Universal basic income emerges as political hot potato in S. Korea

Universal basic income is emerging as a hot button issue in South Korea’s political arena as the country seeks to curb the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea of handing out cash to boost individual income regardless of wealth or employment status has largely been considered radical, with many on both sides of the aisle dismissing it as an unrealistic, populist policy. But it now appears to be gaining momentum in the political realm amid the COVID-19 crisis as public

June 8, 2020

Moon’s ratings fall on fading COVID-19 effect

President Moon Jae-in’s approval ratings that had risen to a 10-month high in May, appear to be on a downward trend, as local politics, which was overshadowed by the country’s fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, returned to public attention. Various polls conducted in the first week of June showed that Moon’s ratings have dipped, with some putting the figure at below 60 percent. Gallup Korea poll for the first week of the month put his approval rating at 62 percent, down

June 8, 2020

Moon pledges to increase transparency of NGOs

President Moon Jae-in on Monday spoke out against attempts to damage the campaign of “comfort women,” survivors of Japanese military sexual slavery, and pledged action to ensure the transparency of nongovernmental organizations. Speaking at a weekly meeting with senior aides, Moon addressed the matter for the first time, saying the scandal had shed light on issues with NGOs but must not be used to damage the integrity of the movement. The campaign for an apology and reparations f

June 8, 2020

Moon vows stronger national defense, security in Memorial Day address

President Moon Jae-in stressed his government's unswerving push for a peaceful Korea on Saturday, speaking in public hours after Pyongyang's threat of closing an inter-Korean liaison office. "Peace is the right of the people to enjoy naturally and establishing the Korean Peninsula of peace, where there's no war again, is the responsibility of the state given by the people," he said during his Memorial Day speech broadcast live. He added, "In order to protect and establish peace

June 6, 2020

Moon orders review of plan for disease control system reform

President Moon Jae-in instructed the authorities Friday to reconsider an announced scheme to transfer the control of a state-run research institute to the health ministry from the current top disease control body in the nation. His call came amid controversy over the government's plan to revise the Government Organization Act unveiled by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) the previous day. It revolves around the elevation of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (K

June 5, 2020

21st National Assembly kicks off with main opposition boycott

The 21st National Assembly kicked off Friday with the plenary session boycotted by the main opposition over friction with the ruling party, despite repeated promises to seek “cooperative politics.” On Friday, the new parliament’s plenary session opened with members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, main opposition United Future Party and other minor parties. The main opposition, however, left the session just 12 minutes after it opened, following the address by the par

June 5, 2020

Moon buys home for post-retirement

President Moon Jae-in and his wife purchased a property in the countryside where they plan to reside after retirement, a presidential spokesman said Friday. “President Moon plans to live in Pyeongsan Village in Habuk-myeon, Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said. “(They) decided to move their private residence from Maegok-dong in Yangsan to the nearby village due to security reasons.” The Presidential Security Service has prepa

June 5, 2020

S. Korea to offer $18.5m in humanitarian aid to Yemen

South Korea said Wednesday it will provide $18.5 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen to help combat food shortages and the coronavirus pandemic. The foreign ministry said South Korea announced its plans, in a virtual high-level pledging event organized on Tuesday by Saudi Arabia and the United Nations, to provide assistance to Yemen where more than 24 million people, or some 80 percent of the population, are in need of assistance. 　 The aid will be used to help Yemen fight the new coronavirus

June 3, 2020

KCDC to be promoted to administrative organization for pandemic response

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) will be promoted to an independent administrative organization, as the government seeks ways to ensure a better state response to a public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. A new KCDC will have independent power over budget and personnel matters, which will, among other things, allow it to carry out research and hire experts, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Wednesday while announcing its plan to seek a revised bil

June 3, 2020

Lee Nak-yon slips in polls, but maintains big lead over rivals for presidency

Former Prime Minister Rep. Lee Nak-yon slipped in favorability ratings as a potential presidential candidate, but retained the top spot for the 12th consecutive month, a poll showed Tuesday. The lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea saw his support drop to 34.3 percent, down 5.9 percentage points from the previous month, according to pollster RealMeter. 　 Lee lost support most noticeably in Gangwon Province, where 25.7 percent of voters said they favored him, down 11.9 percentag

June 2, 2020

Government stays committed to reopening: PM

Despite sporadic, small-scale outbreaks jolting the metropolitan area, the South Korean government is committed to reopening, allowing its people to resume normal life, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Tuesday. “We cannot stop taking steps to return to our daily lives because of fear,” Chung said at a Cabinet meeting in the administrative city of Sejong, vowing all-out efforts on early containment of the outbreaks. “We are at another critical moment, with infections at a

June 2, 2020

Gyeonggi governor suggests 2nd coronavirus relief payouts

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung officially asked the central government to draw an extra budget to pay all Koreans 200,000 won ($163) as a second disaster relief to help them cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee’s suggestion runs counter to the Finance Ministry’s position against additional disaster relief grants. The provincial government of Gyeonggi said on Tuesday that it made the official proposal last Friday based on Lee’s decision to include the 10.37 trillion won

June 2, 2020

Moon urges National Assembly to swiftly pass 3rd supplementary budget

President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged the National Assembly to quickly approve the third supplementary budget bill, stressing that South Korea’s government debt is growing at a slower rate than other major economies. Speaking at an emergency economy meeting, Moon said the government will employ all resources at its disposal to offset the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, and to lay the foundations for building “pioneering economy.” Monday’s event was the sixth emergen

June 1, 2020

Main opposition embarks on charm offensive with new leadership

In an attempt to refresh its heritage brand, the United Future Party stressed forward-looking policies and protection of the weak, proposing its first bill for the new parliament on Monday. The conservative party launched a nine-member emergency leadership committee, led by veteran politician Kim Chong-in, with a mission to restore voter support by April next year. With the new slogan of “accompanying the weak,” the conservative faction plans to undergo drastic changes to depart

June 1, 2020

New Assembly begins term, ruling party leader calls for opposition cooperation

The new parliament, now heavily tilted to the left, began its four-year term Saturday, with a full plate of work amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. And ruling Democratic Party of Korea Floor Leader Kim Tae-nyeon on Sunday called on opposition parties for cooperation to allow the 21st National Assembly to set out to handle pandemic-related legislation swiftly. “The Democratic Party will open the National Assembly on June 5 to pick the speaker and deputy speaker of the assembly,” K

May 31, 2020

Moon replaces seven secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae

President Moon Jae-in replaced seven presidential secretaries on Sunday, including naming a former Cheong Wa Dae staffer known as one of Moon's closest aides as his new protocol secretary. Park Kyung-mee, a former ruling party lawmaker, has been named secretary for education, with Tak Hyun-min, a former Cheong Wa Dae staffer, appointed as new protocol secretary, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Park was a professor of mathematics education at Hongik University and lawmaker with the Democratic Part

May 31, 2020

Prosecution requests arrest warrant for ex-mayor over alleged sexual assault

Prosecutors on Thursday sought an arrest warrant against a former mayor of South Korea's second-largest city over alleged sexual assault. The Busan District Prosecutors Office said it has filed a warrant to detain ex-Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don on charges of indecent act by compulsion. Oh is alleged to have sexually assaulted a city employee at his office in early April. He stepped down from the post on April 23 after apologizing to the victim in a press conference. The court is expected to hold

May 28, 2020

Moon urges ‘cooperative politics’ in meeting with floor leaders

President Moon Jae-in, meeting with floor leaders of the two main political parties on Thursday, asked for bipartisan cooperation in the government’s response to unprecedented challenges amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. 　 In the meeting with Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon of the ruling Democratic Party and Rep. Joo ho-young of the main opposition United Future Party, Moon also stressed the importance of communication among the leaders of both parties and the president, saying that discussions on c

May 28, 2020

Moon to replace several secretaries, except powerful old guards

A shake-up of President Moon Jae-in's secretary lineup seems to be in the offing. He plans to replace several secretaries soon, including some key players in the protocol and public communication teams at Cheong Wa Dae, according to multiple sources. Moon plans to name Tak Hyun-min, a former Cheong Wa Dae staffer, as new protocol secretary, according to multiple sources. Tak has experience and expertise in organizing events. The president will also tap Han Jung-woo, director of the Chunchu

May 27, 2020

Moon calls for bold fiscal strategy in light of COVID-19

Addressing the officials responsible for drawing up the national fiscal strategy, President Moon Jae-in on Monday called for bold support measures, saying the state must spearhead efforts to soften the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at the National Fiscal Strategy Meeting, Moon also downplayed concerns that his administration’s fiscal policies could threaten the country’s fiscal stability, saying Korea was more economically stable than average compared with other OECD s

May 25, 2020