3 out of 4 Koreans dissatisfied with political situation: poll

Three out of 4 South Koreans said they were dissatisfied with the country’s political situation, according to the results of a survey summarized in a recent report. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and Seoul National University’s Center for Social Welfare conducted the poll of 6,331 households between February and May last year. The topics were political participation, political orientation and perception of welfare. Of the respondents, 74.88 percent said they wer

April 8, 2020

Korea mulls temporary lifting of self-isolation for general elections

The government is considering limited lifting of self-isolation measures to enable individuals whose movements have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to vote in the general elections.  According to the National Election Commission, concerned government agencies are considering a number of measures for those affected by the isolation and quarantine measures.  Korea currently enforces a two-week isolation period -- at home or in government facilities -- on those arriving from ove

April 8, 2020

Hit by coronavirus, overseas voter turnout at record-low

Disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, overseas citizens' voting in South Korea's parliamentary elections recorded the lowest-ever turnout of 23.8 percent, the National Election Commission (NEC) said Tuesday. Only 40,858 of 171,959 people eligible for overseas voting for the April 15 elections cast their ballots, amounting to the lowest rate since the system was introduced in 2012. The number was 45.7 percent in 2012 and 41.4 in 2016, according to NEC. Overseas voting was conducted from April

April 7, 2020

Moon appreciates quarantine workers' service at Incheon airport

President Moon Jae-in visited Incheon International Airport on Tuesday for a meeting with quarantine workers fighting the coronavirus on World Health Day, according to his Facebook message. He expressed gratitude to them for their dedicated service at the main gateway of South Korea, the front line of the country's fight against COVID-19. It is located an hour's drive west of Seoul. "Thank you, and thank you again," Moon wrote, praising them for working "day and night" to

April 7, 2020

Ruling party pledges virus relief money for all income levels

Scrambling to make appeals to voters ahead of elections next week, rival political groups on Monday proposed coronavirus relief subsidies for all South Korean citizens to mitigate the economic fallout from the pandemic. Lee Hae-chan, the leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said Monday that the ruling party will push to expand the scope of the government’s stimulus program to have all income brackets benefit from it. The government’s plan, announced last week, envis

April 6, 2020

Moon urges finance industry’s support for economic measures

President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged South Korean banks to ensure that the government’s financial measures against the COVID-19 pandemic are executed as smoothly as possible. Speaking at a meeting with heads of major private and state-run financial institutions, Moon stressed the importance of the financial sector’s role in shoring up the economy against the impact of the pandemic. “The finance (sector) is like the medical staff on the frontlines of quarantine. Just as th

April 6, 2020

S. Korea to hold April 15 elections at 14,330 polling stations across nation

South Korea will hold the April 15 parliamentary elections at 14,330 polling stations across the nation, the election watchdog said Monday. To promote voters' accessibility, 99.1 percent of the polling stations will be set up on the first floor of designated facilities or at those with elevators, according to the National Election Commission (NEC). South Korea will hold the general elections in the midst of its fight against the new coronavirus outbreak. To prioritize voter safety, the NEC e

April 6, 2020

[Newsmaker] Korea to push for abolishing statute of limitations for child sex crime

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the government have agreed to push for abolishing the statute of limitations for sex crime involving children and minors. DP and government officials held a consultative meeting Sunday to discuss ways to strengthen the punishment of digital sex crime in response to a high-profile sex exploitation case at online chat rooms involving minors, widely known as the "Nth room case." At least 103 people, including 26 underage girls, are known to have been

April 6, 2020

Moon's approval rating hits this year's high at 53.7%: Realmeter

President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has ascended to this year's highest of 53.7 percent, a poll showed Monday, amid a widespread view that his administration is coping effectively with the coronavirus. In the five-day phone survey of 2,521 people nationwide, age 18 or older, through last Friday, Moon's popularity rose 1.1 percentage points from a week earlier, while the portion of those critical of his leadership fell 0.9 percentage point to 43.2 percent, according to Realmeter. The margin

April 6, 2020

[Graphic News] S. Korea halts overseas election process in US, 24 other nations

　South Korea will stop overseas election affairs for the April polls in 41 diplomatic missions of 25 nations, including the United States, over the coronavirus pandemic until April 6, according to the National Election Commission. 　The move followed last week’s decision to suspend the election process in Italy and 16 other countries and territories over the COVID-19 pandemic. 　The total affected diplomatic missions reached 65 in 41 countries, the NEC said. An estimated 80,500 voters

April 5, 2020

Rival parties project victories in half of constituencies

The campaigns for the April 15 general elections are heating up, with the ruling and main opposition parties each hoping to secure the majority of constituencies. While there are only 253 constituencies up for grabs, both the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition United Future Party are projecting victory in 123 to 130 constituencies. The Democratic Party considers its candidates to have the upper hand in 134 of the 253 constituencies, while the United Future Party considers victo

April 5, 2020

Ahn urges parties to return campaign subsidies

Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the centrist People’s Party, called on political parties to return campaign subsidies they received from the government, saying the coronavirus pandemic has dampened conventional campaigning activities, bringing down overall costs. 　 “Our economy is in a total disarray and many people are pushed to their limits. (...) Are we going to spend all the taxpayers’ money at a time like this? Are we even entitled?” the politician wrote on Facebook on Frid

April 3, 2020

Moon vows support for proposed legislation on April 3 Jeju incident

President Moon Jae-in assured Jeju residents Friday that his administration would make every possible effort to legislate compensation for the victims and bereaved families of the April 3 massacre there seven decades ago. He was addressing an annual ceremony to commemorate the tragic incident, during which tens of thousands of civilians were killed by the authorities in a yearslong bloody crackdown on the southern island. They were protesting against US military-led rule following Korea's liber

April 3, 2020

S. Korea halts overseas voting in 5 more countries

South Korea's election watchdog said Thursday it has decided to stop absentee voting for the April 15 parliamentary elections in five more overseas missions due to the coronavirus pandemic. The process will be suspended at Seoul's embassies in India, El Salvador and Oman, and two consulates in Russia and Iraq, according to the National Election Commission. Following the move, votes will not be cast at a total of 91 missions in 55 countries and territories. An estimated 87,252 voters will be

April 2, 2020

Outlook for general elections remains uncertain

Campaigns for general elections have kicked off, with both mainstream parties vowing victory, but the outlook remains unclear. Thursday saw the start of the official campaign period for the April 15 general elections, which includes proportional representative parties for the first time, adding new variables to the mix. Recent polls show that both the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and main opposition United Future Party’s support ratings, and those of their satellite parties, have

April 2, 2020

Govt. vows to ensure safe voting environment amid virus outbreak

The government vowed Thursday to take measures to create a safe voting environment for the April 15 general elections, including disinfecting polling stations at home and abroad. The government also asked for understanding regarding its decision to suspend overseas voting in 51 countries, including the United States and many European countries, due to health risks, movement restrictions and lockdowns over the COVID-19 pandemic. "It was a decision made considering the impact on the safety

April 2, 2020

Overseas voting for general elections kicks off

South Korean nationals living abroad began casting ballots for the April general elections Wednesday, but the global coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the process. 　 A total of 171,959 overseas nationals registered to vote over six days through Monday, but some 80,000 won’t be able to do so in the aftermath of the fast-spreading coronavirus, which has killed over 42,000 people around the world. The National Election Commission has suspended election-related affairs at 65 diplomati

April 1, 2020

S. Korea to use longest ballots for proportional representation voting

South Korea will have the longest ballots for proportional representation (PR) voting in the April parliamentary elections, as political parties targeting seats have sprung up due to the revised election law. The 48.1-centimeter ballots are the longest since the country adopted the current form of parliamentary elections in 2004. To elect the 300-member National Assembly, voters have to cast two ballots to pick a candidate running in a district and a political party. The ballots will be count

April 1, 2020

Moon seeks tougher measures against imported cases

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday stressed the need to limit an influx of COVID-19 cases from overseas, calling for stern legal measures against those who violate related regulations.　 At the meeting, the government also postponed the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030, or P4G, summit scheduled to be held in Seoul in June to next year.　 Speaking at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Moon said that while the outbreak is slowing in Korea, the country must remain vigilant as each

March 31, 2020

S. Korea to put off P4G climate summit amid coronavirus outbreak

South Korea said Tuesday it has decided to postpone a major international summit on climate change to next year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. It had been set to host the second P4G summit in Seoul in June. The government made the decision during a Cabinet meeting presided over by President Moon Jae-in earlier in the day, according to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. "(We) had prior consultations with major countries to be invited in connection with the issue," Cheong Wa

March 31, 2020