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

Moon sends letter to UAE's crown prince over nuclear power plant operation

South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent a congratulatory letter to the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the nation's 50th founding anniversary and the start of its first nuclear power plant, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. In the letter to Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Moon congratulated the nation on beginning the commercial operation of the Barakah plant constructed by South Korea. Three more reactors are being built there. Moon described th

April 7, 2021

Bellwether mayoral by-elections kick off in Seoul and Busan

Voters went to polls to cast ballots for new mayors in Seoul and Busan, the country's two biggest cities, on Wednesday in by-elections deemed a critical bellwether for next year's presidential contest. Voting began at 6 a.m. at 3,459 polling stations across the country and will last till 8 p.m. Besides the two mayoral seats, 19 other regional public posts are up for grabs, including the county governor for Uiryeong in South Gyeongsang Province and a ward office head in the southeastern In Seou

April 7, 2021

By-election campaigns dominated by property allegations, negative battles

Rival parties were wrapping up their campaigns for local by-elections Tuesday dominated by corruption allegations and negative tactics rather than policy competition. Voters in 21 local entities will cast ballots Wednesday to pick the new mayors of Seoul and Busan and fill other regional administrative and legislative posts. The ruling Democratic Party (DP) and main opposition People Power Party (PPP) mounted fierce campaigns, as the elections are seen as a key barometer of voter sentiment ahe

April 6, 2021

Cheong Wa Dae reaching out to biz community via on-site meetings

Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday it will redouble efforts to communicate with the local business sector in a bid to resolve difficulties facing firms here and provide other necessary support. The move comes at President Moon Jae-in's instruction, which was issued during an internal meeting last week. Lee Ho-seung, Moon's chief of staff for policy, is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with leaders of major lobby groups here. The top Cheong Wa Dae secretary in charge of policy issues will v

April 6, 2021

By-election voters asked to observe quarantine, distancing rules

Quarantine authorities on Tuesday asked the public to thoroughly comply with social distancing and other anti-coronavirus rules in the voting process for this week's mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan. By-election voting for the two mayoral seats and 19 other regional public posts is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. and last till 8 p.m. on Wednesday at 3,459 polling stations across the country. The Central Disease Control Headquarters said in a media briefing that voters must always wear a ma

April 6, 2021

Main opposition interim leader to quit after by-elections

Kim Chong-in, the interim leader of the main opposition People Power Party, said Tuesday he will leave the party this week after seeing the results of local by-elections. The veteran politician took office as chairman of the emergency leadership committee in June 2020. At that time he promised to quit after refurbishing the conservative party to better compete in the presidential election slated for March 2022. "I will leave the party after the emergency committee's meeting the day after

April 6, 2021