Moon set to hold Cabinet meeting to promulgate prosecution reform legislation

President Moon Jae-in, in his final days in office, is set to hold his last Cabinet meeting Tuesday, in a bid to promulgate two controversial bills on prosecution reform. The Cabinet meeting will be held at 4 p.m., hours after the ruling Democratic Party (DP) railroaded the last-remaining bill on prosecution reform through the National Assembly amid opposition protest, completing its push to reduce and ultimately remove the prosecution's investigative powers. One of the laws is aimed at limiting

May 3, 2022

National Assembly passes remaining bill for prosecution reform

The ruling Democratic Party railroaded the last-remaining bill on prosecution reform through the National Assembly amid opposition protest Tuesday, completing its push to reduce and ultimately remove the prosecution's investigative powers. The revision to the Criminal Procedure Act, the remaining half of the ruling DP's prosecution reform legislation, was passed in a 164-3 vote, with seven abstentions in just three minutes after the opening of a parliamentary plenary session. The revision calls

May 3, 2022

Transition team denies claims Yoon's wife offended FM's wife

The transition team of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol denied allegations Monday that Yoon's wife ordered the foreign minister's wife to leave her residence while she took a look inside to determine whether it was fit for a presidential residence.    Rep. Woo Sang-ho of the ruling Democratic Party made the claim on TBS radio Monday, saying the wife of Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong had to stand outside in the garden while Yoon's wife, Kim Keon-hee, toured the top diplomat's official r

May 2, 2022

[KH Explains] Who’s who in local elections

With less than a month left until the local elections, South Korea’s two major political parties finished drawing their lineups for 17 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial elections. South Korea’s conservative People Power Party is hoping to win at least 10 of the 17 posts, putting forward some well-known candidates. The party is looking to score another win following its success in the presidential election in March and in the Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections in April 2021.

May 2, 2022

PM, foreign minister nominees besieged over scandals at hearing

The prime minister and foreign minister nominees on Monday were grilled by ruling party lawmakers over personal and family allegations at a confirmation hearing. Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo, whose confirmation hearing resumed Monday after a boycott by the Democratic Party of Korea, responded head on to the allegations. Lawmakers of the Democratic Party and the Justice Party bombarded him with questions about whether it was appropriate for him to work at major law firm Kim & Cha

May 2, 2022

Moon pledges forest conservation efforts

President Moon Jae-in pledged Monday to work together with the international community to conserve forests. Moon made the remark in a keynote speech at the opening of the 15th World Forestry Congress in Seoul, saying South Korea experienced forest destruction during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea and the 1950-53 Korean War. "Based on our experience of restoring forests through solidarity and cooperation, we will actively participate in the international community's efforts to conser

May 2, 2022

More than 50% of S. Koreans oppose pardoning ex-President Lee: poll

More than half of South Koreans oppose granting a pardon to former President Lee Myung-bak, a poll showed Monday, amid rising speculation outgoing President Moon Jae-in may use his clemency powers to set Lee free before he leaves office. The Korea Society Opinion Institute survey of 1,012 adults, conducted between Friday and Saturday, showed 51.7 percent of respondents are against pardoning Lee, while 40.4 percent are in support of amnesty for the former president. Lee's pardon has emerged as a

May 2, 2022

Yoon taps foreign policy mentor as top security official

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has appointed his close aide Kim Sung-han, who served as vice foreign minister during the Lee Myung-bak administration, as the head of the National Security Office in a new streamlined presidential office. “Nominee Kim Sung-han is an authority in foreign affairs and security, who served as the second vice minister of foreign affairs and trade, and has theoretical and policy-making capabilities,” Yoon’s chief of staff Chang Je-won announced at t

May 1, 2022

Moon thanks workers for dedication in fight against virus on Labor Day

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday stressed the government's efforts in enhancing labor rights as he thanked workers for their dedication in the fight against the novel coronavirus. In his message marking the 132nd Labor Day, Moon said his government worked hard on guaranteeing fundamental labor rights in the past five years. "We ratified key International Labor Organization conventions, raised minimum wage and exercised the 52-hour work week system ... and made progress in work-life balance,&

May 1, 2022

National Assembly passes controversial bill on prosecution reform

The ruling party-dominated National Assembly on Saturday passed one of two controversial bills on prosecution reform amid strong protest from the main opposition party, heralding bipartisan standoff down the road. For the past weeks, the Democratic Party (DP) has vowed to pass the two bills on prosecution reform which would immediately deprive the prosecution of all investigative powers. Early this week, the ruling party railroaded the legislation through the judiciary committee and said it

April 30, 2022

DP nominates ex-party chief as candidate for Seoul mayor

South Korea's ruling Democratic Party on Friday picked former party chief Song Young-gil as its candidate for the mayoralty of Seoul in the June 1 local elections. In a two-way primary race, Song defeated Kim Jin-ae, a former lawmaker of the minor Open Democratic Party, which merged with the DP in January, according to the party. It did not reveal the number of votes won by each contender. Song will compete with current Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party in one of the

April 29, 2022

Moon says there are not only cons but also pros to pardoning ex-President Lee

Outgoing President Moon Jae-in said Friday he will determine whether to pardon former President Lee Myung-bak after taking judicial justice and public consensus into consideration, noting there are not only cons but also pros to the proposed pardon. The remark, made in response to online petitions opposing Lee's pardon, could suggest a higher likelihood of a pardon because Moon talked about those in favor of it, though presidential aides said the remark was no more than an expression of principl

April 29, 2022

Democratic Party determined to bring media reforms

The Democratic Party of Korea is pushing to try again in introducing regulatory measures on the press and the media industry, proposing a series of fresh bills this month for formal consideration. The liberal party on Wednesday submitted three separate bills for review after its legislators decided in a special committee that legislative fixes are needed to fulfill the party’s vision to bring reforms to the press and the media environment after its failed attempt to do so last year. Rep.

April 29, 2022

Opposition floor leader requests meeting with Moon over prosecution bills

The floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party asked Friday for a meeting with President Moon Jae-in so he could ask the president to veto a set of bills aimed at reducing and ultimately removing the prosecution's investigative powers. Rep. Kweon Seong-dong made the request as the ruling Democratic Party pushes to pass the two bills through the National Assembly and get them signed into law next week before the new administration takes office May 10. "I will personally meet with

April 29, 2022

Prosecution reform bill to pass final vote by Tuesday at the latest

The controversial prosecution reform bill is expected to pass the final vote in the coming days, after the Democratic Party of Korea forcefully shut down its conservative rival People Power Party’s filibuster at the end of Wednesday. Proposed revisions to the Prosecutors’ Office Act is on track to be presented for a final vote this Saturday, as the People Power Party’s filibuster ended with the Democratic Party voting for an early end to April’s provisional assembly, whi

April 28, 2022

[Newsmaker] Gender Equality Ministry hid internal sexual harassment case, lawmaker claims

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family deliberately hid an internal sexual harassment case and went against the guidelines the ministry made for state-run agencies in preventing sexual crimes from being hidden or left unpunished, a lawmaker claimed Thursday. The revelation adds fuel to the voice demanding abolition of the Gender Equality Ministry amid growing gender divide as promised by President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol during the presidential race. According to reports obtained by Rep. Ha Ta

April 28, 2022

Opposition's filibuster ends after nearly 7 hr debate over prosecution reform legislation

The ruling Democratic Party has forcefully ended the main opposition People Power Party's filibuster designed to block a controversial prosecution reform bill, sending the bill to a plenary vote later this week. As soon as a plenary National Assembly session opened Wednesday afternoon, the PPP immediately launched the filibuster to block the passage of the legislation that would reduce and ultimately abolish the prosecution's investigative powers. But the filibuster ended at midnight as the DP,

April 28, 2022

Yoon to attend World Economic Forum's annual meeting next year: spokesperson

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol plans to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, in January next year, his spokesperson said Thursday. Yoon expressed his intention to attend the forum in Davos after receiving an invitation from World Economic Forum Chairman Klaus Schwab during their meeting Wednesday, according to Yoon's spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin. The WEF organizes an annual forum in Davos where the world's political and economic leaders gather to discuss

April 28, 2022

S. Korea, US arranging meeting between Moon, Biden during Biden's visit to Seoul

Discussions have been under way between South Korea and the United States to arrange a meeting between outgoing President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden when Biden visits Seoul next month for summit talks with incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol, an official said Thursday. Yoon, who is set to take office on May 10, and Biden will hold their first summit in Seoul on May 21, Yoon's officials said. Biden plans to visit South Korea from May 20-22. South Korea and the US have been discussing a m

April 28, 2022

[Newsmaker] Transition team denies report of first lady leading Cheong Wa Dae exhibition

The presidential transition team’s vice spokesperson on Wednesday denied a report that President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife, Kim Keon-hee, might lead an art exhibition at Cheong Wa Dae. It refuted a Yonhap report on Wednesday which quoted an aide to Kim saying that the incoming first lady could categorize artworks owned by Cheong Wa Dae and introduce them to the public. “It’s only a natural idea that Kim, who has expertise in art curation, helps open the art collection

April 27, 2022