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Kim Ji-soo

Korea Times Editorial Reporter

Kim Ji-soo joined The Korea Times in 2006, and worked on such desks as culture and politics and is currently a member of the Editorial Board. Previous workplaces include The Korea Herald and the Korea JoongAng Daily.

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South Korea

Speeches to mark 2nd anniv. of Rohs death

By Kim Ji-soo Opposition leaders to mark the second anniversary of the death of Roh Moo-hyun are expected to gather in Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province today. Roh jumped to his death from a cliff near his home on May 23, 2009, under pressure from an investigation into alleged bribery involving his family, aides and himself. Like his predecessor, the late former President Kim Dae-jung, he continued with the policy of engaging North Korea. The gathering comes as the opposition camp looks to form an alliance ahead of the country’s crucial elections next year. The nation goes to the polls to elect new members of the National Assembly in April, and a new President in December. The pursuit of an alliance is in the works, in particular after unified opposition candidates succeeded over the candidates of the ruling Grand National Party in the April 27 by-elections. The pro-Roh affiliates gathered over the weekend in various venues in the nation. Prominent pro-Roh affiliates ― Ahn Hee-jung, governor of South Chungcheong Province, Kim Doo-gwan, governor of Sout

May 22, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

GNP floor leader, Park discuss reform, future

By Kim Ji-soo Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, floor leader of the ruling Grand National Party, met with Rep. Park Geun-hye, former GNP chairwoman Thursday, in a closed session as the party struggles with ideas on reform and its future ahead of crucial elections next year. In the meeting, Park opposed the party’s plan to revise party regulations to allow a possible presidential candidate to run for party leadership and vice versa, Yonhap News Agency reported. Hwang reportedly asked Park’s cooperation on the party’s ongoing reform efforts and her help in next year’s general elections. Hwang is one of the two interim leaders as the GNP heads to a national convention on July 4 to pick a new chairperson to take them the into 2012 campaign year. GNP members are fiercely debating how to elect the new leadership and other reform measures. Conversely, Hwang has been saying that he hopes the environment develops into one that allows Park to work to her full capacity and that he intends to ask what she wants and how he can help bring that about. The Hwang-Park meeting is significant in that p

May 19, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

Small changes to redefine GNP

By Kim Ji-soo, Kim Se-jeong The small revolt in the ruling Grand National Party that manifested with the election of neutral Rep. Hwang Woo-yea as floor leader may turn into a larger force. Shocked by its defeat at the April 27 by-elections, GNP lawmakers elected Hwang, a four-term lawmaker belonging neither to the pro-President Lee Myung-bak and pro-Park Geun-hye factions. In the run-off, Hwang beat out An Kyung-ryul, who had been pushed by pro-Lee legislators. The small revolt is expected to grow into full-fledged contest for party leadership as the GNP will soon hold a party convention in June or July. Hwang’s election has already changed the numerical dynamics among factions in the party. He ran on the slogan that GNP lawmakers will be free from factional politics, as he called for a party revamp. His slogan won a response from some 40 younger, reform-minded legislators, about 50 the pro-Park Geun-hye legislators and eventually some of the 100 pro-Lee legislators. The GNP holds 172 seats in the National Assembly. More pro-Lee legislators are expected to further

May 8, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

GNP convention to open in June or July

By Kim Ji-soo Taking its election defeat seriously, the ruling Grand National Party decided Friday it will hold a party convention in June or July, to pick new leaders. The convention will come one year earlier than planned. The GNP managed to obtain only one of the three lawmaker slots in the April 27 by-elections, with Kim Tae-ho winning in the Gimhae B district. The party will hold an emergency meeting to include selecting a successor to floor leader Kim Moo-sung on May 6. A closed-door meeting held Thursday reportedly saw ruling lawmakers demanding a party overhaul. The leadership has offered its resignation, and the party will form an emergency panel to pick a new lineup. And as the party searches for new leadership, various options including from the Young Turks are being tossed around. Young GNP Turks include such figures as Kim Tae-ho, 48, and Rep. Na Kyung-won, a former party Supreme Council member. Yet there are growing calls to bring back Rep. Park Geun-hye, former party chairwoman and a strong presidential bidder, as a heavyweight to woo voters ahead

Apr 29, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

By-elections turn into GNP vs. unified opposition

By Kim Ji-soo Opposition parties have agreed to field unified candidates in key electoral districts in the April 27 by-elections to compete against the ruling Grand National Party. As candidate registration began Tuesday, opposition parties decided to put forth Lee Bong-soo of the People’s Participation Party as their unified candidate in Gimhae B district in South Gyeongsang Province. He will run against ruling party candidate Kim Tae-ho, a former governor of the province. If Lee wins, he will secure a valuable National Assembly seat for his party and its chief, Rhyu Si-min, who is expected to run in the 2012 presidential election. The People’s Participation Party currently has no seats in the unicameral parliament. On Monday opposition parties said they would not field a candidate in Bundang B district, throwing all their weight behind Sohn Hak-kyu, candidate and chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party. Choi Moon-sun, the DP’s candidate for the Gangwon governorship will appear as a unified opposition candidate against Ohm Ki-young of the ruling party. Both Choi a

Apr 12, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

Lee speaks out on Dokdo

By Kim Ji-soo Breaking his silence on new Japanese textbooks that once again lay claim to Dokdo, President Lee Myung-bak said that the islets are South Korean territory no matter what happens. “I have refrained from saying much as President, but I share the same sentiment as the public,” said Lee, in reference to Tokyo’s claim to the rocky islets in the East Sea. “We effectively control (Dokdo) … which is different from claiming from afar that its theirs,” the President said, as he asked for a calm but stern response. He said, “We are asked why Korea does not respond directly, but such a response is not a wise way.” The President added that “We will continue to strengthen our effective control (over Dokdo).” He said that Seoul should ignore Tokyo’s attempts to take the dispute over Dokdo to the International Court of Justice, as Seoul effectively controls the islets located 87 kilometers southeast of Ulleung Island. On Wednesday, Japanese education authorities approved 18 middle-school history, geography and ethics textbooks, 12 of which contained territorial claims

Apr 1, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

N. Korean parliament to convene in April

By Kim Ji-soo North Korea said Friday it will call its parliament next month, heightening speculation on whether heir apparent, Kim Jong-un, will further solidify his power base. The North’s official media, Korean Central news Agency said that the Supreme People’s Assembly will be held on April 7 for its fourth session. The North’s parliament is largely ceremonial, held in spring to assess the North’s spending for the previous year and set the next year’s budget. But North Korea watchers will keenly be alert for any possible changes in the status of 20-something heir including a position within the powerful National Defense Commission. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, 69, currently serves as chairman of the National Defense Commission. The post of first vice chairman of the commission remains vacant after Jo Myong-rok passed away in November 2010. Since suffering a stroke in 2008, the North Korean leader’s health is fragile and Pyongyang has been taking steps toward a power transition to his youngest son. Jong-un made his political debut when he was elected vice c

Mar 18, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

Ex-consul general claims conspiracy

Kim Jeong-ki, the former consul general of Shanghai who is facing further investigation into the “Shanghai Scandal,” has raised the possibility of a conspiracy in the case involving several Korean diplomats and a Chinese woman. In an interview with local dailies, Kim said an intelligence agency was trying to discredit him. He reportedly had a fractious relationship with the deputy consul general of Shanghai, who was an officer of the National Intelligence Service. Korean consulates in foreign missions usually are comprised of officials dispatched from various government agencies. Kim is a political appointee. A renowned English teacher in the 1980s and 1990s, Kim worked for President Lee Myung-bak as a campaign strategist during the 2007 presidential election. Kim was appointed as Shanghai consul general on June 13, 2008. Recently the President also named a former chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Agency as consul general to Osaka. Kim said that files leaked to the 33-year-old Chinese woman named Deng were not confidential but a directory he drafted personally four or

Mar 9, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

4 N. Koreans to stay here, 27 to return

By Kim Ji-soo Four of the 31 North Koreans — 11 men and 20 women — who drifted into South Korean waters last month near Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea have said they want to remain in the South, the Ministry of Unification said Thursday. Initially all of them had expressed their wish to return to the North. With the four having changed their minds, the ministry said it will repatriate the remaining 27 overland via the truce village of Panmunjeom today. A government source speaking on condition of anonymity said two women and two men wanted to defect. North Korea watchers speculated that the defections would further cast a dark cloud on chilly inter-Korean relations. The South will also return the boat in which they arrived to the North across the western sea border. The ministry also notified the North, through Red Cross channels, that the North Koreans would be going home. The group arrived aboard a wooden fishing boat on Feb. 5. The group was spotted through the fog by South Korean military personnel and towed to the western port city of Inch

Mar 3, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

Partisan wrangling over EU FTA to continue in March session

By Kim Ji-soo A relatively shorter March extra session at the National Assembly is likely to pit the governing and the opposition camps over pending issues such as the Korea-EU free trade pact and the savings banks. The session will open on March 3 and continue through March 12. Partisan wrangling is expected over the submitted motion to ratify the Korea-Eu free trade pact, the recent turmoil among savings banks and the break-in of spy agency officials into the Indonesian delegation’s hotel room in Seoul. Conflict is likely to arise also in the bills including one for an international business belt, which were railroaded last year by the governing Grand National Party. “We will give priority to legislating bills that are related to the betterment of people’s livelihood,” said Kim Moo-sung, GNP floor leader, strongly suggesting that the GNP will push through the Korea-EU free trade agreement and increase the protection of savings account holders. His counterpart Park Jie-won, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, said “We will focus on public livelih

Feb 27, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
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