More members of the presidential transition committee for president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol were announced Tuesday, including a former vice foreign minister and a former vice speaker among others. In a press briefing, Yoon’s spokesperson Kim Eun-hye released some of the names of the chiefs and members for the three subcommittees --foreign policy and national security, economy, and politics and judiciary administration. Former vice foreign minister Kim Sung-han was appointed to lead the fore

Politics March 15, 2022

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol said Monday that he will abolish the post of senior secretary for civil affairs at his presidential office, ridding it of its inspection and intelligence functions. Explaining how the office has played a role in illegal inspections on society, Yoon said he will “clear away the remnant” in his government, in a meeting with the leadership of his presidential transition committee. “In the past, the senior secretary for civil affairs at the presiden

Politics March 14, 2022

People’s Party Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo will lead the presidential transition committee, President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol said Sunday, in a speedy move to launch the committee for a smooth transition of power from the incumbent government. “Ahn Cheol-soo and I share values and philosophy on state affairs management and we have already met (for discussion) after the election,” Yoon said during a press briefing on Sunday. “Ahn is willing to lead the presidential transition

Politics March 13, 2022

As South Korea chose its next president in a tightly contested election Wednesday, the spotlight also turned to Kim Keon-hee, the spouse of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who has actively pursued her career running an exhibition planning firm. Kim, a chief executive officer and founder of the company, has kept a low-key presence on the campaign trail since being bombarded by a series of allegations and rumors. And while she had little room to show off her personality in public during the cam

Politics March 10, 2022

As the poll confirmed of his victory, President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol arrived at the party’s campaign headquarter to deliver his speech at an early dawn on Thursday. Ahn Cheol-soo, the chief of the minor opposition People’s Party who dropped out of the race to merge campaign with Yoon, also came to celebrate the victory wearing a red tie to match the color of the main opposition party. “I believe (the presidential election) was a very heated, and passionate race. In that proc

Politics March 10, 2022

Presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition party looks to be on course for victory as the gap in vote tallies has widened during counting. With 85 percent of votes counted as of 2:13 a.m. Thursday, 48.64 percent were for Yoon, against 47.78 percent for the ruling party candidate Lee Jae-myung. Although about 15 percent of votes remained to be counted, some media outlets and the country’s largest portal Naver rated Yoon’s win as “likely.” By Jo He-rim (

Politics March 10, 2022

With the ballot count in full swing, People Power Party members cheered on as its flagbearer Yoon Suk-yeol took the lead over ruling party rival Lee Jae-myung after midnight on Thursday. With about half of ballots counted as of 12:31 a.m., Yoon edged past Lee of the Democratic Party of Korea, to garner 48.3 of the counted ballots to 48.2. As Yoon’s vote total closed in Lee’s, a number of the party’s lawmakers including the election campaign chief Rep. Kwon Young-se and the

Politics March 10, 2022

Members of the main opposition People Power Party appeared to be less than excited after the exit poll results released by the major broadcasters showed an unexpectedly tight race Wednesday evening. At the party’s election headquarters set up inside the National Assembly, People Power Party leadership, including the party’s Chairman Lee Jun-seok and election campaign chief Rep. Kwon Young-se, had come to watch the exit poll results that emerged after polls officially closed nationw

Politics March 9, 2022

Kim Ji-su, who turned 18 in January, cast her first ballot in a presidential election on Wednesday with a sense of excitement. “Adults think we are too young (to vote), but we are also citizens of this country. I am glad that I can vote to choose the president who will lead the country for the next five years,” Kim, a senior at Munjeong High School in Seoul, told The Korea Herald. This year’s presidential election marked a milestone in Korean politics, as the first time in

Politics March 9, 2022

Even before the darkness of dawn had faded away, voters trickled into polling stations Wednesday to elect their next president, with a strong desire for a new leader who can spearhead political and economic reforms and stabilize a society hit by an unprecedented pandemic. In this year’s presidential election, 14,464 polling stations opened across the country to run from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The hours were extended from the usual 6 p.m. this year for COVID-19 patients and those in quarant

Politics March 9, 2022

In the final hours of their campaigns for this year’s presidential election, the ruling and opposition blocs each predicted victory for their side as they ramped up last-minute campaigning on Tuesday. With the election law prohibiting publication of all public surveys from six days before the election, the two frontrunners in the race -- Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party -- stayed on their toes. On Tuesday, P

Politics March 8, 2022

Wives of the two main presidential have been staying under the radar with the election day just two days away, as they try to avoid stirring up negative sentiments with their scandals. In past elections, the spouses came to play the role of a strategic surrogate for the presidential hopefuls, embarking on campaign visits of their own to woo voters. The wives of the two front-runners, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power

Politics March 7, 2022

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