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

Moon to send special envoy to Russia in December, source says

President Moon Jae-in plans to dispatch Woo Yoon-keun, a former three-term ruling Democratic Party lawmaker, to Russia this month as special envoy, an informed source said Monday. The move comes amid speculation that Woo may be tapped as Moon's new chief of staff. Woo, who served as ambassador to Russia from 2017-2019, is expected to have the mission of discussing pending Seoul-Moscow issues, including the possibility of President Vladimir Putin's trip here that has been delayed due to the COV

Dec. 7, 2020

Moon offers public apology for 'confusion' related to prosecution reform drive

President Moon Jae-in apologized publicly Monday for "confusion" from his administration's push for the reform of powerful institutions, especially the state prosecution service. He expressed his wish that it would be the "last pang" in efforts for the democratic reform process. The president was apparently responding to a conflict between Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. "I am very sorry as the president for the confusing political s

Dec. 7, 2020

Rival parties seek last-minute negotiations on contentious corruption probe unit

Rival parties agreed Monday to seek last-minute negotiations on the contentious issue of picking the inaugural chief of a new investigative unit specializing in corruption by high-ranking government officials. The agreement between the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) came during a meeting between their floor leaders, Reps. Kim Tae-nyeon and Joo Ho-young, respectively, mediated by National Assembly Speaker Rep. Park Byeong-seug. The DP is aiming to

Dec. 7, 2020

44% of voters said only Choo should resign: pollster

President Moon Jae-in’s support rating hit its lowest point ever last week, marking the sharpest weekly drop since his term began, local pollster Realmeter said Monday. In a separate poll by the same pollster, 44.3 percent of voters said only Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae should resign after her monthslong conflict with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl over control of the prosecution and its work. On Nov. 24, Choo announced her decision to remove Yoon from duty, and the two are in a legal

Dec. 7, 2020

[Newsmaker] Moon urges measures for thorough tracing of coronavirus infections

President Moon Jae-in instructed the government Monday to mobilize "every available" workforce for thorough tracing of COVID-19 infections, Cheong Wa Dae said. He called for measures to enhance the capabilities of tracking and tracing coronavirus-related contacts in response to continued surges in infections especially in and around Seoul, according to Chung Man-ho, senior presidential secretary for public communication. Health authorities here have been suffering increased difficult

Dec. 7, 2020

Justice ministry appeals court's decision lifting top prosecutor's suspension

South Korea's justice ministry has filed an appeal against a court's decision that lifted Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's order to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl from duty, the ministry's legal representative said Friday. Lee Oak-hyung, the lawyer for Choo, said the ministry has requested that a higher court review the Seoul Administrative Court's ruling on Tuesday that allowed Yoon to return to work. Choo suspended Yoon from duty earlier last week and said she would discipline him o

Dec. 4, 2020

Top prosecutor brings his disciplinary case to Constitutional Court

South Korea's top prosecutor filed a complaint on Friday with the Constitutional Court, taking issue with the "unfairness" of the prosecutor disciplinary act under which the justice minister seeks to punish him. Lee Wan-kyu, the lawyer for Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, told reporters that some provisions of the act were "against the Constitution" as they seriously harm the fairness of the operation of a disciplinary committee. Under the act, the disciplinary committee

Dec. 4, 2020

Moon picks new land minister in partial Cabinet shake-up

President Moon Jae-in on Friday nominated a new land minister in a partial Cabinet shake-up, Cheong Wa Dae said, amid a fierce public backlash against the government's real estate policy. Byeon Chang-heum, head of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation, also known as LH, was tapped as the new land and transport minister. The nomination comes as Kim Hyun-mi, the current minister, has come under intense public criticism as of late after a series of government policies aimed at curbing skyrocket

Dec. 4, 2020

Seoul orders closure of stores, theaters, internet cafes after 9 p.m.

The Seoul city government said Friday that stores, theaters and multiple other facilities must close after 9 p.m. for two weeks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Acting Seoul Mayor Seo Jeong-hyup announced the new restriction during a virtual press briefing, saying the order will go into force Saturday. "Seoul is currently facing a desperately dangerous crisis," he said. "We have no room left to retreat. Starting tomorrow, we are halting Seoul after 9 p.m." The o

Dec. 4, 2020

Moon, first lady invite charity group representatives to Cheong Wa Dae

President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook on Friday invited representatives of major charity organizations to Cheong Wa Dae to thank and encourage them for their much-needed work in helping out the needy. The participants represent 14 charity groups, including the Salvation Army, Good Neighbors, the Korean National Tuberculosis Association, the Korean Red Cross and Babonanum, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Also invited were actor Jang Hyun-sung, mountaineer Um Hong-gil and singer Bada, w

Dec. 4, 2020

PM says virus crisis still ongoing, tougher measures to be considered

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Friday that the country's latest COVID-19 infection crisis is still ongoing and that authorities will consider enforcing tougher antivirus measures after monitoring the situation. "The number of new COVID-19 infections, which shrunk a bit as of late, is again increasing, and the crisis situation is still ongoing," Chung said during a government meeting of top officials in charge of dealing with the pandemic. The meeting of the Central Disaster and S

Dec. 4, 2020

In UN speech, PM stresses need for 'equitable access' to COVID-19 vaccines

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Friday that the international community must work together to ensure each nation has evenhanded access to COVID-19 vaccines once they are developed and available for use. "To envision a resolution to this crisis that leaves no one behind, we must guarantee equitable access to vaccines and treatments, once available," Chung said in a video speech during the 31st special session of the United Nations General Assembly held in response to the COVID-19 pa

Dec. 4, 2020

Justice minister denies any plans to resign, stresses prosecutorial reform

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae on Thursday continued to emphasize the importance of prosecutorial reform as public opinion leans against her in her battle with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. On Thursday Choo wrote a lengthy message on her Facebook account, accusing public prosecutors of wielding unchecked power and resisting reform to serve their own interests. “The prosecutors’ office failed to differentiate between prosecutorial independence and abusing prosecutorial power

Dec. 3, 2020

Local govt. to retain controversial statues of former presidents

A provincial government in central South Korea said Thursday it has decided to retain the statues of former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo at a local park, dismissing a civic group's request for their removal. The government of North Chungcheong Province announced the decision to keep intact the controversial statues of Chun and Roh installed at the Cheongnamdae Presidential Villa, a lakeside park formerly used by presidents as their summer retreat, in the province's capital of Cheong

Dec. 3, 2020

Moon says 'procedural justification' is important over prosecution chief's fate

President Moon Jae-in has emphasized the importance of "procedural justification and fairness" in deciding whether to discipline South Korea's top prosecutor over his alleged wrongdoings, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. With regard to the operation of a related disciplinary committee against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, Moon said, "Procedural justification and fairness are very important," according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. The president pointed out the

Dec. 3, 2020

Moon's approval rating hits all-time low of 37.4%: Realmeter

President Moon Jae-in's job approval rating has fallen to a record low of 37.4 percent, a poll showed Thursday, with a rift between the justice minister and the top prosecutor deepening and housing prices in major areas continuing to rise. Public approval for the ruling Democratic Party (DP) also dropped to 28.9 percent, the lowest since the launch of the Moon administration in May 2017, while that of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) rose to 31.2 percent, according to Realmeter. Th

Dec. 3, 2020

Prosecution seeks arrest warrants for 3 officials over Wolsong-1 shutdown controversy

DAEJEON -- The prosecution has sought arrest warrants for three government officials suspected of deleting documents related to the controversial closure of the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor. The Daejeon District Prosecutors Office on Wednesday requested that the court grant the warrants against three officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, whose names were withheld, on charges of disturbing the state auditors' examination. They allegedly destroyed 444 materials and files about

Dec. 3, 2020

National Assembly passes W558tr national budget for 2021

The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a 558 trillion-won ($506 billion) national budget for 2021 that includes nearly 4 trillion won allotted for additional COVID-19 relief funds and coronavirus vaccine purchases.    The assembly's plenary session overwhelmingly approved the 2021 budget bill in a 249-26 vote. Twelve lawmakers abstained.    It marks the first national budget approved by the National Assembly within the legal deadline since 2014, as fierce partisan wran

Dec. 2, 2020

Ruling party pushes for legislation of ban on anti-N. Korea leaflet campaign

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea passed a bill that bans anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns, at a parliamentary committee session Wednesday. The bill is now headed for a legal review at the parliament‘s legislation committee before it reaches a final vote. The party’s members of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee voted on the Amendment Bill for the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act initiated by Rep. Song Young-gil, who chairs the committee. Lawmakers of the

Dec. 2, 2020