Calls grow in S. Korea for Olympic boycott over Dokdo

Calls are growing for Seoul to boycott the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics in protest against the Japanese government’s marking of Dokdo as its territory on its Olympics website. The Korean government recently found that Dokdo remains on the Japanese territorial map on its Olympics website as a faint dot when the screen is zoomed in. Earlier, Japan had made the island unseen on the map after Korea’s protest. The Korean government recently protested again to remove the island, but th

June 9, 2021

Main opposition set to request outside probe into party lawmakers' property dealings

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is set to officially request Wednesday an inspection by state auditors into real estate dealings by all its sitting lawmakers to determine if any of them is involved in a public sector land speculation scandal. The PPP's deputy floor leader Rep. Choo Kyung-ho is scheduled to visit the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) in the afternoon to submit a letter requesting an inspection into property transactions of all its 102 lawmakers, according to part

June 9, 2021

S. Korea not considering boycott of Tokyo Olympics amid Dokdo spat: ministry

South Korea is not considering boycotting the Tokyo Olympics, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, after presidential hopefuls of the ruling Democratic Party mentioned the possibility of a boycott amid a renewed territorial spat with Japan over the East Sea islets of Dokdo. Rep. Lee Nak-yon and former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun raised the need to mull boycotting the Games, slated to take place from July 23-Aug. 8, should Japan not revise the map of the Olympic torch relay route that included D

June 8, 2021

[Newsmaker] 12 ruling party lawmakers implicated in real estate corruption

The ruling Democratic Party convened an emergency meeting of its leadership Tuesday to discuss how to respond to a government report indicating that 12 of its lawmakers were implicated in illegal real estate transactions. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission said Monday that 12 Democratic Party lawmakers or family members of Democratic Party lawmakers were suspected of violating the law on real estate trade. The anti-corruption watchdog looked into the real estate transactions of 17

June 8, 2021

Daegu mayor apologizes for controversial bid to import Pfizer vaccines

DAEGU -- The mayor of Daegu offered an apology on Tuesday for causing a "big stir" over the southeastern city's recent bid to import a massive amount of Pfizer vaccines that turned out to be fake. Mayor Kwon Young-jin apologized to Daegu citizens and the whole nation in a news conference, saying his city's attempt to arrange for the South Korean government to buy 30 million doses of Pfizer vaccines from abroad was made out of good will. The incident dates back to May 31, when Kwon to

June 8, 2021

DP to recommend voluntary departure to 12 lawmakers suspected of illegal property dealings

The ruling Democratic Party decided Tuesday to ask 12 sitting party lawmakers suspected of involvement in illegal real estate dealings to leave the party voluntarily. The decision came one day after the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced after a monthslong probe that 12 DP lawmakers are suspected of involvement in illegal real estate dealings by themselves or their families. "Having pledged to sternly respond to this issue during the previous party convention, our p

June 8, 2021

Minor party leader fined for violating election law in connection with academic fraud scandal

The chief of a minor opposition party was fined 800,000 won ($720) Tuesday for lying about fabricating an internship document for a former justice minister's son. The Seoul Central District Court convicted Rep. Choe Kang-wook of the Open Democratic Party for violating the Public Official Election Act, saying he could have hindered voters from making a fair and reasonable decision during the general elections last year by spreading false information on a matter that had attracted huge public att

June 8, 2021

Prosecution challenges structural reform plan by justice ministry

The Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) on Tuesday refused to accept reform measures pushed by the justice ministry and aimed at curbing prosecutors' investigative power. The decision was made during a meeting convened by Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo the previous day with senior prosecutors to discuss the ministry's reform plan, the SPO said. The office said in a statement that it "is not acceptable" that the ministry tries to curb direct investigations by prosecutors and requires them

June 8, 2021

Moon says G-7 summit to be chance for S. Korea's diplomacy, bigger role on global issues

President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday his upcoming participation in the Group of Seven (G-7) summit would serve as an opportunity to upgrade South Korea's diplomacy. He is scheduled to attend the three-day session to open Friday in Britain, the first major in-person multilateral summit since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. South Korea is not a member of the club of the world's most industrialized nations, but Moon is joining the meeting as a guest, along with the leaders of Australia, Indi

June 8, 2021

12 DP lawmakers suspected of engaging in illegal real estate dealings: anti-corruption agency

The state anti-corruption watchdog said Monday it has identified 12 ruling party lawmakers suspected of having engaged in illegal real estate dealings, following a party-wide probe conducted in the wake of a public sector land speculation scandal in March. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced that it identified 16 alleged speculation cases linked to 12 members of the Democratic Party (DP) and that it has relayed the information to a separate police-led special government in

June 7, 2021

Moon says 36m S. Koreans to be vaccinated by September

President Moon Jae-in said Monday that 36 million South Koreans will get at least the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines by September. The number represents 70 percent of the nation's population. Moon raised the possibility that more than 14 million people will be inoculated by the end of June, chairing a special interagency meeting on the coronavirus prevention and control at Cheong Wa Dae, the third of its kind. If achieved, fatality rates and the number of additional infections would decline

June 7, 2021

Moon orders complete overhaul of military culture

President Moon Jae-in on Monday called for a complete overhaul of military culture amid a public outcry over the suicide of an Air Force noncommissioned officer who was sexually assaulted by her male colleague. According to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee, Moon ordered the creation of an independent task force with civilian representation to improve the barracks culture overall. “I cannot tolerate the latest incident that has sparked people’s outrage,” the preside

June 7, 2021

Moon orders launch of task force to overhaul military culture amid fury over death of sex assault victim

President Moon Jae-in instructed the government Monday to establish a task force on overhauling military culture, Cheong Wa Dae said amid a public uproar over the suicide of a female Air Force official who was sexually assaulted by a male colleague. It should not be business as usual, with the people infuriated over the incident, the president stressed, speaking during an internal meeting of his office earlier in the day, according to his spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. He then urged the launch o

June 7, 2021

DP to enact bill on providing compensation for COVID-19 losses this month

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) pledged Monday to legislate a bill this month to compensate small business owners hit by the country's COVID-19 restrictions. "During the (ongoing provisional) National Assembly session in June, the DP will definitely process the legislation bill on (COVID-19) damage compensation," party floor leader Rep. Yun Ho-jung said at the opening of the party's consultation meeting with the government. "The government should surely be responsible for the

June 7, 2021

DP to form task force on military crimes amid suicide case of abused female officer

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Monday decided to launch a task force aimed at preventing military crimes and helping better protect victims following the suicide of a sexually harassed female noncommissioned officer and the military's alleged mishandling of the incident. In its supreme council meeting, the DP named Rep. Min Hong-chul, chairman of the National Assembly's defense committee, to head the team aimed at fixing "the overall system in connection to the closed culture of the m

June 7, 2021

PPP enjoys upward momentum in polls on heated leadership race, new developments on Yoon

The approval rating of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) was seen as displaying upward momentum, according to a new poll Monday, amid its intense leadership race and new developments surrounding the former prosecutor general predicted to join the party to run for president. In the survey conducted by Realmeter on 2,519 people over the age of 18 from May 31 to June 4, the PPP's approval rating was recorded at 38 percent, up 2.4 percentage points from the previous week. The ruling Dem

June 7, 2021

Public opinion divided over to whom new round of stimulus checks should go: poll

Public opinion appears to be almost evenly divided over to whom the upcoming new round of COVID-19 relief payments should go, an opinion poll showed Monday. According to the poll conducted on 500 voters nationwide Friday by Realmeter, 38 percent said the stimulus checks should be paid to all nationals. Another 33.4 percent, however, responded the relief funds should selectively go to underprivileged people, the poll results showed. A total of 25.3 percent opposed the payment of emergency relie

June 7, 2021

Ruling party chief hints at Samsung scion's pardon

The chairman of the ruling Democratic Party on Sunday hinted at the potential parole of Lee Jae-yong, the de facto head of Samsung Group. Business conglomerates have recently called for Lee to be pardoned, especially ahead of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day, an anniversary on which South Korea's presidents have often used their right to grant a special pardon as part of efforts for promoting national unity. "(Lee) could possibly be freed on parole, not limited only to a pardon," Re

June 6, 2021

Will Constitution be revised to allow young president?

Discussions on abolishing the age limit for presidential candidates are gaining traction in the wake of the sensation caused by 36-year-old Lee Jun-seok in the main opposition People Power Party’s leadership race. Under the current Constitution, a candidate must be over 40 years old to run for president. The clause was first introduced in 1962 during the fifth constitutional amendment led by the military regime. In order for the Constitution to be revised, the motion needs the support

June 6, 2021

[Newsmaker] Moon visits funeral home of sex assault victim in military

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday met with the bereaved families of a female Air Force officer, sexually assaulted by a male colleague, and apologized to them for failing to protect her. Moon headed to her funeral home shortly after attending a national ceremony to mark the 66th Memorial Day. The annual event was held at Seoul National Cemetery. Speaking to the victim's parents at Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam, just south of the capital, the president said he was sorry that the count

June 6, 2021