[Election 2022] How do Lee and Yoon view Japan?

Despite its importance, Korea-Japan relations do not usually stand out as a major issue during the Korean presidential election, with low voter interest and candidates‘ reluctance to speak on sensitive topics. Two frontrunner presidential candidates, the Democratic Party of Korea’s Lee Jae-myung and the People Power Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol, have not made concrete promises on mending Korea’s strained relations with Japan. But at times, they revealed how they view the nei

Feb. 17, 2022

Korea a ‘stable’ investment destination with little COVID-19 impact: Moon

President Moon Jae-in invited a number of foreign investor companies to Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday to express his gratitude for making hefty investments in the Korean market and encouraged them to invest further. Last year, South Korea attracted $29.5 billion in investments, the largest ever. A foreign investor company -- usually a multinational company headquartered overseas -- is defined as one with more than 50 million won ($47,700) in foreign investment capital and a 10 percent stake in sto

Feb. 17, 2022

Top court confirms suspended prison term for ex-lawmaker in daughter's hiring scandal

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed the suspended prison sentence for a former opposition lawmaker, convicting him of illegally asking a former chief of South Korean telecom giant KT Corp. to hire his daughter as a regular worker in exchange for favors. Kim Sung-tae, a former floor leader of what is now the main opposition People Power Party, was indicted on charges of intervening in parliamentary affairs to help prevent former KT chief Lee Suk-chae from being selected as a witness for a par

Feb. 17, 2022

[From the Scene] Mudslinging shows no sign of slowdown despite vows

In the biting cold morning of Feb. 16, dozens of officials, campaign workers and volunteers were running left and right preparing a stage for the Democratic Party of Korea to launch its campaign event near Gangnam Station. Presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung of the ruling party was scheduled to take the stage at noon, but plans were already in place to gather crowds to the area and have his senior campaign officials make supportive speeches hours beforehand. Most supporters gradually flocked to

Feb. 17, 2022

Moon congratulates short tracker Choi on winning gold in women's 1,500m

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday congratulated Choi Min-jeong on winning a gold medal in the women's 1,500m short track speed skating race in Beijing. Moon sent a message to Choi after she successfully defended her gold medal in the women's 1,500m at the Beijing Games, praising her as a "living legend," the presidential office said in a statement. "I give loud applause to Choi Min-jeong, who gave it her all up to the last race," Moon said. Choi had earlier won silver medals

Feb. 17, 2022

Dead campaign workers’ bus illegally modified: ministry

SEOUL/CHEONAN -- The election campaign bus involved in the deaths of two campaign workers for presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo turned out to be illegally modified without the authorities’ approval, transportation ministry officials said Wednesday. The workers, a local campaign chief and a bus driver, were found unconscious inside a campaign bus in Cheonan, about 90 kilometers south of Seoul, Tuesday afternoon and later pronounced dead at hospitals. The candidate of the minor oppos

Feb. 16, 2022

Lee, Sim express disapproval of 2015 comfort women deal: group

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and minor candidate Sim Sang-jeung have expressed their disapproval of a 2015 agreement reached by South Korea and Japan to settle the issue of wartime sex slaves, an advocacy coalition said Wednesday. Lee of the liberal Democratic Party and Sim of the progressive Justice Party stated their positions in response to questions sent last month by the group, which includes the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexu

Feb. 16, 2022

A rundown of leading candidates' positions on defense, foreign relations and the economy

The presidential election has once again come down to the candidates from the two major parties – the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party. Both the Democratic Party of Korea’s Lee Jae-myung and the People Power Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol claim to be the only choice for a better future, and have made numerous pledges they claim are aimed at improving citizens’ lives. Many of their pledges on social issues outside of the field of politics are almost indistingui

Feb. 16, 2022

[Newsmaker] Ruling party's attempt to link Yoon with shamanism backfires

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's attempt to again embroil People Power Party’s presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol with shamanism allegations backfired, after photos hinted key figures within their own faction could be involved as well. Rep. Kim Eui-kyeom of the Democratic Party raised an allegation in a press conference Tuesday that Yoon and his wife were found linked to a dubious religious ritual in 2018 run by a shaman accused of being unofficially involved with Yoon’s cam

Feb. 16, 2022

Yoon, Lee neck and neck at 42.4% vs. 41.9%: poll

Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol and ruling party candidate Lee Jae-myung are running neck and neck with 42.4 percent and 41.9 percent support, respectively, a poll showed Wednesday. The survey by Hangil Research was conducted on 1,009 adults from Saturday to Monday, just before the start of the official campaign period on Tuesday. Yoon of the conservative People Power Party gained 3.9 percentage points from the pollster's previous survey conducted Feb. 2, while Lee of the li

Feb. 16, 2022

Ahn pays condolences to dead campaign workers; police probing cause of deaths

CHEONAN -- Ahn Cheol-soo, presidential candidate of the minor opposition People's Party (PP), has paid his respects to two campaign workers who were found dead in a bus apparently from gas poisoning, according to party officials Wednesday. The deceased workers, a local campaign chief and a bus driver, were found unconscious inside a campaign bus in Cheonan, about 90 kilometers south of Seoul, Tuesday evening. They were later pronounced dead at hospitals. Party officials said they are believed to

Feb. 16, 2022

2 die in apparent accident in Ahn Cheol-soo’s campaign bus

Two people were found dead and one unconscious on a bus belonging to the campaign of minor opposition People‘s Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo on Tuesday. The bodies of the head of the election committee for Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, and an election campaign vehicle driver were found in the vehicle parked on a road in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province at about 5:24 p.m. The two are suspected to have died of carbon monoxide poisoning while inside the stand-by vehi

Feb. 15, 2022

Presidential candidates travel across country, official canvassing period kicks off

With the official canvassing period for this year’s presidential election kicking off on Tuesday, contenders traveled to regions across the country in colorful uniforms to reach out to voters. The presidential candidates currently leading the race, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party, traversed between the cities of Seoul and Busan on their first canvassing day. Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People&rs

Feb. 15, 2022

Ahn calls on Yoon to respond to merger offer

Minor presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo called on main opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday to respond to his offer of a candidacy merger at an early date. Ahn of the centrist People's Party said he would like to hear from Yoon of the conservative People Power Party himself as it was a proposal made by one presidential candidate to another. "I would like (Yoon) to state his position at the earliest possible date," Ahn told reporters on his campaign trail in Gumi, 261 kilo

Feb. 15, 2022

[Election 101] How much does an election cost?

In every election, candidates backed by major parties -- as well as minor league lone rangers -- travel across provinces, appear on TV, buy adverts on newspapers and run large-scale campaign teams staffed with experts and heavyweights across industries. All of these obviously come with hefty price tags, and while each election is mostly remembered as a competition among candidates appealing to meet the eyes of voters, each campaign only comes to existence with billions of won gathered and spent

Feb. 15, 2022

Official presidential campaign period kicks off

The official presidential campaign period kicked off Tuesday for a 22-day run, allowing candidates to rally on streets and ad campaigns to hit the air in a final appeal to voters ahead of the election on March 9. Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the ruling Democratic Party, launched his campaign of the official period at the stroke of midnight with a visit to a vessel traffic control tower in the southeastern port city of Busan. Yoon Suk-yeol, the candidate of the main opposition People Power Par

Feb. 15, 2022

14 candidates register for March presidential election

A total of 14 candidates will run in the March 9 presidential election, the state election commission said Monday as it concluded the two-day candidate registration. The National Election Commission said 11 people registered their names Sunday and three more joined the race Monday. On Sunday, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party, Ahn Cheol-soo of the centrist People's Party and Sim Sang-jeung of the minor progressive Justi

Feb. 14, 2022

Presidential candidates report financial status

Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s Party is the wealthiest among the 11 presidential candidates, according to data submitted to the National Election Commission. The candidates’ financial reports submitted to commission show that Ahn is the has net assets of 197 billion won ($164 million). Among the four major candidates, Yoon Suk-yeol from the People Power Party came second with 7.7 billion won, followed by Lee Jae-myung from Democratic Party with 3.2 billion won. Sim Sang-jung of the

Feb. 14, 2022

Yoon, Ahn butt heads over merger of candidacies

The campaigns of main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol and minor candidate Ahn Cheol-soo clashed Monday over the right way to merge their campaigns, with Yoon's side rejecting Ahn's proposal of a public opinion survey. Ahn of the centrist People's Party proposed the merger with Yoon of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) on Sunday, with less than a month to go until the March 9 election. Ahn said the two sides should field a single candidate to take on ruling

Feb. 14, 2022

[Herald Interview] Yoon Suk-yeol eyes return of market-oriented, happiness centered economy

Since joining the presidential race as a political novice representing the main opposition People Power Party, Yoon Suk-yeol has emphasized how much damage South Korea endured under the incumbent administration, promising the next five years will be drastically different under his lead. Partly siding with free-market policies and advocating for happier lives of the people, Yoon is preparing to assign a new role for the central government: assisting businesses and facilitating their growth, rath

Feb. 14, 2022