Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, appears to be taking a head-on tactic to tackle controversies. In a radio interview Wednesday, Lee admitted to academic plagiarism and reiterated that Gachon University should revoke his master’s degree. “I did not provide citations in my thesis, and it is plagiarism. I gave up on my degree,” Lee said in the interview. “The school should cancel it, but it has not. They gave me a doc

Politics Dec. 29, 2021

People Power Party election committee chief Kim Chong-in stepped in Tuesday to calm the conflict between the party’s presidential candidate and its chairman. Discord in the conservative main opposition party has continued since it chose Yoon Suk-yeol, a former prosecutor general, as its flagbearer in November. Acknowledging internal disputes made public by remarks of the party members, Kim said in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper that he will step up to “control the

Politics Dec. 28, 2021

With just 75 days before the presidential election, the government’s decision to grant special pardon to former President Park Geun-hye on Friday has risen as a factor that may sway the results of the election. While the main opposition People Power Party welcomed the pardon of their former leader, key party members criticized President Moon Jae-in for making a “political move” to create a divide in the conservative bloc, ahead of the presidential election slated for March.

Politics Dec. 24, 2021

Former President Park Geun-hye is to be pardoned in the special New Year presidential pardon granted to 3,094 individuals. Former President Lee Myung-bak was not included in the list. 　 Park, 69, has been serving a combined 22-year term since March 2017 for charges including abuse of power and bribery, after she was impeached in the year before. Her immediate predecessor Lee, who is currently serving a 17-year prison sentence for bribery and embezzlement, has not been given the special pardo

Politics Dec. 24, 2021

The race to decide the country’s next president is becoming a contest of scandals and accusations surrounding the candidates. The political tit-for-tat following controversies have drowned out discussions on policy and state affairs, and voters are having second thoughts on who they should choose in the presidential election, slated for March. “Since the presidential candidates from the major parties have been decided, fresh allegations of past wrongdoings of the candidates and

Politics Dec. 23, 2021

A second key figure in the Daejang-dong land development scandal has been found dead, 11 days after another key figure also died. The deceased, Seongnam Development Corp.’s development chief Kim Moon-ki, was among those prosecutors were questioning as part of their investigation into the development project, which took place while now-presidential candidate Lee Jae-myeong was mayor of the city. 　 On Tuesday, police said they discovered Kim’s body in an office of the company in Seon

Politics Dec. 22, 2021

The government on Sunday released the personal details of two non-custodial parents who have failed to pay child support for the first time since a related law revision came into effect in July. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said it has disclosed the personal information of two separate obligors of child support who failed to provide the expenses ordered by the court, on its website. According to the ministry, one obligor did not provide 65.2 million won ($55,543) of accumulated

Social Affairs Dec. 19, 2021

The election campaigns of presidential candidates are raising concerns for further fanning the pandemic, as large crowds flock to candidates’ public appearances. On Wednesday, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung tested negative for COVID-19, after having come into contact with an infected person over the weekend. Lee had called off scheduled activities on the previous day. He visited Boramae Medical Center, where COVID-19 patients are treate

Politics Dec. 15, 2021

They come from very different upbringings and career backgrounds, but Korea’s two main presidential candidates are united in one area: They are both failing to appeal to young voters. Democratic Party of Korea nominee Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Suk-yeol from the People Power Party have both struggled to shed the kind of “kkondae” image that the under-40s find repellent, and their election pledges have failed to inspire them. Kkondae is an expression describing a condescending per

Politics Dec. 11, 2021

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday lauded the efforts made by companies to cut carbon emissions, and reiterated that the goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 is “must” for the country. In celebration of the first anniversary of the declaration of the country’s 2050 carbon neutral vision, Moon invited company leaders and economic organizations to check on the year’s progress and renew their determination, according to the presidential office. “Car

Politics Dec. 10, 2021

The head of a municipal development company, who was facing prosecutorial questioning for allegedly taking bribes in a massive land development corruption scandal, was found dead in an apparent suicide, police said on Friday. Police discovered the body of Yoo Han-gi, head of the Pocheon Urban Corp., who was reported missing by his family early Friday near his home in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Yoo reportedly left home after leaving behind a will. Earlier this week, prosecutors requested an ar

Politics Dec. 10, 2021

The leading presidential candidates are scrambling to draw up their own pandemic response plans as they try to reach out to COVID-19-wary voters, and to benefit for growing discontent against the current administration’s measures. As the number of COVID-19 cases hit daily highs over 7,000 on Tuesday and Wednesday, the election camps of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition People Power Party both announced their respective launches of COVID-19 countermeasure teams.

Politics Dec. 9, 2021

At the kickoff ceremony of an election committee for the main opposition party’s presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, a familiar face showed up to encourage support for the nominee, calling himself “AI Yoon Suk-yeol.” “Hello. I am AI Yoon Suk-yeol. Are you surprised because we look alike?” the digitally-created character resembling the People Power Party’s presidential candidate said in a video clip revealed at the ceremony on Monday. “AI Yoon Suk-y

Politics Dec. 8, 2021

In Seoul’s ever-changing forest of high-rises, some shops remain unaltered by the upheavals around them, adding character to their corners of the city. In appreciation of the time they have served the community, and to introduce these unique shops to travelers, on Tuesday the Seoul Metropolitan Government designated 13 new “oraegage” located in southeastern Seoul. The term oraegage is ambiguous. In Korean, it literally means “old shop” and also suggests a wish f

Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2021

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling party, is chasing Yoon Suk-yeol, his rival from the main opposition party, closing the gap in support to 6.5 percentage points, a poll showed Monday. In a survey by local pollster Realmeter, Lee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea posted 37.5 percent support against Yoon of the main opposition People Power Party at 44 percent. The survey, conducted at the request of OhmyNews, a local online media outlet, took responses from 3,054 p

Politics Dec. 6, 2021