Category: South Korea

Conservative Ex-Top Prosecutor Elected South Korean President

SEOUL—A conservative former top prosecutor was elected South Korea’s new president in one of the closest fought races in recent history, which will shape Asia’s fourth-largest economy for the next five years. Yoon Suk-yeol, 60, from the main opposition People Power Party, edged out the ruling Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung with 48.6 percent of the…


South Koreans Vote Amid Scandal-Tainted Presidential Election

South Korean voters went to the polls on Wednesday in a presidential election marred by political scandals, at a time when the country has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases. Election officials said an average voter turnout of 5 percent nationwide two hours after polls opened at 6 a.m. on Wednesday local time. Vote counting…


South Korea Presidential Election Will Decide Whether Country Moves Closer to Communist China or US: Former State Department Official

As South Koreans head to the polls on March 9, they should be alert to a progressive movement that seeks to distance their country from the United States, according to former U.S. State Department official Morse Tan. The former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, speaking to EpochTV’s “China Insider” program, stressed how the upcoming presidential…


South Korea Presidential Election Will Decide Country’s Stance on Communist China: Former State Department Official

As South Koreans head to the polls on March 9, they should be alert to a progressive movement that seeks to distance their country from the United States, according to former U.S. State Department official Morse Tan. The former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, speaking to EpochTV’s “China Insider” program, stressed how the upcoming presidential…


North Korea’s Patrol Vessel Retreats After South Korea Fires 3 Warning Shots: Report

South Korea’s military said Tuesday that a North Korean patrol vessel that attempted to cross the two countries’ maritime boundary retreated after three warning shots were fired. The North Korean patrol vessel was trying to intervene after South Korea’s military seized a North Korean fishing boat that breached the maritime border at 9:30 a.m. on…


South Korea Joins Sanctions Against Russian Central Bank and Belarus

South Korea’s government said Monday that it will join the international move to suspend transactions with Russia’s central bank and impose sanctions on Belarus over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The [South] Korean government has decided today, March 7, to join other nations in imposing additional sanctions including the prohibition of transactions with the central bank…


2022 South Korean Election a Choice of Communism or Freedom: North Korea Escapee Arthur Lee & Amb. Morse Tan

Choosing communism or freedom—that’s the question in the South Korean election this week between conservative Yoon Seok-Yul and progressive Lee Jae Myung. With key issues like relations with North Korea and with Japan, the country’s economic policies, and growing discontent with Chinese aggression, who will the Korean voters choose as the next president? Follow David…


China Boosts Defense Spending by 7.1 Percent

Major powers in the West are calling on Beijing and urging China to step in amid the Russia-Ukraine war. China responds. Beijing cuts its economic growth target to a new low, but boosts military spending even more than last year. Ukraine’s neighbors voice insecurity. America’s No. 1 diplomat visits the area, carrying a message. Can…


China’s Copyright Violations of South Korea’s Entertainment Media Has Doubled

China’s brazen copyright violations of South Korea’s entertainment content have doubled since 2016, says South Korea’s culture ministry. Since 2017, China’s copyright infringements have become a major headache for South Korean content makers. After Beijing cracked down on Korean pop culture in China, in retaliation for South Korea deploying THAAD (a U.S. anti-missile system), South Korea…


S. Korean Wildfire Destroys 159 Homes, Forces 6,200 to Flee

SEOUL, South Korea—Thousands of South Korean firefighters and troops were battling a large wildfire on Saturday that tore through an eastern coastal area and temporarily threatened a nuclear power station and a liquified natural gas plant. The fire, which began Friday morning on a mountain in the seaside town of Uljin and has spread across…