Korea, which claims the South Korean government’s new visa-free entry program for Chinese tourists threatens national security. In a statement released Thursday on its official website, the embassy said it had “witnessed some Korean politicians spreading false information, and certain far-right groups staging frequent anti-China demonstrations in areas where Chinese tourists gather, such as
Oct. 3, 2025 -
PM voices hope for China's positive contribution to inter-Korean relations
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has said South Korea wishes for China to make positive contributions to inter-Korean relations, including to achieve North Korea's denuclearization. Kim made the remark in an interview with the Hong Kong weekly, Yazhou Zhoukan, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's expected visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. "We always hope that China will make positive contributions when it comes to inter-Korean relat
Oct. 2, 2025 -
Ex-KCC chief detained on election law violation charges
Lee Jin-sook, the former chief of the Korea Communications Commission, was detained Thursday on charges of violating the election law and breaching political neutrality, police said. Lee was held by authorities near her residence at around 4 p.m. Police said the move was made after she had repeatedly failed to comply with summons for questioning more than three times. She is accused of breaching political neutrality by making partisan remarks while appearing on conservative YouTube channels in S
Oct. 2, 2025