The Korea Times

K-water selects residents for Busan's smart village

A design for the community center of the Busan Eco Delta Smart Village / Courtesy of K-waterBy Do Je-hae K-water conducted a draw Thursday to select residents for the Busan Eco Delta Smart Village, the first residential complex of Busan's smart city project. The draw was held at BEXCO in Busan and broadcast live on YouTube, and 54 households were selected. Those people will move into the complex at the end of next year after completing a year-long pre-training program.From Nov. 11 through Dec. 14, about 3,000 households applied for an opportunity to reside in the smart village, giving applicants a 1-in-143 chance of being drawn. “We thank the people for their enthusiastic interest and support for Busan Eco Delta Smart Village. We will do our best to help the village become a leading smart city model,” K-water CEO Park Jae-hyeon said in a statement. “After moving in, the residents will experience the 'living labs' and test various technologies applied to smart cities,” K-water said in a statement.A “living lab” refers to a living space where residen

Dec 24, 2020By Do Je-hae

K-water selects residents for Busan's smart village

Politics

Opposition lashes out at Cheong Wa Dae's reassurance of vaccine readiness

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. YonhapBy Do Je-hae Opposition criticism is growing toward President Moon Jae-in's alleged lack of attention in acquiring COVID-19 vaccines in comparison to some other countries, leaving Cheong Wa Dae to go all out in refuting the complaints and negative media reports.The presidential office issued a lengthy statement Tuesday, detailing Moon's actions for the development and acquisition of vaccines since earlier this year, starting with an April 9 visit to the Institut Pasteur Korea in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The statement even included Moon's remarks at undisclosed meetings to show that the President has not been idle in acquiring vaccines as alleged by the opposition parties. According to the statement, President Moon discussed the vaccination situation and instructed that a “sufficient amount” of vaccines be secured from global pharmaceutical companies and COVAX during a meeting with aides Sept. 15. The President also underlined the need to exert full efforts for vaccines during another meetin

Dec 23, 2020By Do Je-hae

Opposition lashes out at Cheong Wa Dae's reassurance of vaccine readiness

Politics

Ranking officials hit for ethical lapses

Land minister nominee Byeon Chang-heum, right, participates in an event with President Moon Jae-in in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Dec. 11. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seokBy Do Je-hae The Moon Jae-in administration is being hit for alleged ethical lapses of high-level officials and nominees for ranking posts.Criticism is stronger as the Moon government has been claiming to advocate fairness and transparency since its inauguration.Byeon Chang-heum, former CEO of the Korea Land & Housing Corp. (LH) and the nominee for the minister of land, infrastructure and transport, has been hit by the opposition and civic groups for some remarks he made regarding an accident at Guui Station in Seoul in 2016, where a subcontracted worker surnamed Kim, 19, was killed by a subway train while fixing a safety door on a metro platform.Byeon made the remarks, which were seen to blame the young worker for the accident, while serving as president of the Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH). “When looking closely at what happened, the subcontracted employee of Seoul Metro died due to

Dec 22, 2020By Do Je-hae

Ranking officials hit for ethical lapses

Politics

Anti-leaflet law highlights differences between Seoul, Washington on North Korea's human rights

Members of Fighters for Free North Korea prepare to launch anti-North Korea leaflets from a parking lot in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, in this 2014 photo. / Korea Times fileBy Do Je-hae The Dec. 14 passage of a revision bill by the South Korean National Assembly to criminalize the sending of balloons and broadcasts with messages against the North Korean regime through the inter-Korean border is triggering concerns it will cause a rift in Korea-U.S. relations.The issue has shown how Seoul and Washington are viewing the issue differently, calling for the need for the two nations to narrow ideological differences.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which pushed ahead with the passage of the so-called anti-leaflet law despite protests from the opposition and the international community, denounced the U.S. for excessively meddling in Korea's internal affairs. The DPK strongly criticized a possible move by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bipartisan commission of the U.S. House of Representatives, to hold a hearing in January to discuss the new ban on anti-North Korea leaflet

Dec 21, 2020By Do Je-hae

Anti-leaflet law highlights differences between Seoul, Washington on North Korea's human rights

Politics

US envoy Harry Harris enjoys 'original kimchi from Korea'

U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris, left, and star chef Lee Hye-jung make kimchi during an event hosted by the Asia Society Korea, Dec. 19. YonhapBy Do Je-hae U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris, who is known for his love of making and eating Korean food, has highlighted the national dish kimchi in his social media recently.His latest Kimchi-related tweet came Saturday when he posted photos of a table with Korean ramyeon accompanied by a side dish of fresh-made Kimchi, and a little glass of soju, the drink of choice for many Koreans. His Tweet read, "It's been 4 days since I learned to make #originalKimchifromKorea with Chef “Big Mama” Hye Jung Lee. Time to give it a taste, along with ramyeon and a little firewater for a perfect afternoon snack on a chilly Saturday afternoon. Thank you Chef Lee!"U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris enjoys a Kimchi-ramyeon combo with soju. Captured from Ambassador Harris' TwitterThe tweet was posted a few days after he learned how to make kimchi with the chef known as "Big Mama" on Korean TV at the Asia Society Korea. After learning to make kimchi with the cel

Dec 20, 2020By Do Je-hae

US envoy Harry Harris enjoys 'original kimchi from Korea'

Politics

Moon's rush for breakthrough with Japan raises questions

President Moon Jae-in speaks by phone with new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Sept. 24 at Cheong Wa Dae. / Courtesy of Cheong Wa DaeBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in's rush to resolute serious issues with Japan before the Tokyo Olympic Games is not going as well as Cheong Wa Dae had hoped. Moon named former four-term ruling party lawmaker Kang Chang-il as the next ambassador to Japan last month. It was the first time he had named a politician to the post, after first appointing Lee Su-hoon, an international relations professor, and then Nam Kwan-pyo, a career diplomat and one of the foremost experts on Japan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nam has served as the Korean ambassador to Japan since May 2019. It is considered rare for the envoy to Japan to be replaced less than two years after being appointed. Cheong Wa Dae said that sending a politician to the post has a particular meaning amid the deadlock in bilateral relations. “With the launch of the new Cabinet in Japan, it reflects the President's determination to find a resolution to the problems in bilateral

Dec 17, 2020By Do Je-hae

Moon's rush for breakthrough with Japan raises questions

Politics

Moon approves ministry's suspension of duty of prosecutor-general

President Moon Jae-in, center, approved a recommendation by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, left, for two months, Wednesday. In this photo, they are seen together during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae to discuss anti-corruption policies on June 12. YonhapJustice Minister Choo offers to resign By Do Je-hae, Jung Da-min President Moon Jae-in put his stamp of approval on a controversial decision reached by a disciplinary hearing committee under the Ministry of Justice to suspend Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl from duty for two months, Cheong Wa Dae announced Wednesday.Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae briefed the President on the outcome of the hearing during a meeting at the presidential office starting at 5:00 p.m. and also tendered her resignation, according to a presidential aide. The suspension took immediate effect after Moon approved it at 6:30 p.m. “Under the Prosecutors Disciplinary Act, the President approves the outcome of the disciplinary committee without discretion after a recommendation for approval from the justice minister,&rdquo

Dec 16, 2020By Do Je-hae

Moon approves ministry's suspension of duty of prosecutor-general

Top prosecutor seeks court injunction against disciplinary measure

North Korea

Moon advised to prioritize alliance tasks before North Korea issues

President Moon Jae-in talks to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on the phone, Nov. 12. Courtesy of Cheong Wa DaeBy Do Je-hae One of the topics emphasized in President Moon Jae-in's congratulatory letter to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, Tuesday, was bilateral cooperation to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of permanent peace. The South Korean President also mentioned the North Korea issue in the first Moon-Biden phone talks on Nov. 12, according to the presidential office.Desperate for diplomatic achievements in the final phase of his presidency, Moon is expected to place priority on asserting his role as a mediator between the U.S. and North Korea when Biden takes office. But the dominant view is that the feasibility of Moon's push for “preemptive peace” will increasingly be called into question under Biden's hardline stance on North Korea and preference for bottom-up diplomacy rather than the top-down format of outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump. Therefore, Moon's diplomatic team dealing with the U.S. should prioritize alliance

Dec 16, 2020By Do Je-hae

North Korea

Anti-North Korea leaflet law faces backlash from within and outside South Korea

North Korea leader's sister Kim Yo-jong is seen during the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, Sept. 18, 2018, in this file photo. The new anti-leaflet law is being criticized for following Kim's June statement calling on the South to stop the sending of anti-North Korea leaflets toward the North. Korea Times fileBy Do Je-hae The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) passage of a bill at the national Assembly prohibiting the sending of leaflets with anti-North Korea messages across the border is facing a strong backlash from defectors' groups and the opposition as well as the international community.Park Sang-hak, the head of the Fighters for a Free North Korea, a North Korean defectors' group, said Tuesday that he will file a petition with the Constitutional Court against the so-called “anti-leaflet law,” which can hand down a prison term of three years or a maximum fine of 30 million won to people sending messages critical of the North Korean regime via leaflets or broadcasts.The DPK pushed ahead with passing the bill despite a protest from the conservative opposition

Dec 15, 2020By Do Je-hae

Anti-North Korea leaflet law faces backlash from within and outside South Korea

Politics

Moon's approval rating hits record low amid virus resurgence

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with his senior aides, at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. Yonhap'Promoting K-quarantine' may backfire for PresidentBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in's popularity is faltering in line with the resurgence of COVID-19 infections, with his job approval rating on a downward spiral following the mishandling of a series of state affairs, including botched real estate policies and a feud between Justice minister Choo Mi-ae and top prosecutor Yoon Seok-youl. This is dealing a fatal blow to Moon and his administration as he has relied heavily on the government's handling of COVID-19 as the backbone for his support at the beginning of the year, when the nation was lauded in the global media for its exceptional response to the pandemic.The sweeping victory of his Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in the April general election was also on the back of the strong coronavirus response from the administration. Moon's support rate even rose to 71 percent in early May according to Gallup Korea.However, the COVID-19 surge in recent weeks has dampened public trust in P

Dec 14, 2020By Do Je-hae

Do Je-hae

Read more

K-water selects residents for Busan's smart village

Opposition lashes out at Cheong Wa Dae's reassurance of vaccine readiness

Ranking officials hit for ethical lapses

Anti-leaflet law highlights differences between Seoul, Washington on North Korea's human rights

US envoy Harry Harris enjoys 'original kimchi from Korea'

Moon's rush for breakthrough with Japan raises questions

Moon approves ministry's suspension of duty of prosecutor-general

Moon advised to prioritize alliance tasks before North Korea issues

Anti-North Korea leaflet law faces backlash from within and outside South Korea

Moon's approval rating hits record low amid virus resurgence

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