Lee, Yoon make final campaign pitches in Seoul

The election campaigns for the presidential election wrapped up Tuesday, with candidates each promising a brighter future for Korea. While the front-runners spent the last day of campaigns claiming to be the right choice for the nation’s future, their campaigns have been marred with scandals and accusations, which all but buried pledges and policy initiatives. On Tuesday, all major candidates marked an end to their campaign journeys in central and symbolic areas of Seoul, having spent

March 8, 2022

[KH Explains] Democratic Party accused of repeating "Druking" scandal in support of Lee

Accusations of rigging online opinions have been raised yet again, further marring a presidential race that has already been characterized by mudslinging, now in its final days. The accusations follow a news report that revealed a recording file that could potentially damage presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party, and its rapid spread online upon release Sunday night. However, claims emerged that the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and campaign officia

March 8, 2022

Moon hopes for further progress in gender equality under next administration

Marking the 8th International Women’s Day, President Moon Jae-in said there is still a culture that prevents gender equality in Korea and expects the next government to make progress. Moon posted a congratulatory message with a photo of a rose on his social networking services accounts, including Facebook and Twitter, on Tuesday. “The courageous voices of female workers who shouted human rights 114 years ago continue to this day,” he said. “I would like to thank ever

March 8, 2022

Lee vows to send special envoy to N. Korea, freeze public utility charges

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said Tuesday he will send special envoys to the United States, China, Japan and North Korea as soon as he is elected in an effort to help bring lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Lee of the liberal Democratic Party made the remark during a special press conference on the eve of the election, saying he will pursue pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests and remove dangers of war from the divided peninsula. "I will remove a thre

March 8, 2022

Moon urges voters to take part in presidential election

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday urged voters to take part in the presidential election, while calling for thorough preparations to prevent lapses shown in early voting and guarantee virus-infected people's right to vote. Moon made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting, a day before South Koreans vote to pick his successor. In two-day early voting that ended last Saturday, turnout stood at a record of about 37 percent. "Tomorrow is the time for people to choose a president who will lead state af

March 8, 2022

Ruling party chief discharged from hospital after hammer attack

Ruling Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Song Young-gil was discharged from a hospital Tuesday, a day after he was wounded in a hammer attack during his campaigning for the party's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung. In Monday's attack, a YouTuber in his 70s struck Song in the head from behind with a hammer several times during campaigning in Seoul's Sinchon area. He was immediately taken to a hospital and received stitches on his head. The assailant was immediately taken into police custody.

March 8, 2022

Lee, Yoon to make final campaign rallies in Seoul on eve of election

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol were set to wrap up their hard-fought campaigns with final rallies in Seoul on the eve of the election Tuesday as both sides claimed they would ultimately emerge victorious. The ruling Democratic Party (DP) said the weekend's record turnout of 36.93 percent during the two-day early voting reflected the convergence of Lee's supporters following last week's surprise merger deal between two leading opposit

March 8, 2022

Candidates rush to last minute canvassing

With the presidential election just around the corner, candidates traveled to regions across the nation, in hopes of wooing voters from rival strongholds, and also to appeal to those who have not yet made their mind up. Lee Jae-myung, the major ruling Democratic Party of Korea candidate, visited Jeju Island on Monday for the first time since his official election campaign kicked off.  “State affairs is not a practice field for an amateur,” Lee said while canvassing near Don

March 7, 2022

Separate voting booths and ballot boxes scrapped for COVID-19 patients

COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine will be allowed to vote after 6 p.m. at the same voting booths and ballot boxes as other voters on Wednesday, the election watchdog said Monday, after facing criticism for its lackluster management of early voting booths and ballot boxes for infected voters over the weekend. The National Election Commission said following an emergency internal meeting held Monday morning that COVID-19 patients and those under quarantine orders will be given between 6 p.

March 7, 2022

Scandal-ridden spouses remain absent on campaign trail

Wives of the two main presidential have been staying under the radar with the election day just two days away, as they try to avoid stirring up negative sentiments with their scandals. In past elections, the spouses came to play the role of a strategic surrogate for the presidential hopefuls, embarking on campaign visits of their own to woo voters. The wives of the two front-runners, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power

March 7, 2022

Ruling party leader attacked by unknown man while campaigning

Rep. Song Young-gil, head of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, received hospital treatment Monday after being struck by an object wielded by an unidentified man while campaigning for the presidential election in the streets of Sinchon in Seoul. The suspect, arrested at the scene and transferred to a nearby police station, was seen wearing a hanbok-like outfit and was reportedly a YouTuber. He hit Song with a blunt weapon covered several times with a black bag,

March 7, 2022

Complaints filed against election authorities over poor management of virus patients' early voting

Civic groups have filed complaints against top officials of the National Election Commission (NEC) over their alleged mishandling of the early voting for the March 9 presidential election among COVID-19 patients last week. The election watchdog came under fire over the weekend following revelations that virus patients were not allowed to put their votes into ballot boxes, and election officials instead collected them in plastic bags and other unofficial containers during the early voting for inf

March 7, 2022

Biden's mentioning of S. Korea shows gratitude for joining sanctions on Russia: Cheong Wa Dae

US President Joe Biden's mentioning of South Korea in his State of the Union address showed his gratitude for Seoul's joining of sanctions on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a senior official at Cheong Wa Dae said Monday. In his first State of the Union address last week, Biden thanked South Korea, along with dozens of other countries, for condemning what he called Russia's "unjustified" and "totally unprovoked" aggression on Ukraine. US officials have since informed the South

March 7, 2022

Police to beef up security to highest level for presidential election

Police will deploy a total of 68,786 personnel to provide security at polling and counting stations across the nation during Wednesday's presidential election, officials said Monday. The personnel will be deployed to 14,464 polling stations and 251 ballot counting stations as police will go on higher alert on the election day for possible emergencies, officials said. Police also plan to set up hotlines between polling places and police stations to respond to possible contingencies, and patrol th

March 7, 2022

Election watchdog to allow COVID-19 patients to put votes directly into ballot boxes

The National Election Commission (NEC) decided Monday to allow COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine to put their votes into ballot boxes themselves after an earlier decision to collect their votes in unofficial containers first sparked widespread complaints of foul play. The election watchdog came under fire following revelations virus-infected voters and people under self-isolation were not allowed to put their votes into ballot boxes and election officials instead collected them in plast

March 7, 2022

Record high early voting turnout marred by lackluster management

South Korea saw an unprecedented turnout in early voting for the 20th presidential election, but immense discomfort and suspicions of electoral fraud arose with election watchdog's lack of preparation in running voting booths for COVID-19 patients. During the two-day early voting period for the March 9 election, more than 16.3 million, or 36.93 percent, of 44.2 million eligible voters cast their ballots, according to the National Election Commission on Saturday. The highest turnout was in South

March 6, 2022

How Lee, Yoon each plan to take care of welfare

In their last-ditch efforts to woo voters, the two prominent presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the ruling party and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition party are each shouting out, separately, how they are the best person to make real improvements to the lives of the people. As their canvassing efforts echo each other, their welfare pledges also appear to be similar, though they come from different political backgrounds -- Lee from the liberal Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon from th

March 6, 2022

Once neglected, young women emerge as an important voting bloc

“What do you think is feminism?” This question, put to conservative candidate Yoon Suk-yeol by his rival Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea, was one of the highlights of the final TV debate on Wednesday. “I think feminism is a kind of humanism, respecting women as human,” Yoon answered as Lee pushed back, “It’s a movement that accepts the gender discrimination and inequality that women face as reality and seeks to tackle them.” Their ex

March 6, 2022

Moon visits wildfire-hit eastern coastal area

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday consoled residents in the eastern coastal area that has been ravaged by a massive wildfire and vowed swift government support for the victims, his office said. He met some of the displaced people at a makeshift shelter in Uljin, 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as authorities mobilized 44 helicopters and 4,000 personnel to contain the blaze that began Friday. Among some 7,400 people who evacuated due to the fire, 1,000 are staying in temporary shelters set up at

March 6, 2022

Lee, Yoon to converge on Seoul in homestretch of campaign

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and main opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol are set to converge on Seoul in the homestretch of their campaigns Sunday. With the election three days away, Lee of the liberal Democratic Party will crisscross the capital for campaign rallies in the districts of Dobong, Seongbuk, Eunpyeong, Seodaemun, Gwanak and Yongsan. Yoon of the conservative People Power Party, meanwhile, will start the day in Seoul's eastern district of Gangdong before stumping

March 6, 2022