Moon slammed for thanking nurses amid doctors’ strike

Opposition politicians continued to blast President Moon Jae-in for his social media post Wednesday, in which he thanked nurses for their efforts without mentioning doctors, who are currently taking industrial action against proposed health care reforms. Thousands of medical interns and resident trainee doctors have been on strike since last month, calling on the government to scrap its plan to increase the quota of students admitted to medical schools and open a new public medical school to b

Sept. 3, 2020

Main opposition repeats demand for legislation committee chairship

The main opposition United Future Party will not renegotiate allocation of parliamentary committee chair posts unless the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chair is included, Floor Leader Rep. Joo Ho-young said Wednesday. Speaking in a radio interview, the main opposition floor leader said that while the issue will be discussed with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s Floor Leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon, his party will not accept changes that do not include the legislation committee.

Sept. 2, 2020

[News Focus] Democratic Party leader vows to speed up fourth extra budget plan

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Nak-yon said Wednesday his party will speed up discussions with the government for the nation’s fourth extra budget this year to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. “(We) will soon wrap up talks with the government and draw up a supplementary budget plan so we can get it executed as soon as possible,” Lee said at the party’s supreme council meeting Wednesday morning. “(We) must be able to ease the burden on the self-emplo

Sept. 2, 2020

UN human rights office in Seoul calls on NK to clarify 316 cases of missing people

The Seoul office of the UN human rights body has called on North Korea to clarify the fate of 316 cases of missing people, including South Korean and Japanese nationals, on the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Seoul made the call in a tweet Sunday, noting 11 passengers and crew members from South Korea who disappeared in the North's 1969 hijacking of a Korean Air flight and 12 Japanese nationals abducted in

Sept. 2, 2020

PM says this week is crucial in antivirus fight, requests people's patience

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun stressed Wednesday this week marks a "crucial watershed" in South Korea's fight against the new coronavirus and asked the people to have patience over strict social distancing rules. "This week, in particular, (the government) appeals (to the public) for having patience and joining the fight against COVID-19," he said during a daily inter-agency meeting on efforts to contain the virus spread. He said this week will be a "crucial watershed

Sept. 2, 2020

Scholars concerned over Sino-US rivalry's impact on global cooperation in post-pandemic era

Leading scholars from South Korea and abroad voiced concerns Tuesday that a growing Sino-US geopolitical rivalry may blunt the momentum for international cooperation in the post-coronavirus era, despite the pandemic raising the need for greater global solidarity. During the opening day sessions of the annual Seoul Defense Dialogue, some experts stressed the role of middle-power states, like South Korea, and multilateral institutions in fostering cooperation to tackle shared challenges, such as

Sept. 1, 2020

Another foreign ministry employee tests positive for coronavirus

Another case of the new coronavirus was confirmed at the foreign ministry building in central Seoul on Monday, officials said. A ministry employee tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day after visiting a guesthouse in the southern resort island of Jeju last week, where a cluster infection has been reported. About 10 people who came into contact with the patient went into self-quarantine, and the 9th floor of the building where the employee works was disinfected. The case raised the n

Aug. 31, 2020

Main opposition party to change name to People’s Power

The main opposition United Future Party filed an application with the National Election Commission on Monday, seeking to rename itself as part of a rebranding effort. The new name is “People’s Power.” The name change came just six months after the Liberty Korea Party merged with minor conservative parties in February to form the United Future Party. The new name won an endorsement at the party’s general meeting, held online earlier in the day. It was one of three na

Aug. 31, 2020

Moon, ruling party’s approval ratings rebound

The ruling Democratic Party’s approval rating has bounced back to the 40 percent-level for the first time in nine weeks, widening the gap with the main opposition United Future Party to over 10 percentage points, a survey showed Monday. According to the opinion poll conducted by Realmeter, the ruling party’s support increased 0.7 percentage points from a week ago to 40.4 percent, while that of the main opposition party dipped 5.0 percentage points to 30.1 percent. The survey w

Aug. 31, 2020

Moon continues reshuffle, creates youth policy secretary’s post

President Moon Jae-in on Monday replaced five secretaries and created a new secretarial post on issues concerning young people, continuing the reshuffle of the presidential secretariat. The six will begin their duties on Tuesday, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Moon named former Democratic Party lawmaker Bae Jae-jeung as his new political affairs secretary, and Chang Yong-seok, researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy, as secretary for security strategy. Noh Kyu-duk, who serv

Aug. 31, 2020

[News Focus] Daunting challenges await new ruling party chief Lee Nak-yon

Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s victory as the new leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea paves the way for his bid in the 2022 presidential race, but daunting challenges await him as the country battles a resurgence of coronavirus infections and soaring housing prices. 　 Lee took the helm of the party in a landslide vote Saturday, claiming 60.77 percent of the votes, beating former Interior Minister Kim Boo-kyum and two-term lawmaker Rep. Park Ju-min, who won 21.37 percent a

Aug. 30, 2020

Presidential hopeful Lee Nak-yon elected new ruling party chief

Rep. Lee Nak-yon, former prime minister and one of the leading presidential candidates for 2022, was elected the new chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Saturday.   　 The party elected its new leadership at its headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul, during an unprecedented virtual convention attended by only a minimal number of party officials at the site, due to recent surge of the new coronavirus cases here. 　 The 67-year-old five-term lawmaker overwhelmingly won 60.77

Aug. 29, 2020

[Newsmaker] National Assembly shuts down after reporter tested positive

The National Assembly shut down its facilities and canceled all meetings scheduled for Thursday following a positive COVID-19 test by a beat reporter. According to the National Assembly Secretariat, a photo reporter who covered a meeting of the Supreme Council of the ruling Democratic Party Korea on Wednesday morning received a positive test result later in the day. Some 50 people including lawmakers, key party officials and journalists attended the meeting. Leaders of the Democratic pa

Aug. 27, 2020

National Assembly to shut down Thursday after reporter tested positive for COVID-19

The National Assembly will be closed Thursday following a positive COVID-19 test by a journalist who covered a ruling party meeting there earlier Wednesday. Parliament reached the decision at an emergency COVID-19 response meeting. A photojournalist who covered the ruling Democratic Party's supreme council meeting earlier in the day tested positive for the virus. Chairman Lee Hae-chan and floor leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon attended the meeting. The journalist was screened because a relative wit

Aug. 26, 2020

Ruling party, some govt. offices grind to temporary halt due to virus cases

Work ground to a temporary halt for the ruling Democratic Party and several government offices Wednesday after confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases were reported at their workplaces. Top officials of the ruling Democratic Party, including Chairman Lee Hae-chan, voluntarily went under self-quarantine earlier in the day after coming in contact with a potential COVID-19 patient. Having covered a meeting of the party's top representatives Wednesday morning, a photojournalist was tested for the v

Aug. 26, 2020

Diplomats of S. Korea, ASEAN hold videoconference on pandemic, bilateral ties

Senior diplomats from South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held their annual talks via video links on Wednesday to discuss bilateral ties and joint efforts to contain the new coronavirus, the foreign ministry said. Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn and Brunei's Permanent Secretary Emaleen Abdul Rahman Teo led the talks on joint efforts to address shared transnational challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and terrorism. Participants also shared

Aug. 26, 2020

S. Korea plans to spend W40tr on youth, ‘Korean New Deal’ next year

The government and ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Wednesday they will actively pursue expansionary fiscal policy next year, with plans to inject 20 trillion won ($16.9 billion) from next year’s budget into the “Korean New Deal” initiative and another 20 trillion won into youth support programs. After a meeting at the National Assembly between the government and the ruling party on the 2021 budget bill, they decided to continue to expand government spending on projec

Aug. 26, 2020

Ultra-right-wing critics blast Moon while in quarantine

Ultra-right-wing critics of the Moon Jae-in administration who tested positive for the new coronavirus after attending a mass protest Aug. 15 continue to blast the government and complain about its policies, as well as the food provided to the people in quarantine. Jun Kwang-hun, pastor of Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul, said in an interview with ultra-right-wing YouTuber Joo Ok-soon that “President Moon and the pro-North (Korea) left-wingers are trying to get rid of the church to turn Sout

Aug. 26, 2020

Church confronts president, demands investigation on union group

The Sarang Jeil Church, which recently emerged as a hotbed of mass coronavirus infections, hit back at President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday, criticizing him for making accusations that the religious group obstructed the government’s antivirus fight. A statement issued from the “emergency committee representing participants of the Aug. 15 rally” said the church had actively cooperated with health authorities to contain the novel coronavirus by voluntarily shutting down the facil

Aug. 25, 2020

Moon calls for extraordinary economic measures

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for an “extraordinary economic response” to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Moon said the resurgence of COVID-19 has placed the country’s economy and its efforts to contain the virus in jeopardy. “If phase two social distancing is prolonged, economic difficulties will grow. An extraordinary economic response is required,” Moon said. In an apparent reference to the controversy

Aug. 25, 2020