Satellite photos have detected signs of North Korea and Russia ramping up the construction of a joint motorway bridge linking the two countries across the Tumen River, Radio Free Asia said Wednesday. The satellite photos taken by SI Analytics, a South Korean satellite imagery analysis platform, showed yellow construction materials and "probable bridge column location(s)" being installed across the frozen river. The pillars extended 300 meters from the Russian side of the border, RFA noted. Const

North Korea’s state media on Wednesday mentioned the South Korean fighter jets’ accidental bombing of a civilian village last week in lambasting the ongoing annual South Korea-US springtime military exercise. "The enemies should not give a sigh of relief, but they should take seriously an ominous sign of the dangerous US-S. Korea joint military drills and immediately stop a nuclear war simulation, the root cause for the worsening security situation on the Korean Peninsula," the North's Korean Ce

Two KF-16 fighter jet pilots blamed for accidentally dropping bombs on a village in Pocheon last week could face criminal charges, experts said Tuesday. South Korea’s Air Force on Monday reaffirmed pilot error as the cause of the accident that left 31 people injured, including 19 civilians, in the village of Nogok-ri, Idong-myeon, Pocheon, near the inter-Korean border, last week. The Air Force stressed that the pilots failed to follow the mandatory procedure of checking the coordinates of their

Pilot failed to check coordinates 3 times in fighter jet bombing accident: Air Force South Korea's Air Force on Monday apologized for the accidental bombing of a civilian district last week, explaining that their pilots failed to follow the mandatory procedure of checking the coordinates at least three times. "We would like to again apologize for the concerns we have caused for South Korean citizens regarding the accidental bombing by our fighter jets on March 6," the Air Force said in a stateme

Prosecutors decided to release suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol from custody on Saturday afternoon despite the organization being heavily divided over the matter, according to a report in Yonhap News, Saturday. The move to comply with the Seoul Central District Court’s decision that ruled in favor of Yoon’s request to cancel his detention, rather than appeal it, is mainly to avoid the risk of being accused as “unconstitutional,” some observers say. “The Constitutional Court in 1993 and 2012 rul

Pilot erred by entering coordinates of wrong strike target, Air Force official says Two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a village near the inter-Korean border during a live-fire drill Thursday morning, injuring at least 15 people and damaging several buildings. Two people were seriously injured, while 13 sustained minor injuries, according to fire authorities at around 2 p.m. Of the 13, 10 people were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. One person, 60, w

Several court battles involving Lee Jae-myung likely to be paused if elected, experts say Liberal main opposition leader and Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Lee Jae-myung’s legal troubles have entered the spotlight again. If a presidential election is held under a scenario where the Constitutional Court decides to remove impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, Lee is likely to become the main hypothetical liberal candidate, according to opinion polls. However, Lee’s legal challenges, tied

The prime minister and the leader of the ruling conservative party on Sunday jointly announced their plans to fill in for President Yoon Suk Yeol, claiming he will no longer be involved in handling state affairs, in a move denounced by the main opposition as unconstitutional. In a public address given by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon, the two said they would cooperate in operational matters related to "national governance." They did a

President Yoon Suk Yeol will step back from state affairs, including diplomacy, as the ruling party and the Cabinet pursue his "early resignation," ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon said Sunday. "President Yoon will not be involved in handling state affairs, including diplomacy, even before his resignation," Han said in a public statement jointly released with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The statement was released in connection with the second meeting between the

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon will release a joint public statement after holding a second meeting in response to President Yoon Suk Yeol's decree of martial law late Tuesday, the prime minister's office said Sunday. Though the agenda of the meeting has yet to be announced, observers say that various scenarios that could lessen Yoon's grip on his constitutional power will be discussed. The prime minister will convene an extraordinary

Ruling People Power Party Rep. Choo Kyung-ho announced Saturday to step down from his position as the party's floor leader. The announcement came, during a general meeting of ruling party lawmakers, after the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol was scrapped following its failure to pass the Assembly. The impeachment motion required the backing of at least two-thirds of the 300-member Assembly to pass. Choo was among 105 People Power Party lawmakers who boycotted the vote by e

The motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol for his declaration of martial law earlier this week was scrapped Saturday, after his ruling party defended the embattled leader by refusing to vote. Even if Yoon has officially avoided impeachment, political turmoil is projected to continue, with the main opposition pledging to repeatedly submit impeachment motions until Yoon is suspended. The motion was defeated in Saturday's plenary session, after failing to secure the required two-thirds maj

Ruling People Power Party Rep. Choo Kyung-ho announced Saturday to step down from his position as the party's floor leader. The announcement came, during a general meeting of ruling party lawmakers, after the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol was scrapped following its failure to pass the Assembly. The impeachment motion requires at least two-thirds of the 300-member Assembly to vote in favor to pass. Choo was among 105 People Power Party lawmakers who boycotted the vote b

Acting Constitutional Court President Moon Hyung-bae said the current "six-member system" is sufficient to begin an impeachment trial on President Yoon Suk Yeol over his controversial martial law decree, but would need "further discussions" to hand down a final verdict. "I do not believe that three more judges (need to be appointed) for the trial to kickoff," Moon told reporters as he entered the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. His comments, h

The opposition’s move to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol has gained momentum, since his surprise declaration of martial law late Tuesday. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has accused him of committing a crime similar to treason or insurrection, which is grounds for impeachment. The Constitution protects presidents from civil lawsuits and criminal charges unless they are convicted of treason. Here are the three possible scenarios that could unfold following the opposition-led A