[News Focus] Pessimists outnumber advocates over Moon in most areas

SEJONG – More people have a negative assessment of President Moon Jae-in’s performance than a positive one, a recent poll has shown. According to the survey by Gallup Korea, which was released on Saturday, the approval rating for the president was 44 percent across the country. In contrast, the disapproval rating for him rose to 49 percent. By region, in particular, Moon’s approval rating was outstripped by disapproval ratings in most major cities and provinces, excepting Gw

Feb. 16, 2020

3 minor opposition parties to merge for April 15 general elections

Three minor opposition parties announced a plan to merge Friday in a widely expected move that comes two months before the April 15 general elections, paving the way for them to become the third-largest political bloc in South Korea in terms of parliamentary seats, at least for now. The Bareunmirae Party (BMP) and the Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) agreed to be united with the New Alternative Party, which has seven lawmakers. They decided to name their new grouping the "Democratic Un

Feb. 14, 2020

Moon to receive economic policy reports from ministries next week

President Moon Jae-in will be briefed next week on key economic policies for 2020 by four relevant ministries as part of his renewed focus on revitalizing South Korea's economy amid nascent signs of the coronavirus epidemic subsiding in the nation, his office said Friday. Moon has put state affairs on an emergency footing since the confirmation of people here infected with the virus late last month. He adjusted some public schedules, including the postponement of a series of new year policy br

Feb. 14, 2020

PM says no complacency yet over coronavirus in S. Korea

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Friday his government is coping with the coronavirus pandemic relatively well but it's too early to be complacent. He cited "several risk factors" still in place as a number of Chinese workers and students are returning to South Korea in the wake of the Chinese New Year holidays and winter vacation. "Although there was great anxiety in the early stage of the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, (we) now have a belief that it's being well managed wi

Feb. 14, 2020

Seoul suspends more than 81,000 visas issued in China's Wuhan

Seoul has temporarily suspended more than 81,000 visas issued by the South Korean Consulate General in Wuhan, central China, since Feb. 4, when an entry ban for non-Korean travelers from the epicenter of the new coronavirus and its surrounding Hubei Province took effect, the Ministry of Justice said Friday. The suspension was announced by the Seoul government early this month, together with the unprecedented entry ban for all foreigners traveling from Hubei, as part of its efforts to stem the

Feb. 14, 2020

Moon rallies corporate leaders’ support to curb economic impact of coronavirus

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday urged the country’s corporate community to go ahead with investments as planned, calling on business leaders to work with the government to minimize the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking at a meeting with leaders of the country’s largest conglomerates and business associations at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Moon said the outbreak was holding back Korea’s economic recovery but the situation would end soon -

Feb. 13, 2020

Main opposition party to merge with 2 minor parties ahead of April elections

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) approved a plan to merge with two minor parties on Thursday in a bid to integrate conservatives ahead of the April parliamentary elections. The LKP gave the green light to a proposal to merge with the New Conservative Party and Onward for Future 4.0. A committee preparing for the merger is eyeing the launch of a new party on Sunday. "We push to merge with all parties, politicians and civic groups that uphold the Constitution and the principle

Feb. 13, 2020

Senior S. Korean national security adviser leaves for Russia: sources

A senior South Korean national security adviser left for Russia on Wednesday in a trip expected to focus on discussions on President Moon Jae-in's initiatives to expand inter-Korean exchange and cooperation to help move forward stalled denuclearization talks. Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Hyun-chong embarked on a four-day trip to Moscow, according to sources associated with the ruling Democratic Party. He was earlier seen at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, which raised s

Feb. 12, 2020

Cheong Wa Dae names new deputy spokesperson

President Moon Jae-in has appointed a Cheong Wa Dae staffer, Yoon Jae-kwan, as his new deputy spokesperson, Moon's office announced Wednesday. Yoon, deputy secretary at the office for public relations planning, is filling the post that has been vacant since Han Jung-woo was tapped as director of the Chunchugwan press center of Cheong Wa Dae earlier this month. It is part of a reshuffle in the lineup of Moon's public communication team following Ko Min-jung's departure from the spokesperson jo

Feb. 12, 2020

Ex-N. Korean envoy pledges to bring peninsula closer to unification

Thae Yong-ho, who was North Korea’s deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom before defecting to South Korea in 2016, is aiming for a parliamentary seat.  　Announcing his run in the April general elections under the conservative Liberty Korea Party, the high-profile defector said Tuesday that his mission is to contribute to the reunification of the two Koreas. 　“I know North Korea better and deeper than anyone else in South Korea. With my knowledge and experience, I hope to

Feb. 11, 2020

High-profile N. Korean defector to run in S. Korea's spring election: party

Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea in 2016, plans to run in the April 15 general elections here as a member of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), a party official announced Monday. Kim Hyong-o, head of the LKP's election candidate selection panel, said Thae has joined the conservative party for a race in a Seoul constituency and not in pursuit of a National Assembly seat from proportional representation. "I think he would probably be the fi

Feb. 10, 2020

Opposition party threatens to impeach Moon over election scandal

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Monday urged President Moon Jae-in to come clean on allegations involving former and incumbent presidential secretaries in an election-meddling scandal, threatening to launch an impeachment campaign. “As soon as the 21st National Assembly is formed, we will push for a parliamentary probe and special investigation. Should President Moon be found to have been involved in any way, we will push for his impeachment,” the party’s floor l

Feb. 10, 2020

[Newsmaker] Jongno race bellwether for presidential election

Home to the presidential office and Seoul Government Complex comprising key government offices, the Jongno District in central Seoul has been a symbolic seat in the political landscape. The election results there have proven to be a yardstick on where rival parties stand for the next president. In the upcoming parliamentary elections in April, the district will once again serve as a key battlefield for liberals and conservatives, as Lee Nak-yon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Chairm

Feb. 9, 2020

Moon says S. Korea can ride out viral outbreak, asks for no excessive fear

President Moon Jae-in said Sunday that South Korea is "certainly" capable of bringing the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak under control and advised people not to have excessive fear. He voiced confidence in the government's fight against the two-month-long pandemic, which originated in China, while meeting with residents in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province and Asan, South Chungcheong Province. The Moon administration chartered flights to bring a total of 701 South Koreans hom

Feb. 9, 2020

Ex-BP lawmaker seeks merger with LKP ahead of elections

A conservative lawmaker who recently broke away from a minor opposition party announced Sunday that he is seeking to merge his newly created party with the main opposition Liberty Korea Party in a bid to form a united right-wing front ahead of the April general elections. Rep. Yoo Seong-min made the announcement at the National Assembly, saying he will not run in the upcoming elections to focus all his efforts on uniting the conservative bloc. "I will follow the people's order to bring

Feb. 9, 2020

Moon stresses alliance, seeks US state governors' support for Korea peace process

President Moon Jae-in has asked US state governors to provide South Korea with full support for its efforts to bring lasting peace to the peninsula, as he delivered a video message to them during a reception co-hosted by his country's embassy in Washington, D.C. "We now find ourselves with the noble task of completing the journey towards peace," Moon said at the U.S. National Governors Association (NGA) event held in the U.S. capital on Saturday (local time). "I would like to as

Feb. 9, 2020

Opposition leader to run in Seoul's Jongno district in April elections

Hwang Kyo-ahn, chief of the main opposition party, announced his bid Friday to run in the Jongno district in central Seoul for the April 15 elections, heralding a high-profile race against the former prime minister. Hwang, chairman of the Liberty Korea Party, made the surprise announcement, weeks after he vowed to run in a "tough" electoral district in a metropolitan area for the parliamentary elections. "I will run in the Jongno district," Hwang told a press briefing. Jo

Feb. 7, 2020

Liberty Korea Party launches satellite group

General elections are about two months away and South Korea’s political landscape is undergoing a transformation, with party splits, mergers and even the arrival of the nation’s very first “satellite” party. 　The main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Wednesday launched the Future Korea Party, the satellite group created for the sole purpose of securing additional proportionate representative seats in the next parliament. LKP’s four-term lawmaker Han Sun-kyo switc

Feb. 5, 2020

[Newsmaker] Candidates turn to social media to woo voters amid coronavirus crisis

The coronavirus is forcing general election candidates to find ways to reach voters apart from street canvassing, with many turning to social media. 　 Campaign rally events often involve face-to-face conversations, handshakes and canvassing trucks with loudspeakers blaring music at places with a large flow of people and dense crowds. But fears over the contagious disease are driving candidates to run online campaigns. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has suggested party leaders suspend ele

Feb. 4, 2020

Majority of public against release of jailed ex-President Park: survey

A majority of the public opposes the release of former President Park Geun-hye, who has been detained for nearly three years now after a corruption scandal took down her presidency in 2017, a poll finds. According to local pollster Realmeter on Monday, which conducted the survey of 503 adults nationwide, some 56 percent of respondents voiced opposition to Park’s early release. Slightly less than 40 percent supported the idea, while 4.6 percent chose neither answer. People in the count

Feb. 4, 2020