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UPI
5 hours ago
- Politics
- UPI
Early voting turnout for South Korean president hits 34.74%
May 31 (UPI) -- With three days until the presidential election in South Korea, the candidates are making their final push to replace impeached President Yoon Sook-yeol with more than a third already casting their votes. The two days of early voting ended at 6 p.m. Friday. Of the 44.3 million eligible South Korean voters, 34.74% have voted, according to the National Election Commission. This is the second highest turnout since nationwide early voting was introduced in 2014, according to the NEC. It was 36.93% for the 2022 presidential election. Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo encouraged people to go to the polls early. In the latest poll, Lee led with 42.9% support followed by Kim with 36.8%, according to Yonhap. Lee Jun-seo, of the minor conservative New Reform Party, came in third with 10.3%. "The morale at the Democratic Camp is much more energetic, especially after the historic impeachment trial," David Lee, a Seoul-based journalist, told Al Jazeera. "PPP supporters, on the other hand, are navigating murkier waters." South Korean police said this week they had apprehended at least 690 people over related incidents, according to Yonhap. Lee attended a rally in Pyeongtaek, around 37 miles south of Seoul, on Saturday. Lee said he has been wearing a bulletproof vest and installed bulletproof glass at campaign rallies after threats on his life. He called alleged opinion rigging by a far-right group as an "act of rebellion" that must be held accountable. "How can they be manipulating comments, making fake news in this day and age, and systematically making preparations to ruin the election results," he asked. "Can this be forgiven? We must root it out." On Friday, Lee visited Chuncheon and Wonju in Gangwon Province before heading to Chungju in North Chungcheong Province for his campaign rallies. This marks his first visit to Gangwon during the campaign period. Kim launched a 90-hour nonstop overnight campaign tour across the country. Kim, during a rally in the eastern Gangwon Province, called for the "banishing" Lee from politics. "Lee has been found guilty of lying," he said. "What would happen [to the country] if he becomes president?" Kim said he would be a "clean" president if elected. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court sent Lee's case back to the Seoul High Court for a retrial. They decided the lower court's decision to acquit Lee of false statements during the previous presidential race in 2021. Lee, appearing on cable broadcaster JTBC's YouTube channel, called for a special counsel probe to fully hold accountable those involved in Yoon's martial law bid. "To bring the insurrection to a complete end, all those responsible or complicit must be identified and held accountable," he said.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Sexagenarian South Korea man sets fire in Seoul subway as he was angry at divorce suit outcome
An apprehended arson suspect in his 60s is believed to have told police that he set fire inside a Seoul subway train on Saturday as he was angry at the outcome of a divorce lawsuit. The suspect allegedly set fire to pieces of clothes inside the Line Number 5 subway travelling between the Yeouinaru and Mapo stations at 8:43 a.m. after boarding the train with a lighter-type torch and a fuel container, according to police and witnesses, as per a report. During an investigation by police, the suspect is believed to have stated he set the fire in complaint about the outcome of a divorce lawsuit. The suspect reportedly had no intent to kill himself, IANS reported. Police found the suspect had a lot of soot on his hands when he was carried out on a stretcher from the platform at Yeouinaru Station. He was apprehended at the scene at 9:45 a.m. after admitting to the alleged arson during police questioning. Police plan to file a formal arrest warrant against him on Sunday, Yonhap news agency reported. Due to the fire, more than 400 passengers escaped through the tunnel, with 21 of them being sent to the hospital for injuries, such as smoke inhalation and a fractured ankle. No serious injuries have so far been reported. Live Events Passengers and the train conductor initially contained the flames with fire extinguishers before they were fully extinguished at about 10:24 a.m. Authorities dispatched 230 personnel, including firefighters and police officers, to the scene. Subway services between Yeouido and Aeogae stations were suspended for a while before resuming at 10:06 a.m. Earlier in the day, South Korean Police apprehended the accused. Police questioned the suspect about the motive and conducted a forensic examination of the scene. FAQs Q1. Which city is capital of South Korea ? A1. Capital of South Korea is Seoul. Q2. Name any station located at Seoul subway? A2. Stations located at Seoul subway are Yeouido and Aeogae.
Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Korea Herald
First hint of summer
The Samcheok Rose Festival is nearing its end as visitors hurry to make their last-minute stops at the 10-day festival ending Sunday at the Samcheok Rose Park in Samcheok, Gangwon Province. The annual event, launched in 2016, features some 220 rose varieties, showcasing 10 million roses at their peak. The world's largest rose festival drew over 350,000 visitors last year. (Yonhap)
Hans India
14 hours ago
- Hans India
South Korea: Police apprehend arson suspect in subway fire after hundreds escape through tunnel
Police on Saturday apprehended a man in his 60s for suspected arson inside a Seoul subway train that prompted hundreds of passengers to evacuate through a tunnel, officials said. According to police and witnesses, the suspect allegedly set fire to pieces of clothes inside the Line No. 5 subway traveling between Yeouinaru and Mapo stations at 8:47 a.m. after boarding the train with a lighter-type torch and a fuel container, Yonhap news agency reported. More than 400 passengers escaped through the tunnel, with 21 of them being sent to the hospital for injuries, such as smoke inhalation and a fractured ankle. No serious injuries have so far been reported. Passengers and the train conductor initially contained the flames with fire extinguishers before they were fully extinguished at about 10:24 a.m. Authorities dispatched 230 personnel, including firefighters and police officers, to the scene. The suspect was taken into custody by police near Yeouinaru Station at 9:45 a.m. after being on the run. Subway services between Yeouido and Aeogae stations were suspended for awhile before resuming at 10:06 a.m. Police plan to question the suspect about the motive and conduct a forensic examination of the scene. Investigations are currently underway, and authorities are actively looking into the matter. Further details are awaited.
Hans India
16 hours ago
- Business
- Hans India
Trump to double steel tariffs to 50 pc from next week
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said that he planned to double tariffs on foreign imports of steel to 50 percent starting next week, further casting a cloud on steelmakers around the globe. "We are going to be imposing a 25 per cent increase. We're going to bring it from 25 per cent to 50 per cent — the tariffs on steel into the United States of America — which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States," Trump said on X social media platform. He later posted on social media that the higher tariff rate would take effect on June 4, reports Yonhap news agency. "It is my great honour to raise the Tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%, effective Wednesday, June 4th. Our steel and aluminum industries are coming back like never before. This will be yet another BIG jolt of great news for our wonderful steel and aluminum workers. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The planned rate hike is the latest in his trade policies that focus on tariff hikes, and came days after a trade court ruled his sweeping reciprocal tariffs illegal, which was later blocked by an appeals court to leave the tariffs temporarily alive. The 25-percent tariffs on most steel imported to the U.S. went into effect in March as part of the Trump administration's broader tariff scheme aimed at reducing America's trade deficits and bolstering local manufacturing. Data showed earlier Seoul's U.S.-bound exports of steel products declined nearly 19 percent from a year earlier in March. Outbound shipments of steel products to the U.S. came to US$340 million in March, down 18.9 percent from the same month last year. It is difficult to assess the impact of U.S. tariffs on Seoul's steel exports as transactions are usually made months ahead, but there may still have been some influence. Korean steelmakers have been devising response measures to the U.S. tariffs, with some companies planning to increase their production in the U.S. Hyundai Steel Co. plans to invest $5.8 billion to construct an electric arc furnace-based steel mill in Louisiana by 2029, its first overseas production facility.
