Democratic Party of Korea proposes bill to suspend trials for president-elects

South Korea’s major liberal Democratic Party of Korea has proposed a bill to suspend criminal trials for president-elects on Friday, the day after the Supreme Court sent a key case involving its leading presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung back to a lower court for a retrial in an unprecedentedly fast-tracked majority decision. Democratic Party lawmakers, including Rep. Kim Yong-min, introduced a proposed amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act that would halt legal proceedings once a defendant

May 2, 2025

Who is S. Korea’s new acting President Lee Ju-ho?

Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs Lee Ju-ho has assumed the role of acing president, following the successive resignations of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok. Lee will serve in the role until the presidential election scheduled for June 3. With his predecessors in the presidential line of succession stepping down one after another, the education policy expert, as the fourth-ranking official in the presidential line of succession

May 2, 2025

S. Korea, US hold 1st joint tabletop exercise against space threats

South Korea and the United States conducted a combined tabletop exercise against space-based threats earlier this week, the South's military said Friday, amid growing space security threats by North Korea. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the US Space Forces Korea held the discussion-based Polaris Lynx exercise for the first time on Thursday, joined by military officials and space security experts, according to the JCS. Officials from the US Forces Korea and the South's Agency for Defense

May 2, 2025

Army stages live-fire air defense drills near inter-Korean border

South Korean soldiers conducted live-fire air defense drills near the inter-Korean border this week as part of efforts to maintain readiness against North Korean drone threats, the Army said Friday. The three-day exercise began Wednesday in a coastal area in the border county of Goseong, about 160 kilometers northeast of Seoul, involving some 130 troops and eight anti-aircraft vehicles, including the K30 Biho and the K30W Chunho, according to the Army. The drills took place with a focus on detec

May 2, 2025

Ex-PM Han declares presidential bid

Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo declared his bid for president Friday, one month before voters head to the polls to pick a successor to impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Han announced his bid for the June 3 election at the National Assembly a day after he resigned as acting president and prime minister. Han, who was prime minister under both liberal and conservative presidents and also served as the South Korean ambassador to the United States, has been a favorite among conservatives

May 2, 2025

Acting president calls for watertight readiness against N. Korea's possible provocations

Acting President Lee Ju-ho on Friday called for maintaining a watertight readiness posture against North Korea's possible provocations, as he assumed the interim leadership following the resignations of the prime minister and finance minister. Lee made the remarks as he presided over a National Security Council meeting, a day after former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok resigned. Lee said there should be "no lapse" in the fields of diplomacy, security, defen

May 2, 2025

US remains committed to working with acting President Lee for 'stability,' 'continuity' in alliance: State Dept.

A State Department spokesperson on Thursday affirmed the United States' commitment to working with South Korea's new acting President Lee Ju-ho to ensure "stability" and "continuity" in the two countries' longstanding alliance. The spokesperson made the remarks after Lee, the deputy prime minister for social affairs and education minister, undertook the acting presidency following the resignation of former acting President Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affair

May 2, 2025

Acting President Lee calls for 'highest-level' defense posture, vows all support for 'orderly, fair' election

South Korea's new acting President Lee Ju-ho on Friday instructed the military to raise its readiness posture to the "highest level," and called for thorough preparations to ensure the June 3 presidential election will proceed in an "orderly" and "fair" manner. Lee, the deputy prime minister for social affairs and education minister, gave the instructions in an emergency directive to all government ministries and agencies, and public servants after he took the role of the acting president follow

May 2, 2025

Acting President Lee pledges to ensure stable state affairs

Acting President Lee Ju-ho said Friday he will make utmost efforts to stabilize government affairs and ensure the fair management of the June 3 presidential election. Speaking to reporters as he arrived at the government complex in Seoul, Lee said, "I feel a great sense of responsibility to be entrusted with such a heavy duty. "I will do my utmost to ensure stable state governance by closely communicating with the National Assembly and thoroughly discussing matters with Cabinet members," he said

May 2, 2025

Education minister becomes third acting president of S. Korea in five months

Lee Ju-ho, the deputy prime minister and education minister, is taking over as acting president of South Korea from Friday after Choi Sang-mok, the second in line for acting president, resigned following threats of impeachment. Choi said he would be stepping down late Thursday after the Democratic Party of Korea, which controls the National Assembly's majority, unilaterally tabled the resolution to impeach him. His resignation offer was approved by former acting President Han Duck-soo shortly af

May 2, 2025

Korean politics in disarray as Choi Sang-mok, who was to become acting president, resigns amid impeachment vote

South Korea was thrown into political disarray Thursday, as the Democratic Party of Korea moved to impeach Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok in a move widely perceived as retaliation over the Supreme Court's ruling against its presidential candidate. Choi, who doubles as deputy prime minister and was to replace outgoing Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as acting president Friday, stepped down before a vote could be concluded. Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho is expected to take ove

May 1, 2025

[Breaking] Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok resigns after Assembly moves to impeach him

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok offered his resignation on Thursday, shortly after an impeachment motion against him was introduced at a plenary session of the National Assembly. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Choi tendered his resignation at 10:28 p.m. Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who earlier in the day offered his resignation in an apparent presidential bid, accepted Choi's resignation. Choi was set to assume the role of acting president starting Friday.

May 1, 2025

National Assembly passes W13.8tr extra budget

The National Assembly on Thursday passed a 13.8 trillion-won ($9.6 billion) extra budget aimed at helping disaster response efforts and revitalizing the economy. The bill was approved in a plenary session after the Democratic Party and the People Power Party added 1.6 trillion won to the 12.2 trillion won proposed by the government. The extra budget allocates 400 billion won for the issuance of local currency vouchers, which is far less than the 1 trillion won initially pushed by the DP, to help

May 1, 2025

Impeachment motion against prosecutor general presented to plenary session

An impeachment motion against Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung was reported Thursday to the plenary session of the National Assembly led by the Democratic Party (DP) over his alleged role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid. The decision came hours after the Supreme Court decided to strike down a lower court's acquittal of DP presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on charges of election law violation. The DP accused Shim of colluding with Yoon in the "unconstitutional and il

May 1, 2025

S. Korean foreign ministry notifies foreign missions of new acting President Choi Sang-mok

South Korea's foreign ministry notified foreign missions in Seoul of a change in the acting presidency following the resignation of acting President Han Duck-soo, government officials said Thursday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to diplomatic missions in South Korea, stating that Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Choi Sang-mok will assume the role of acting president starting at midnight Thursday, according to the officials. The letter also emphasize

May 1, 2025