President Moon Jae-in on Monday vowed continued efforts in the new year to right the wrong and build what he called a sound nation."In the new year, I will hold your hand tight and keep moving forward with greater vigor. I will continue to devote my best efforts to set right the flaws of the past a

A Hong Kong-flagged vessel has been seized and inspected by South Korean authorities after secretly transferring oil to a North Korean vessel in international waters in a ship-to-ship transfer prohibited by the United Nations Security Council, government officials said Friday.South Korean customs au

South Korea's parliament on Friday passed motions to approve the nominees for chief state auditor and two Supreme Court justices. At a plenary session, the National Assembly voted for Choe Jae-hyeong, tapped as the head of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), Ahn Chul-sang and

President Moon Jae-in promised to double support for young scientists and their research projects Thursday, also vowing to nearly double government investment in independent research and development (R&D) programs."The government will support with all its strength the path of science that you will

A Seoul court on Thursday turned down prosecutors' request for a warrant to arrest Cho Yoon-sun, a former minister and presidential aide to then-President Park Geun-hye on charges of bribery and abuse of power.The Seoul Central District Court said her charges are disputable and it's difficul

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday conferred state orders on two retired justices of the Constitutional Court for their contribution to ensuring the basic rights enshrined in law, his office said.Moon presented the first-class Order of Civil Merit of Mugunghwa to former Constitutional Court Presiden

The Navy said Wednesday its 1,500-ton Chungnam frigate, known as a benchmark ship, will retire after playing a key role in the defense of South Korean waters for three decades.The Navy plans to hold a retirement ceremony for the ship, one of the first-generation warships here, and five other naval v

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) decided Tuesday to deprive Ryu Yeo-hae, a senior female member, of party membership as it views her controversial remarks as disgraceful to the party, officials said.Ryu has lashed out at the party's chief Hong Joon-pyo since she was stripped of her

Prosecutors were set on Wednesday to present their demand for the punishment of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong in the last session of his appellate trial.The 49-year-old scion of South Korea's largest conglomerate received a five-year jail term on Aug. 25 on the conviction of fiv

A close aide of former President Park Geun-hye has asked a court to review whether his arrest on the charge of abuse of power was approved for the right reasons, court sources said Tuesday.Woo Byung-woo, an ex-senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, filed for a court review on the legality

Prosecutors on Tuesday filed for an arrest warrant for an opposition lawmaker on charges that he took illegal funds from several people, including a former municipal councilor, in return for favors.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office requested the writ against Rep. Lee Woo-hyun of the

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon paid his respects on Sunday to the victims of a fitness center fire in the central city of Jecheon which left 29 people dead and scores injured.Lee visited the gutted eight-story building and the disaster situation room in the city hall and later met with injured survivors

President Moon Jae-in on Friday promised to get to the bottom of the tragic fire in the small southeastern city of Jecheon, offering his personal condolences to those killed in the accident and their families."A tragic accident has occured and as president, I feel miserable. Not only I but all our

The prosecution said Friday it has formed a special team to investigate slush fund allegations involving former President Lee Myung-bak.The team in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office will look into the suspicions that DAS, an auto parts maker whose majority stake is owned by Lee's elder brother

President Moon Jae-in made a surprise trip to the site of a tragic fire in the small southeastern city of Jecheon Friday.Moon's trip to the city, located some 170 kilometers from Seoul, came one day after the fire left 29 people dead with 29 others injured.He was expected to receive a report on

The South Korean foreign ministry on Thursday denied news reports that China reimposed a ban on group tours to South Korea.News reports said earlier that the China National Tourism Administration's Shandong Province branch notified local tour agencies of the ban starting on Jan. 1.If confirmed,

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote Friday on new sanctions against North Korea, including further restrictions on its imports of oil, according to a news report.The measures come in response to North Korea's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29, w

A Seoul district court on Thursday handed down prison terms for two former party campaign officials of the minor opposition People's Party for fabricating a tip-off about President Moon Jae-in's son in the runup to the May presidential election this year.The Seoul Southern District Court sen

A North Korean soldier fled to South Korea through the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the inter-Korean land border, Thursday, five weeks after a dramatic Panmunjom defection by a fellow serviceman. the South's military said.The "low-ranking" soldier appeared in front of a guard post on the mid-west

The United States on Wednesday distanced itself from South Korean President Moon Jae-in's call to postpone the allies' military exercises until after the PyeongChang Olympic Games.Moon told U.S. broadcaster NBC Tuesday that the two countries could review the timing of the regular drills to r