[Election 2022] Key election promises and policy views of two leading presidential candidates

The following are key election pledges of South Korea's two leading candidates for the March 9 presidential election -- Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party. While many of the pledges have been officially announced by the candidates and their election camps, some are based on earlier remarks and known views. 〈Foreign Relations〉 -- North Korea and nuclear talks Lee says he will take a conciliatory approach toward North Korea if e

March 6, 2022

[Election 2022] Yoon embraces dramatic turn from top prosecutor to hope of conservatives

Yoon Suk-yeol has undergone a dramatic transformation from a prosecutor general serving President Moon Jae-in to an opposition presidential contender vowing to investigate the administration's "deep-rooted evils" if elected on March 9. Yoon, 61, rose to prominence as a prosecutor investigating high-profile cases under the previous conservative administration of President Park Geun-hye, including the massive corruption scandal that led to her impeachment and imprisonment. His status ear

March 6, 2022

[Election 2022] S. Koreans to elect new president this week after tight race

South Koreans will elect a new president this week, capping off a neck-and-neck race between two leading contenders whose promises of improved livelihoods and a fairer society were largely overshadowed by scandals and feuds. Wednesday's election has shaped up to be a two-way race between former Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party and former prosecutor-general Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party. Lee, the liberal candidate, has used his back

March 6, 2022

[Weekender] Unity and coalition stand as key challenges for the next president

Whoever wins the 20th presidential election on March 9, the winner faces the complex task of bringing unity among South Koreans -- a pledge repeated by almost all recent presidents -- and measure out policies to bring naysayers to the table for the next five years. The race so far has largely been centered on mudslinging and denunciations, especially between ruling party candidate Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea and his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Part

March 5, 2022

Lee Jun-seok dismisses possibility of co-chairing party with Ahn Cheol-soo

People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok on Friday dismissed rumors of a co-chairmanship with Ahn Cheol-soo as various rumors about Ahn‘s next steps arose since his stepping out of the race. Ahn, the chairman of the minor opposition People’s Party, conceded his candidacy to the People Power Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday. There were rumors about Ahn‘s next moves, including one about him possibly becoming a co-chairman of the main opposition once the two parties merg

March 4, 2022

Early voting starts for 20th presidential election

Early voting started for the 20th presidential election on Friday, with candidates and political heavyweights casting their votes to encourage more voters to participate. The National Election Commission on Friday opened early voting at 3,552 polling stations across the country, and eyes are on how high the turnout would be in the continued dead heat race between the two main candidates. Polling stations will open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. COVID-19 patients and those under sel

March 4, 2022

[Photo News] Early voting off to strong start

Early voting for next Wednesday’s presidential election kicked off at 3,552 polling stations nationwide, as the country reported a new daily record of 266,853 COVID-19 infections.  All of the three main candidates -– the ruling party’s Lee Jae-myung (left photo), the main opposition party’s Yoon Suk-yeol (center) and minor left-wing party’s Sim Sang-jung –- cast their ballot in the morning. Both Lee and Yoon were not accompanied by their respective wive

March 4, 2022

Moon casts early vote for next week's presidential election

President Moon Jae-in cast his ballot Friday, as South Korea began two-day early voting for next week's presidential election. Wearing a face mask and disposable gloves, Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook voted at a polling booth inside the Samcheong-dong community service center near Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Moon's office said. Earlier in the day, Moon encouraged people to cast their ballots, saying, "As the sovereign of a democratic republic, I hope all people will participate in exercisi

March 4, 2022

Korea to be with Ukraine, Moon tells Zelenskyy

South Korea will provide emergency humanitarian aid of $10 million for Ukrainian citizens and refugees, President Moon Jae-in said after a 30-minute phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Thursday night. “We are on the phone again under a very unfortunate situation,” Moon was quoted as saying during the call, and expressed his deepest condolences to the victims and their bereaved families of the war in Ukraine. “We pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice o

March 3, 2022

Korea should strengthen security as new Cold War emerges: Moon

President Moon Jae-in said Thursday the government should strengthen its security capabilities for the next administration to respond to the complex security crisis agilely from the beginning. Moon presided over a National Security Council expansion ministerial meeting at Cheong Wa Dae the same day, receiving a report from the NSC on the prospects for security threats from last year through 2030. “The global security environment is changing rapidly,” Moon said at the meeting. &l

March 3, 2022

Opposition merger adds to Ahn’s career of withdrawal

Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate for the minor opposition People’s Party, stepped down once again from a election race on Thursday, marking his fourth withdrawal in a political career that extends just over 10 years. Ahn became a big name in local politics starting in 2011, when there were rumors that he -- a respected doctor-turned-software mogul at the time -- would run in the Seoul mayoral by-election. Ahn, however, declined to join the race, instead choosing to endorse the

March 3, 2022

Ruling party caught by surprise, vows to maintain agenda on coalition government

The presidential election campaign committee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is keen on interpreting the effects of the merger deal announced from the opposition with less than 24 hours to go before early voting was due to start at 6 a.m. on Friday. Campaign staff members for the ruling party's candidate Lee Jae-myung insist the effects of the candidacy merger will be limited, and experts agree to an extent. Yet they agree the announcement will increase the odds of presidential nominee

March 3, 2022

Yoon, Ahn unify candidacies; Ahn concedes

The two leading opposition candidates for the presidency, Yoon Suk-yeol and Ahn Cheol-soo, merged their campaigns Thursday in a dramatic turn of events, just a day before early voting was to begin. In a joint statement, Yoon of the main opposition People Power Party and Ahn of the minor opposition People’s Party said they have decided to merge their campaigns in pursuit of regime change. Ahn withdrew his candidacy, declaring his support for Yoon. “Today, I, Ahn Cheol-soo, and Yoo

March 3, 2022

Yoon leads Lee in hypothetical two-way race: polls

Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol leads his ruling party rival Lee Jae-myung in a hypothetical two-way race, according to polls conducted before Yoon merged candidacies with Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor People's Party. According to a survey conducted by Embrain Public from Tuesday to Wednesday, Yoon led Lee 45.9 percent to 45 percent in a hypothetical two-way race. The gap of 0.9 percentage point was within the margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent at a 95 percent confide

March 3, 2022

‘Attacking feminism won’t solve issues young men face’: activist group

Last month, a group of men who identified themselves as feminists held a press conference in central Seoul. The move made headlines, bucking the trend in a country where young men, often characterized as anti-feminist, have emerged as an important voting bloc in the upcoming presidential election. “Abolishing the Gender Equality Ministry or sending women to the military will not improve gender equality or solve the issues young men face,” the group, named Ordinary Guys Who Take Acti

March 3, 2022

Feminism is one aspect of humanism, Yoon says

Presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party toned down his stance related to the gender divide when asked by rival contenders during a TV debate on Wednesday. As the candidates discussed the ways to handle the country’s low birth rates, Lee Jae-myung, the flagbearer of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, asked Yoon what he thinks of feminism, reciting Yoon’s previous comment that feminism has hindered young man and women from building the relation

March 2, 2022

Lee Jae-myung disputes himself to claim no plan for tax increase

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said he has no plans to raise more taxes in carrying out his proposed welfare policies, speaking against his own major campaign promise made just months earlier. During a TV debate held Wednesday, Lee said he has "no plans for any tax increase whatsoever," arguing that the funds needed to finance his state-led welfare policies will be supplied through natural increase in tax income from expected economic growth

March 2, 2022

Lee asks Sim to form unified government to create safe working environment

Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung asked Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung to work together to form a unified government when Sim criticized the ruling party for failing to create a safe working environment in a televised debate on Wednesday. Referring to Kim Yong-gyun, who died while working alone at the Taean Thermal Power Plant in 2018, Sim criticized the Democratic Party for failing to keep promises to hire subcontractor workers as full-time workers related to life and safety wo

March 2, 2022

State will take over pandemic-induced debt: ruling party candidate

Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea vowed to have the government assume responsibility for all financial losses that South Koreans incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. During a TV debate program held Wednesday, Lee said the state has a duty to compensate all the losses people have had to shoulder as a result of following the government’s COVID-19 protocols. And if elected, he would enlarge the budget and increase spending to execute the vision. Le

March 2, 2022

[Reporter’s Notebook] When going viral goes awry in election

Presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party has once again come under fire for an inconsiderate social media post, which appeared to disregard the seriousness of the situation in Ukraine. On Monday, a tweet was uploaded on Yoon’s Twitter account with the message, “We stand with Ukraine” in both Korean and English. However, the tweet grabbed public attention not for its message, but for the attached photo: A tangerine with an angry face draw

March 2, 2022