[Newsmaker] S. Korean PM arrives in Iran: report

South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun arrived in Iran on Sunday, a report said, as Seoul seeks to improve relations with Tehran amid lingering tension over Iranian funds frozen in Korea under US sanctions. Chung's three-day trip to Tehran came days after Tehran released a Korean oil tanker and its captain three months after its seizure over alleged oil pollution, paving the way for better bilateral relations. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that Chung is slated to meet wi

April 11, 2021

Moon to preside over meetings on COVID-19, economy next week

President Moon Jae-in is to preside over a string of emergency meetings on pending quarantine and economic issues next week, officials said Saturday, in accordance with his earlier pledge to concentrate on improving people's livelihoods following the ruling party's crushing by-election defeat. Moon will attend a special meeting of COVID-19-related ministers and top officials at Cheong Wa Dae on Monday to inspect vaccine supply plans and government quarantine measures, according to presidential

April 10, 2021

S. Korea to begin KF-21 fighter production, deploy up to 120 units by 2032: Moon

President Moon Jae-in said Friday that South Korea is set to begin production of the country's next-generation indigenous fighter jet prototype with a goal of deploying up to 120 units for use in real combat by 2032. Moon announced the plan at an unveiling event of the KF-21 Boramae fighter prototype held at the Korea Aerospace Industries headquarters in the southern city of Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. South Korea began the 8.8 trillion-won ($7.9 billion) program to replace the Air For

April 9, 2021

DP's emergency committee chief vows reform after crushing election defeat

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Friday pledged to carry out a set of thorough reform measures to win back voters, following its crushing by-election defeat earlier this week. "The DP will come out of the trap of 'naeronambul' as soon as possible," Rep. Do Jong-hwan, the head of the DP's emergency response committee, said during its first meeting held at the National Assembly. Naeronambul is a popular saying in South Korea, which criticizes hypocritical behaviors or having double

April 9, 2021

Young ruling party lawmakers say prosecution reform failed to win public support

Five young lawmakers of the Democratic Party said Friday that their party's campaign for prosecution reform may have failed to win public consensus, possibly leading to its devastating defeats in this week's mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan. The five lawmakers -- Reps. Oh Yeong-hwan, Lee So-young, Jang Kyung-tae, Jang Chul-min and Jeon Yong-gi -- made the critical remarks on the party's yearlong drive to weaken the power of the prosecution while reflecting on the causes of its election d

April 9, 2021

Seoul mayor orders review of city's COVID-19 response

The new mayor of Seoul ordered his administration on Friday to review the city's response to COVID-19 thus far, saying the current virus restrictions have failed to address the people's needs. Oh Se-hoon made the remark during a COVID-19 response meeting attended by senior city officials on his second day of work following his landslide win in Wednesday's mayoral by-election. "We've been dealing with COVID-19 for almost a year and four months, but to tell you the truth, I think it's time

April 9, 2021

Gyeonggi governor Lee back at No. 1 in poll of presidential hopefuls

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung was back at No. 1 in a poll of potential presidential candidates released Thursday, with the previous front runner having fallen far behind compared with a week ago. In the survey conducted jointly by four polling agencies on 1,004 people over the age of 18 from Monday to Wednesday, 24 percent picked Gov. Lee as their favored candidate in next year's presidential election, pushing him into the lead after finishing in second place last week. The poll was con

April 8, 2021

More than 80% of Koreans call for recalibration of Moon's policy direction

More than 80 percent of South Koreans share the view that the Moon Jae-in government needs to recalibrate the direction of its key state administration policies, a poll showed Thursday. According to the poll of 1,004 people earlier this week, 86 percent said the Moon government's policy direction should be partially or entirely changed after Wednesday's mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan. Fifty-one percent said the Moon government can maintain the basic direction of its major state polici

April 8, 2021

Main opposition interim leader steps down after steering party to election victory

Kim Chong-in, the interim leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), resigned Thursday after steering the biggest conservative party to a landslide victory in the latest by-elections. Kim took office as the caretaker leader of the biggest conservative party in June last year, following the party's crushing parliamentary election defeat in April. Under Kim's leadership, the party renamed itself from the United Future Party to the current moniker and took other face-lifting measures

April 8, 2021

Oh Se-hoon returns as Seoul mayor after 10 years

Oh Se-hoon, the new mayor of Seoul, who returned to the post Thursday 10 years after stepping down, has vowed to take care of citizens suffering as a result of the prolonged pandemic and to push for deregulation to increase the supply of housing. After arriving at Seoul City Hall on Thursday at 8:50 a.m., Oh met with reporters and expressed his feelings about his first day of work, saying that as mayor he would take care of Seoul citizens suffering the effects of the novel coronavirus outbreak

April 8, 2021

Ruling party leaders resign en masse for election defeat

The leaders of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) resigned en masse Thursday to take responsibility for the shocking rout in this week's by-elections. "Taking responsibility for the results of the elections, all (members of) the DP leadership are stepping down," Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon, the party's acting chairman and floor leader, said in a press conference at the National Assembly. The party will hold a convention to pick a new chairman on May 2, a week earlier than initially planned, and

April 8, 2021

PM orders full review of EMA's findings before resuming use of AstraZeneca's vaccine

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Thursday ordered health authorities to thoroughly and swiftly review the latest findings by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on the safety of AstraZeneca's vaccine. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency should "swiftly reach a scientific conclusion on the findings and share the results with the public in a transparent manner," he said. While rare blood clots have been reported among people administered with the vaccine, the EMA said "

April 8, 2021

Moon takes election rout as 'reprimand' from the public, Cheong Wa Dae says

After his Democratic Party (DP) suffered an election rout, President Moon Jae-in stated Thursday that he takes it as a "reprimand" from the public. He said he will carry out his duties with a "humble demeanor and heavy sense of responsibility," according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. Moon was quoted as adding that he will concentrate efforts on meeting the people's "desperate demands," including overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, revitalizing the economy,

April 8, 2021

Ruling party suffers mayoral election debacle in Seoul, Busan

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea suffered an election debacle Thursday in the Seoul and Busan mayoral race regarded by many as a litmus test for next year's presidential electionon.  Oh Se-hoon, a former mayor and the sole candidate from the main opposition People Power Party, won the by-election for Seoul mayor by a landslide. Oh of the main opposition People Power Party defeated his rival from the DP, Park Young-sun, 57.5 percent to 39 percent to claim the Seoul mayor

April 8, 2021

Ruling party suffers crushing defeat in bellwether by-elections

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) suffered a crushing defeat in mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan Wednesday, seen as a critical bellwether for next year's presidential poll. Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) defeated his rival from the DP, Park Young-sun, 57.5 percent to 39 percent to claim the Seoul mayoral seat, according to the final vote tally released by the National Election Commission. The mayoral seat in Busan, the country's second-largest city, also went

April 8, 2021

6.45 million voters rush to cast ballots for mayoral by-elections

Some 6.45 million voters rushed to polling stations Wednesday to cast their ballots for the mayor of Seoul and Busan, the two largest municipalities in South Korea. According to preliminary data from the National Election Commission, 56.8 percent of 12.16 million eligible voters cast their votes during the two-day-long early voting period and from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the day of the election. Some 58.2 percent of 8.43 million eligible voters cast their ballots to choose the next mayor of Seoul.

April 7, 2021

Ex-top justice claims innocence in trial over alleged judiciary power abuse

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae on Wednesday denied his alleged role in a judiciary power abuse scandal during the conservative administration of Park Geun-hye, who was impeached. Yang, who headed the top court from 2011-17, is accused of having pressed his officials at the National Court Administration, the top court's governing body, to devise plans to influence politically sensitive trials for Park, who is now jailed over corruption charges. "The gale that blows in the

April 7, 2021

Main opposition crushes ruling bloc in by-elections

Oh Se-hoon, a former mayor and the sole candidate from the main opposition People Power Party, won the by-election for Seoul mayor by a landslide. Oh won the race, taking 57.5 percent of the votes, compared to former SMEs minister Park Young-sun's 38.18 percent.  Exits poll results showed that Oh received 59 percent of the votes while Park Young-sun, former minister of SMEs and startups and the sole candidate from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, received 37.7 percent of the votes i

April 7, 2021

Cheong Wa Dae pledges more open communications with business

Cheong Wa Dae has pledged to facilitate communications with the business community through more frequent, official meetings, saying gone are the days of secret meetings for shady deals. According to the presidential office Wednesday, President Moon Jae-in’s new chief of staff for policy Lee Ho-seung plans to hold a series of meetings with heads of the nation’s key business groups this month in a way to better communicate with businesses in all sizes from chaebol to small merchants

April 7, 2021

[Newsmaker] Govt. to expand free coronavirus testing to prevent new wave of infections: PM

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Wednesday the government will expand free coronavirus testing, with recent spikes in new cases spurring concerns of a fourth wave of infections. The country reported 668 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the most since Feb. 18, as sporadic cluster infections continued to increase across the country. "We will expand free testing so that anyone can get a free coronavirus diagnostic test regardless of the social distancing stage or symptoms," Chung sa

April 7, 2021