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Top constitutional leaders agree on sweeping changes to election management

South Korea’s top constitutional leaders have agreed to pursue a sweeping overhaul of the country’s election management system and hold officials accountable for the ballot shortages that marred the June 3 local elections, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The outcome came after President Lee Jae Myung held a meeting with newly-elected National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik, Chief Justice Jo Hee-de, President of the Constitutional Court Kim Sang-hwan and outgoing Prime Minister Kim Min-seok at Cheong

Parents' apology over internet cafe ruckus fuels juvenile justice debate

The parents of a middle school student involved in a disturbance at an internet cafe in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, posted an apology online, saying they would take responsibility for their child’s actions. The apology, uploaded Sunday to the online community Bobaedream by a person identifying themselves as the parent of one of the students involved, drew widespread attention after surveillance footage of the incident was broadcast on television. According to the post and media reports, two s

Special Counsel Questions Yoon about Diplomatic Messages Defending Martial Law

[Politics] : Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol has appeared before a special counsel team to answer to charges of power abuse and obstruction of rights in connection with messages he intended to send to the U.S, justifying his failed attempt to impose martial law. Yoon, currently in custody at the Seoul Detention Center, ... [more...]

Former Justice Minister Choo makes history as Korea's first female governor

Veteran liberal politician and former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, 67, shattered another political glass ceiling, becoming South Korea's first woman elected to lead a provincial or metropolitan government after winning the Gyeonggi governorship. The Democratic Party of Korea heavyweight secured victory defeating People Power Party candidate Yang Hyang-ja in a rare contest between two female candidates. Choo won 55.04 percent of the vote, comfortably defeating Yang, who secured 39.37 percent. The

Court denies suspension of exit ban against US scholar under probe for defaming Lee

A Seoul court on Thursday rejected a request for a suspension of an exit ban against Morse Tan, a Korean American scholar accused of defaming President Lee Jae Myung, legal sources said. The Seoul Administrative Court rejected Tan's request to suspend the exit ban, which the justice ministry imposed earlier this week, saying that a potential suspension could have a serious impact on the public interest, according to the sources. Tan is suspected of having defamed Lee by spreading false informati

US Tariff Cuts on Industrial Equipment to Benefit S. Korean Producers

[International] : U.S. President Donald Trump’s temporary reduction in tariffs on certain metal products, such as those used in industrial equipment and agricultural machinery, is expected to benefit South Korean companies. The White House announced on Monday, local time, that Trump signed a proclamation adjusting tariffs ... [more...]

Trump administration drops $1.8 billion 'weaponization' fund after Republican backlash

The Trump administration is abandoning the president's $1.8 billion "weaponization" fund, US Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers Tuesday, after a rare backlash from Republican senators. "We are not moving forward with the fund," Blanche said. "Period." But Blanche ‌also told lawmakers that an agreement with Trump to bar future audits of his or his family's past tax records will remain in place. The fund emerged from a legal settlement between the US president and the Justice Depa

Justice Ministry Defends Prison Cooling Upgrades Amid Criticism

[Domestic] : The justice ministry on Monday said its plan to install additional air-conditioning systems in correctional facilities is aimed at protecting inmates vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. The ministry said in a statement that cooling equipment is being upgraded mainly in housing units that accommodate ... [more...]

Ripped from families for not being ‘Korean enough,’ mixed-race adoptees seek truth and justice

Agricultural, fisheries firms to hire more skilled foreign workers

Businesses in the agriculture and fisheries sectors will be able to hire more foreign workers under the E-7-4 visa, after the Justice Ministry said Monday it would raise the employment cap for skilled foreign workers in the two sectors to 50 percent of each firm’s Korean workforce, up from the current 30 percent. The ministry said it decided to introduce the special quota increase starting in June, citing chronic labor shortages in the agriculture and fisheries sectors. Small businesses with few

Police Request Exit Ban for Professor Accused of Defaming President Lee

[International] : Police have requested an exit ban for Morse Tan, a Korean-American professor accused of spreading false information about President Lee Jae Myung. On Monday the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency asked the justice ministry to ban Tan from leaving the country, and that request has reportedly been ... [more...]

Justice Ministry launches team to protect migrant workers’ rights

South Korea has launched a new unit to protect migrant workers from abuses such as unpaid wages, verbal and physical abuse, illegal brokerage, and poor housing conditions, the Justice Ministry said Monday. The Migrant Human Rights and Interests Team, which began operations June 1 under the Korea Immigration Service, will be the central body monitoring and responding to rights violations involving foreign workers. “Migrant workers are a valuable part of our society,” Justice Minister Jeong Seong-

Special Team Begins Questioning Ex-NIS Chief over Alleged Attempt to Justify 2024 Martial Law

[Politics] : A special counsel team investigating allegations from the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration began grilling former National Intelligence Service(NIS) Director Cho Tae-yong, over an alleged attempt to justify Yoon's 2024 martial law bid to the United States. The special team started questioning the ... [more...]

Justice Ministry expands 'top-tier visa' program to attract foreign science and tech talents

More science and technology talent will become eligible for South Korea’s "top-tier visa" starting in June, as part of a government policy aimed at attracting more than 2,000 foreign researchers and professionals by 2030. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Science and ICT announced Sunday that they would expand eligibility for the visa to include professors and researchers in science and technology. The visa had previously been available only to those hired in advanced technology sector

Art group's ex-chief jailed for sexual harassment of members

The former chief of a Gangwon Province art group has been convicted by the Supreme Court of sexually harassing three group members. The court upheld an earlier ruling that found the defendant guilty of performing an indecent act by compulsion and sentenced him to one year in prison. The defendant had denied the charges and appealed the lower court's ruling, but the top court said the verdict was justified. The defendant was found to have committed seven acts of sexual harassment against the thre

Foreign parents in Seoul can get help with daycare costs

For many foreign parents in Seoul, childcare can become one of the biggest financial pressures of raising children in Korea, especially for families still adjusting to visa procedures, housing costs and life in a new country. To ease some of that burden, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is continuing its daycare fee support program for foreign children enrolled in daycare centers. The program provides partial support for childcare fees for foreign children aged 0 to 5 attending daycare faciliti

Indonesian group tourists to get visa-free entry to Korea starting Thursday

The Ministry of Justice said Wednesday it will allow Indonesian tour groups to enter Korea without a visa from Thursday until the end of December, as part of efforts to boost inbound tourism. Under the new program, groups of three or more Indonesian tourists organized by designated travel agencies will be allowed to stay in Korea visa-free for up to 15 days. The ministry said the measure was discussed at the National Tourism Strategy Meeting in February and finalized after consultations with the

BTS Wins Its 2nd AMA Artist of the Year Award

[Culture] : Global superstar group BTS won the American Music Awards’ Artist of the Year at this year’s ceremony. The South Korean boy band picked up the top honor at the 52nd American Music Awards, or AMAs, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, beating out Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Justin ... [more...]

Can art heal the brain?

Kim Bung-nyun has spent more than a decade trying to answer one question: What does art actually do for the brain and body? The child and adolescent psychiatrist at Seoul National University Hospital began his work in 2014, when his team put 600 adolescents referred from the juvenile justice system through a six-month program combining cognitive behavioral therapy with art therapy: emotional literacy exercises, music therapy, and picture book bibliotherapy. About 100 of the participants — perpet

Bill seeks to raise Korea immigration chief to vice ministerial rank

A bill has been introduced at the National Assembly to elevate the head of the Justice Ministry’s Korea Immigration Service to vice ministerial rank, in a move aimed at strengthening Korea’s immigration policy apparatus amid a growing foreign resident population, legal circles said Saturday. The bill, submitted by Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Chae Hyeon-il, seeks to amend the Government Organization Act to create a vice ministerial-level post overseeing immigration and foreign resident affairs