SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- Special prosecutors on Monday requested an arrest warrant for Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Group's de facto leader, on charges of bribery in connection with an influence-peddling scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment.Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Elect

SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is preparing to hold a press meeting next week to explain his direction for state management this year, his office said Monday."We are preparing (for a press meeting) to take place on Jan. 23, Monday," Hwang's aide to

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in paras 2-3; ADDS photo)SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- Choi Soon-sil, the woman accused of colluding with President Park Geun-hye for personal and business gains, appeared as a witness in the president's impeachment trial Monday.Choi, who has been jailed in connection wi

SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- The interim head of South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party said Monday he will seek to conclude steps to clear-out loyalists of President Park Geun-hye and put an end to the prolonged factional feud."As the ethical committee starts to operate this week, we need to conclud

SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- Choi Soon-sil, the woman accused of colluding with President Park Geun-hye for personal and business gains, appeared as a witness in the president's impeachment trial Monday.Choi, who is on trial in connection with the scandal, arrived at the Constitutional Court to te

SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, a potential presidential hopeful from the main opposition Democratic Party, on Monday criticized fellow party member Moon Jae-in after he seemed to indicate a willingness to backtrack on the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system.M

SEJONG, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- Sales of the Korean lottery Lotto hit their highest last year, statistics from the operator showed Monday, a trend that comes during economic slumps, social analysts say.The statistics from the Korea Lottery Commission said Lotto sales reached 3.55 trillion won (US$3.02 b

SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- A group of lawmakers from the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee headed to the United States on Monday to attend the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.The ruling and opposition lawmakers, headed by Rep. Sim Jae-kwon of the Dem

Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is fast looming as a formidable Presidential candidate of Korea, said, “If Japan wants the statue of the Korean comfort woman removed because they had paid Korea 1 billion yen in compensation for the ill-fated Korean sex slaves for the Japanes

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with more quotes; CHANGES headline)WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- The nominee for CIA director Mike Pompeo on Thursday pointed to North Korea as one of the biggest threats to the United States, along with terrorism, China and Russia.Pompeo made the remark during his Senate

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- Outgoing U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has called for full implementation of sanctions on North Korea, warning the communist nation will pose one of the most significant challenges the next administration will face."As North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile

By Chang Jae-soonWASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary said Thursday the U.S. is "stronger when we uphold our treaty obligations," a remark that runs directly counter to Trump's campaign suggestion the U.S. should consider ending

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Group's de facto leader, returned home Friday morning after being grilled in connection with a corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her longtime friend.The special probe team, led by Independent Counsel Park Young-soo, called i

SEJONG, Jan. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's jobless rate remained unchanged in December from a year earlier, with a deep slump in the manufacturing sector contributing to the tight job market, government data showed Wednesday.The unemployment rate in Asia's fourth-largest economy stood at 3.2

SEOUL, Jan. 11 (Yonhap) – Speaker Chung Sye-kyun of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (south) will head to Indonesia on Wednesday in an effort to expand Korea’s parliamentary-level diplomacy.Chung will meet with his Indonesian counterparts from the People's Representative Coun

NEW YORK, Jan. 10 (Yonhap) -- Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will make no departure statement when he leaves New York for South Korea this week, aides said Tuesday, as his homecoming is drawing huge attention due to his presidential ambitions.Ban, whose 10-year term as U.N. chief expired

SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Yonhap) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea stated Tuesday that it has nullified the passport of the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the center of a massive scandal, paving the way for her deportation from Denmark.Chung Yoo-ra was arrested in the northern D

SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Yonhap)—In the Internet users in China have kept up their interest in South Korean entertainment despite Beijing's politically motivated restrictions on viewing cultural content from Korea, a big data analysis showed Tuesday.Cafe24, a provider of web hosting and e-commerce

The Constitutional Court demanded on Jan. 10, 2017 that President Park Geun-hye re-submit her reply concerning what she did and where she was during the seven hours while the Sewol Ferry Boat sank off the coast of the Paengmok Port on Jindo Island in Jeollanam-do on April 16, 2014.Judge Lee Jin-sung