Search under way for 1 missing after fishing boat capsizes off southeastern coast

Search and rescue operations for the last missing person were under way for the second day Tuesday after a boat capsized off the southeastern coast, the Coast Guard said. The 29-ton fishing boat carrying eight crew members capsized after colliding with a 456-ton sand barge in waters near Gyeongju, about 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Monday, leaving seven crew members dead. Seven people -- three South Koreans and four foreign nationals -- were rescued in a state of cardiac arrest and take

Social AffairsDec. 10, 2024

Court set to hold arrest warrant hearing for ex-defense minister over martial law declaration

A Seoul court is set to decide Tuesday whether to issue an arrest warrant for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun over his role in President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration in what would be the first court judgment on the case. Kim is suspected of having colluded with Yoon to stage an insurrection as Yoon declared emergency martial law last Tuesday, which was rejected by the National Assembly and lifted hours later. The Seoul Central District Court is set to convene a hearing to r

PoliticsDec. 10, 2024

Police chief slapped with exit ban in martial law probe

Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, and two other top police officials have been banned from leaving the country in connection with the ongoing police investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law last week, the National Office of Investigation said Tuesday. The NOI said its special investigation team also imposed an overseas travel ban on Kim Bong-sik, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Mok Hyun-tae, hea

PoliticsDec. 10, 2024

Natl. Assembly to vote on permanent special counsel probe bill into Yoon's treason charges

The National Assembly is set to open a plenary session Tuesday to vote on a bill mandating a permanent special counsel to investigate treason charges against President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed bid to impose martial law last week. The bill calls for an investigation into Yoon, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su, who had been named to lead the martial law command, and other officials involved in imposing martial law. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Counter

PoliticsDec. 10, 2024

Prosecutors seek arrest warrant for ex-defense chief over botched martial law declaration

Prosecutors said Monday they have requested an arrest warrant for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to investigate his alleged role in President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law last week. The special prosecution investigation team summoned Kim earlier in the day for questioning on treason, abuse of power and other charges, marking the third interrogation since his emergency arrest the previous day. Prosecutors said they are seeking the warrant over concerns that K

Social AffairsDec. 10, 2024

Civic groups continue candlelight vigils calling for Yoon's impeachment

Civic groups staged another candlelight vigil across the nation Monday to call for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over last week's botched martial law declaration. Thousands of people held rallies in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, while others gathered in major cities to continue their rallies demanding Yoon's ouster from office. Yoon faces growing pressure to step down after he survived a first impeachment vote Saturday, as the opposition has vowed to try again t

Social AffairsDec. 9, 2024

Senior S. Korean diplomats meet top envoys of China, Japan amid martial law turmoil

First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun met with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima on Monday to discuss the ongoing situation stemming from the failed bid to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, the foreign ministry said. Kim stressed South Korea's "firm determination to overcome the current difficult situation based on its democratic processes and the rule of law" at the meeting, the foreign ministry said in a message to media. Both sides agreed to communicate clo

Foreign AffairsDec. 9, 2024

President's arrest possible in theory, but has many obstacles

The idea of a sitting president being arrested, once deemed unthinkable, now looms as a real possibility in South Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who narrowly avoided impeachment Saturday, faces investigations from three of the nation’s major investigative agencies amid massive political backlash over his declaration of martial law last week. On Monday afternoon, the Ministry of Justice imposed a travel ban on President Yoon, making him the first sitting president in South Korean history t

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

Opposition leader defends soldiers deployed to martial law operations

Opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday defended the soldiers involved in last week's martial law operations, describing them as "blameless" and expressing gratitude over their restraint. Nearly 300 armed troops were deployed to the National Assembly last Tuesday after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, with some troops breaking windows to enter the building. No casualties or injuries were reported during a tense standoff that unfolded over two hours until lawma

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

Police to summon counterintelligence chief, ex-interior minister over martial law declaration

Police will summon the counterintelligence chief and former interior minister as suspects in a sprawling investigation into the short-lived martial law imposition last week, officials said Monday. The police notified the head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, and ex-Interior Minister Lee Sang-min of the plan, according to police officials. The exact date for their appearance has not yet been decided, they added. Yeo was suspended from his duties last week, and fo

Social AffairsDec. 9, 2024

Top nuclear envoys of S. Korea, US, Japan vow coordination against NK threats amid martial law turmoil

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan vowed close coordination Monday to manage "future situations stably" in the event of any possible provocations by North Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Cho Koo-rae, vice foreign minister for strategy and intelligence, shared the view with Daniel Kritenbrink, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs at the State Department; and Hiroyuki Namazu, director general for Asian and Ocean

Foreign AffairsDec. 9, 2024

Seoul’s top diplomat urges restoration of global trust amid political turmoil

South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Monday called for diplomatic efforts to restore global trust amid the political turmoil sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 martial law declaration, which has drawn widespread international condemnation as democratic backsliding. "We must also be unremitting in our efforts to restore the trust of our partners and once again measure up to the expectations the international community has of Korea," Cho said during the senior

Foreign AffairsDec. 9, 2024

Assembly to vote Tuesday on Yoon insurrection probe

A National Assembly committee approved a motion that would mandate the appointment of a permanent special counsel to investigate whether President Yoon Suk Yeol committed insurrection by issuing his short-lived martial law decree on Dec. 3. The approval allows the proposal to be put to a parliamentary vote scheduled Tuesday. The motion was introduced Friday by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. All eleven opposition lawmakers on the parliamentary Legislation and Judiciary Committee v

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

[Exclusive] ‘Troops paused on way to Election Commission, felt something was up’

Troops dispatched from the Defense Counterintelligence Command to take control of the National Election Commission of Korea office in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, paused on the way because they felt something was amiss, military sources told The Korea Herald. This is the first time it has been revealed why and how troops slowed down on the way to their targets, and suggests troops may have acted in defiance of the martial law decree that was in effect from 11 p.m. Tuesday until the early hours of W

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

Military authority remains with President Yoon Suk Yeol: Defense Ministry

President Yoon Suk Yeol retains authority over the military, the Ministry of Defense confirmed Monday amid controversy over calls to exclude him from state affairs in the wake of his short-lived martial law declaration last week. During a regular briefing, Defense Ministry Spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said, “The authority over the military belongs to the president,” when asked about who currently holds military control. When asked whether someone under criminal investigation for insurrec

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

Man who claimed depression to avoid military duty gets suspended jail term

A South Korean man who falsely claimed to have depression to avoid combat duty in military has been sentenced to one year in jail, suspended for two years, the Daegu District Court said Sunday. The 26-year-old defendant, based on false claims he made to medical staff, was diagnosed with depression last year at a Daegu-based university hospital. He then submitted his diagnosis to the Military Manpower Administration and received grade 4 in his physical examination, which made him eligible to serv

Social AffairsDec. 9, 2024

[News Analysis] Why Yoon escaped Park’s fate even with smaller ruling party

The failed impeachment vote against President Yoon Suk Yeol, derailed by a lack of quorum on Saturday, has prompted sharp comparisons to the single vote that ousted President Park Geun-hye. The focus now shifts to why only three members of the ruling People Power Party defied the party’s boycott, particularly when just eight defections would have been enough to push Yoon’s impeachment forward with 200 votes out of the 300-member Assembly. The outcome is particularly notable given the

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

'Orderly retreat' struggles to win support

The ruling People Power Party is struggling to justify the legitimacy of transferring President Yoon Suk Yeol's role to the party and government, as calls for impeachment escalate. Amid this struggle a leadership vacuum is opening up in the ruling party. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea announced Monday it was seeking to expel the party's Floor Leader Rep. Choo Kyung-ho -- who offered to resign following Saturday's impeachment vote -- from the National Assembly, accus

PoliticsDec. 9, 2024

K-democracy? Lawmakers flooded with protest texts after impeachment boycott

Lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party have faced a barrage of protest text messages after an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol was scrapped due to their decision to boycott the vote. PPP lawmakers have been struggling to deal with an endless stream of text messages, according to local reports, Monday. Some lawmakers have complained that their batteries don’t last more than two hours without a backup even with fully charged phones. Just before and after the impeachme

Social AffairsDec. 9, 2024

Yoon banned from leaving country

The Justice Ministry said Monday that it had issued a travel ban on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, shortly after he was booked over his short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3, a rare move against a sitting president. The decision came after a number of investigative agencies, including the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, requested that the embattled president be banned from traveling overseas hours after the police said they were considering the measure

Social AffairsDec. 9, 2024