Moon visits public rental home complex amid housing market instability

President Moon Jae-in made an on-site inspection Friday of a major public rental housing complex south of Seoul, as a public outcry has been mounting over soaring home prices and rental costs. Cheong Wa Dae described Moon's move as meant to demonstrate the government's policy commitment to improving the public-sector supply of such rental homes in both quantity and quality. Moon stressed the importance of providing "houses in which everyone wants to reside" during the visit to the co

Dec. 11, 2020

Moon announces S. Korea’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050

President Moon Jae-in officially announced South Korea‘s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 in his address to the nation on Thursday. Moon said going carbon neutral cannot not be delayed any further as Korea looks to overcome the climate crisis and aim for a sustainable future, according to the presidential office. By promising carbon neutrality, Korea will raise new, promising industries, activate a circular economy and help form a low-carbon ecosystem for the business sector,

Dec. 10, 2020

Top court orders retrial of inter-Korean summit transcript destruction case

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a lower court to reconsider its not guilty verdict for two former presidential officials accused of destroying a transcript of the 2007 inter-Korean summit to cover up the then-South Korean president's alleged offer to surrender the de facto western sea border. The top court remanded the case to the Seoul High Court, ordering a retrial of Baek Jong-chun and Cho Myoung-gyon, who served in the administration of President Roh Moo-hyun. The court ruled that th

Dec. 10, 2020

Moon hails passage of bill on anti-corruption investigative body

President Moon Jae-in welcomed the passage of a bill Thursday on facilitating the launch of a non-prosecution body tasked with investigating corruption among senior government officials. He said it's "fortunate" that the way has been opened for the speedy establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. The president expressed expectation that the CIO will be formally set up at the start of 2021

Dec. 10, 2020

Nat'l Assembly passes contentious bill on new investigative organ amid opposition protests

The National Assembly passed a contentious bill Thursday that would expedite the launch of a new investigative body handling high-profile corruption cases amid fierce protest from conservative opposition lawmakers. The revision bill on the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) law passed a plenary session in a 187-99 vote. One lawmaker abstained. The proposal was tabled at the last plenary meeting of the regular parliamentary session Wednesday, but the main oppositio

Dec. 10, 2020

Experts call for expanding hallyu infrastructure at home

Despite the rising status of hallyu, or the wave of Korean pop culture, across the world, relevant support infrastructure at home has failed to catch up, hallyu experts said Thursday, calling for the immediate construction of a K-pop concert arena and hallyu big data center, among other measures. The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI), a think tank affiliated with the culture ministry, said the construction of a hallyu big data center will elevate the cultural hallyu industry to higher

Dec. 10, 2020

Moon's approval rating dips again, reaches new low of 37.1%: poll

President Moon Jae-in's job approval rating has dropped again this week, dipping further from last week's all-time low figure, a poll showed Thursday, with a rift between the justice minister and the top prosecutor deepening and new virus cases soaring across the nation. In a Realmeter survey on 1,509 voters nationwide from Monday through Wednesday, 37.1 percent of respondents said they supported Moon. The figure represents a 0.3 percentage point dip from the 37.4 percent approval rating from

Dec. 10, 2020

[Newsmaker] Justice ministry holds disciplinary session over prosecution chief's alleged wrongdoing

The Ministry of Justice held a meeting Thursday to discuss disciplinary measures against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl over alleged irregularities, after delaying the session twice amid backlash. Last month, Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae suspended Yoon for six counts of alleged wrongdoing, including surveillance of the judiciary, the first time a justice minister has taken such a step in the country's history. Yoon, who fiercely refuted all allegations against him, has been restored after wi

Dec. 10, 2020

Parliament passes key economic proposals, contentious bills stalled amid opposition protest

The National Assembly on Wednesday approved a number of bills, including those related to corporate governance, police overhaul and labor reform. But a highly contentious proposal aimed at facilitating the launch of a new investigative agency for high-profile corruption failed to pass due to objection by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). The ruling Democratic Party (DP) said it will proceed with the bill Thursday when an extraordinary session opens. More than 110 bills were passed

Dec. 9, 2020

Ruling party seeks to relocate Assembly to Sejong

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea resolved on Wednesday to move 10 National Assembly standing committees to the administrative capital of Sejong, making its plan official in an effort to quell overpopulation in Seoul and achieve more balanced regional development. A party relocation plan steering group submitted a comprehensive report to the party’s supreme council on moving the parliament out of Seoul to Sejong. “The steering team has been working for about four months to re

Dec. 9, 2020

Moon asks lawmakers to hold hearings on new Cabinet nominees

President Moon Jae-in formally requested Wednesday that lawmakers hold confirmation hearings on his picks to serve as new ministers of interior, land, health and gender equality. Moon signed related documents on the four nominees and submitted them to the National Assembly earlier in the day, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok told reporters. Last Friday, Moon picked Rep. Jeon Hae-cheol of the ruling Democratic Party as the interior and safety minister and Kwon Deok-cheol, head of the Korea

Dec. 9, 2020

Opposition raises heat on Moon over prosecutorial reform

Rep. Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party on Wednesday demanded a meeting with President Moon Jae-in, accusing the president of setting in motion the controversies surrounding the prosecutors’ office. “President Moon is the cause of the situation, and the person most in charge,” Joo said at a meeting of People Power Party lawmakers, adding that he has requested a meeting with Moon. “I will ask in person if the actions of the Democratic

Dec. 9, 2020

Ruling party seeks to pass controversial bills at plenary session

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) was poised to push for the passage of a set of controversial bills through the National Assembly's plenary session Wednesday despite fierce protests from the conservative main opposition bloc. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) requested a filibuster to block the passage of five bills during the plenary session scheduled for 2 p.m., a parliamentary source told Yonhap News Agency. The DP currently holds a majority in the 300-member assembly. One of the

Dec. 9, 2020

Global Korea Convention opens to spotlight Seoul's achievements in int'l cooperation

An international forum kicked off in Seoul on Wednesday to share South Korea's achievements in global cooperation and explore its future roles and challenges in the post-COVID-19 era. Global Korea Convention 2020 opened in a ceremony at the K-Hotel Seoul for a three-day run, with the in-person and online attendance of about 30 dignitaries, including Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun; and National As

Dec. 9, 2020

Moon says trans-Pacific trade pact will be considered

President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that the government will consider joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership as part of its drive to expand the country’s free trade partners. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 57th Trade Day, Moon said the government will expand South Korea’s free trade network to prepare the country for increasing competition, and that the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership remains an opt

Dec. 8, 2020

Assembly committee passes bill on removing opposition's veto power over new investigative body

A parliamentary committee on Tuesday passed a bill that would strip the opposition of its power to frustrate the process to launch a new agency investigating high-profile corruption cases. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee, where the ruling Democratic Party controls a majority, railroaded the bill to revise the act on the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. The revision bill aims to lower the bar on picking candidates for the inaugural CIO chief, as the oppositio

Dec. 8, 2020

Seoul city to extend COVID-19 test hours amid rapid virus spread

The Seoul city government said Tuesday it will extend the opening hours of public coronavirus test centers until 9 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. on weekends. Park Yoo-mi, a disease control official at the city government, told a virtual press briefing that the extended hours will help expand testing amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the greater Seoul area. She also said the city will reinstall drive-thru test centers as part of the effort. Seoul reported 214 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, the s

Dec. 8, 2020

Politician fined for smearing rival ahead of parliamentary elections

A Seoul court has slapped a fine on a progressive politician accused of staging a protest to smear a rival candidate in the run-up to the April parliamentary elections. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced the 29-year-old woman to a fine of 800,000 won ($737) on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, according to judicial sources on Tuesday. Running for the parliamentary seat for district B of Seoul's Dongjak ward on the ticket of the minor Minjung Party, the defendant wa

Dec. 8, 2020

Moon: S. Korea to consider joining CPTPP to expand its free trade network

President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that South Korea is considering becoming a member of a major Asia-Pacific free trade agreement, known as the CPTPP, as part of efforts to diversify its export market. He also stressed the need to build up the strength of the country's trade in preparation for the post-coronavirus era, addressing a 57th Trade Day ceremony. "Diversifying the market is a task that (we) should achieve," he said during the event held at the COEX convention center in sout

Dec. 8, 2020

Judges decide not to respond to alleged surveillance of judiciary by prosecutors

South Korean judges on Monday decided not to officially respond to allegations of surveillance of the judiciary by prosecutors, a politically explosive accusation that, if proven, could unseat the country's top prosecutor. The National Conference of Judges, which meets biannually to discuss various issues affecting trials, said in a statement that while the issue was being discussed, more than a majority of the judges had reservations about the discussions being made public and wanted to remain

Dec. 7, 2020