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Ex-President Yoon denies allegations of interfering in Marine death probe
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday denied allegations that he had interfered in a military investigation into the 2023 death of a young Marine, his lawyers said. The jailed former president was questioned for about seven hours by a special counsel team and did not reportedly invoke his right to remain silent and answered most of the investigators' questions. Yoon faces charges of abusing his power and aiding a criminal's flight in the case. Investigators suspect he ordered the presidentia
Nov. 11, 2025 -
Pressure mounts on top prosecutor to resign over land case decision
Acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok came under growing pressure to resign on Tuesday over his decision not to appeal a controversial land development corruption case linked to President Lee Jae Myung’s tenure as Seongnam mayor, as internal criticism within the prosecution widened across all ranks. Noh, who also serves as deputy prosecutor general, took a day off Tuesday amid reports that he is “seriously considering” stepping down. Four days earlier, the prosecution sparked a firestorm by dec
Nov. 11, 2025 -
Civil servants to face in-house probe over martial law
A pangovernmental investigation into civil servants allegedly involved in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law is set to be launched after President Lee Jae Myung agreed to a proposal from the prime minister on Tuesday. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok proposed that the investigation be completed by January and undertaken by a "task force to respect the Constitution and innovate the government." Kim added that the task force will come up with follow-up measures before Seollal,
Nov. 11, 2025 -
Presidential office may return to Cheong Wa Dae in December: reports
The presidential office in Seoul is likely to be moved from Yongsan-gu back to Cheong Wa Dae in early December, a key campaign pledge by President Lee Jae Myung, local media reported Tuesday. Citing unnamed government sources, the reports said the relocation could occur between Dec. 8 and 14, though the presidential office said that “nothing has been confirmed.” Under the Office of the Administrative Secretary, which was established in June to oversee the relocation, most of the renovation work
Nov. 11, 2025 -
Ex-spy chief attends arrest hearing over alleged martial law involvement
Cho Tae-yong, a former chief of the National Intelligence Service, attended a court hearing Tuesday ahead of its decision on whether to issue a warrant to arrest him on multiple charges, including alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law imposition. The hearing was held at the Seoul Central District Court after special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team sought the warrant last week on charges of NIS law violations, dereliction of duty, perjury, destruction of evidence, creatio
Nov. 11, 2025 -
Still no sign of Korea-US trade deal documents
As progress on finalizing a trade deal between South Korea and the United States continues to stall, discrepancies between the two sides over where South Korea’s nuclear submarines should be built have drawn media attention. Amid the deadlock over which country’s shipyard should handle construction, experts say Washington’s proposal appears unrealistic without major investments and workforce training, citing limited shipbuilding capacity and manpower at US yards. "Facility investment would be a
Nov. 10, 2025 -
Yoon indicted over Pyongyang drone operation
South Korea’s special counsel on Monday indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol and two of his aides on charges of “benefiting the enemy,” accusing them of ordering unauthorized drone operations over Pyongyang in October 2024 to create grounds for declaring martial law. The operation, prosecutors said, heightened inter-Korean tensions and undermined national security. The investigation team, led by special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk, said that Yoon directed the drone missions to fabricate a pretext
Nov. 10, 2025 -
Lee’s approval rating rises for 2nd week after APEC: poll
President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating rose for a second consecutive week to 56.7 percent following the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit held Oct. 31-Nov. 1, according to a survey released Monday. The poll, conducted by local pollster Realmeter from Nov. 3-7, showed Lee’s rating climbed 3.7 percentage points to 56.7 percent. The survey was conducted among 2,528 respondents aged 18 and older nationwide. Negative assessments of Lee stood at 38.7 percent, down 4.6 percentage points from
Nov. 10, 2025 -
Former PM Han backs IPU candidate Jun Sang-soo’s global vision
Former Prime Minister Han Seung-soo met this week with Jun Sang-soo, a candidate for secretary-general of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and former deputy secretary-general of South Korea’s National Assembly. During the meeting, Han presented Jun with his English-language speech collection, titled "Here for Global Good," and offered words of encouragement, according to Jun's office. Drawing on his experience as president of the UN General Assembly and South Korea’s ambassador to US, Han urged tha
Nov. 10, 2025 -
Lee's chief of staff to visit UAE this week
Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik is scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates to discuss cooperation with South Korea in the field of defense later this week, according to the presidential office Monday. Kang will meet with high-ranking UAE officials, the presidential office said, but the itinerary of his trip has yet to be disclosed. Kang previously traveled to Poland, Romania and Norway in October, as South Korea's defense industry seeks more contracts abroad in line with President
Nov. 10, 2025 -
Ruling party, govt. reach consensus on 2035 greenhouse gas reduction at 53-61%
The government and the ruling Democratic Party on Sunday reached a consensus on setting the nation's greenhouse gas emission reduction goal for 2035 at between 53 percent and 61 percent. "The two sides reached a general agreement on the national target for greenhouse gas emission reduction, taking into account opinions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Constitutional Court' ruling, potential burdens on future generations and industrial conditions," DP spokesperson Park Soo-
Nov. 9, 2025 -
Prosecution's failure to appeal Seongnam land corruption case stirs controversy
Controversy has erupted over alleged government interference in the prosecution’s decision not to appeal a high-profile corruption case involving a housing development project in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The case had drawn public attention due to suspicions of President Lee Jae Myung's involvement. A recent lower court ruling suggested otherwise. The prosecution’s failure to file an appeal before Friday’s deadline has since fueled accusations of political meddling, prompting fierce criticism
Nov. 9, 2025 -
Seoul chief prosecutor offers to resign following decision not to appeal development scandal case
Jung Jin-woo, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, offered to resign Saturday, the office said, a day after prosecutors decided not to appeal a ruling in a high-profile development scandal case. His offer came just four months after taking office, in what is seen as a protest against the prosecution's decision not to file an appeal, reportedly in line with the Justice Ministry's opinion that the case did not warrant one. Last Friday, the Seoul Central District Court sentenc
Nov. 8, 2025 -
Ex-President Yoon refuses to appear for questioning by special counsel
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol did not appear on Saturday for questioning by a special counsel team over his alleged interference in a military probe into the 2023 death of a young Marine. Special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon's team summoned Yoon on Monday, ordering him to appear for questioning at 10 a.m. Saturday. The special counsel team previously demanded his appearance on Oct. 23, but the former president did not comply, citing the trial schedules of his lawyers. Yoon, who is in custody over h
Nov. 8, 2025 -
S. Korea calls for efforts to strengthen positive cycle of bilateral progress with Japan
A senior South Korean diplomat on Friday called on Japan to work together to strengthen the positive cycle of bilateral relations between the two countries, as they held their first strategic talks in more than a year. First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo made the remark during the 16th strategic dialogue with his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, stressing the need for the cooperation in a way that would benefit the peoples of the two countries. Park said the two governments should
Nov. 7, 2025