Seoul reels from unprecedented leadership vacuum with top 3 posts empty

With just one month left before South Korea’s early presidential election amid critical US tariff talks that have been racing forward, Seoul has been rocked by an unprecedented leadership vacuum: the president, prime minister and top economic chief are all absent due to impeachment or resignation. Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, fourth in the Cabinet hierarchy, assumed the role of acting president on Friday, marking the fourth leadership change in six m

May 2, 2025

As China, Russia escalate cognitive warfare, experts say Seoul needs counterstrategy

As China and Russia ramp up sophisticated cognitive warfare targeting the Korean Peninsula, experts at a Seoul forum urged the South Korean government to craft a counterstrategy grounded in objective, professional assessments of both countries’ capabilities. The Korean Association of Area Studies co-hosted the seminar themed, “Security Threats of Cognitive Warfare and Trump’s Second-term Strategy on China,” on Friday with the Institute for National Security Strategy and the Sejong Institute at t

May 2, 2025

New acting president vows fair election, firm security from Day 1

Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, the deputy prime minister who is now acting prime minister and acting president, on Friday pledged to ensure a fair presidential election and maintain firm national security, as South Korea grapples with yet another transfer of leadership just a month before a snap presidential vote. Lee presided over the extraordinary Cabinet meeting on his first day as acting president at the government complex in Seoul, taking the helm of South Korea’s unprecedented interim gover

May 2, 2025

Korea to host 2nd APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting on Jeju Island

South Korea will host the second high-level preparatory meeting for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation on Jeju Island, where it will present detailed plans for advancing discussions on key deliverables such as artificial intelligence cooperation and a joint response to demographic shifts, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Tuesday. The second Senior Officials’ Meeting, a high-level consultative body for discussions among APEC member economies, and related meetings will be held from May 3 to 1

April 29, 2025

Acting President Han vetoes bill limiting acting presidents' authority to nominate justices

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday vetoed a bill that sought to limit an acting president’s authority to nominate justices on the Constitutional Court directly. During the Cabinet meeting, Han said he was sending back the bill that sought to amend the Constitutional Court Act, which had been proposed by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and passed in a National Assembly plenary session on April 17. "The amendment contains elements that conflict with existing

April 29, 2025

NK formalizes troop deployment, signals deeper alliance with Russia

North Korea’s first official acknowledgment of its troop deployment to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, following around six months of silence, on Monday comes at a timely moment domestically to frame its participation in a more favorable light, as Russia claims momentum on the battlefield has shifted in Moscow’s favor ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Observers in Seoul view that Pyongyang’s announcement is externally aimed at securing reciprocal commitments — effectivel

April 28, 2025

Seoul, Beijing at odds over West Sea structures, but vow to keep talking

South Korea and China reaffirmed their differing positions on the contentious issue of Chinese-built structures in their jointly administered West Sea zone during interagency maritime talks, with Seoul requesting that all three structures be relocated outside the zone, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Despite the friction, the two sides launched a working group to address the issue during the 12-hour maritime cooperation dialogue in Seoul — a platform for broad discussions on a wide range of

April 24, 2025

‘S. Korea’s China engagement aligns with US interests,' says top diplomat

South Korea’s top diplomat on Wednesday told a forum on security and foreign affairs that engaging China aligned with US interests by contributing to regional stability. Former US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, meanwhile, warned that confronting the China challenge single-handedly was "a recipe for failure," describing Washington's ability to work with allies and partners as its "most significant ticket to the big game." South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul underscored that “we wi

April 23, 2025

Seoul, Beijing to discuss China's unilateral construction in joint maritime zone

South Korea and China will discuss structures unilaterally built by Chinese authorities in their jointly managed maritime zone in the West Sea during a meeting in Seoul on Wednesday, as the issue has recently drawn renewed attention in Seoul. The structures installed by China in the Provisional Measures Zone without prior consultation with South Korea will be one of the key agenda items at the third meeting of the Korea-China Dialogue on Maritime Cooperation in Seoul, according to diplomatic sou

April 22, 2025

Lee Jae-myung backs one-shot, package deal with Trump

Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and a top contender in the party's presidential primary, said Friday he would seek a comprehensive package deal with US President Donald Trump if elected, embracing Trump’s one-shot negotiation strategy. "Trump’s strategy is quite bold — to the point that it is even referred to as the so-called 'madman theory,'" Lee said when asked about his negotiation strategy against Trump during the first TV debate among the three presidential con

April 18, 2025