Disgraced ex-minister rises as major threat to ruling party

The political party recently launched by a disgraced ex-minister has become a major threat to the ruling party ahead of the April 10 legislative election, and a force that “needs to be stopped” alongside the main opposition, according to People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon on Sunday. “The main opposition party has become more toxic ... due to the current Democratic Party of Korea Chair Lee Jae-myung and the forces of (ex-Justice Minister) Cho Kuk, which works as a shield for

March 17, 2024

Uproar as ex-spy chief, accused of negligence in North Korea killing, is named to run as lawmaker

The Democratic Party of Korea’s decision to nominate the former National Intelligence Service chief Park Jie-won to run in the upcoming general election has provoked uproar from the bereaved family of the South Korean fisheries official, Lee Dae-jun, who was killed by North Korean soldiers in September 2020. As the chief of the NIS at the time, Park is a key defendant in the ongoing trial over South Korean authorities’ alleged negligence during the time between Lee’s capture by

March 15, 2024

Yoon aide under fire for remarks over press freedom, Gwangju Uprising

President Yoon Suk Yeol's senior secretary Hwang Sang-moo has come under fire for controversial remarks about the freedom of the press and the spirit of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising. An association representing journalists from South Korean television network MBC on Friday demanded Hwang, the senior presidential secretary for civil society, apologize publicly and immediately step down. It described Hwang's stance on journalism as "shocking." Rep. Ko Min-jung of the main op

March 15, 2024

North Korean defectors eye Assembly bids with Seoul’s conservative party

At least three North Korean defectors are seeking to debut in Seoul’s political scene with the People Power Party, the ruling conservative party in South Korea. According to the People Power Party, three North Korean defectors in their 30s are running for a National Assembly seat through proportional representation in the upcoming general election slated for April 10. One of them is Kim Gum-hyok, 32, who says as a young millennial from North Korea, he wishes to represent “the younger

March 14, 2024

Superhighway with no speed limit planned for South Jeolla Province

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday reaffirmed his commitment to introducing a 47-kilometer superhighway with no speed limit in South Jeolla Province worth 2.6 trillion won ($1.97 billion), in a bid to construct a "Korean-style Autobahn." The new highway will connect the city of Gwangju with the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam-gun, South Jeolla Province, enabling cars to operate at speeds above 200 kilometers per hour along its 47-kilometer length. Yoon said his conservative adm

March 14, 2024

DP excludes human rights activist from candidacy, citing military service refusal

A satellite party affiliated with the main opposition Democratic Party has excluded a human rights activist specializing in military issues as a candidate for a proportional seat, citing his refusal to comply with military service requirements. Lim Tae-hoon, the former director of the Center for Military Human Rights Korea, a nongovernment group dealing with military-related issues, was convicted in 2004 for declining to serve in the military based on his religious beliefs. "I received noti

March 14, 2024

S. Korea, US, Japan discuss supply chains, AI at economic dialogue

National security officials of South Korea, the United States and Japan discussed efforts to boost cooperation in supply chains, emerging technologies and digital areas in a regular dialogue session, the presidential office said Wednesday. The third session of the economic dialogue took place in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan earlier in the day, led by Wang Yun-jong, presidential secretary for economic security and his respective US and Japanese counterparts -- Tarun Chhabra

March 13, 2024

Seoul to double budget by 2027 to join global space race

South Korea on Wednesday unveiled plans to set up a new space industry cluster in the next eight years that is not only capable of manufacturing satellites and rockets, but also astronaut training. To aid the goal of space exploration, some 1.5 trillion won ($1.14 billion) of the budget will be allocated in 2027, up from the 836.2 billion won budget this year. The funding will lay the cornerstone for South Korea's aerospace industry to bloom, Yoon said. He envisioned South Korea's boos

March 13, 2024

New envoy to Australia posts greetings on website amid appointment row

South Korea's new ambassador to Australia officially assumed his post with a greeting on the embassy's website Tuesday amid controversy over his alleged influence-peddling case related to the death of a young Marine last year. Lee Jong-sup, who served as defense minister from 2022 to 2023, left for Australia on Sunday, two days after the justice ministry lifted his travel ban. "Our embassy will play a role in promoting peace and stability in the region, including the denucleariz

March 12, 2024

Cho Kuk’s new party most popular third party, so far

Among the several new third parties that have emerged out of the Democratic Party of Korea, the new party founded and headed by Cho Kuk, former justice minister under President Moon Jae-in, has so far seen the highest ratings, according to the latest polls. In a March 5-7 Gallup Korea poll of 1,000 voters aged 18 and above, 6 percent said they would vote for Cho's Rebuilding Korea Party. By contrast, 3 percent said they supported the New Reform Party headed by Lee Jun-seok, who was ousted a

March 12, 2024

Yoon, Arkansas Gov. Sanders discuss strengthening S. Korea-US alliance

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with the governor of Arkansas, the United States, on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen the South Korea-US alliance. The meeting with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former White House press secretary during the Donald Trump administration, took place at the presidential office. Sanders is visiting Seoul as part of a two-nation trade mission to South Korea and Japan. "Just like the 70-year-old South Korea-US alliance that is evolving into a comprehensive global pa

March 11, 2024

[Election 2024] Will ruling party maintain winning momentum in run-up to election?

Come April 10, South Koreans will head to the polls to choose the next batch of National Assembly members. With about a month left until election day, the latest polls find the ruling People Power Party’s leading while its rival, the Democratic Party of Korea, has been bogged down by infighting. According to a March 5-7 Gallup Korea survey of 1,000 voters aged 18 and up, 37 percent said they would vote for the People Power Party as opposed to 31 percent who said they would cast their ballo

March 11, 2024

DP seeks to impeach ministers over lifting of envoy's travel ban

The main opposition party said Monday they seek to impeach two incumbent ministers accused of peddling their influence in lifting former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup's travel ban. Lee departed for Australia on Sunday to take office as Seoul's top envoy to Canberra, two days after the Justice Ministry lifted his travel ban imposed by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials' in January for allegedly delaying a probe into the death of a young Marine in July

March 11, 2024

Yoon unveils W360b project to build massive data center cluster in Gangwon

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday unveiled a project worth 360 billion won ($274 million) to build a cluster of data centers in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, and set up a mechanism to use freshwater from behind the dam for cooling. By 2027, the cluster that comprises seven data centers with a combined peak power use reaching 220 megawatts, smart farm facilities and the cooling mechanism using water behind Soyang Multipurpose Dam in Chuncheon is to complete construction, according to Yoon. The pro

March 11, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Bills to promote strategic technologies, fair app market

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act Proposed by Rep. Lee Kai-ho (Democratic Party of Korea) ● To promote fair market order in the app market and prevent app market business entities from taking unfair advantage of their transactional position, this amendment prohibits app market business entities with their own operating business from unjustly limiting the installation and utilization of applications on smartphones or tablet PCs through other app market busine

March 11, 2024

Yoon's approval rating falls slightly to 40.2%

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating slid to 40.2 percent last week from a week earlier, a poll showed Monday, amid little sign of a breakthrough in the walkout by junior doctors over the government's plan to increase the medical school admissions quota. The positive assessment of Yoon's performance fell 0.9 percentage point from 41.1 percent, with the negative assessment rising 0.7 percentage point to 56.1 percent, according to a survey by Realmeter conducted Monday to Frida

March 11, 2024

Political parties ramp up campaign efforts amid shifting opinion polls

With only a month left before the April 10 parliamentary elections, political parties are unveiling various pork-barrel election pledges and intensifying efforts to secure key districts, as recent public opinion polls indicate a slight yet significant shift. The quadrennial vote holds significant importance for the ruling People Power Party as a failure to regain a majority in the 300-member National Assembly could potentially render President Yoon Suk Yeol a lame duck for the next three years o

March 11, 2024

Protests at airport as ex-defense chief departs for Australia as envoy

Lee Jong-sup, the former minister of national defense who was recently appointed as ambassador to Australia, faced protests by opposition parties as he arrived at the airport on Sunday to depart for Brisbane. Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo, the Democratic Party of Korea floor leader, held a protest at the Incheon Airport terminal for international flights and said that Lee being sent abroad as an ambassador was a demonstration of “what is wrong with the administration in power.” “Exactly ab

March 10, 2024

Descendant from US missionary family to run for Assembly

Ihn Yohan, who is from the fourth generation of a US missionary family that helped build churches and schools in Korea during Japanese colonial rule, is running for office in the April 10 general election as a ruling People Power Party candidate. The People Power Party committee for nominating candidates for the general election asked In, whose American name is John Linton, to run, and he has accepted, according to those familiar with the matter. Ihn, director of the Severance Hospital Internati

March 10, 2024

Is main opposition’s goal to bring Yoon to ‘judgment’ feasible?

The main opposition’s goal to bring President Yoon Suk Yeol to “judgment” through the upcoming April 10 legislative election, now faces major hurdles due to Yoon’s and the ruling party’s growing popularity, observers said Friday. Democratic Party of Korea Chair Lee Jae-myung in recent weeks has repeatedly stressed the party’s goal to bring the Yoon Suk Yeol administration to “judgment” by winning the election. In his visit to the political symbolic

March 8, 2024