Page 7 - South Korea

South Korea to elect a new president; here's a look at all the candidates

Months of a political drama in South Korea is drawing to a close, with the country poised to elect a new president this week to succeed Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative leader who was toppled over his ill-fated imposition of martial law. Surveys show liberal Lee Jae-myung maintaining a solid lead over his main conservative rival, Kim Moon Soo, who wants an upset victory. Whoever wins, the new president will forgo the usual two-month transition and serve one full, five-year term at a time when South Korea faces crucial challenges including a severe left-right political divide, the Trump administration's tariff policy and North Korea's expanding military partnership with Russia. Here is a look at the two main candidates standing for the June 3 election: LEE JAE-MYUNG Lee, 60, the Democratic Party candidate, was the driving force behind an opposition-led campaign to oust Yoon, whose December 3 marital law decree plunged South Korea into turmoil. Lee said he initially thought Yoon's ...

Chennai to become Hyundai's largest export hub outside South Korea

Marking 25 years of exports from India, Hyundai targets 7-8% export growth in FY26 as demand from emerging markets rises and Chennai Port expands facilities

China to resume seafood imports halted over Fukushima discharge, says Japan

China will resume Japanese seafood imports that it banned in 2023 over worries about Japan's discharge of wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, a Japanese official said Friday. The issue has been a significant political and diplomatic point of tension for the wary Asian powers. Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the two sides reached an agreement after Japanese and Chinese officials met in Beijing and the imports will resume once the necessary paperwork is done. China did not immediately comment. China blocked imports of Japanese seafood because it said the release would endanger the fishing industry and coastal communities in eastern China. Japanese officials have said the wastewater must be released to make room for the nuclear plant's decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks. They say the treatment and dilution will make the wastewater safer than international standards and its environmental impact will be ...

Indian all-party teams brief world on India's firm new anti-terror stance

All-party parliamentary delegations Monday briefed leaders of South Korea, Kuwait, Qatar, DR Congo and Slovenia on India's renewed doctrine of responding firmly to any act of terrorism and sought their support in bringing to justice the perpetrators, financiers and supporters of terrorism. A nine-member delegation, led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, met South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, 1st Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun and Sung Il-jong, Chairperson of the National Defence Committee of the National Assembly, in Seoul and conveyed India's national resolve on zero-tolerance policy in combatting terrorism. The delegation "sought RoK's support in holding organisers, perpetrators, financiers and supporters of terrorism to account and bringing them to justice," the Embassy of India in Seoul said in a post on X. In Kuwait City, the delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda, called on Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sherida A S Al-Maousharji

Why South Koreans can't order by Presidential candidates' name at Starbucks

Starbucks' decision comes after the order callouts forced baristas into awkward, sometimes inflammatory, moments turning coffee pickups into political statements

Indian delegation led by Sanjay Kumar Jha in Seoul for anti-terror talks

An all-party parliamentary delegation led by Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha arrived in Seoul on Saturday as part of the government's outreach with the international community on the fight against terror and on the significance of Operation Sindoor. The scheduled visit from May 24-26 will strengthen ongoing efforts to further India's principled and resolute stance of zero tolerance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the Indian Embassy here said in a press release. During the course of the visit, the delegation will engage with senior officials of the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dignitaries from the National Assembly and senior representatives from prominent think tanks and media. The delegation is one of the seven multi-party delegations India has tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community on Pakistan's designs and India's response to terror. Besides Jha, the delegation comprises of MPs Aparajita Sarangi,

South Korea's Kim Moon-soo open to discussing US troop cost amid tariff row

Some 28,500 American troops are stationed in South Korea as part of efforts to deter nuclear-armed North Korea

Families of S Korea plane crash victims file complaint against 15 officials

Families of victims of December's devastating plane crash in South Korea have filed a complaint against 15 people including the transport minister and the airline chief who they believe are responsible for the disaster that killed all but two of the 181 people on board. Police and government officials have already been investigating the Jeju Air crash, so the complaint is largely seen as a symbolic step calling for a swifter and more thorough probe. Many bereaved families complain of what they see as a lack of meaningful progress in efforts to determine what caused the disaster and who is responsible. On Tuesday, 72 bereaved relatives submitted the complaint to the Jeonnam Provincial Police agency in southern South Korea, according to their lawyers and police. The 15 people cited in the complaint include the transport minister, Jeju Air's president and airline officials handling maintenance and safety issues, along with officials at Muan International Airport who are responsible for

South Korea's presidential campaigns kick off with focus on ailing economy

Asia's fourth-largest economy will hold a snap presidential election on June 3 to choose Yoon Suk Yeol's successor after the conservative leader was ousted over his shock martial law order

South Korea's conservative party seeks new candidate amid election turmoil

South Korea's embattled conservative party has taken the unprecedented step of nullifying its primary and replacing presidential candidate Kim Moon Soo with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo just one week after Kim's selection, deepening internal turmoil ahead of the June 3 presidential by-election. Saturday's move by the People Power Party's leadership, which Kim denounced as an overnight political coup, underscores the desperation and disarray within the party following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his ill-fated attempt to impose martial law in December. Kim, a staunch conservative and former labour minister under Yoon, was named the PPP's presidential candidate on May 3 after winning 56.3% of the primary vote, defeating a reformist rival who had criticised Yoon's martial law. But the PPP's leadership, dominated by Yoon loyalists, has spent the past week pressuring Kim to step aside and back Han, whom they believe stands a stronger chance against liberal ...

North Korea fires multiple missiles towards eastern waters: South Korea

North Korea on Thursday fired several ballistic missiles towards its eastern waters, South Korea's military said, adding to a run of weapons tests that have raised animosity in the region. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the weapons fired from an area around the eastern port city of Wonsan were presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles. The South's military didn't immediately say how far they flew. The Joint Chiefs said the military has strengthened surveillance while sharing the launch information with the United States and Japan. It was the North's first known ballistic activity since March 10, when it fired several ballistic missiles hours after US and South Korean troops began an annual combined military exercise, and the country's sixth launch event of the year. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated in recent months as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to accelerate the development of his nuclear and missile programme and supply weapons and troops

South Korea's conservative party names Kim Moon Soo as presidential pick

Former Labour Minister Kim Moon Soo won the presidential nomination of South Korea's main conservative party, facing an uphill battle against liberal front-runner Lee Jae-myung for the June 3 election. Observers say Kim will likely try to align with other conservative forces, such as former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, to prevent a split in conservative votes in a bid to boost prospects for a conservative win against Lee. In a party primary that ended Saturday, Kim won 56.5 per cent of the votes cast, beating his sole competitor, Han Dong-hun, the party said in a televised announcement. Other contenders have been eliminated in earlier rounds. I'll form a strong alliance with anyone to prevent a rule by Lee Jae-myung and his Democratic Party forces. I'll push for that in a procedure and method that our people and members accept, and I'll ultimately win, Kim said in his victory speech. Kim, 73, served as a governor of South Korea's most populous Gyeonggi province and a member of the

South Korea's acting leader Han resigns, likely to run for president

South Korea's acting leader Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Thursday he is resigning to take on heavier responsibility as expectation mounted he will run in next month's presidential election. Han has emerged as a potential conservative standard bearer as the main conservative People Power Party remains in disarray over the recent ouster of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Observers expect Han to officially launch his presidential campaign on Friday. I have two paths ahead of me. One is completing the heavy responsibility that I handle now. The other is putting down that responsibility and taking a heavier responsibility, Han said in a nationally televised announcement. I've finally determined to put down my post to do what I can and what I have to help overcome the crises facing us. Han, who Yoon had appointed prime minister, the country's No. 2 post, is expected to align with the People Power Party to launch a unified conservative campaign against liberal front-runner Lee Jae-myung, ...

South Korea's acting President Han Duck-soo resigns to run in June 3 polls

Duck-soo's supporters say his long experience in government, especially with the economy, makes him the right person to handle tough issues like US President Donald Trump's tariff policies

4,700 North Korean soldiers killed or wounded fighting for Russia: S Korea

An estimated 4,700 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded while fighting alongside Russia against Ukrainian forces, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers Wednesday. The assessment came two days after North Korea confirmed for the first time that it had sent combat troops to help Russia recapture parts of the Kursk region, which it lost control of to a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year. In a closed-door parliamentary committee briefing, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said North Korea had suffered 4,700 casualties, including 600 deaths, on the Russia-Ukraine battlefronts, according to Lee Seong Kweun, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. Lee told reporters the NIS said that 2,000 injured North Korean soldiers were repatriated to North Korea by air or train between January and March. He cited the NIS as saying the dead North Korean soldiers were cremated in Russia before their remains were sent back home. In January, the NIS said about 300 Nort

BTS member J-Hope teases reunion in 2025, says 'it's going to be massive'

On The Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music 1, BTS member J-Hope shared an exciting update about the group's reunion, hinting that the K-pop supergroup will regroup soon

Are Chinese firms using 'Made in Korea' labels to bypass Trump tariffs?

Customs officials in South Korea have found that 97 percent of falsely labelled Chinese goods were destined for the United States

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in indicted in bribery case

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in joins many of his predecessors, including recently removed President Yoon Suk Yeol, who have faced prosecution

Why rice-loving Japan is forced to import it from South Korea after 25 yrs

In Japan, rice is more than just a grain; it is central to daily meals, festivals, spiritual offerings, and even language

Oilmeals export dip 21% to Rs 12,171 cr in FY25; volume falls 11%

India's oilmeals export fell 21 per cent to Rs 12,171 crore last fiscal mainly due to decline in sales volumes by 11 per cent, according to data compiled by Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA). In a statement on Friday, edible oil industry body SEA said the total export of oilmeals in 2024-25 fiscal fell 11 per cent to 43,42,498 tonnes compared to 48,85,437 tonnes in the preceding year. This was mainly due to reduction in export of rapeseed meal & castorseed meal, it added. In terms of value, the exports decreased 21 per cent to Rs 12,171 crore in 2024-25 from Rs 15,368 crore in the preceding year, said B V Mehta, Executive Director of SEA. Bangladesh in spite of political turbulences become a largest importer of Indian oilmeals. India exported 7.42 lakh tonnes to Bangladesh in 2024-25, down 17 per cent from 892,659 tonnes in the preceding year. South Korea become the second largest importer of Indian oilmeals. India exported 6.99 lakh tonnes of oilmeals last fiscal, ..