Lee's first pardon includes slew of 'controversial' political figures SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung has decided to pardon a slew of politicians and several others to mark the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day which falls on this Friday, despite some public criticism that is likely to stir a fresh round of political disputes. The decision was made at a cabinet meeting chaired by Lee on Monday, just a day after his return from a weeklong summer vacation. According to the Ministry of Justice, the special amnesty aimed at "promoting unity in the country" covers some 836,687 individuals including some 2,000 minor offenders convicted of livelihood-related crimes and about 20 business moguls. Among those included is former Justice Minister and ex-leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party Cho Kuk. Cho's pardon comes less than a year after he was sentenced to two years in prison in December last year for corruption and document forgery related to his children's university admissions. Several figures accused of irregularities and other wrongdoings, including Cho's wife Chung Kyung-shim, former lawmakers Choe Kang-wook and Yoon Mee-hyang, and former Seoul education chief Cho Hee-yeon - were also pardoned or had their rights reinstated. Amid ominous signs over the much-anticipated inclusion of Cho, along with Yoon, the former head of a charity for victims of wartime sex slavery who was handed a three-year suspended sentence last year for embezzling money from donations, Lee's approval rating slid for the first time, hitting its lowest level since he took office in early June. According to pollster Realmeter's latest survey of 2,500 people conducted last week, his approval rating stood at 56.5 percent, down 6.8 percentage points from a week earlier. Cho and Yoon have been unremorseful, claiming their cases were politically-motivated from the previous administration. 2025-08-11 17:50:16

Lee meets Viet Nam's top party leader in Seoul SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung met with Viet Nam's top party leader in Seoul on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations. To Lam, the general secretary of the Communist Party, arrived in Seoul the previous day for a meeting with Lee, the first state visit by a foreign leader since Lee took office in early June. In a meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, To began his talks by saying he was honored to be the first state guest of the newly-launched Lee administration and expressed confidence that Lee’s leadership would bring about a new milestone for South Korea. Lee responded by hailing Viet Nam as a "very important neighbor" and expressing hope of "further elevating" bilateral cooperation, stressing the Southeast Asian country's rapid economic growth as South Korea's third-largest trading partner. "Marking the 10th anniversary of signing a free trade agreement, the two countries agreed to corporate further to reach a goal of achieving bilateral trade volume to $150 billion by 2030," Lee said at a joint press briefing after the meeting. He also explained that the two countries agreed to increase investment and cooperate in various sectors including infrastructure, nuclear energy, and construction. Lee also added that around five million people travel between Seoul and Hanoi annually, and about 100,000 couples here are in marriages involving Vietnamese spouses, highlighting mutual exchanges across various sectors between the two countries. To invited Lee and first lady Kim Hye-kyung to visit Hanoi in the near future, and Lee requested his attendance at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which is scheduled to be held in the historic southern city of Gyeongju this fall. 2025-08-11 14:37:35

Joint exercise with US to be scaled down, with field training postponed SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - South Korea will conduct its annual joint defense exercise with the U.S. later this month, with half of some key field drills postponed until September due to this summer's unprecedented heat wave. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) here said Thursday that the exercise, dubbed Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), will kick off its 10-day run on Aug. 18, involving some 18,000 South Korean troops and a similar number of U.S. personnel. The exercise consists of computer-simulated drills along with field training to strengthen the two allies' combined defense posture against North Korean threats and other security challenges. However, the first such exercise since President Lee Jae-myung took office in early June is likely to be scaled down, as roughly 20 out of 40 field drills will be postponed until September. The JCS cited sweltering heat as the reason for the postponement, but some speculate it may also be part of the Lee administration's recent conciliatory gestures toward North Korea, such as the halt of loudspeaker broadcasts along the border. The JCS' press announcement about the upcoming exercise also omitted any mention of North Korean threats, as an apparent appeasement not to provoke the North, which has long condemned the drills as "war games." 2025-08-08 16:44:57

Lee expected to meet Trump for first bilateral summit late this month SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is expected to sit down for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington later this month. According to government sources, Lee is likely to fly to Washington, D.C. on Aug. 24 for his first bilateral summit with Trump at the White House the following day. The upcoming summit will be Lee's first test in bilateral relations, marking his official debut on the international diplomatic stage, although he briefly participated in a multilateral gathering in Canada shortly after his inauguration on June 4. Earlier, the two leaders missed a chance to meet on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in June after Trump cut his trip short. Amid looming uncertainty over potential delays, momentum for the summit was suddenly built after Seoul and Washington reached a tariff-related deal late last month. At the summit, the two leaders are expected to discuss further details of the trade deal along with a wide range of issues including defense cost-sharing and security cooperation on the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's nuclear weapons program and other regional conflicts. Meanwhile, Seth Baily, acting deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said Thursday that the U.S. has "noted with interest" recent statements by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's influential sister, Yo-jong, suggesting that North Korea-related issues are likely to be included on the summit's main agenda. 2025-08-08 15:39:06

Ex-first lady Kim faces possible arrest over stock and bribery charges SEOUL, August 7 (AJP) - On Thursday, a team of independent prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for former first lady Kim Keon Hee, 36 days after launching an investigation into multiple allegations. If approved, it would mark the first time in South Korean history that a former president and first lady are jailed at the same time. Her husband, disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been in custody at a detention center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, since early last month on separate political funding charges. Kim was questioned for about seven hours on Wednesday at the special investigators' office in central Seoul. She reportedly denied all five allegations, which include stock manipulation, political interference, and accepting illegal gifts. Although she did not invoke her right to remain silent, she gave mostly brief responses. Prosecutors had initially planned to summon her again, but decided to seek her arrest due to her complete denial and concerns over evidence destruction. 2025-08-07 15:44:40

Yoon resists second arrest attempt in investigation tied to wife SEOUL, August 7 (AJP) - Independent prosecutors on Thursday failed again to bring in disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning, as he refused to cooperate. Prosecutors led by Min Jung-ki, who are investigating a series of allegations involving Yoon’s wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, visited a remand prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, in an attempt to arrest Yoon. Yoon reportedly protested by lying on the floor of his cell and refusing to respond to repeated calls from prosecutors. The operation was called off after about 75 minutes due to concerns over possible injury. Officials said limited physical measures were used, but decided to halt the attempt to avoid escalation. It marked the second failed arrest attempt in a week. During the first attempt on Aug. 1, Yoon allegedly lay almost bare-naked on the floor of his cell in protest. With the latest attempt thwarted, prosecutors are now considering their next steps, including whether to try again or move forward without questioning. Yoon is under investigation over allegations of accepting illegal election support and spreading false information during the 2022 presidential race. He allegedly received unauthorized polling services from a political broker and made disputed claims during a televised debate about his wife’s stock dealings. Prosecutors have been trying to question Yoon as part of a broader investigation into Kim, who is embroiled in several allegations, including the acceptance of a luxury handbag, involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, election-related meddling in candidate nominations, and other accusations. She appeared for questioning on Thursday and has denied wrongdoing. 2025-08-07 13:54:23

Ex-first lady questioned for 11 hours, denies allegations SEOUL, August 7 (AJP) - Former South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee was questioned for nearly 11 hours on Wednesday by a team of special independent prosecutors over a string of allegations, including stock manipulation, bribery, and election-related interference. The wife of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared at the independent prosecutors' office in Gwanghwamun in central Seoul around 10 a.m. on Wednesday and left shortly before 9 p.m. She did not respond to reporters' questions upon entering or exiting the building. The investigation focused on five main allegations, including stock manipulation, election interference, and the acceptance of unreported luxury gifts. Prosecutors also looked into claims of influence-peddling through a religious figure and possible false statements made by her husband during the 2022 presidential race. Prosecutors presented an audio file that they claim shows Kim was aware of the stock manipulation scheme. The file reportedly includes multiple calls between Kim and a securities firm employee over several years, with mentions of profit-sharing. Kim denied any knowledge of the alleged scheme. She also denied wrongdoing in an asset disclosure case involving a high-end necklace worn during a 2022 NATO summit in Spain, stating it was a replica gifted by her mother 15 years ago and temporarily borrowed for the trip. Independent prosecutors said they are considering whether to summon Kim again or request an arrest warrant, citing the wide scope of the charges and her continued denial. Additional probes into other allegations may follow. 2025-08-07 11:09:28

Lee mulls pardons for upcoming Liberation Day SEOUL, August 6 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is considering pardons next week to mark the 80th anniversary of the Aug. 15 Liberation day, the presidential office said Wednesday. His first special amnesty since taking office in early June coincides with a large-scale event in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, celebrating his inauguration. The Ministry of Justice is currently compiling a list of those eligible for the amnesty based on internal procedures and strict criteria, with first-time violators and minor offenders involved in petty livelihood-related crimes expected to be included, with an aim to give them a second chance and promote "national unity" in tough times. But there are already concerns over possible pardons handed out to politicians and corporate bigwigs convicted of corruption. Among them was former Justice Minister and ex-leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, Cho Kuk, who was sentenced in December last year to two years in prison for corruption and document forgery related to his children's university admissions. His supporters claim his case was politically motivated, calling for his pardon, while others warn it could be an ominous sign for the Lee administration. 2025-08-06 17:36:36

Elderly account for almost half of total medical expenditures SEOUL, August 6 (AJP) - With South Korea's rapidly aging population and declining birthrate, healthcare spending keeps rising as elderly people make up a larger proportion of those who seek medical treatments. According to data submitted on Wednesday to lawmaker Kim Mi-ae of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the proportion of elderly patients aged over 65 rose to 44.8 percent last year, up from 43.1 percent in 2020. Their medical spending amounted to 52.12 trillion won (US$39.8 billion), up nearly 40 percent from 37.47 trillion won (US$28.6 billion) during the same period, accounting for nearly half of the country's total health insurance expenditures. In the first half of this year alone, their spending already reached 27.98 trillion won (US$21.4 billion), making it likely that the total for the year will exceed last year's figure. 2025-08-06 15:16:49

Ex-first lady faces questioning over multiple allegations SEOUL, August 6 (AJP) - Former first lady Kim Keon-hee appeared for questioning over a slew of allegations on Wednesday. The wife of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived at the independent prosecutors' office in Gwanghwamun in central Seoul around 10:10 a.m., several minutes later than scheduled, becoming the first ex-first lady in the country's modern history to be publicly summoned on criminal charges. Amid a barrage of questions from reporters, describing herself as a "layman just like me," she sad, "I am deeply sorry for causing concern to the public." She then added, "I will fully cooperate with the investigation." Kim has been accused of accepting bribes including a luxury handbag and jewelry, being involved in a stock manipulation scheme, and interfering in candidate nominations during the 2022 by-elections. Some of her charges had previously been dismissed, but fresh evidence uncovered by independent prosecutors has led to the reopening of related probes. Meanwhile, prosecutors are expected to soon make another attempt to forcibly bring Yoon in for questioning, as he has been stalling by citing health issues while being held at a remand prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. 2025-08-06 11:11:38