In their last-ditch efforts to woo voters, the two prominent presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the ruling party and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition party are each shouting out, separately, how they are the best person to make real improvements to the lives of the people. As their canvassing efforts echo each other, their welfare pledges also appear to be similar, though they come from different political backgrounds -- Lee from the liberal Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon from th

Politics March 6, 2022

People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok on Friday dismissed rumors of a co-chairmanship with Ahn Cheol-soo as various rumors about Ahn‘s next steps arose since his stepping out of the race. Ahn, the chairman of the minor opposition People’s Party, conceded his candidacy to the People Power Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday. There were rumors about Ahn‘s next moves, including one about him possibly becoming a co-chairman of the main opposition once the two parties merg

Politics March 4, 2022

The two leading opposition candidates for the presidency, Yoon Suk-yeol and Ahn Cheol-soo, merged their campaigns Thursday in a dramatic turn of events, just a day before early voting was to begin. In a joint statement, Yoon of the main opposition People Power Party and Ahn of the minor opposition People’s Party said they have decided to merge their campaigns in pursuit of regime change. Ahn withdrew his candidacy, declaring his support for Yoon. “Today, I, Ahn Cheol-soo, and Yoo

Politics March 3, 2022

Presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party toned down his stance related to the gender divide when asked by rival contenders during a TV debate on Wednesday. As the candidates discussed the ways to handle the country’s low birth rates, Lee Jae-myung, the flagbearer of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, asked Yoon what he thinks of feminism, reciting Yoon’s previous comment that feminism has hindered young man and women from building the relation

Politics March 2, 2022

Presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party has once again come under fire for an inconsiderate social media post, which appeared to disregard the seriousness of the situation in Ukraine. On Monday, a tweet was uploaded on Yoon’s Twitter account with the message, “We stand with Ukraine” in both Korean and English. However, the tweet grabbed public attention not for its message, but for the attached photo: A tangerine with an angry face draw

Politics March 2, 2022

Presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Kim Dong-yeon, a nominee of the New Wave, on Tuesday agreed to form a “policy alliance” to vie against the opposition blocs in the presidential race. Lee met with Kim, who served as the finance minister under the incumbent Moon Jae-in administration, and both agreed to together pursue reforms in the electoral and political systems, according to a joint statement. The two candidates said they will r

Politics March 1, 2022

Along with the parties’ excessive dirt digging, the topic of gender divide has overshadowed policies and pledges in this year’s presidential election, as candidates ramp up gender-biased rhetoric to form their campaign narratives. In a bid to secure votes from the undecided electorate in their 20s and 30s who are sensitive to gender-related issues, presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party has taken the side of young men, laying out pledges in t

Politics March 1, 2022

North Gyeongsang Province is aiming to create a “provincial metaverse” for 10 million people by 2026, officials said at a launching of a policy advisory group of experts for the virtual development. Holding a launching ceremony on Thursday, the provincial government said it has also formed a Metaverse Alliance to include corporates and universities. It is the first time a province here has created any such entity related to metaverse, the province added. “In the era of the

Social Affairs Feb. 28, 2022

Presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party on Sunday made a public proposal for a one-on-one negotiation with Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party to unify candidacies, while revealing that the last-minute efforts he had so far made were rejected by Ahn. “Until this time, I have been doing my best for candidacy unification with Ahn Cheol-soo, with a sincere attitude,” Yoon said in a press conference Sunday. “I have ma

Politics Feb. 27, 2022

Presidential nominees Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party and Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea exchanged criticisms on each others’ “inadequate capabilities,” over the Ukraine crisis during a televised presidential debate on Friday. “The Ukraine crisis is leading the prices of raw materials and energy sources to skyrocket, and it may create insecurity in the finance sector. It is also a threat factor to Korea’s national se

Politics Feb. 25, 2022

Presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party denounced the ruling party’s pledge to pursue electoral reform as a “false promise” aimed at gaining public attention, during a televised presidential debate Friday. When Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said he would introduce a new government system aimed at devolving powers concentrated in the presidential office and stressed the need for a mult

Politics Feb. 25, 2022

The blame game is intensifying between the main opposition People Power Party and minor People’s Party over the failure to reach an agreement to merge their respective campaigns for the upcoming presidential election, with the respective chiefs revealing their under-the-table negotiations. Amid a widening gap between the two opposition parties, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea has reached out with plans to reform the government system and lay the foundations for a multiparty system,

Politics Feb. 24, 2022

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Wednesday slammed Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition party, accusing him of hiding the truth about his wife’s alleged involvement in a stock manipulation case. “Yoon will lose in the presidential election because of Kim Keon-hee’s stock manipulation charges,” Rep. Woo Sang-ho of the ruling party said, speaking at a campaign committee meeting Wednesday. Woo is chief of the campaign committee for Lee J

Politics Feb. 23, 2022

Talks of a campaign merger of presidential candidates Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party continue, despite Ahn withdrawing his initial proposal for merger talks. On Tuesday, Ahn continued his criticism of Yoon, who “fled” from a proposal to compete in a two-way primary to decide on a unified candidate. “I made the suggestion to hold a public primary (for a campaign merger) to Yoon. But (Yoon)

Politics Feb. 22, 2022

From smashing pine boards in a taekwondo uniform to beating a traditional drum, the two presidential candidates leading the race are each putting on a show to woo voters. Addressing a crowd of residents in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday, presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea smashed pine boards while donning a taekwondo uniform, in a show of his determination to change the country when he is elected. “Like how Gyeonggi Province is different b

Politics Feb. 21, 2022