DP to revise law to establish new state agency on workplace disaster safety

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) has decided to consult with rival parties to establish a new government organization dedicated to promoting occupational safety and better preventing industrial disasters, the party's chief said Monday. In a party leadership meeting, DP Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon said that the DP will draft a revised Government Organization Act and submit it to the National Assembly to launch the new agency after consulting with opposition parties. According to Lee, the DP and t

Jan. 25, 2021

[Newsmaker] Justice Party head resigns over sexual harassment

The head of a minor progressive opposition party was removed from his post on Monday over sexual harassment, marking the first time the leader of a political party in South Korea has stepped down due to sexual misconduct. The Justice Party -- which has been a strong advocate on gender equality issues -- has pledged to deal with this issue according to the principle of zero tolerance. On Monday Bae Bok-joo, head of the Justice Party’s gender human rights division, officially disclosed le

Jan. 25, 2021

[Herald Interview] Young feminist runs for Seoul mayor

Shin Ji-hye, a 33-year-old feminist and socially liberal politician, hopes to set off sweeping changes in the nation and challenge social, financial and gender inequality, starting with the Seoul mayoral election. Shin, a representative of the minor Basic Income Party, and other members of her party believe a new social contract is necessary in an era where decent jobs are on the decline, poverty is growing, inequality is widening and housing prices are skyrocketing. “We created this

Jan. 25, 2021

Border county struggling to get rid of fish inventory from canceled ice fishing fest

HWACHEON -- Many local governments nationwide are struggling to cope with repercussions from the coronavirus-caused cancellations of their seasonal festivals that used to generate sizable economic benefits and tourism income for local residents and merchants. The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, a world famous ice fishing event hosted every winter by Hwacheon, a Gangwon Province county near the inter-Korean border, is not an exception, as its 2021 edition was cancelled due to COVID-19. The nu

Jan. 25, 2021

[Newsmaker] Chief of progressive minor party steps down over sexual harassment of party lawmaker

Kim Jong-cheol, the chief of the progressive minor Justice Party, stepped down Monday over what the party called "obvious sexual harassment" of a female lawmaker of the same party. It is the first time that the head of an established political party has resigned due to sexual misconduct. The unprecedented case is expected to deal a crushing blow to the party which has championed gender equality on top of the rights of social minorities. "I came here to announce very humiliating,

Jan. 25, 2021

Moon's approval rating jumps to 43% after New Year's address: Realmeter

President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has bounced back to over 40 percent, driven mainly by his New Year's address, Realmeter said Monday. In the tracking poll of 2,510 voters nationwide from last Monday to Friday, Moon's job approval rating rose 5.1 percentage points to 43.0 percent. It marks the first time that the rating has topped 40 percent in eight weeks in the Seoul-based pollster's survey. Moon's approval had been on the decline since recording 43.8 percent in the fourth week of Nove

Jan. 25, 2021

[Newsmaker] Opposition lays siege to new justice minister nominee

Opposition lawmakers were geared up to use Monday’s confirmation hearing for Justice Minister nominee Park Beom-kye to their fullest advantage by bashing him over numerous issues, including his failure to declare some of his assets. The opposition’s offensive in the series of hearings for ministerial nominees since last week has mainly focused on Park, who himself rose to confirmation hearing stardom in 2014. As a first-time lawmaker at the time, Park raised allegations that the aut

Jan. 24, 2021

Moon to receive policy briefing on vaccine, antivirus efforts

President Moon Jae-in is set to receive a policy briefing on the country's vaccination plans and ongoing efforts to fight the new coronavirus this week, a presidential official said Sunday. Moon will hold a teleconference at Cheong Wa Dae on Monday with relevant ministers -- including Welfare Minister Kwon Deok-cheol, Food and Drug Safety Minister Kim Ganglip and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency chief Jeong Eun-kyeong, according to the official. The officials are expected to report

Jan. 24, 2021

Moon to accept Britain's invitation to G-7 summit, official says

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has formally invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in to an in-person G-7 summit, scheduled to be held in June, via a personal letter, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. Moon plans to reply it, expressing his commitment to making contributions so that this year's summit of the G-7 nations can produce a significant accomplishment, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. A presidential official later told reporters that they may construe the message as

Jan. 22, 2021

Court refuses to cancel seizure of annex to ex-President Chun's house

A Seoul court on Friday rejected a request to cancel the seizure of a building owned by former President Chun Doo-hwan's family in western Seoul. The Seoul Administrative Court issued the ruling in response to an October 2018 lawsuit filed by one of Chun's daughters-in-law, surnamed Lee, who claimed the seizure of the annex inside the former president's residential compound was unjustified because it is under her name. The entire residence was put up for auction in 2018 at the request of the p

Jan. 22, 2021

Unification ministry announces guidelines on leafleting ban to clarify 'scope of application'

The unification ministry on Friday unveiled guidelines on a recently legislated ban on sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea in an effort to ensure better interpretation of the law. The amendment to the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, which passed the National Assembly and the Cabinet last month, has raised concerns among critics that it could hurt freedom of expression and undercut efforts to send outside information into the reclusive North. Concerns were also raised th

Jan. 22, 2021

Amb. Kang reaffirms S. Korea's 'firm' will to improve ties with Japan

New South Korean Ambassador to Japan Kang Chang-il said Friday that Seoul has a "firm" will to normalize relations with Tokyo, as he departed for the country amid a protracted row over wartime history and trade. "The Moon government has a firm will to normalize relations between South Korea and Japan, and the president also expressed the will during a New Year's press conference," he told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. "I plan to relay this

Jan. 22, 2021

Ex-ruling party official gets jail term for taking bribes from financial scam suspect

A former official of the ruling Democratic Party was sentenced to two years in prison by a local court on Friday for taking bribes from a key suspect in a massive financial fraud case. The Seoul Southern District Court also ordered Lee Sang-ho, who formerly headed a Busan chapter of the Democratic Party, to forfeit 30 million won ($27,230) after convicting him of receiving about 86 million won in political and other funds from Kim Bong-hyun, a prime suspect in the financial fraud case involving

Jan. 22, 2021

Moon recommits to engaging with N. Korea

President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed his commitment to reviving the stalled nuclear talks with North Korea at a meeting Thursday, where he was briefed by his security aides on major initiatives this year to improve inter-Korean relations and South Korea’s ties with the outside world. At the briefing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would work closely with the Biden administration in the US to help restart nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang. Senior-level talks w

Jan. 21, 2021

Moon vows close cooperation with Biden for Korea peace process

President Moon Jae-in pledged Thursday to maintain close partnerships with the new US administration, chairing a rare plenary session of the National Security Council (NSC) hours after Joe Biden's inauguration. "The government will develop the South Korea-US alliance as a more comprehensive and mutually beneficial one," he said at the outset of the session held at Cheong Wa Dae, which was briefly open to pool reporters. Moon also said his government will make utmost efforts to restar

Jan. 21, 2021

Powerful new anti-corruption watchdog unleashed

A powerful new anti-corruption watchdog has officially kicked off, with President Moon Jae-in swearing in Kim Jin-wook, a former judge, as the inaugural chief of the agency Thursday. Kim immediately started his three-year term with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which is tasked with handling corruption cases involving ranking government officials, including senior prosecutors and police officers. “You should have pride and responsibility to lead the n

Jan. 21, 2021

Death toll from industrial disasters rebounded in 2020: minister

Deaths from industrial accidents rebounded in South Korea last year, the labor minister said Thursday, despite the Moon Jae-in government's pledge to halve the number of workers killed in the line of duty during its term. Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jae-kap said industrial disasters and work-related accidents took the lives of 882 workers in 2020, marking a rise of 27 deaths from the previous year. The number of workers killed on the job had increased from 964 in 2017 to 971 in 2018 b

Jan. 21, 2021

FM nominee Chung says he feels sense of 'immense responsibility' amid diplomatic challenges

Foreign Minister nominee Chung Eui-young said Thursday that he felt a sense of "immense responsibility" amid "difficult" diplomatic environments, as he faces the North Korean nuclear quandary and other policy challenges if appointed. President Moon Jae-in designated Chung, the former director of the National Security Office, as new foreign minister on Wednesday, as Seoul seeks to tighten up cooperation with the new US government of Joe Biden to resume stalled nuclear diploma

Jan. 21, 2021

Moon's approval rating makes strong rebound to 43.6%: Realmeter

President Moon Jae-in's latest job approval rating has shown a strong rebound, landing back in the 40 percent range for the first time in two months, following his New Year's press conference and a Cabinet shake-up, a poll showed Thursday. In the three-day tracking survey by Realmeter of 1,510 voters nationwide from Monday, Moon's approval rating stood at 43.6 percent, soaring 5.7 percentage points from a week ago. Moon's approval ratings tallied by Realmeter, which stood at 43.8 percent in la

Jan. 21, 2021

PM orders authorities to take steps in compensating losses over forced business closures

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Thursday ordered state finance authorities to take legislative steps to legally enable compensations for small businesses that have suffered losses due to forced closures from the government's antivirus measures. "I've been well aware of the hearts of small business owners, who have reached their limits as COVID-19 has lasted for over a year. The four separate extra budgets and the tailored support programs remain insufficient in fully healing the pain,&quo

Jan. 21, 2021