Busan medical school voids admission of ex-justice minister's daughter

Pusan National University (PNU) in this southern port city said Tuesday it has decided to nullify its admission of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk's daughter into its medical school in 2015 following her mother's recent conviction in an academic fraud case. The state-run university said its decision to cancel Cho Min's admission to PNU's Graduate School of Medicine six years ago came after an analysis of an appellate court's ruling on her mother's academic fraud charges and an in-house committe

Aug. 24, 2021

Hong quickly chasing Yoon in polls

Five-term lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo of the main opposition People Power Party is quickly closing the gap with former prosecutor general Yoon Seok-youl in presidential preference polls as Yoon loses centrists and Hong attracts more 20-somethings. In a survey of 1,007 voters nationwide conducted on Friday and Saturday by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI) and commissioned by TBS, 20.5 percent said they would vote for Hong among conservatives, while 28.4 percent chose Yoon. Hong entered the

Aug. 24, 2021

PPP reviews discipline against lawmakers involved in suspicious property deals

The main opposition People Power Party held a meeting Tuesday to decide on disciplinary measures against its lawmakers allegedly connected to suspected illegal real estate dealings one day after the state anti-corruption watchdog announced the results of a probe into opposition lawmakers' past deals. On Monday, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) said it has identified 13 alleged speculation cases linked to 12 incumbent PPP legislators. The ACRC has delivered its findings to

Aug. 24, 2021

Colombian President Duque arrives in S. Korea for summit with Moon

Colombian President Ivan Duque on Tuesday began a three-day state visit to South Korea, which includes a summit with President Moon Jae-in on establishing a comprehensive bilateral partnership in key areas. Duque arrived in South Korea earlier Tuesday via Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, south of Seoul, officials said. He is scheduled to hold a summit with Moon at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday, the second day of his South Korean state visit. According to officials, the state visit was arranged at the

Aug. 24, 2021

Ruling party, govt. agree on record budget for 2022 to tackle COVID-19 crisis

The ruling party and the government on Tuesday agreed to draw up the biggest ever annual state budget of 605 trillion won ($518.7 billion) for 2022 to finance the country's efforts to tackle the COVID-19 crisis. This represents a slight increase from this year's budget of 604.7 trillion won, including the regular budget of 558 trillion won and two rounds of COVID-19 response extra budget, they said. "The party and the government shared their commitment to allotting sufficient resources ne

Aug. 24, 2021

Parliamentary committee approves bill mandating

A parliamentary committee on Monday approved a contentious bill that requires the installation of surveillance cameras in hospital rooms despite strong opposition from medical groups. The Health and Welfare Committee gave its nod to the bill to revise the Medical Service Act in a plenary session. The bill, if finally passed at the National Assembly's general meeting, would mandate the installation and operation of closed-circuit TV cameras in hospital operation rooms. The passage came nine mo

Aug. 23, 2021

Fracas within main opposition gets worse

Conflict between main opposition party leader Lee Jun-seok and campaigners for the party’s leading presidential contender, Yoon Seok-youl, is flaring up again as Yoon fails to control his camp. A special adviser to Yoon called on Lee to step down as chairman of the People Power Party and join the camp of Yoo Seong-min, another presidential hopeful in the party, whom Lee is close to. Min Young-sam wrote on Facebook on Sunday that Lee should resign, support Yoo and say whatever he wants or

Aug. 23, 2021

Rival parties on collision course ahead of plenary vote on controversial media arbitration bill

A partisan showdown loomed large at the National Assembly on Monday, as the ruling Democratic Party (DP) with a controlling number of parliamentary seats was set to railroad a controversial media bill this week fiercely contested by opposition parties and media industry trade groups. The revision of the Act on Press Arbitration and Remedies, Etc. for Damage Caused by Press Reports, which was passed by parliament's culture committee last week, is expected to be put to a final vote during the N

Aug. 23, 2021

Moon urges thorough measures to minimize damage from Typhoon Omais

President Moon Jae-in instructed the government Monday to maintain a firm emergency response system, as Typhoon Omais is expected to make landfall on the Korean Peninsula later in the day, his office said. Moon instructed relevant authorities to prepare for carrying out a "special response" and asked the people to pay keen attention as well, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. The president called for thorough measures against flooding damage and landslides, as we

Aug. 23, 2021

[Newsmaker] Rival parties' leading contenders in tight race for president, poll shows

Two leading contenders in South Korea's presidential race -- Yoon Seok-youl and Lee Jae-myung -- are still neck and neck, with the election less than seven months away, a survey showed Monday. In the two-day poll on 1,007 voters nationwide through last Saturday by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI), former Prosecutor General Yoon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) had 29.8 percent of support, down 0.8 percentage point from a week earlier. Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee of the

Aug. 23, 2021

Assembly speaker seeks support for Korean businesses in Turkey, Azerbaijan

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug met with the presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan during a nine-day visit that ended Saturday, officials said Sunday. During those meetings the leaders of both nations agreed to deepen economic and diplomatic ties with Korea. Park stressed the significance of bilateral economic cooperation and asked them to support the efforts of Korean companies to take part in major projects there, according to a statement released by the speaker’s office. P

Aug. 22, 2021

Gyeonggi Gov. Lee pledges to meet with Biden, Kim Jong-un to broker denuclearization deal

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung, the front-runner in the ruling Democratic Party's presidential primary race, pledged Sunday to meet with US. President Joe Biden and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to broker a step-by-step deal to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue. In a press conference on his Korean Peninsula peace policy, Lee said it was "realistic" and "practical" for both Pyongyang and Washington to "seek an agreement and implementation of denuclearization

Aug. 22, 2021

DP's presidential hopefuls launch online campaign in metaverse camp

Six presidential hopefuls from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) have embarked on a collective online campaign following the opening ceremony of their metaverse camp last week. Metaverse, a combination of meta (meaning beyond) and verse (from universe), refers to a three-dimensional virtual shared world in which all activities can take place with the help of augmented- and virtual-reality services. The DP has leased parts of "Metropolis," a metaverse program developed by South Korea's

Aug. 22, 2021

Ex-President Chun diagnosed with blood cancer: sources

Former President Chun Doo-hwan has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday. The 90-year-old former military strongman has been hospitalized in Yonsei Severance Hospital in western Seoul since he returned from a 660-kilometer round trip to the southwestern city of Gwangju to attend an appellate court hearing on a defamation case. The gaunt-looking Chun appeared at the Gwangju District Court's appellat

Aug. 21, 2021

Ex-Finance Minister Kim announces presidential bid as independent

Former Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon announced Friday he will run in the presidential election slated for March as an independent. "I will run in next year's presidential election," Kim said during a press conference in his hometown of Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province. He added he would win the race outside of the political establishment, explaining the ruling and main opposition parties are only interested in maintaining their vested rights rather than improving the livelihoods

Aug. 20, 2021

[Newsmaker] PPP presidential contenders in slugfest

People aiming to be the main opposition party‘s candidate for president are busy attacking each other ahead of the primary. Rep. Hong Joon-pyo of the People Power Party has been blasting Yoon Seok-youl for his lack of experience; former legislator Yoo Seung-min and ex-chief state auditor Choe Jae-hyeong have been arguing over adding a clause in the primary rules; and former Jeju governor Won Hee-ryong has been harassing PPP leader Lee Jun-seok. “Someone who has been doing only pros

Aug. 20, 2021

[Herald Interview] Gangwon aims to go carbon neutral by 2040

Gangwon Province will achieve carbon neurality in 2040 and lead South Korea into a more eco-friendly future, says Choi Moon-soon, the province’s governor. Speaking on the sidelines of JeongSeon Forum 2021, which aims to develop solutions to achieve carbon neutrality and weather the climate crisis, Choi said that new technologies coupled with the province’s natural assets will help make the goal a reality. “At this year’s forum, the issue of going carbon neutral is bei

Aug. 19, 2021

[News Focus] Controversial ‘fake news’ bill draws closer to legislation

A bill backed by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea that would penalize media outlets and journalists for producing “fake news” was approved by a parliamentary committee Thursday, taking it another step closer to becoming law. It is likely the proposed revision to the Press Arbitration Act will be put to a final vote and passed during a plenary session Wednesday, as the ruling party controls about 60 percent of the National Assembly’s 300 seats. The bill, which the ruling p

Aug. 19, 2021

Vice FM Choi attends conference call with 19 foreign counterparts

Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon has attended a conference call with his counterparts from the United States and 18 other countries to discuss cooperation over the situation in Afghanistan, the foreign ministry said Thursday. During Wednesday's conference led by US. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, most participants shared the need for close cooperation to ensure the restoration of peace in Afghanistan and the safe return home of their citizens, the ministry said. Among the

Aug. 19, 2021

PPP chief faces leadership crisis as drawn-out turf war with Yoon causes chaos

The leadership of Lee Jun-seok, the young and unconventional chairman of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), has taken a major blow from a protracted power game with the party's leading presidential contender Yoon Seok-youl that has created unexpected ruptures and bad blood within the party. The relationship between the two has been on shaky ground from the get-go since Yoon, previously an independent, joined the party in late July when Lee was away from the party headquarters on a bu

Aug. 18, 2021