Chief prosecutor tops poll of presidential hopefuls

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl came out on top in the latest poll of potential presidential candidates released Sunday, building on the momentum of support gained during his tug-of-war with Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae. In a poll conducted by Realmeter on 1,000 people over the age of 18 on Friday and Saturday, 30.4 percent picked Yoon as their most favored president. The survey, commissioned by local cable news channel YTN, had a margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points, with a 95

Jan. 3, 2021

Moon pays tribute at national cemetery, pledges efforts for return to normalcy

President Moon Jae-in on Saturday paid tribute to fallen national heroes at a state cemetery in Seoul and pledged to chart a path to normalcy for pandemic-weary citizens. Moon visited Seoul National Cemetery, flanked by his top aides, such as Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and his new chief of staff, You Young-min, as the president envisions a strategy to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerate the economic recovery this year. "(I will try to make) citizens regain their normal life a

Jan. 2, 2021

Justice minister apologizes over massive virus outbreak at detention center

Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae on Friday apologized over massive coronavirus infections among inmates at a detention center in Seoul. Choo has been under fire for belatedly responding to COVID-19 infections at Dongbu Detention Center in southeastern Seoul, in which over 900 cases have been confirmed over the past month. "As justice minister overseeing correctional facilities, I feel sorry for causing anxiety among people with regard to the spread of the coronavirus at Dongbu Detention Cente

Jan. 1, 2021

Ruling party chief to seek pardons for 2 imprisoned former

  Ruling Democratic Party Chairman Lee Nak-yon said Friday he will ask President Moon Jae-in "at an appropriate time" to grant pardons to two former conservative presidents imprisoned for corruption charges. Lee, who served as prime minister under the Moon administration, made the remarks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency, also stressing that the party should play an active role in pushing for the matter in order to promote national unity. As this year will be effecti

Jan. 1, 2021

Moon pledges to 'get normal lives back' in new year

  President Moon Jae-in said Friday he will work with the people to make sure they reclaim their "normal lives" in the new year after overcoming the coronavirus pandemic. "With the power of coexistence, we will certainly get normal lives back," Moon said in a Facebook message. "Not only in the virus fight but also in the economy, climate environment and peace on the Korean Peninsula, we will take the lead in the winds of change." Thanking the people for exer

Jan. 1, 2021

Moon names new chief of staff

President Moon Jae-in named You Young-min, former minister of science and ICT, as his new chief of staff, Cheong Wa Dae announced Thursday.  You replaces Moon’s longest-serving chief of staff, Noh Young-min, who resigned the previous day after a two-year stint to give the president fresh momentum as he enters his fifth year in office.  On Wednesday, three top aides offered their resignations as the Moon administration faces harsh criticism over the nation’s slow COVID-19

Dec. 31, 2020

Moon picks former Science Minister You Young-min as chief of staff

President Moon Jae-in has tapped You Young-min, a former science and technology minister, as his new chief of staff, Cheong Wa Dae announced Thursday. You, known for his IT expertise from decades of experience in a related corporate sector, is succeeding Noh Young-min, who tendered his resignation the previous day following a two-year stint. Noh was quoted as saying that he wants to leave room for fresh momentum in Moon's presidency, which is facing a host of challenges from housing market ins

Dec. 31, 2020

S. Korea expected to roll out its own coronavirus vaccine late next year, PM says

South Korea will be able to develop its own COVID-19 vaccine late next year, in addition to foreign products to be shipped here in the near future, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Thursday. He was speaking in public at the outset of an interagency meeting on the virus response. "(The government) will be able to introduce a COVID-19 vaccine, which we are developing independently, to the people around the end of next year," he said during the session held at the government office co

Dec. 31, 2020

New justice minister, first chief of anti-corruption agency named

President Moon Jae-in’s prosecutorial reform is entering a new chapter in the new year, with nominees announced for the inaugural chief of a new anti-corruption body and the justice minister in his final Cabinet reshuffle of the year on Wednesday. Moon nominated Kim Jin-wook, a former judge and a Constitutional Court scholar, to head the upcoming Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking officials handling corruption among ranking government officials like prosecutors. After the

Dec. 30, 2020

Moon picks former judge as inaugural chief of anti-corruption agency

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday nominated a former judge to head the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, a new body handling corruption among senior government officials like prosecutors. After the confirmation hearing report is passed at the National Assembly within 20 days, the new anti-corruption agency, key to the president’s prosecutorial reform, will finally kick off in the weeks to follow. “I’m asking for support for the prompt launch

Dec. 30, 2020

Pastor acquitted of pre-electioneering, libel against Moon

A conservative pastor, best known for his mass anti-government rallies in central Seoul, was acquitted Wednesday of charges of premature electioneering and libel against President Moon Jae-in. The Seoul Central District Court made the ruling in the case of Jun Kwang-hoon, 64, head pastor of Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, who was indicted in March over remarks he made during some of the protests and prayer services. He was charged with violating election laws for rallying participants be

Dec. 30, 2020

President Moon won’t take pay raise next year

President Moon Jae-in and other high-ranking government officials will not take salary raises next year, given the economic crisis arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Moon, the highest-paid government official in the nation, will be paid 238.23 million won ($218,095) next year, while Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun will be second with 184.69 million won. The Ministry of Personnel Management recently approved a 0.9 percent pay increase for public servants next year. Under the plan, Moon’s

Dec. 29, 2020

Assembly speaker suggests Korea-China-Japan disease control body

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug recently urged his counterparts from China and Japan to cooperate to resolve health and security crises caused by the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. In recent videoconferences with Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, and Oshima Tadamori, speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan, Park raised the need for a meeting of the National Assembly speakers from the three nations. &ldqu

Dec. 29, 2020

Govt. to grant over 3,000 pardons before New Year's Day

The government will pardon 3,024 people, mostly convicted of minor crimes related to jobs, ahead of New Year's Day, the justice ministry announced Tuesday. The presidential clemency, effective as of Thursday, will also be granted to some protesters of military facilities and small-scale business owners involved in economic crimes. Politicians, election law violators, business tycoons and convicted felons are excluded from the list. "The subjects of these pardons were selected in a way to

Dec. 29, 2020

Police close probe without conclusion on ex-Seoul mayor's alleged sexual misconduct

Police said Tuesday they have closed a five-month investigation into allegations that late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon sexually abused a former secretary, failing to reach a conclusion on the high-profile case. In July, a municipal official who had formerly worked as a mayoral secretary filed a complaint with the police, accusing Park of having sexually harassed her over several years. Two days later, Park was found dead in an apparent suicide on the hills of a Seoul mountain. He left a note say

Dec. 29, 2020

Moon says S. Korea to begin coronavirus vaccine shots in Feb.

President Moon Jae-in dismissed criticism Monday that his government has fumbled its COVID-19 vaccine procurement policy, saying inoculation is expected to start as planned in February next year. He cited concerns that South Korea might have not secured enough vaccines yet or that its people would take shots too late. "That's not true," the president said in front of pool reporter and TV cameras at the outset of his weekly meeting with senior Cheong Wa Dae aides. The government put

Dec. 28, 2020

Moon’s once-infallible approval ratings hit by vaccine delay, prosecution reform

As President Moon Jae-in enters his fifth year in office, his disapproval ratings have reached their highest level yet, a survey showed Monday. Moon has recently faced strong criticism over the nation’s vaccine rollout plans and also caused controversy over disciplinary action against the top prosecutor. Moon is poised to drive up his ratings by speeding up the launch of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and carrying out a ministerial-level reshuffle. Accor

Dec. 28, 2020

Parliamentary committee passes confirmation report on land minister nominee amid protest

A parliamentary committee on Monday passed a confirmation report on Land Minister nominee Byeon Chang-heum amid fierce protests from the main opposition party. The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, where the ruling Democratic Party (DP) holds a majority, passed the report on Byeon's recent parliamentary confirmation hearing in a 17-0 vote during its plenary meeting. Lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), who belong to the committee, however, boycotted the voting

Dec. 28, 2020

Quarter of recent local COVID-19 infections originate among family members: PM

A quarter of all the new local COVID-19 patients over the past month were infected with the virus through family members, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Monday, calling for extra antivirus precautions inside homes. "Among the local (COVID-19) patients who tested positive over the past month, 25 percent were found to have been infected via their family members," the prime minister said during an interagency meeting on the COVID-19 response. He said that recent epidemiological inve

Dec. 28, 2020

Public disapproval of Moon's presidency close to 60%: Realmeter

President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has tied its all-time low, while public disapproval of his job performance has surged to the highest point so far, a poll showed Monday. In the four-day Realmeter survey conducted on 2,008 people, aged 18 or older, nationwide till last Thursday, 36.7 percent of respondents supported the president, down 2.8 percentage points from the previous week. Moon's rating had fallen to 36.7 percent, the lowest since he took office in May 2017, in the second week of

Dec. 28, 2020