Rival presidential candidates agree on more TV debates than minimum 3 rounds

The ruling and main opposition presidential candidates shared an understanding Friday that they should have more TV debates than the minimum three rounds required under law before the March 9 election. Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) told reporters that he welcomes a proposal from Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) who earlier called for holding presidential debates more than three times. Under the election law, televised presidential debates orga

Jan. 7, 2022

[Election 2022] Another dramatic reconciliation, but hurdles remain for main opposition

After another dramatic reconciliation with People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok, Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition party, took the subway to work Friday, and took another step to recovering ties with the party leader. The party chairman welcomed Yoon’s move, saying it signals “the start” for a big change. Lee had said he recommended a number of electioneering activities that would soften the image of Yoon, who was formerly prosecutor general.

Jan. 7, 2022

Moon extends sympathy for deaths of 3 firefighters

President Moon Jae-in on Friday extended his sympathy over the deaths of three firefighters killed in a warehouse blaze in Pyeongtaek this week. Presidential Chief of Staff You Young-min visited the funeral altar earlier in the day and conveyed Moon's message of condolences to the bereaved families. Moon said he "prays for the repose of the three firefighters who died while facing the flames with thorough responsibility and courage," according to You. You said the government will

Jan. 7, 2022

Moon calls for close cooperation with USFK to curb spread of COVID-19 at US bases

President Moon Jae-in on Friday ordered aides to closely cooperate with US troops stationed in South Korea to curb the spread of COVID-19 at US military bases here. Moon also instructed aides to come up with enhanced antivirus measures for citizens and business facilities near US military bases, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said in a statement. According to a recent report by the Stars and Stripes, the US military's news organization, US Forces Korea counted 467 new COVID-19 cases

Jan. 7, 2022

[Election 2022] Ahn softens on possible alliance with main opposition

Presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party said Thursday he “can meet” with Yoon Suk-yeol, the nominee from the main opposition if Yoon made the request, showing a slight change in stance on uniting candidacies to win at the March presidential polls. When asked if he would meet with Yoon of the People Power Party to talk about uniting forces in a televised interview, Ahn said, “when politicians say we need to meet, we can. But whether we

Jan. 7, 2022

Lee leads Yoon by 10 percentage points: poll

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung is leading his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol by 10 percentage points with the election just two months away, a survey showed Friday. Lee of the ruling Democratic Party garnered 36 percent, while Yoon of the main opposition People Power Party gained 26 percent, showed the Gallup Korea survey of 1,002 adults conducted Tuesday and Thursday. Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the minor opposition People's Party, came in third with

Jan. 7, 2022

COVID-19 antiviral pills to arrive in S. Korea next week: PM

Antiviral COVID-19 pills will arrive in South Korea next week, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday. "We will make sure they can be used swiftly in the medical field," Kim said during a COVID-19 response meeting in Seoul. The government has so far secured oral COVID-19 drugs for around 1 million patients. The country signed a prepurchase contract with US drug giant Pfizer Inc. for its Paxlovid pill for 762,000 patients. It also inked a deal with MSD, a subsidiary of US drugmaker

Jan. 7, 2022

Lee, Yoon reconcile as PPP drops proposal for party chief's ouster

Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol and the chief of his People Power Party reached a surprise agreement Thursday to put their long-running feud behind them and move forward for election victory. PPP lawmakers also withdrew their push to oust party chairman Lee Jun-seok as the two patched up the row that has been blamed for the recent sharp fall in Yoon's public support about two months ahead of the March 9 presidential election. The surprise reconciliation came after Lee sa

Jan. 6, 2022

[Election 2022] Main opposition party’s internal strife still not done

The main opposition People Power Party’s internal conflict is intensifying, with some lawmakers demanding party leader Lee Jun-seok’s resignation despite presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of a “new start” for his campaign team. At the general meeting of lawmakers Thursday, Yoon and the members were discussing a resolution to recommend that party leader Lee Jun-seok resign. The results had not been released as of Thursday evening. Lee has come u

Jan. 6, 2022

Moon expresses condolences over death of 3 firefighters

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday expressed his condolences over the death of three firefighters who were killed while battling a warehouse blaze in Pyeongtaek. Moon said he is "heartbroken" by the news of three firefighters "who died while engaging in rescue activities at the forefront of protecting the lives and safety of people," according to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Moon prayed for the repose of the deceased and offered deep consolation to families of t

Jan. 6, 2022

Assembly speaker vows to prioritize legislative support for COVID-19 losses

The National Assembly will prioritize tackling problems stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022 by passing bills aimed at stimulating the economy and strengthening the social safety net, Speaker Park Byeong-seug said Thursday. Park said in an online meeting with reporters that the National Assembly will focus on addressing bills drafted in concern of people suffering from the COVID-19 fallout, adding that he will lead the legislative branch to effectively serve as the representative agency

Jan. 6, 2022

Can scandal-ridden candidates be replaced?

With controversies and allegations continuing to mar the ongoing presidential race, calls have grown for the ruling and main opposition parties to replace their nominees and install ones with cleaner pasts and clearer views. Many voters are unfavorable to the two-way race between Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party, holding rallies and releasing statements urging the candidates to drop out. Lee has faced criticism su

Jan. 6, 2022

Lee leads Yoon 36% to 28%: poll

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung is leading his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol with 36 percent support against Yoon's 28 percent, a survey showed Thursday. Lee of the ruling Democratic Party lost 3 percentage points from last week, while Yoon of the main opposition People Power Party remained unchanged, according to the survey of 1,000 adults conducted Monday through Wednesday by Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research and Hankook Research. Still, Lee is leading Yo

Jan. 6, 2022

Lee pledges to ease regulations for competition, efficiency

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said Thursday he will ease regulations on companies to help promote competition and boost efficiency, as he seeks to woo voters from the corporate sector. "If regulations limit competition and efficiency, abolishing or easing them is desirable for the whole economy," Lee told a virtual meeting with Korean executives attending the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Lee of the Democratic Party said the government's role is to creat

Jan. 6, 2022

Lee gets boost from proposal on hair loss treatment

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung has generated an enthusiastic public response after his campaign proposed adding hair loss to ailments covered by national health insurance. Democratic Party Rep. Choi Jong-yoon unveiled the idea on Facebook on Tuesday, saying Lee is looking into it as a campaign pledge to deal with the reality that "one in five" South Koreans suffer from hair loss but resort to buying treatment drugs from overseas or alternative drugs meant for the pr

Jan. 5, 2022

Moon rebukes military for failing to detect border crosser, calls for special sense of alert

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday rebuked the military for failing to detect a man who crossed the eastern inter-Korean border into North Korea over the weekend, calling for the military to have a special sense of alert in border security. The man, who was found to be a North Korean defector, crossed the heavily fortified border on Saturday despite surveillance cameras having caught him as many as five times in a major security failure, according to the military. Moon said the "failure

Jan. 5, 2022

Lee renews call for universal COVID-19 relief grants

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), on Wednesday renewed his call for providing COVID-19 relief grants to all people, saying it is an effective way to help pandemic-hit small businesses. "Basically, all people have suffered (from COVID-19), so opportunity should be given to all of them," Lee told reporters after a campaign event in Gwangju, 330 kilometers southwest of Seoul. "I am not saying it needs to be done immediately but in princi

Jan. 5, 2022

[Election 2022] Yoon disbands conflict-riddled campaign team

Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition party, on Wednesday disbanded his election campaign committee, following weeks of internal dispute. In a press conference, the nominee from the People Power Party said he is launching a new campaign team that is more compact for efficiency, and apologized again for conflicts and scandals raised in the party and surrounding his family. “The election committee is disbanded from today. Instead of giving posts to lawmakers, I

Jan. 5, 2022

Swing voters shun Yoon Suk-yeol amid controversies

Presidential nominee Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party has seemingly lost support from young voters in their 20s and 30s, with just over 60 days left until the March election. A Realmeter survey commissioned by YTN with 1,024 voters between the ages of 18 and 39 conducted on Monday and Tuesday showed that Yoon had 18.4 percent support from respondents, trailing Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party. Lee

Jan. 5, 2022

Moon urges N. Korea to make efforts for dialogue after Pyongyang fires suspected missile

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday called for North Korea to make efforts for dialogue in a more earnest manner, after Pyongyang launched a suspected ballistic missile into the sea in this year's first show of force. "This morning, North Korea test-fired an unidentified short-range projectile," Moon told a groundbreaking ceremony for a railway at an inter-Korean border town. "Because of this, there are concerns that tensions could rise and a stalemate of inter-Korean relations c

Jan. 5, 2022