As students vowed to stage a candlelight protest on Friday calling for tuition cuts, the main opposition Democratic Party on Thursday announced its three-stage plan toward that goal.“We will first restore the scholarship system for the low-income bracket, which the ruling party ruled out last year through budget reduction,” said Rep. Park Young-sun, the party’s policy chairperson.“The next steps w

Politics June 9, 2011

Lawmakers increasingly oppose plan to shut Central Investigation DepartmentA parliamentary committee’s move to abolish the prosecution’s core investigation unit faced an obstacle as the majority of ruling party lawmakers opposed the plan, after Cheong Wa Dae urged the party to consider the matter prudently.The Grand National Party held a general meeting on Thursday to discuss whether to close down

Politics June 9, 2011

Amid debate over recent demands to close down the prosecution’s core investigation unit, the parliamentary subcommittee on judicial reform is considering banning prosecutors from working in the Justice Ministry.The committee met on Wednesday to discuss the possible revision of the current prosecutor’s office law, officials said.The bill would forbid prosecutors from working in the ministry and est

Politics June 8, 2011

Ruling bloc prefers fees help tailored toward disadvantaged studentsDebate over college tuition cuts once again picked up momentum in the parliamentary interpellation on social, education and culture issues on Thursday.The opposition parties called for an immediate tuition cut, whereas the ruling party claimed that an unconditional cut could lower the education level.“Some 7 trillion won or half o

Politics June 8, 2011

During the parliamentary appellation on Thursday, parties blasted the Cabinet on the savings banks scandal and other vital economic issues.The opposition camp condemned the current administration for neglecting supervision over the savings banks, while the ruling party attributed the domino fall to the financial policies adopted by past administrations.Even some ruling party lawmakers aimed their

Politics June 7, 2011

The ruling Grand National Party decided in its senior officials’ meeting to maintain a one-man, two-vote system in electing its new chairman early next month.The party’s standing national committee, held Tuesday at the Air Force Club, voted unilaterally not to adopt the one-man, one-vote system earlier suggested by the emergency policy committee last week. The committee holds the right to draw up

Politics June 7, 2011

Leading members of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee are to have one-on-one meetings with U.S. Congressional counterparts to boost prospects for the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement’s ratification, officials said Monday.Reps. Nam Kyun-pil, Gu Sang-chan and Jungwook Hong ― all members of the committee and strong supporters of the KORUS FTA ― will leave for the U.S. within the week.The lawmakers will focus on individual communication with influential Congress members instead of their usua

Politics June 6, 2011

Grand National Party factions are set for another fight on Tuesday over rules on the election of its new party chairman. The role is to be filled through an election at the ruling party’s national convention in July.“We are to reach an overall agreement, if not a final one, through a general meeting on how to elect our chairman,” said Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, floor leader and acting party chairman. A g

Politics June 6, 2011

Junior pro-Lee Myung-bak lawmakers of the ruling Grand National Party submitted on Wednesday a bill to appoint an independent counsel to investigate Busan Mutual Savings Bank’s irregularities, party officials said.Other savings banks, which were declared near bankrupt and suspended earlier this year along with the Busan bank, are also to be dealt with by the independent counsel, according to the b

Politics June 1, 2011

The Korean government should focus on reinforcing its social and legal influence over Dokdo, lawmakers and experts said in a parliamentary forum.A seminar was held at the National Assembly on Wednesday by the parliamentary Dokdo Guardians, a group of lawmakers that was launched last month.The discussion was attended by Reps. Suh Sang-kee, Won Hye-young and Park Sun-young and a number of local expe

Politics June 1, 2011