2 d. ago Former residence of South Korea’s Yoon under scrutiny over ‘pet pool’

A shallow pool inside South Korea’s presidential residence has sparked a debate among lawmakers over whether it was used by former president Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife for their pets. There has been increasing speculation that the pool was used for pets and not humans, said Representative Kim Byoung-joo at a meeting held on Monday by the Democratic Party, which became the country’s ruling party following President Lee Jae-myung’s election win last week. “I’ve looked around the space inside the...

Politics

6 d. ago South Korea’s new ‘president for all’ inherits a deeply divided nation

When Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung emerged victorious early on Wednesday in South Korea’s snap presidential election, elation swept through his supporters massed outside the National Assembly. Strobe lights lit the night sky, celebratory music thundered from speakers and the crowd erupted into cheers and embraces – some dissolving into tears of relief. Just a few hundred metres away, however, the atmosphere outside the People Power Party’s (PPP) headquarters could not have been more...

Politics

1 week ago South Korea’s presidential election puts its US alliance, Taiwan stance at stake

As South Koreans prepare to vote in a snap presidential election that could reshape Seoul’s defence spending and its approach to a potential conflict over Taiwan, the future of the nation’s foreign policy and its alliance with the United States hangs in the balance. On Tuesday, South Koreans will go to the polls to elect a successor to impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol, with Lee Jae-myung of the centre-left Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) widely expected to win by a comfortable margin. Observers...

Politics

1 week ago South Korean election video pulled after public outcry over misogyny

A video encouraging South Koreans to vote in next week’s presidential elections has sparked public outrage after it featured a male supervisor assaulting a female employee, leading to an apology from local authorities. Gyeongsan, a city located about 300km (186 miles) southeast of Seoul, shared a 49-second video on its YouTube channel on Monday to encourage residents to participate in the election on June 3. In the video, a male supervisor is shown throwing a crumpled a piece of paper at a...

Politics

1 week ago ‘US troops critical’: South Korean presidential candidate signals turn on China

US troops in South Korea could be “critical” for containing China, and might potentially benefit Seoul’s outreach to the Arctic, according to the front runner for the coming presidential election who has signalled a possible change in his position on China. During an exclusive interview with Time Magazine published on Thursday, the Democratic Party of Korea’s (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said US Forces Korea (USFK) could play a “critical role for the United States policy of...

Politics

2 w. ago South Korean presidential candidate sorry for misogynistic remark at TV debate

A South Korean presidential candidate has apologised for a sexually explicit comment made during a recent televised debate, in which he asked if sticking chopsticks in women’s genitals was misogyny. Lee Jun-seok, who leads the minor Reform Party, drew widespread backlash from the public and across the political spectrum for the controversial remark on Tuesday. The 40-year-old initially doubled down on his remark on Facebook early on Wednesday, before issuing an apology later in the day while...

Politics

3 w. ago South Korea’s presidential candidates clash over China and US, ‘pragmatic’ policy

PPP’s Kim Moon-soo has accused DPK’s Lee Jae-myung of lacking commitment towards the US-South Korea alliance and the THAAD system.

Politics

3 w. ago South Korea’s presidential candidates focus on economic recovery in first debate

Asia’s fourth-largest economy contracted in the first quarter as exports and consumption stalled amid fears over the impact of tariffs.

Politics

4 w. ago South Korea’s Starbucks ban use of presidential candidates’ names in orders

Customers cannot use the names of all seven presidential candidates in the ‘Call My Name’ service until after the nation’s June 3 snap polls.

Politics

4 w. ago South Korea’s Starbucks bans use of presidential candidates’ names in orders

Customers cannot use the names of all seven presidential candidates in the ‘Call My Name’ service until after the nation’s June 3 snap polls.

Politics