Local governments’ autonomy will be increased and economic polarization addressed through stronger economic democratization clauses, Cheong Wa Dae announced Wednesday, in revealing the second part of its constitutional amendment bill.The second part of the government’s proposal focuses on elements of the Constitution concerning the economy and decentralization of government. Senior Civil Affairs Secretary Cho Kuk announces the second part of the government`s proposal on Constitution amendment on

Politics March 21, 2018

Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday revealed the first part of the government’s Constitution amendment bill that would strengthen the basic rights and power of the people. President Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)“The amendment must be centered on the people,” Cho Kuk, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, said in introducing the proposed changes, adding that the candlelight protests had shown the people’s desire for “direct democracy,” and the desire to exercise their sovereignty.“Therefore, the amendment

Politics March 20, 2018

President Moon Jae-in will head to Vietnam Thursday, beginning his seven-day trip to the Southeast Asian nation and the United Arab Emirates.  South Korean President Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)Moon will kick off his trip to Vietnam with a meeting with Park Hang-seo, the head coach of Vietnam’s national under-23 soccer team. Moon will then attend the groundbreaking ceremony for a higher-education institution modeled after the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. On the following day, Moon will hol

Politics March 20, 2018

President Moon Jae-in’s constitutional amendment bill will be submitted to the National Assembly on Monday, according to the Blue House.“The president gave orders to fully prepare to submit the Constitution amendment bill on March 26,” said Jin Sung-joon, a presidential political affairs secretary, on Monday. The presidential office also revealed plans for government reform.  President Moon Jae-in speaks at the conference on government reform in Seoul on Monday. YonhapJin added that the date was

Politics March 19, 2018

Seoul’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong met with his US and Japanese counterparts and agreed on close collaboration on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Cheong Wa Dae revealed Monday. According to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom, Chung met with US National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster and Japan’s Shotaro Yachi in San Francisco in a trilateral meeting held in San Francisco on Saturday and Sunday. The three nations’ top national security officers discussed the upcomi

North Korea March 19, 2018

Speculations are rising over possible summit meetings between President Moon Jae-in, and the leaders of China, the US and Japan in the run-up to the inter-Korean summit, and Pyongyang-Washington summit. Moon’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is scheduled for some time at the end of April, which is set to be followed by a historic meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump. President Moon Jae-in speaks to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday. YonhapWhile Seoul has no d

North Korea March 18, 2018

President Moon Jae-in held a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, hours after his conversation with the Japanese leader, as Seoul scrambles to prepare for the upcoming inter-Korean summit. According to Seoul’s presidential office, Moon and Trump spoke over the telephone for about 35 minutes from around 10 p.m., discussing issues surrounding North Korea, and Seoul-Washington relations.President Moon Jae-in (left) and US President Donald Trump. Yonhap“Denuclearization of the Kore

North Korea March 17, 2018

The preparation committee for the inter-Korean summit officially took form on Thursday, with President Moon Jae-in’s Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok taking the chair. Under Im, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon will serve as the administrator. Committee members include National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, chief of staff for policy Chang Ha-sung, Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo, National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha and Mi

North Korea March 15, 2018

The Moon Jae-in administration’s draft Constitution revision bill was met with mixed reactions from nongovernmental organizations, which called for greater distribution of power Thursday.The special committee on constitutional reform revealed its draft bill on Tuesday.The call came at a rally staged by an association of some 150 NGOs, including the People‘s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice. Nongovermental organizations state their assessment of

Social Affairs March 15, 2018

Former President Lee Myung-bak returned home in the early hours of Thursday after a marathon grilling session by the prosecution that began on the previous day.Lee, who appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office at 9:22 a.m. Wednesday, remerged at about 6:25 a.m., leaving immediately without any comments. Former President Lee Myung-bak emerges from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors` Office on Thursday. YonhapThe prosecution had begun questioning Lee at about 9:45 a.m. over a

Social Affairs March 15, 2018

South Korea’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong is to arrive back in Seoul on Thursday, wrapping up a series of meetings with top officials of neighboring powers over recent North Korean developments. In the last leg of his trip, Chung on Tuesday met with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, where he discussed details of his meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, as he had done with Chinese President Xi Jinping a day earlier in Beij

North Korea March 14, 2018

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday emphasized the need to proceed with revising the Constitution on schedule, highlighting the benefits of the timeline proposed by his administration.Speaking at a meeting with the special committee on constitutional revision, Moon also stressed that he stands to gain no political benefits from the proposed changes.“If a four-year consecutive term system is adopted, it takes effect from the next president. I want that made clear, as there are misunderstandings that

Politics March 13, 2018

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday promised his government’s cooperation in efforts to bring about the denuclearization of North Korea. Speaking at a meeting with Seoul’s National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, Abe positively assessed recent developments, while reiterating that Pyongyang must take verifiable actions for further progress. Suh had traveled to Tokyo on Monday to discuss the results of his meetings with US President Donald Trump, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-

North Korea March 13, 2018

Seoul’s top national security officials on Monday left for China and Japan to brief the two countries’ leaders on the recent developments surrounding North Korea. National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, headed to Beijing and Tokyo, respectively, tasked with explaining their meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump. Chinese President Xi Jinping greets Seoul's National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong

North Korea March 12, 2018

US President Donald Trump on Friday agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “by May,” as Seoul scrambles to make preparations for the inter-Korean summit slated for the end of April. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in plans to meet Kim on the South’s side of the Panmunjeom truce village as part of the recently reached inter-Korean agreement. The announcement regarding Trump’s decision was made by Seoul’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong at the White House following his meeti

North Korea March 9, 2018