Aug. 17 has been designated as a temporary holiday, creating a one-off long weekend from Aug. 15 through Aug. 17, the government said Tuesday. The Cabinet approved the holiday plan in light of Liberation Day falling on Saturday and a growing public fatigue from the drawn-out fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. “We hope to give a short, but precious rest time to people tired from battling the coronavirus,” President Moon Jae-in said at the weekly meeting. Under the Regulations

Politics July 21, 2020

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea is reengaging the drive to establish an administrative capital, as it seeks a breakthrough in real estate issues. The issue, which was put to rest in 2004, was revived following Democratic Party Floor Leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon’s address to the parliament on Monday. In 2004, the Constitutional Court ruled that the plans were unconstitutional, saying that Seoul being Korea’s capital is an established fact under “customary constitution.&rdqu

Politics July 21, 2020

President Moon Jae-in and seven other heads of state on Wednesday called for equal access to an eventual vaccine against the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. In an opinion piece published in the Washington Post, the leaders said ensuring equal access to any potential vaccine was just as important as developing an effective vaccine. “What happens next is equally important. This cannot be a race with one winner. When one or more vaccines are successful, it must be a win for a

Politics July 16, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday urged the National Assembly to realize “politics of cooperation” and called on political parties to support his administration’s social and economic reforms, and peace drive. The 21st National Assembly held a ceremony officially marking the start of parliamentary proceedings, 48 days after its term began on May 30, due to discord between the ruling and main opposition parties. Addressing the parliament at the opening ceremony, Moon said th

Politics July 16, 2020

The 21st National Assembly is set to begin its official proceedings Thursday, 48 days after the newly elected lawmakers’ terms began on May 30. President Moon Jae-in will address the parliament at the opening ceremony. “President Moon Jae-in will address the parliament at the opening ceremony that will be held at 2 p.m.,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said, adding that Moon’s original schedule for Thursday concerned the Korean New Deal. The Korean New Deal is t

Politics July 15, 2020

The political life of yet another progressive heavyweight will be decided Thursday, with the Supreme Court set to make the final ruling on Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung’s case. Lee is on trial on charges of abuse of power and violating the Public Official Election Act for spreading false information. The charge of abuse of power concerns allegations that he used his authority as the mayor of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to institutionalize his brother against his will in 2012.

Politics July 14, 2020

The number of COVID-19 cases entering the country shot up, pushing the number of new cases in South Korea to 62 on Sunday. According to the country’s quarantine authorities, 62 new cases were confirmed as of midnight Monday, pushing up the total to 13,479. Of the new cases, 43 were individuals who entered the country, and 19 were locally transmitted cases. The latest figure for imported cases is the highest seen since March 25, when 51 individuals who entered the country were found pos

Social Affairs July 13, 2020

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon’s apparent suicide on Thursday is once again highlighting Korea’s suicide problem. Park is the latest in a growing list of high-profile figures to take their own life here. The list of public figures includes progressive icons such as President Roh Moo-hyun and Justice Party leader Roh Heo-chan. High-profile suicides occur on an almost routine basis in Korea, with suspected motivations ranging from a damaged political reputation to depression brought on

Social Affairs July 10, 2020

The ruling Democratic Party is leaning towards raising the highest gross real estate tax rate to 6 percent. According to reports citing ruling party officials, the new top tax rate will be included in the party’s latest real estate tax reform measures that could be announced as early as Friday. At present, the gross real estate tax is levied at rates ranging from 0.5 percent to 3.2 percent, depending on the number, value and location of properties. The government has proposed raising th

Politics July 9, 2020

The government and ruling Dmocratic Party of Korea are taking unprecedented steps to douse the controversy over multiple homeownership among their ranks faced with mounting criticism from both conservative and progressive blocs. On Wednesday, Noh Young-min, President Moon Jae-in’s chief of staff, announced that he will sell his southern Seoul home within the month, saying that he has failed to meet public expectations. Noh’s Seoul home became a focal point in the growing controv

Politics July 8, 2020

The government and ruling party are scrambling to roll out measures to curb real estate prices, faced with mounting criticism that the Moon Jae-in administration’s related polices have failed. On Tuesday, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s Rep. Kang Byung-won proposed an Income Tax Act revision outlining the toughest-yet measures to curb real estate speculation, which could see a capital gains tax rate as high as 90 percent imposed on certain transactions. The bill comes a d

Politics July 7, 2020

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Monday awarded civil servants of his office selected for outstanding performance, gifting them with commemorative plates to symbolize his “plate theory.” The plates were given to a number of officials within the Prime Minister’s Office for proactive administration. Recipients include the COVID-19 response team and officials who developed ideas for enabling the public to attend religious services while maintaining social distancing -- via onl

Social Affairs July 6, 2020

President Moon Jae-in’s approval rating dropped to the lowest in three months, while the gap between the ruling and main opposition parties narrowed, a poll showed Thursday. According to a poll conducted by Realmeter, Moon’s approval rating came to 49.4 percent in the first week of July. This is the first time the figure has dropped below 50 percent in Realmeter polls since the third week of March. A Gallup Korea poll for the final week of June also showed similar results, puttin

Politics July 2, 2020

South Korea and the European Union on Tuesday agreed to continue cooperating on a range of global issues, from the COVID-19 pandemic and environment to multilateralism and global security issues, in a teleconference summit. President Moon Jae-in spoke with President of the European Council Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in place of the canceled South Korea-EU summit that was originally planned to be held in Seoul last month. In his opening remarks, Moo

Foreign Affairs June 30, 2020

Cheong Wa Dae on Friday urged relatives of people thought to have died during the Korean War to give DNA samples to aid in the efforts to identify remains. Speaking at a briefing on the government’s efforts to recover remains of South Korean soldiers who died in the war, and to identify and return them to their families, Cheong Wa Dae deputy spokesman Yoon Jae-kwan urged surviving families to give DNA samples.  “Securing DNA from families is very important, which is need to v

Social Affairs June 26, 2020