Former President Park Geun-hye administration only handed over a 10-page report of their past work to the new government, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Monday. “Usually, former governments pass over basic data to aid smooth operation of the next administration, but Park’s government delivered practically nothing to us,” the party’s spokesperson Rep. Oh Young-hun said in a briefing.He criticized the former administration for racking up a national debt of 682 trillion won ($607 billion

Politics May 15, 2017

Fresh off a presidential election defeat, South Korea’s opposition parties are scrambling to reorganize their grounds, while keeping a close watch on the newly-minted Moon Jae-in administration. The four parties on Monday agreed with the new ruling Democratic Party of Korea to hold two-day parliamentary confirmation hearings on Moon’s Prime Minster-nominee Lee Nak-yon next week, vowing a thorough scrutiny of Lee’s credentials as the nation’s No. 2.Prime Minster-nominee Lee Nak-yon (Yonhap)Ahn Ch

Politics May 15, 2017

President Moon Jae-in wants to be the nation’s first “Gwanghwamun president.” Moving the presidential office from inside Cheong Wa Dae, the mountainside presidential palace where all his predecessors resided and worked, has been his key campaign pledge. And the new president confirmed the plan once again in his inauguration speech Wednesday. “I will become a president who can wipe away the tears of the people. I will get rid of the authoritarian culture of (past) presidents and will open a new e

Politics May 12, 2017

Conservative presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party left for the United States with his wife on Friday, days after ceding to the liberal contender in Tuesday’s presidential election.“I will not be staying there long. I will come back once I have sorted out my thoughts,” the former South Gyeongsang Province governor said in a press conference before taking off at Incheon Airport.Hong expressed his firm resolve to rally conservatives again and stop the “pro-North left” fro

Politics May 12, 2017

As a liberal administration returns with Moon Jae-in’s sweeping victory in the presidential election Tuesday, the conservative bloc now faces challenges in navigating the next five years.Despite the conservatives’ defeat, their future may not be so bleak. Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party came in second with 24 percent of votes while Yoo Seong-min of the splinter Bareun Party was fourth with 6.8 percent. Moon clinched victory with 41.1 percent of the 32 million votes.Hong Joo

Politics May 10, 2017

President Moon Jae-in kicked off his first day in office by exchanging greeting with citizens and paying respects at the Seoul National Cemetery on Wednesday morning.As he left his house at 9:20 a.m., he was greeted by his neighbors in Hongeun-dong in Seoul‘s Seodaemun-gu.(Yonhap)He then went to the Seoul National Cemetery to pay respects, as is customary, as his first official schedule of the day. The new leader is to meet the Speaker of the parliament at the National Assembly and visit headqua

Politics May 10, 2017

One scene that stands out in this year’s presidential election is a wealth of “proof shots” going viral on the internet and social media. As polling stations opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday, citizens were seen taking selfies and proof shots in front of polling stations. While these photos emit a similar vibe with mundane poses and a shot of the election ink smudged on a hand, some took the photos a step further.Voters upload photos on Instagram to show they have cast their ballots.(Photos from Instagra

Politics May 9, 2017

Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea cast his vote with his wife, Kim Jung-sook, in Hongeun Middle School in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, early Tuesday. Wearing a blue suit with a white shirt, Moon arrived at the school gate at 8:35 a.m. The venue was already crowded with citizens and reporters, trying to catch a glimpse of the presidential front-runner. “Only voting can change the reality,” he said after he came out from the polling station building. “Please bring together the strength

Politics May 9, 2017

A woman with a knife was arrested at an outdoor electioneering event for conservative presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo on Monday.The woman appeared at the campaign stop in front of a shopping mall in Daegu with what appeared to be a fruit knife wrapped in white paper. She was immediately stopped by surrounding Hong supporters and was soon arrested.  (Screen captured from Youtube)She reportedly said after being caught, “I have worked for two hours and came here to talk about my unfair situati

Politics May 8, 2017

On Monday, the day before Election Day, the five leading presidential candidates made their last-ditch appeals, asserting they are the only person who can safeguard national values and deliver on voters’ desires. Front-runner Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea reiterated calls for an “overwhelming victory” that would expedite what he called a “proud current of reform and integration.”Front-runner Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (Yonhap)“Please open a new wo

Politics May 8, 2017

Candidates for the South Korean presidency are to blitz through key battleground regions Monday as the race enters its final hours before the crucial vote Tuesday. While front-runner Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea is trying to seal his lead at the polls, others are striving to turn the tables around. A conservative rival even claimed a “golden cross.”Moon, who consistently topped polls with some 35-40 percent in support, is scheduled to visit the southern city of Busan -- Korea’s s

Politics May 7, 2017

“평생 이런 걸 본 적이 없어요.”지난 26일 서울 홍대입구역에서 유승민 바른정당 대선후보의 유세를 본 독일인 여행객은 한국의 대통령 후보 유세가 “신기하다”고 답했다.우리나라 시민들이 보기에는 익숙하기만 한 트럭 위 유세, 춤 공연 등은 상당수 외국인 관광객과 거주민들의 눈에 “특별한 볼거리”로 비춰졌다. 한국으로 여행 온 지 10일째라던 폴 벤하우스(Paul Venhaus, 24)씨는 웃음을 참지 못한 채 연신 스마트폰으로 사진을 찍어댔다. 유세 전후를 장식하는 유세단의 춤을 보고는 “춤과 율동이 후보들의 공약과 무슨 관계가 있는 건지 모르겠다”면서도 “매우 웃긴 광경(Ridiculous)”이라고 했다.   문재인 더불어민주당 대선후보 의정부 유세현장 (코리아헤럴드)이어 “큰 스크린이 달린 트럭들은 TV 프로그램을 광고하러 돌아다니는 줄 알았다”며 “(한국에 비교하면) 독일은 선거 유세가 밋밋하고 재미없다”고 덧붙였다.지난 1일 15,000여명(주최 측 추산)이 몰린 문재인 더불

한국어판 May 6, 2017

SEJONG (Yonhap) -- The unemployment rate for the age group of 20s and 30s with no career experience hit a record high in the first quarter, due largely to a sluggish recruitment market and preference for hiring experienced workers, government data showed Saturday.The tally on the unemployed aged 20-39 who have never had a job came to 95,000 in the January-March period, recording the highest level since the government began to track related data in 1999, according to Statistics Korea. The number

Economy May 6, 2017

Impeached former President Park Geun-hye had her residence moved to a quiet neighborhood in Seoul with little fanfare on Saturday.Park, who was ousted from office two months ago, remains in jail while facing bribery and other criminal charges, mostly involving her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil and key former aides.With Park away, movers arrived at her former home in Samseong-dong in southern Seoul at around 7:30 am. They started loading their trucks some half an hour later. Naegok-dong (Yonhap)P

Social Affairs May 6, 2017

The worst fine dust of 2017 blanketed much of South Korea on Saturday, as the authorities issued health warnings against the sandy, chemical-laden wind from China.The National Institute of Environmental Research said fine dust warnings have been issued in 12 cities and counties nationwide as of 7:30 am Seoul and a few other regions have been placed under an advisory. (Yonhap)The fine dust warning is issued when an hourly average dust concentration of more than 300 micrograms per cubic meter (㎍/㎥

Social Affairs May 6, 2017