Election watchdog denounces Yoon's election fraud claims

SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - The National Election Commission (NEC) on Thursday sharply criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol's allegations of election fraud, calling his actions “unconstitutional and unlawful.” Yoon had earlier claimed that he ordered the former defense chief, Kim Yong-hyun, to inspect the NEC’s voting system during the Dec. 3 martial law declaration. The president raised concerns over potential cyberattacks from North Korea, casting doubt on the

December 12, 2024

China protests President Yoon's mentioning of espionage cases involving Chinese

SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - The Chinese government has expressed strong dissatisfaction with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's latest address to the nation, in which he mentioned cases involving Chinese individuals suspected of espionage. Yoon cited these cases to blame opposition parties for lack of cooperation in revising laws to punish espionage activities involving foreigners. China argued that these remarks are harmful to bilateral relations. “China has ta

December 12, 2024

Yoon's close aide elected ruling party's new floor leader amid martial law aftermath

SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - Five-term lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong was elected the ruling People Power Party (PPP)'s new floor leader on Thursday. Kweon secured a majority with 72 out of 106 votes, defeating four-term lawmaker Kim Tae-ho who garnered 34 votes. He vowed, "I will swiftly streamline the party, prepare for the possibly upcoming presidential election, and then step down." A close aide of President Yoon Suk Yeol, Kweon replaces Choo Kyung-ho, who resigned

December 12, 2024

Suspicions deepen over aborted martial law

SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - President Yoon Suk Yeol allegedly conspired with several top military brass and other key officials, days or weeks before his abrupt declaration of martial law last week, with a trail of evidence suggesting a thickening plot behind it. Prosecutors on Thursday summoned Yeo In-hyeong, the chief of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, for questioning. Yeo, who allegedly assisted in Yoon's botched plan, was interrogated earlier this week and called in

December 12, 2024

Cho Kuk sentenced two years in prison

SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - Cho Kuk, the leader of the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party, was sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court on Thursday. Cho was convicted on charges of forging his children's credentials for university admissions, obstructing prosecutors' investigation while serving as a presidential aide during the Moon Jae-in administration, and other offenses. With the ruling, the former Justice Minister lost his parliamentary seat and is e

December 12, 2024

Yoon defends aborted martial law decree, vows to fight to the end

SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his aborted declaration of martial law last week as a legitimate exercise of his authority in governing state affairs and vowed to fight to the end, in a pre-recorded nationwide address at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul on Thursday. Yoon, who had holed up in his official residence in Hannam-dong after making a brief apology last Saturday, appeared to deliver the address to justify last Tuesday's debacle and r

December 12, 2024

Joint team formed to probe martial law debacle

SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - A team of investigators from three different agencies is set to launch a joint probe into President Yoon Suk Yeol's abrupt declaration of martial law last week. Consisting of investigators from the Ministry of Defense, the National Police Agency, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), an independent agency established to root out corruption in government, the team formed on Wednesday aims to minimize inefficiency and

December 11, 2024

Police attempt raid on presidential office, face standoff

SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - Police on Wednesday tried to raid the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, about a week after President Yoon Suk Yeol abruptly declared martial law last week. Some 18 investigators arrived at the presidential compound at around 11:50 a.m. with a search warrant to seize documents and other records which could provide a clue about Yoon's short-lived martial law debacle last Tuesday. But they were prevented from entering by security staff, who, citin

December 11, 2024

Han Kang receives Nobel Prize in Literature in Sweden

SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - Novelist Han Kang received the Nobel Prize in Literature in Stockholm, Sweden on Tuesday, becoming the first South Korean and the first Asian woman to be awarded the honor. She was presented with the prize, along with a Nobel medal, by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden during a ceremony at Stockholm's prestigious concert hall Konserthuset. Han is the 121st Nobel Literature laureate and only the 18th woman to win since the prize's inception

December 11, 2024

Former defense chief attempts suicide amid probe into martial law declaration

SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - Former South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun attempted suicide at a Seoul detention center just before his arrest in connection with last week's martial law declaration, the nation's corrections chief said Wednesday. Kim was formally arrested early Wednesday over allegations of conspiring with President Yoon Suk Yeol in imposing the emergency decree last Tuesday. He had been in custody at the Seoul Eastern Detention Center since Sunday. Ki

December 11, 2024