Articles by Park Han-na
Park Han-na
hnpark@heraldcorp.com-
Five-day funeral planned for Seoul mayor
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon was found dead Friday, according to police, in what appears to be one of the country’s highest-profile suicides in recent history. The body of Park, 64, was found near the gate Sukjeongmun at the mountain Bugaksan in Seoul, at 12:01 a.m., about seven hours after he was reported missing. Park is the first Seoul mayor to die while still in office. The exact cause of his death remains under investigation. Whether an autopsy will be performed is under discuss
Social Affairs July 10, 2020
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Missing Seoul Mayor Park found dead
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon was found dead on Friday, according to police, in what appears to be one of the country’s highest-profile suicides in recent history. The body of Park, 64, was found at Mount Bukak, hours after he was reported missing. The exact cause of his death remained under investigation. Park’s daughter filed a police report at 5:17 p.m. that he “had left home four to five hours ago after leaving words like a will, with his phone currently off.&rdquo
Social Affairs July 10, 2020
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Search continues for seoul mayor reported missing
Search efforts continued to locate Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon late Thursday night, several hours after he was reported missing. Police and fire authorities launched the search after Park’s daughter filed a police report at 5:17 p.m. that his whereabouts were unaccounted for. “He had left home four to five hours ago after leaving words like a will, with his phone currently off," the daughter told police. As it got dark, police expanded the search operations with 700 off
Social Affairs July 9, 2020
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Top prosecutor stands back from case involving his aide
Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol accepted Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae’s directive Thursday to back down from an investigation in a case involving a senior prosecutor believed to be close to him. With the decision, tensions between Choo and Yoon appear to have eased over who should oversee the ongoing inquiry into allegations that prosecutor Han Dong-hoon colluded with a former Channel A journalist in an attempt to frame a leading liberal figure for corruption. “The Seoul Centra
Politics July 9, 2020
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Seoul to invest 2.6 trillion won for green projects
Seoul City plans to invest 2.6 trillion won ($2.17 billion) for its version of the “Green New Deal” that intends to cut carbon dioxide emissions while creating jobs. “The Seoul version of the Green New Deal is a core strategy for the post-coronavirus era that will help us to overcome climate crisis and economic crisis simultaneously,” Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said during a press conference held at City Hall on Wednesday. President Moon Jae-in announced in May his pu
Politics July 8, 2020
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Justice minister issues ultimatum to prosecutor general
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae issued an ultimatum to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol to respond by Thursday morning to her directive to forgo his authority to supervise an investigation in the case involving a senior prosecutor known to be loyal to him. “A week has passed. I will wait one more day until tomorrow 10 a.m.,” Choo said in a statement released by the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday. Choo has been exerting pressure on Yoon after having a disagreement over who shou
Politics July 8, 2020
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Ex-PM Lee announces bid to head ruling party
Former Prime Minister Rep. Lee Nak-yon announced Tuesday his bid to become chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. With Lee in, the contest for leadership of the liberal camp is shaping up to be a two-horse race -- between him and Kim Bu-gyeom, both with ambitions of being South Korea’s president. “I have come to the conclusion that I have to mobilize all-available capabilities to take responsibilities given to the Democratic Party and help overcome the national crisis
Politics July 7, 2020
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[Newsmaker] More victims come forward over triathletes abuse case
A wave of abuse allegations swept a semi-pro triathlete club owned by Gyeongju City after the suicide of a player who claimed to have suffered years of verbal and physical abuse from her coach, team physician and senior teammates. More triathletes have come forward as victims and in support of the deceased teammate, but the alleged abusers denied any wrongdoing. Some 15 former and current triathletes have told police that they were victimized by the alleged abusers, according to Gyeongbuk P
Social Affairs July 6, 2020
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[Feature] Pandemic frays support system for the disabled
Jung Soon-kyeong’s day starts with changing the diaper of her 18-year-old daughter Cho Hye-won. She then spoon-feeds, washes and runs every errand for her as her sole, round-the-clock caregiver. Brain lesions mean Cho has severe paralysis. And now, Jung feels both she and her daughter are trapped in their home, cut off from the world, since the coronavirus outbreak. “Hye-won became more anxious after her small outdoor activities were restricted because of the virus,” Jung s
Social Affairs July 6, 2020
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Prospect grows for opposition coalition
Prospects are growing for a conservative coalition, as two opposition parties seek ways to challenge the mammoth ruling Democratic Party of Korea, which holds the biggest majority ever claimed by a single party in the history of the National Assembly. Cooperative moves gained traction since the right-wing United Future Party, the largest opposition party with 103 lawmakers, and center-right People’s Party with three lawmakers launched a joint study program called the People’s Futu
Politics July 5, 2020
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Gwangju fears becoming next Daegu
Concerns are mounting in Gwangju that it could emerge as a new hotbed for the spread of the new coronavirus, as sporadic infections continue to grow in the southern city with a population of 1.5 million. Of 54 new daily cases reported in South Korea on Thursday, Gwangju registered 22 new cases with a recent surge in COVID-19 infections related to small gatherings in churches and a Buddhist temple following its first double-digit rise of 12 on Wednesday. Health Minister Park Neung-hoo
Social Affairs July 2, 2020
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Ex-PM Lee to bid for party chairmanship next week
Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Wednesday he would announce his bid for the chairmanship of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea next week, which could help the key potential presidential candidate consolidate his position and stamp his authority on the liberal faction. Lee said he would make an announcement on his future course of action on Tuesday, about eight weeks before the Democratic Party’s Aug. 29 convention where a new chairman and other leaders will be elected. &ldqu
Politics July 1, 2020
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W3b extra budget proposal clears first hurdle in National Assembly
The country’s third and largest-ever extra budget plan cleared a minor hurdle Tuesday as the ruling Democratic Party forges ahead with the review process despite the absence of the main opposition party following fierce strife between the rival political groups. Sixteen parliamentary standing committees completed the budget review sessions by adding 3.13 trillion won ($2.61 billion) to the government’s initial budget of 35.3 trillion won, the third extra budget to support indust
Politics June 30, 2020
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Ruling party unilaterally takes chairman posts of all standing committees
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has strengthened its grip on the National Assembly, already heavily tilted to the left, by taking the chair posts of nearly all standing committees, after talks with the main opposition party on sharing them fell apart. In a plenary session held on Monday, 181 lawmakers, including 176 from the Democratic Party, completed casting votes for the mainstream liberal party to secure 17 committee chairmanships out of 18. The chief of the Intelligence Committee w
Politics June 29, 2020
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[News Focus] Prosecution under pressure over Samsung heir case
Prosecutors’ yearslong intensive probe into Samsung Group took a fresh twist after a panel of outside experts advised them not to indict the group’s de facto leader Lee Jae-yong and drop the investigation on alleged corporate fraud surrounding the 2015 merger between two key affiliates. In a deliberation session held Friday, the 14-member committee, which was set up to check the prosecution’s possible abuse of power to indict as a part of reform measures, voted in favor of
Social Affairs June 28, 2020
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