Justice ministry to create new unit in charge of vetting public officials

The justice ministry will set up a new organization in charge of personnel vetting of civil servant candidates, officials said Tuesday, in line with President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's pledge to abolish the office of senior presidential secretary for civil affairs. The ministry issued a public notice on its push for a partial revision of the law governing the ministry's organizational structure to establish the new organization in charge of vetting senior public officials, Cabinet members

May 24, 2022

Yoon ranked among Time's 100 most influential people of 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol has ranked among US magazine Time's 100 most influential people of 2022, its website showed Tuesday. Yoon, who was inaugurated two weeks ago, was chosen in the category of leaders. He was introduced as a "a former prosecutor with little foreign policy experience" who is "determined to take on the challenge" of North Korea's nuclear weapons program. "On the campaign trail, Yoon, of the conservative People Power Party, called for a tougher

May 24, 2022

Yoon's pick for health minister withdraws from nomination

Health minister nominee Chung Ho-young withdrew Monday amid controversy over his children's school admissions and other issues. The former chief of Kyungpook National University Hospital has been under pressure to step down from both the ruling and opposition parties. "I will serve as a nest egg for the success of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties," he said in a statement. Chung was nominated in April to head the healt

May 23, 2022

Did Yoon change his mind about systemic gender inequality? His top aides say no

When President Yoon Suk-yeol was questioned Saturday about his male-dominated Cabinet, he said that women lacked opportunities to rise to top government posts, and promised more opportunities for women. While his comments were generic and often repeated by many before him, they appear out of line with his earlier statements on the matter –- that his nominations were made based strictly on merit. “We haven’t seen a lot of women advancing to senior roles in the public sector,

May 23, 2022

[Newsmaker] S. Korea’s new PM pledges to seek political unity, bolster economic recovery while cutting red tape

South Korea’s new Prime Minister Han Duck-soo officially began his term on Monday, 48 days since he was nominated by President Yoon Suk-yeol. At his inauguration, Han stressed he would seek cooperation with the country’s major parties and that the government will make all-out efforts to help the country’s economic recovery, while hinting at cutting red tape in the future. “Without national unity and political cooperation (among the government and major political partie

May 23, 2022

Chinese leverage in election sparks debate on foreigner suffrage

In the upcoming June 1 local elections, a total of 126,668 foreign residents will be eligible to vote, according to the electoral rolls finalized Friday. The figure is an increase of some 20,000 from four years earlier, according to the National Election Commission. Of them, 99,969 are Chinese nationals, accounting for nearly 79 percent of the total. Amid a rise of anti-Chinese sentiment and resurgence of the right wing in South Korea, this dominance by the neighboring country is prompting s

May 23, 2022

[Herald Interview] Ex-university chief dreams of Jeju as global destination

Heo Hyang-jin, the candidate for the ruling People Power Party in the upcoming Jeju Province gubernatorial election, bids to transform the island into a global tourism hub by adding new attractions for travelers with diverse tastes. Revitalizing the island’s tourism sector, he believes, is one of the most important tasks for the next governor, as the province and its residents have sustained losses from the prolonged pandemic and social distancing rules. “Surveys have shown that ma

May 23, 2022

[Herald Interview] Jeju’s natural assets should be protected, Oh Young-hun says

While Jeju Island is loved by many for its appeal as a tourist destination, the province has also incurred sizable damage for years from much of its areas overhauled for new hotels, resorts and attractions. Even though the island invites more than 15 million visitors a year, such a strategy is no longer viable, raising the need to find new ways to promote sustainable growth, argues Oh Young-hun of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea in his bid to become the next governor of Jeju Provi

May 23, 2022

Ruling party pressures health minister nominee to step down

The floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Monday pressured the widely unpopular health minister nominee, Chung Ho-young, to step down amid concerns that his appointment could hinder the party's chances in the upcoming local elections. "I listened to many lawmakers in the party, and many of them showed objections to Chung's appointment," PPP floor leader Rep. Kweon Seong-dong told reporters after the party's election committee meeting. "He needs to d

May 23, 2022

PM vows national unity, pledges swift implementation of extra budget

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Monday he will make utmost efforts for national unity, while pledging swift implementation of an extra budget aimed at compensating small merchants hit by losses caused by stricter virus curbs. "I will take the lead in national unity and cooperation of politics to resolve matters of people's livelihood, economic recovery, sustainable growth and materialize the safety of people," Han said in his inauguration speech. Han said the government is prepared to

May 23, 2022

Yoon congratulates Son Heung-min on becoming 1st Asian scoring champion in Premier League history

President Yoon Suk-yeol congratulated Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean attacker Son Heung-min on Monday on becoming the first Asian player to win the scoring title in the Premier League. Son scored twice in Tottenham's 5-0 rout of Norwich City at Carrow Road in Norwich, England, on Sunday (local time), and finished the 2021-2022 season with a career-high 23 goals. The player shared the Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, who scored late in his team's 3-1 win over Wolverha

May 23, 2022

Yoon's first approval rating over 52%: Realmeter

More than 52 percent of South Koreans gave a positive assessment of President Yoon Suk-yeol's handling of state affairs in the first poll on Yoon's approval rating since he took office on May 10, the pollster Realmeter said Monday. In the poll of 2,528 people aged 18 or above nationwide conducted from Monday to Friday of last week, 52.1 percent said Yoon did a good job, while 40.6 percent said he did not. Yoon's approval rating was high among the ruling People Power Party (PPP) su

May 23, 2022

Biden says he and Yoon 'married up'

In meeting with first lady Kim Keon-hee for the first time this past weekend, US President Joe Biden had a few good words to say, according to sources Monday. Biden was greeted by first lady Kim Keon-hee when he arrived at the National Museum of Korea for a state dinner Saturday. He told President Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim the two men had something in common: Both had "married up." Kim said she hoped to see him again soon, and Biden replied that he hoped to meet her when she visited the Un

May 23, 2022

Oh envisions Seoul as ‘Asian financial capital’ in bid for 4th Seoul mayor term

Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayoral candidate of the ruling People Power Party, says he will strive for more foreign investment and will transform Seoul into a “leading Asian financial center” if elected for the fourth time as Seoul mayor. “Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, is the heart and engine of the country, and managing the city’s affairs is no less significant than running the country,” Oh said during an interview with The Korea Herald on May 17. Oh, who

May 22, 2022

Democratic Party’s prospect for local elections success dims further

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea’s chances in the local elections appear to be dimming, with many opinion surveys favoring candidates from the ruling People Power Party while major political events work in favor of the ruling bloc. A survey of 880 voters of a constituency in Gyeyang-gu of Incheon from Thursday to Friday found Lee Jae-myung, chief of the Democratic Party’s local elections campaign committee and one of the central figures in the liberal party, trailing be

May 22, 2022

Yoon appoints Han as prime minister after parliamentary confirmation

President Yoon Suk-yeol officially appointed Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday after an opposition-controlled National Assembly confirmed him the previous day following nearly 50 days of partisan wrangling over his suitability. Yoon conferred an appointment certificate on Han in the morning at the presidential office in Seoul. Han took the country's No. 2 government post for the second time. The 72-year-old previously served as prime minister during the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administrati

May 21, 2022

National Assembly approves Han Duck-soo as prime minister

The National Assembly on Friday approved the appointment of Han Duck-soo as the new prime minister, with the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea deciding to vote for the appointment at a meeting held late in the afternoon. The president can appoint ministers without parliamentary approval with the exception of the prime minister. The Democratic Party had expressed discontent with Han as a prime minister pick citing the unusually high salary he drew while working in the private sector,

May 20, 2022

Campaigning starts for local elections with polls putting ruling party in lead

The official campaigning period has kicked off for the upcoming local elections in South Korea, with the ruling People Power Party appearing to be at an advantage over the larger opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Many opinion surveys expect the People Power Party to prevail in the elections, with many experts saying that the political party that wins the presidential election is likely to extend the winning streak into the local elections. For the time being, the People Power Party is sho

May 19, 2022

Official campaigning for local elections begins

Official campaigning for local elections and parliamentary by-elections kicked off Thursday with the ruling and opposition parties looking to expand their presence from the start of President Yoon Suk-yeol's new government. The 13-day campaign period will last until the eve of the June 1 elections. A total of 7,616 candidates are vying for 17 metropolitan mayors and provincial governors, and 226 heads of lower-level administrative units in the upcoming elections. Also up for grabs are 779 s

May 19, 2022

Yoon hails spirit of Gwangju Uprising in change of tone for conservatives

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday paid tribute to protesters of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising, an unusual move for a conservative president that some say is aimed at dispelling concerns of his bloc’s negligence of the Jeolla provinces and to strengthen the message of national unity. “The spirit of May is the restoration of universal values and constitutional spirit of liberal democracy. That spirit belongs to all of us and is a valuable asset of the Republic of Korea,” Y

May 18, 2022