Moon pledges support for startups

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday pledged increased support for local startups and to lay the foundations for the drive to make the country into a “digital powerhouse.” Speaking at a meeting with 21 young entrepreneurs included in Forbes’ list of under 30 Asian entrepreneurs, Moon reiterated his vision of building a “pioneering economy,” and the role of startups have in that vision. “Startups must survive the valley of death to become global companies. Th

May 14, 2020

Last plenary meeting of 20th National Assembly set for next Wednesday

Rival political parties agreed Thursday to hold the last plenary meeting of the 20th National Assembly next week to handle bills linked to people's livelihoods. The meeting will convene next Wednesday to pass a set of legislation, including a revision to the employment insurance act, before the new parliament will begin its four-year term on May 30. Three hundred new lawmakers for the 21st National Assembly were elected in the April 15 polls, in which the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and its

May 14, 2020

Govt. targets tracing all visitors to Itaewon clubs this week for virus tests: PM

The government is working to trace all visitors to clubs and bars in Seoul's multicultural district of Itaewon within this week and have them get tests for the coronavirus, the prime minister said Wednesday. The number of Itaewon club-related infections has surpassed 100, putting public health authorities on alert over community spread of COVID-19. The majority of the more than 5,000 club goers are still out of reach. "The government has a goal of finding all visitors within this week fo

May 13, 2020

Rival parties set to open extraordinary session next week

The National Assembly appears likely to convene for another extraordinary session next week, with the end of the current parliamentary term fast approaching. According to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and main opposition United Future Party, the two sides have tentatively agreed to hold an extraordinary session sometime next week to process uncontested bills. The ruling party’s Floor Leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon and his opposition counterpart Rep. Joo Ho-young are set to meet to d

May 12, 2020

Moon says KCDC upgrade must be priority in 21st National Assembly

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday asked the parliamentarians to prioritize strengthening quarantine and public health capabilities at the incoming 21st National Assembly. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Moon said that strengthening related capabilities including upgrading the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be prioritized. The term of the current National Assembly will end on May 29, giving way to the lawmakers elected in this year’s general elections for their fou

May 12, 2020

Seasonal management system greatly reduces ultrafine dust particles: govt.

The government's seasonal management system for air pollution has substantially contributed to reducing the volume of ultrafine dust particles in South Korea during this winter, the Ministry of Environment said Tuesday. The ministry said the contribution rate of the seasonal management system to the reduction of ultrafine dust pollution nationwide is estimated to range from 18 to 34 percent in the December-March period. External factors, including a decrease in the volume of ultrafine particl

May 12, 2020

Political parties, conglomerate execs join drive to donate emergency relief funds

Rival political parties and executives of major conglomerates have joined a government-led campaign for the wealthy to donate their share of emergency disaster relief funds as the country struggles to prevent a second wave of new coronavirus infections. The government started paying out the relief funds to all households Monday to help them cope with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Citizens can donate all or part of their share either by not applying for the money or by expressi

May 12, 2020

20th National Assembly headed for worst track record

The ruling Democratic Party is hoping to hold another extraordinary session of the National Assembly next week, but avoiding the lowest ever bill processing rate appears unlikely. The outgoing parliament has until May 29 to pass pending bills, with many in the pipeline, including some pertaining to the country’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. According to Democratic Party deputy floor leader Rep. Kim Young-jin, the ruling and main opposition United Future Party are negotiating on

May 11, 2020

Authorities warn against homophobia hindering virus containment efforts

Korean health authorities and politicians on Monday warned against the rise of discrimination against LGBT persons here in relation to the latest coronavirus breakout in Itaewon clubs, saying social stigmatization could send potential virus carriers into hiding. “In the case of infections tied to clubs in Itaewon, we are seeing some criticism and hatred toward confirmed patients and a specific group of people,” senior Health Ministry official Yoon Tae-ho said during the daily virus

May 11, 2020

Moon govt. performs best in health, welfare sector over past 3 years: poll

South Koreans picked the health and welfare sector as the best-performing area under the Moon Jae-in administration over the past three years, a poll showed Monday. In a Realmeter poll of 500 adults, 34.3 percent of respondents picked the health and welfare sector as the area where the Moon administration achieved the most, followed by diplomacy and security with 14.4 percent. The survey was conducted on Friday to gauge people's assessments of the government as Moon entered his third year in

May 11, 2020

Moon prioritizes sanctions-free quarantine ties with N. Korea

President Moon Jae-in suggested quarantine cooperation with North Korea on Sunday as a viable way to jump-start a broader range of inter-Korean cooperation projects, saying it would not breach international sanctions on Pyongyang. Speaking to reporters after a special address marking the third anniversary of his inauguration, Moon pointed out that the two Koreas share the 248-kilometer-long Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a land border, a potential transmission route. "It is worth pushing a

May 10, 2020

Full text of President Moon's special address

The following is an unofficial translation of a special address that President Moon Jae-in delivered Sunday to mark the third anniversary of his inauguration. Fellow Koreans, It has been three years since I took office. Over these past three years, I have administered state affairs with the aspirations of the candlelight protesters in my heart. I've walked on the path toward fairness and justice, innovation and inclusiveness, and peace and prosperity. Every single day, I have felt like I am w

May 10, 2020

Moon pledges to focus on economy for rest of term

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday pledged to build a “pioneering economy” in the post-COVID-19 era, focusing on “turning a crisis into an opportunity” for the remainder of his term. In a special address to the nation on the third anniversary of his inauguration, Moon focused on economic issues, outlining his plans to lay the foundations for economic growth and to strengthen South Korea’s standing in the international community. “The fear of unemployment is s

May 10, 2020

Former justice minister denies power abuse charges at first court hearing

Former Justice Minister and presidential aide Cho Kuk denied charges against him Friday over the alleged suspension of the presidential office's inspection into a high-profile corruption case. Cho attended a court hearing for the first time since he was charged with abuse of power in January for allegedly halting the probe in 2017 into bribery allegations involving Yoo Jae-soo, then a senior Financial Services Commission official. At that time, Cho was senior presidential secretary for civil

May 8, 2020

Ruling party approves bid to merge with sister party

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) approved a bid Friday to merge with its sister party created to seek proportional representation seats in the latest parliamentary elections. Of nearly 180,000 party members who participated in an electronic vote, 84.1 percent approved the proposal, according to party officials. The vote was conducted for 24 hours beginning at 6 a.m. Thursday. The DP created a satellite party, named the Platform Party, in the runup to the April 15 parliamentary elections, in a

May 8, 2020

Schools at forefront of quarantine: Moon

President Moon Jae-in said Friday schools have become the front line of South Korea's anti-coronavirus fight, as it's preparing to reopen in-person classes next week following a two-month delay. "Now, schools are the front line of quarantine (measures)," he said during a visit to Jungkyung High School in central Seoul. He checked quarantine-related steps and had an on-site discussion with a group of parents, teachers and quarantine experts. The visit came amid renewed concerns about

May 8, 2020

Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon elected Democratic Party floor leader

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday elected Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon as its new floor leader to head the party which secured an absolute majority in parliament amid a stack of pressing issues involving the economy dampened by the coronavirus pandemic awaiting to be solved. In his second attempt, four-term lawmaker Kim succeeded to take the position by defeating two other candidates Rep. Jeon Hae-cheol and Rep. Jung Sung-ho. He received 82 votes out of 163. “I will gather the party

May 7, 2020

Defeated opposition lawmaker asks top court to nullify election results

Rep. Min Kyung-wook of the main opposition United Future Party filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Thursday, asking it to nullify the results of last month’s general elections. He claimed that the government rigged the vote to help his rival from the ruling party win. “The April 15 election was a fraudulent election with QR code computer manipulation and voting fraud. We should carry out a fresh round of elections,” the journalist-turned-politician said in a press co

May 7, 2020

Financial official tapped as Moon's economic policy secretary

President Moon Jae-in has picked a veteran finance ministry official as his new secretary for economic policy, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. Moon nominated Lee Eog-weon, director general of the economic policy bureau at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, to assume the Cheong Wa Dae post, according to presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok. Lee worked as chairman of the World Trade Organization's working party on domestic regulation from 2015-2016, when he was a minister-counselor at South Kore

May 7, 2020

Govt. to create civil service jobs on data management, disaster prevention

The government will create new civil service positions dedicated to data management and utilization and disaster prevention, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Wednesday. The ministry said that along with the Ministry of Personnel Management, it will revise the current classification system for civil service duties in the second half of the year to create new positions exclusively in charge of managing and utilizing data, including those on infectious diseases and regional economic a

May 6, 2020