Yoon-Han meeting at fire-torn market signals mending ties

President Yoon Suk Yeol and the People Power Party's interim leader Han Dong-hoon met on Tuesday at a traditional market in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province, signaling their efforts to mend the political rift that stemmed from differing views toward allegations of graft involving first lady Kim Keon Hee and questions about Han's fairness in the candidate nomination process. Han told reporters at Seoul Station, as he returned to the capital city after the surprise trip, his "deep respect

Jan. 23, 2024

Yoon's ex-boss named justice minister nominee

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday picked his former boss Park Sung-jae, who led the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, as the nominee for the minister of justice. The Justice Ministry oversees legal affairs, correctional services, the prosecution service and immigration. The nominee must go through a confirmation hearing in the National Assembly before receiving Yoon's final approval. Presidential Chief of Staff Lee Kwan-sup said Park would be a good fit for the Yoon administration'

Jan. 23, 2024

[KH Explains] How Dior bag footage shook Korean politics

When a YouTube video of South Korea's first lady receiving a Dior handbag went viral last year, it initially made few waves in mainstream news media. In the weeks before April's general election, the footage has become a wedge that is straining relationships among People Power Party lawmakers, as well as a piece of political ammunition for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Opposition lawmakers have been raising their suspicions that first lady Kim Keon Hee violated anti-gr

Jan. 23, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Substitute holidays, solid fuel restrictions, tech leak prevention

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Public Holidays Proposed by Rep. Yoo Gyeong-joon (People Power Party) ● The existing law does not specify a deadline for announcing the designation of substitute holidays, which has caused difficulties for people to plan for the holidays. Therefore, this amendment requires the government to designate substitute holidays at least two months (60 days) in advance except in cases where it is "unpredictable." Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to

Jan. 23, 2024

Han refuses presidential office's request to resign

People Power Party interim Chair Han Dong-hoon said Monday he had rejected the presidential office’s request that he step down from his current leadership position, in a surprising turn of events ahead of April's general election. “I’m not going to make an assessment on the matter,” Han told a group of reporters, who asked about the resignation request and the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s involvement in the ruling party’s affairs as he entered th

Jan. 22, 2024

Parties recruit ex-presidents of Samsung, Hyundai Motor

The ruling People Power Party on Monday recruited Koh Dong-jin, a former president of Samsung Electronics who was considered to be the driving force behind the launch of the Galaxy range of mobile devices. On the same day, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea brought in Kong Young-woon, a former president of Hyundai Motor dedicated to the company's strategy planning and communications. Both figures, who formerly represented South Korea's largest business conglomerates, are lik

Jan. 22, 2024

Yoon to skip public debate amid clash between presidential office, ruling party chief

President Yoon Suk Yeol skipped a government-public debate scheduled for Monday, triggering speculation as to whether the decision was related to a clash between the presidential office and the ruling party chief. The presidential office sent a notice to reporters half an hour before the start of the debate that Yoon had no events on his public schedule for the day. The debate was the fifth in a series of sessions on people's livelihood issues and Yoon had led all previous sessions. Monday&

Jan. 22, 2024

Reality check: How diverse is Korea really? Women in politics (1)

Half of Korea's population are women, yet in the realm of politics, women are a minority group. In the current 21st session of parliament, the representation of female lawmakers stands at 57 out of the total 300 members -- only 19.1 percent. This percentage places South Korea significantly below average in terms of gender diversity in politics compared to other nations. The average among the 38 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member nations is 33.8 percent, while the

Jan. 21, 2024

Skepticism grows over alliance among new parties

The endeavor of new political parties to forge an alliance may face challenges in garnering momentum in the run-up to the legislative elections in April, as the former leader of the ruling party Lee Jun-seok declared that the opportune moment for the so-called "big tent" strategy has elapsed. Lee on Saturday openly distanced himself from the increasing calls for a union, while supporters of an alliance argued that the strategy is the best way to gain ground against the current two-part

Jan. 21, 2024

Minor opposition demands Yoon's apology after its lawmaker forcibly removed by bodyguards

The minor opposition progressive Jinbo Party demanded on Friday that President Yoon Suk Yeol apologize and dismiss the head of the presidential security service, Kim Yong-hyun, a day after Jinbo Party lawmaker Rep. Kang Sung-hee was forcibly removed from a ceremony to celebrate the launch of Jeonbuk State. Kang, 51, represents the Eul constituency in Jeonju, Jeonbuk State's capital, and is the only member of the National Assembly from the Jinbo Party. The former labor activist won a parliam

Jan. 19, 2024

Opposition leader urges NK leader to stop provocations

Main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung urged North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to stop its missile provocations, saying it will only lead to further isolation of the regime and intensify the suffering of its people. Lee, chairman of the Democratic Party, made the remarks amid heightened tensions over North Korea's continued saber-rattling, such as its recent test-launch of a solid-fuel hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile and artillery firings near the western inter-Korean sea border

Jan. 19, 2024

Parties roll out competing birth rate boosting pledges

The two main parties on Thursday each announced a set of pledges designed to reverse the country’s falling birth rate as the April 10 legislative election approaches. The ruling People Power Party vowed to establish a government agency dedicated to population planning and birth rate boosting. “We plan to establish a separate agency to deal with the country’s declining birth rate,” its election policy committee said during a press conference held in southern Seoul. “

Jan. 18, 2024

Minor opposition lawmaker dragged out of hall after telling Yoon to 'change his policies'

Commotion erupted Thursday as minor progressive Jinbo Party lawmaker Rep. Kang Sung-hee was dragged out of a venue in Jeonju, Jeonbuk State, after telling President Yoon Suk Yeol to change his policies. He was physically removed during a ceremony at Moak Hall at Sori Arts Center in Jeonju by the president's four bodyguards after he "did not let go of the handshake with Yoon and shouted at him," according to a source at the presidential office who declined to be named. Kang was forced o

Jan. 18, 2024

With increased autonomy, Jeonbuk State seeks growth

A new law to elevate North Jeolla Province to Jeonbuk State came into effect on Thursday, giving the region the autonomy to foster new industries in the field of agricultural biotechnology, the silver economy and the K-pop industry, as well as burgeoning technologies related to batteries and autonomous mobility. President Yoon Suk Yeol hailed Jeonbuk State's elevation by a special law promulgated in December as the momentum needed for rebalancing national growth -- one of his policy focal points

Jan. 18, 2024

Reinvestigation ordered into 2 ex-presidential officials over 2018 Ulsan mayoral election meddling scandal

The prosecution has ordered a reinvestigation into two former high-ranking presidential officials over their suspected involvement in the election meddling scandal surrounding the 2018 mayoral election in the southeastern city of Ulsan, officials said Thursday. The Seoul High Prosecutors Office issued the order to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, determining that an additional investigation into former presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok and former senior presidential secretar

Jan. 18, 2024

South Korea’s spy chief vows to restore public faith in agency

Cho Tae-yong was sworn in on Wednesday as President Yoon Suk Yeol’s second director of the National Intelligence Service, filling the vacancy since his predecessor, Kim Kyou-hyun, left the post about two months ago. In his first address Wednesday as the NIS chief, Cho vowed to turn the NIS into an agency “worthy of the trust of the South Korean people” during his tenure -- in an apparent reference to the internal power struggle at the agency, which had spilled over into public

Jan. 17, 2024

Main opposition leader returns, calls general election 'judgment time'

Main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday resumed his duties as the Democratic Party of Korea chairman, two weeks after being injured in a knife attack on Jan. 2. Lee kicked off his return by presiding over the party’s Supreme Council meeting in the morning. The chairman referred to the upcoming April parliamentary election as an opportunity to pass judgment on the current administration’s performance. “The upcoming election will work as a midterm evaluation ... on

Jan. 17, 2024

Yoon urges inheritance tax reform

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday said the excessive taxation on corporations trading on the stock market here could be outdated, hinting at easing the tax burden. Yoon claimed that easing tax burden on corporations was a prerequisite to boosting stock market value. More than a quarter of Korea's 50 million population trade shares -- more than double compared to five years before. "We need to find a new angle at which the inheritance tax and other types of extra taxes (on corporations) a

Jan. 17, 2024

Ex-PM questions main opposition's 'moral conscience'

Former Prime Minister and ex-main opposition leader Lee Nak-yon on Tuesday questioned "the moral conscience" of Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers as he moved one step closer toward the official launch of his own political party, planned for February. "The existing main opposition party fails to be a match for the current Yoon Suk Yeol administration," Lee said in a keynote speech at a national convention for promoters and supporters hosted by his followers in Seoul. "

Jan. 16, 2024

Yoon urges Assembly to delay application of workplace safety act

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday urged the National Assembly to pass a revision bill aimed at deferring the enforcement of a workplace safety act that would hold executives of a company criminally liable for a deadly incident at work. Yoon stressed that time is running out for the National Assembly to delay the implementation of the controversial Serious Disasters Punishments Act. The revision bill seeks to defer the implementation of the act by two years until 2026 for businesses with 49 empl

Jan. 16, 2024