Lee calls for police reform to root out cover-ups, irregularities in investigations

The Korea Times - Oct 1, 2026

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday renewed his call for thorough police reform to root out any cover-ups and other irregularities in investigations, as police are set to assume greater investigative authority under the recent revision to the Criminal Procedure Act. The president made the call during a meeting with his key aides at Cheong Wa Dae, a day before the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) is set to launch, along with the Public Prosecution Service, as part of the prosecution reform aimed at stripping the prosecution of investigative rights. Renamed as the Public Prosecution Service, prosecutors will only be tasked with indicting and maintaining indictments against suspects, while the SCIA will conduct investigations into corruption, defense industry crimes, insurrection and other serious crimes. Lee said the launch of the two agencies will end the era during which prosecutors wielded the authority to conduct both investigation and indictments, and acted as political prosecutors, targeting political foes and subjecting them to persecution. "A new criminal justice system w

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2 US lawmakers welcome Trump's efforts to restart dialogue with N. Korea's Kim

2 US lawmakers welcome Trump's efforts to restart dialogue with N. Korea's Kim

WASHINGTON—Two U.S. Democratic lawmakers have welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's recent efforts to restart talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying dialogue and diplomacy are the "most effective" tools for protecting U.S. national security interests. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) issued a joint statement on Tuesday, underlining their belief that diplomacy with Pyongyang would help address nuclear proliferation concerns and achieve "durable" peace on the Korean Peninsula. Trump has recently expressed his intention to meet Kim later this year, with the White House reiterating that Trump remains open to talks with the North Korean leader "without any preconditions." "We sincerely hope that President Trump will direct the State Department to take steps to lay a foundation for successful, meaningful discussions with North Korea," they said. Those steps could include revisiting the ban on U.S. citizen travel to North Korea; pursuing a formal treaty, legally ending the 1950-53 Korean War; and starting negotiations with North Korea to establish liaison offices

Lee vows to seek measures to reduce military tensions with N. Korea

Lee vows to seek measures to reduce military tensions with N. Korea

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday pledged to persistently seek practical ways to reduce military tensions with North Korea, even as the two Koreas are at odds over the recent blast of North Korean mines along the border. The president made the remarks on North Korea at a ceremony marking the 78th Armed Forces Day at the military headquarters in Gyeryongdae, South Chungcheong Province, following last week's explosions of two North Korean mines in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that left three South Korean soldiers wounded. "My administration will consistently pursue practical measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas," Lee said. "The knots in inter-Korean relations are extremely complex, but we will steadily, patiently strive to untie them, one by one," the president said. He said peace and prosperity must be forged with "our own hands," and that "the surest form of security is one that renders conflict unnecessary, in other words, one that creates peace." "For the sake of peace on the Korean Peninsula, the two Koreas must find a way to win together and build trust," the

Armed Forces Day anniv. celebrated with display of advanced weapons

Armed Forces Day anniv. celebrated with display of advanced weapons

Korea on Thursday celebrated the 78th anniversary of the founding of its armed forces, unveiling a range of advanced military equipment, including its laser-based anti-drone system, to the public for the first time. The Armed Forces Day event kicked off on the runway of the military headquarters in Gyeryong, some 145 kilometers south of Seoul, involving some 3,600 personnel and around 70 pieces of military equipment, according to the defense ministry. This year, the military will showcase two laser-based anti-drone air defense systems, dubbed Cheongwang, in a demonstration of their ability to intercept drones. The anti-drone systems, which are capable of precisely striking small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), will be unveiled to the public for the first time. Other assets being displayed for the first time include drone swarms powered by artificial intelligence (AI), multipurpose unmanned ground vehicles and counter-drone interceptor UAVs. During the event, the government plans to award the Chungmu Order of Military Merit to late Lt. Col. Kim Oh-rang and late Ssg. Jung Seon-yeop for the

Gender equality minister says presidential office asked her to 'steady' ministry

Gender equality minister says presidential office asked her to 'steady' ministry

Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong said Thursday the presidential office has asked her to "steady" her ministry, apparently signaling her retention after the nominee to replace her withdrew amid political controversy. Won made the remarks after Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor Basic Income Party withdrew her candidacy last month amid controversy over the former nominee's plans to keep her parliamentary seat if she was appointed as minister. When asked by reporters whether she would keep her post, Won responded that Cheong Wa Dae had requested that she "steady the organization" following Yong's withdrawal. "(I) will make efforts with the staff to steadfastly push for the policy tasks reported to the president and the public in July," she said in a briefing marking the first anniversary of the ministry's reorganization. The ministry was newly launched under a revised government reorganization law in October last year after facing possible disbandment under the previous administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The ministry has pushed for new projects under Won, including launching

Poll finds prosecutors trusted more than police

Poll finds prosecutors trusted more than police

Nearly half of Koreans say they trust the prosecution more than the police, highlighting the challenge facing the police ahead of the official abolition of the Prosecutors’ Office on Friday. In a poll conducted in September by Media Tomato of 1,035 adults nationwide, 47.5 percent of respondents said they trusted prosecutors more, compared with 28.4 percent who chose police officers. Another 24.1 percent said they were unsure. The prosecution led the police in public trust across every age group except those in their 60s, where the gap was still within the survey’s margin of error. Among respondents in their 20s, 54.1 percent chose the prosecution and 17.2 percent picked the police. The comparable figures were 60.5 percent and 18.3 percent for people in their 30s. The prosecution also held an edge among those in their 40s and 50s — age groups viewed as a key support base for the liberal governing bloc. Among those in their 40s, 43.7 percent chose the prosecution, compared with 33.3 percent for the police. Among those in their 50s, the figures were 42.9 percent and 34.4 percent, res

Seoul City urges gov't to slash red tape stifling culture and tourism

Seoul City urges gov't to slash red tape stifling culture and tourism

Seoul city officials have formally petitioned the central government to dismantle three bureaucratic hurdles that they argue are stalling the capital’s push to become a top-tier global cultural and tourism hub. The proposal, submitted Thursday by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to the Office for Government Coordination, targets outdated administrative requirements spanning international concert permits, online hotel verification and virtual reality content classification. Municipal leaders argue these rules impose unnecessary delays on local creative industries and undermine tourist trust. At the center of the push is a long-standing mandate requiring pre-approval from the Korea Media Rating Board for any live show featuring non-Korean performers. Under current law, even a single foreign guest artist on stage subjects the entire event to review, punishable by up to three years in prison or fines reaching 30 million won ($22,077). While intended to police foreign performers, the rule routinely entangles classical, traditional Korean music and K-pop concerts. Officials pointed out tha

President keeps NK dialogue push amid DMZ mine dispute

President keeps NK dialogue push amid DMZ mine dispute

President Lee Jae Myung pledged Thursday to continue taking practical steps to reduce military tensions with North Korea and urged Pyongyang to join efforts to restore dialogue. The message, delivered in his Armed Forces Day address, signaled that Lee intends to keep his engagement policy intact despite renewed friction over the latest land mine incident in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). “The knots in inter-Korean relations are extremely complex, but we will steadily, patiently strive to untie them, one by one,” Lee said during a ceremony marking the 78th Armed Forces Day at Gyeryongdae, the military headquarters in South Chungcheong Province. “I hope that the North joins us now on the path of restoring trust and resuming dialogue, following a long interruption,” he added. The president went onto say that Seoul would “consistently pursue practical measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas,” stressing that the surest form of security is creating peace that makes fighting unnecessary. Lee’s remarks came a day after the South Korean military formally blamed Nor

Seoul prepares for driverless future with 500 autonomous buses by 2030

Seoul prepares for driverless future with 500 autonomous buses by 2030

In a move that could permanently reshape urban transit in one of Asia’s most densely populated metropolises, Seoul city officials announced an ambitious strategy, Thursday, to integrate 500 fully autonomous buses into regular city transit routes by 2030. The initiative took a major step forward when the Seoul Metropolitan Government signed a landmark agreement with Hyundai Motor Company and the Seoul Bus Transportation Business Association at City Hall. The tripartite partnership aims to bridge the gap between niche technological trials and full-scale public utility, laying the groundwork for driverless Level 4 automation across the city's bus network. Under the agreement, Hyundai will engineer and manufacture specialized 11-meter buses designed specifically for autonomous integration. Unlike standard vehicles retrofitted with aftermarket sensors, these factory-built models will feature electronic steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire systems, redundant safety controls and cyberattack defenses, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. "Seoul is taking the lead in connecting cutting-e

President appoints economic growth secretary as new policy chief

President appoints economic growth secretary as new policy chief

President Lee Jae Myung named senior presidential secretary for economic growth Ha Joon-kyung as his new policy chief, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday, filling a post that had remained vacant for a month. Ha, an economist who has served in the presidential office since Lee began his term in June 2025, will oversee a broader range of economic and social policies in his new role. He replaces Kim Yong-beom, who stepped down on Sept. 1 amid criticism over the introduction of high-risk single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds and other controversial economic policies. “Ha is a leading scholar who has incorporated fair growth and efforts to reduce polarization into his growth strategy,” senior presidential secretary for public relations and communications Seong Ghi-hong said during a press briefing. “We expect him to bring about tangible changes in areas directly linked to people’s lives, including welfare, jobs, education and housing.” The presidential press secretary said Lee named Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Moon Shin-hak to take over Ha’s former post. Moon has

1 in 5 Koreans aged 65 and older in 2026: data

1 in 5 Koreans aged 65 and older in 2026: data

People aged 65 and older took up over 20 percent of Korea's population this year amid rapid aging and the ultralow birthrate, data showed Thursday. The number of elderly people stood at 11.12 million in 2026, accounting for 21.6 percent of the country's 51.6 million population, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The proportion makes Korea a "super-aged society," and is to rise further to 30 percent in 2036 and over 40 percent in 2050, according to the ministry. The number of households headed by older adults came to 6.5 million, accounting for 28.8 percent of all households in the country. Of the 6.5 million households, 38 percent were single-person households, which has been increasing since 2015. Households led by seniors are forecast to rise further to account for 50.6 percent of the total households in the country in 2052. The remaining life expectancy for those aged 65 was estimated at 21.7 years on average as of 2024, with the figure for men coming to 19.5 years and 23.7 years for women. The net assets of households headed by seniors came to 493 million wo

Court dismisses request to remove statue of ex-President Park Chung-hee in Daegu

Court dismisses request to remove statue of ex-President Park Chung-hee in Daegu

A regional court on Thursday dismissed a request to remove a statue of late former President Park Chung-hee installed outside a train station in the southeastern city of Daegu. The Daegu District Court dismissed the case filed by the Korea National Railway, a state-owned rail infrastructure management company, against the Daegu metropolitan government, some 21 months after the statue was erected on the plaza outside Dongdaegu Station. The railway corporation had argued that the municipal government installed the statue on state-owned property without proper prior consultation. The city government countered that it holds lawful administrative authority over the plaza and that targeting Park's statue while permitting other structures on the site was unfair. The statue was erected under former conservative Mayor Hong Joon-pyo as a tribute to the former conservative leader, who ruled the country for 18 years following a 1961 military coup until his assassination in 1979. Its presence has divided activists and the local community as conservatives praise Park for driving the nation's rapid indu

WINNER's Song Min-ho gets suspended prison term for negligence in mandatory service

WINNER's Song Min-ho gets suspended prison term for negligence in mandatory service

A Seoul court sentenced Song Min-ho, a member of K-pop boy band WINNER, to a suspended prison term Thursday on charges of repeatedly failing to show up to work during his alternative mandatory service. The Seoul Western District Court handed down a one-year prison term, suspended for two years, for Song after finding him guilty of violating the Military Service Act. Song faced charges of failing to appear at his duty station for 102 days, inconsecutively, when he served as a social service agent at a facility in western Seoul from March 2023 to December 2024. "Military service is a duty to ensure the security and existence of the state, and must be faithfully fulfilled. Social service agents are no exception," the court said. Prosecutors had sought an 18-month prison term for Song. Before the ruling, Song said he felt regret for his actions and was apologetic to those who have cared for him. He did not respond to questions about whether he planned to serve his mandatory duty again. All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve at least 18 months in the military. Others are either e

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