Korea inspects coastal farms to protect migrant fishing workers

The Korea Times - Nov 9, 2026

Korea has launched a comprehensive three-week inspection campaign targeting coastal fishing households that employ foreign seasonal workers, seeking to root out labor abuses and improve living standards in the country’s aging maritime sector. The joint crackdown, led by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, began Monday and will cover roughly 160 fishing households across the nation through Nov. 27. The initiative arrives amid growing scrutiny over the treatment of foreign laborers brought in to relieve severe workforce shortages in rural coastal communities. Officials said joint inspection teams — comprising government personnel, local authorities and civil rights groups — will directly visit five municipal regions with large seasonal worker allocations or lingering allegations of human rights violations. Local governments will independently audit an additional 22 municipalities. Inspectors are focusing on compliance with standard labor contracts, the provision of adequate heating and housing ahead of the winter season, mandatory insurance coverage, an

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PPP leaders gather outside Cheong Wa Dae to protest special counsel bill

PPP leaders gather outside Cheong Wa Dae to protest special counsel bill

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Justice minister nominee cautious on withdrawal of indictments against Lee

Justice minister nominee cautious on withdrawal of indictments against Lee

Justice Minister nominee Lee Yong-cheol on Monday expressed reservations about nullifying indictments against President Lee Jae Myung following last week's passage of a special counsel bill to investigate allegations of fabricated indictments, including those that currently involve the president. The nominee, who currently serves as head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), said the special counsel should focus exclusively on uncovering the truth. He was tapped Friday to become the justice minister, a post that has remained vacant for more than two months since Lee's first justice minister, Jung Sung-ho, resigned in late August. The National Assembly passed the special counsel bill on the same day amid protests from the main opposition People Power Party, which suspects the legislation is aimed at canceling all indictments against the president. "I believe it is appropriate for the special counsel to focus solely on uncovering the truth from now on, while all other matters should be handled in accordance with the law and established principles," the justice minister

Second vice minister of foreign affairs discusses role of diplomacy at HUFS lecture

Second vice minister of foreign affairs discusses role of diplomacy at HUFS lecture

Kim Jin-a, second vice minister of foreign affairs, delivered a lecture on the changing international order and the challenges facing Korean diplomacy at the Seoul campus of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) on Nov. 4. The university said the lecture was part of the 2026 HUFS Special Lecture program, which provides students, alumni and young people in the local community with opportunities to gain insights into the humanities and develop skills for their future careers. The program combines the university’s traditional strengths in diplomacy, international trade and the humanities with emerging issues such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. In her lecture, titled “Changes in the International Order and Korea’s Diplomatic Choices,” Kim discussed the role and importance of diplomacy in the evolving international environment. She also introduced various programs and initiatives pursued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and shared information to help students broaden their interest in international affairs and explore career opportunities in diplomacy. Kim earned

Germany's Henkel to open chip packaging materials R&D center in Seoul

Germany's Henkel to open chip packaging materials R&D center in Seoul

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Questions arise over constitutionality, conflict of interest in special counsel probe design

Questions arise over constitutionality, conflict of interest in special counsel probe design

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Korea's economy is booming. Why isn't President Lee's popularity?

Korea's economy is booming. Why isn't President Lee's popularity?

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Seoul adds downtown crosswalks to free pedestrians from underground tunnels

Seoul adds downtown crosswalks to free pedestrians from underground tunnels

Navigating central Seoul on foot is getting easier as the city rolls out street-level crosswalks at major intersections, phasing out the labyrinth of underground passages and lengthy detours long forced upon pedestrians. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that it has completed new crosswalk installations at Cheonggye 6-ga and Mugyo-dong intersection, while another is being built near Seoul Station, with opening targeted for the end of November. At Cheonggye 6-ga, the installation ends a nearly 20-year wait for a street-level crossing. Requests for the crosswalk date to 2006 but faced delays over concerns about the impact on underground shopping areas and nearby cultural heritage sites. The city reached an agreement in December 2023 following mediation by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, involving the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Seoul Facilities Corp. and three merchants' associations. Construction was completed in October, allowing pedestrians to cross the eight- to 10-lane Jangchungdan-ro without relying exclusively on under

Police chief nominee defends attendance at Cabinet meetings

Police chief nominee defends attendance at Cabinet meetings

Kim Jong-chul, nominee for commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), said Monday that the police chief's attendance at Cabinet meetings is necessary and would not compromise the independence of police investigations and their political neutrality. The KNPA chief, who is not a member of the State Council, had not traditionally attended Cabinet meetings, but Kim has attended the meetings in his capacity as acting KNPA chief under President Lee Jae Myung's administration. Kim Ji-yong, the inaugural chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, and acting Prosecutor General Lee Jeong-hyun have also attended Cabinet meetings, presided over by Lee, despite opposition criticism that their presence could undermine the political neutrality and independence of their respective agencies. "While I have attended Cabinet meetings on several occasions, not once has any specific case been discussed," the police chief nominee said in written responses to reporters' questions. He said attending Cabinet meetings is necessary to share the direction of state affairs and to facilita

Busan to host world port cities summit next year following Dunkirk

Busan to host world port cities summit next year following Dunkirk

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Seoul Station Plaza designated as no-drinking zone

Seoul Station Plaza designated as no-drinking zone

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PPP boycotts judiciary committee proceedings over special counsel bill

PPP boycotts judiciary committee proceedings over special counsel bill

People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers on the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Monday announced a boycott of all committee proceedings, including budget reviews, in protest of the recent passage of a bill calling for a special counsel investigation into allegations of fabricated indictments against President Lee Jae Myung and others. Park Hyeung-soo, the committee's vice chair, and other PPP lawmakers made the announcement at a news conference, saying that, as conscientious members of the National Assembly, they could not sit down and conduct budget reviews alongside Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers who had undermined the rule of law by pushing through the special counsel bill. "The DPK pushed through the special counsel bill aimed at dropping charges against the president in just three days after forcibly ending the opposition party's filibuster through a vote. It would violate the constitutional principle of equality before the law if a special counsel were to manufacture grounds for nullifying indictments against the president, enabling him to evade lega

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