Moon says S. Korea-US alliance crucial for Korea peace process

President Moon Jae-in stressed Monday the importance of reinforcing the South Korea-US alliance for the success of the Korea peace process in a direct message to the new foreign minister, Cheong Wa Dae said. Moon pointed out that Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong is an architect of his liberal administration's diplomatic and security policy as the president gave him a letter of appointment. Chung had long served as director of national security at the presidential office, the equivalent of the W

Feb. 15, 2021

Revised laws to limit use of plastic, disposable items

The environment ministry said Monday it has revised a set of laws to limit the use of plastic and other disposable items as the country grapples with soaring waste amid the coronavirus pandemic. The revisions, which will be subject to a public review from Tuesday until March 29, include a ban on the use of paper cups, plastic straws and stirrers inside cafes and other eateries. The use of plastic bags will now be prohibited at retailers and bakeries, expanding a ban that currently applies to l

Feb. 15, 2021

S. Korea to launch new-format social distancing campaign in March, Moon says

President Moon Jae-in said Monday his government will introduce new social distancing rules next month as South Korea is gearing up for full-fledged COVID-19 vaccine shots. The focus will be on minimizing compulsory measures and encouraging voluntary ones, he said during a weekly meeting with his senior Cheong Wa Dae aides. "It will be changed to disease control and prevention based on autonomy and responsibility from a one-size-fits-all compulsory way," Moon said. He cited "ac

Feb. 15, 2021

DP switches emergency handout strategy to prioritize targeted virus relief

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) has switched its strategy in giving out the nation's fourth round of emergency coronavirus relief handouts, opting to first prioritize a selective program as opposed to seeking both selective and universal stimulus packages in the same time window. On Sunday, DP Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon announced that the party and the government will engage in full-fledged talks on the country's new round of emergency relief handouts under a plan to submit an extra budget draf

Feb. 15, 2021

Ruling party, gov't start discussing extra budget for selective relief handouts

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) started discussing the extra budget with the government to selectively provide the fourth round of emergency handouts to people and businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic by the end of next month, the party leader said Sunday. DP Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon made the remarks in a press conference, adding both sides will wrap up the discussion within February.  Earlier, DP floor leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon said in another press conference that the pa

Feb. 14, 2021

Gyeonggi governor stays on top of presidential preference survey

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung is firmly at the top of the recent presidential preference survey, widening the gap with two other high-profile figures, ruling Democratic Party Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, a poll showed Sunday. In a survey conducted by broadcaster SBS on 1,002 people aged 18 or older nationwide for four days from Feb. 6 to 9, Gov. Lee, who belongs to the Democratic Party of Korea, ranked first with a 28.6 percent approval in potential

Feb. 14, 2021

Main opposition to seek prosecution probe against chief justice

The main opposition People Power Party on Friday stepped up its pressure on the chief justice to step down for his alleged role in the parliamentary impeachment of a judge, threatening to file a criminal complaint against him if he refuses to resign. "(The PPP) has a stance that it will lodge a complaint against Chief Supreme Court Justice Kim Meong-su with the prosecution if he does not step down," Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, who heads the party's campaign against the chief justice, told Yo

Feb. 12, 2021

Moon appoints new culture minister despite backlash from opposition party

President Moon Jae-in appointed Hwang Hee, a ruling Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker, as new culture minister Wednesday, a day after the National Assembly's confirmation hearing on him. Hwang's tenure starts on Thursday, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said in a note to reporters. Earlier in the day, a related parliamentary committee, controlled by the DP, adopted a report on the results of its confirmation hearing on Hwang, held Tuesday, amid a boycott by the main opposition People Power

Feb. 10, 2021

Moon administration has no personnel blacklist: Cheong Wa Dae

Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday that the current administration under President Moon Jae-in has not produced nor operated a discriminatory personnel blacklist, in reaction to the conviction of a former minister for alleged unlawful intervention in personnel decisions at state-run companies. On Tuesday, former Environment Minister Kim Eun-kyung was sentenced to two years and six months in prison in the so-called Environment Ministry blacklist case, after a court found her guilty of power abuse and

Feb. 10, 2021

Ultrafine dust density falls in S. Korea, China due to bilateral cooperation

The density of ultrafine dust particles has markedly fallen in both South Korea and China last year due mainly to close bilateral cooperation, their governments said in a joint press release Wednesday. According to the release by Seoul's Ministry of Environment and Beijing's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, concentrations of ultrafine dust particles declined about 27 percent in South Korea and slightly over 28 percent in China in 2020, compared with the 2015 levels. In South Korea, last ye

Feb. 10, 2021

Moon, first lady visit traditional fish market ahead of Lunar New Year

President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook visited a traditional fish market in a western port city Wednesday to hear out the hardships of small merchants going through tough times due to the new coronavirus and encourage them ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Moon and Kim visited the Soraepo-gu Fish Market in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, to speak directly with merchants and buy local goods, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The two purchased fresh fish and salted and dried fish p

Feb. 10, 2021

DP’s Park ahead in Seoul mayoral race: poll

Park Young-sun, one of the two ruling Democratic Party preliminary candidates, was ahead of all other Seoul mayoral hopefuls in poll results released by Realmeter on Wednesday. In a survey of 1,016 Seoul citizens aged 18 and above, conducted by the pollster on Sunday and Monday, and commissioned by YTN and TBS, 38.9 percent said they would vote for Park against Ahn Cheol-soo, if the two were in a two-way race. Some 36.3 percent said they would vote for Ahn, a centrist tech entrepreneur-turne

Feb. 10, 2021

Lunar New Year to be critical juncture for third pandemic wave: PM

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Wednesday that how the nation deals with the pandemic during this week's Lunar New Year holiday will be crucial in the outcome of South Korea's grueling battle against the third COVID-19 wave. "The Lunar New Year holiday which begins tomorrow is an important crossroad for the trajectory of the COVID-19 (pandemic). The most critical-to-date third wave could either end, or its dying embers could flare up again," Chung said during an interagency meeting

Feb. 10, 2021

Ruling party accelerates legislation drive to curb fake news

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Tuesday vowed to legislate a set of bills that would increase the burden of responsibility of news media, internet portals, YouTubers and bloggers for fake or false news. "We decided to push for legislation under the principle that news media and internet portals should be included among the subjects of punitive compensation," DP spokesman Rep. Choi In-ho told reporters after a meeting of the party's task force on media reform. The party will make e

Feb. 9, 2021

Moon to hold video call with 8 citizens on Lunar New Year holiday

President Moon Jae-in will talk with eight South Korean citizens via a popular mobile messenger app on the occasion of the Lunar New Year holiday this week, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. The video call scheduled for Thursday is part of Moon's stated efforts to rev up "direct public communication," as the people are going through difficulties from the COVID-19 crisis. Moon has set "recovery, inclusiveness and resurgence" as key policy goals of 2021. The eight, selected to repr

Feb. 9, 2021

Moon strives to win back public support in polls

President Moon Jae-in, whose job approval rating fell again this week, is striving to win back public support, making more frequent on-site contact with the public ahead of the Lunar New Year’s holiday that starts Thursday. According to a recent poll by Realmeter on Monday, his approval rating marked 39.3 percent, down 3.2 percentage points from a week ago. The fall came after his approval bounced back starting this year to remain in the 40 percent range for weeks. Realmeter said polit

Feb. 9, 2021

Ruling party speeds up efforts to weaken prosecution’s power

The ruling Democratic Party is speeding up the process of weakening the power of the prosecution. Now it is moving to create a new investigative agency, on the heels of the establishment of an agency to investigate corruption. On Tuesday, 14 lawmakers led by Rep. Hwang Woon-ha of the ruling party proposed a bill to create an investigative agency tentatively called the serious criminal investigation agency, which would be dedicated to investigating serious crimes -- currently the purview of the

Feb. 9, 2021

Culture minister nominee vows efforts to recover COVID-19-hit culture, sports, tourism sectors

Culture Minister nominee Hwang Hee pledged efforts Tuesday to help recover the culture, sports and tourism sectors hit particularly hard by the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Those who work in the culture, sports and tourism fields have been under bigger and graver pain from the COVID-19 pandemic," the nominee said in his speech to the parliamentary culture committee during a confirmation hearing. "I will pour my utmost efforts to helping them recover rapidly if I am appointed

Feb. 9, 2021

Prosecutors drop charge against top prosecutor over illegal surveillance of judges

Prosecutors dropped a charge on Tuesday against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl that he ordered the illegal surveillance of judges hearing politically sensitive cases. The Seoul High Prosecutors Office said it concluded that the abuse of power accusation against Yoon was unfounded, after questioning multiple people involved in the case and going over similar cases. The Ministry of Justice in February ordered the Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) to investigate the allegation. The SPO later re

Feb. 9, 2021

Ministry hopes for early resumption of Kaesong complex as it marks anniversary of shutdown

The unification ministry on Tuesday expressed hope for the early reopening of a now-shuttered industrial complex in North Korea's border town of Kaesong as it marks the fifth anniversary of its closure amid chilled inter-Korean relations. South Korea closed the Kaesong Industrial Complex in February 2016 in retaliation against the North's nuclear and missile provocations. The Kaesong complex had been considered one of the most tangible symbols of inter-Korean reconciliation. "The governme

Feb. 9, 2021