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Jun Ji-hye

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.

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South Korea

Rep. Hwang proposes 'all-party' body

Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, delivers a speech during a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday./ YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeRep. Hwang Woo-yea, chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, on Tuesday suggested establishing an inter-party body in the National Assembly to tackle key state affairs.In a speech at the plenary session of the Assembly, Hwang said: “I propose establishing the Strategy for Future of State at the Assembly on the basis of the spirit of grand coalition encompassing all parties.”The chairman cited three key issues which he categorized as medium- and long-term tasks facing the nation ― creating more jobs to overcome the polarization of society, preparing a diplomatic strategy to deal with North Korea and the Northeast Asian region, and setting up an effective welfare system to address the nation’s low birth rate and aging population problem.He echoed his call by referring to the success of Germany’s political grand coalition between the Christian Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party as a go

Feb 4, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
South Korea

Ahn hit by electoral catch-22

By Jun Ji-hyeRep. Ahn Cheol-sooRep. Ahn Cheol-soo faces a big dilemma ahead of the June 4 local elections.If the independent lawmaker forms an alliance with the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) to field joint candidates, he will risk tainting his image as a reformer of old politics.If he doesn’t, chances are that his candidates and those from the DP will split the vote, boosting the ruling Saenuri Party’s candidates.  Plus, if the opposition fails to field joint candidates and performs poorly in the elections, Ahn will be an easy fall guy to blame, experts said Tuesday.Choi Chang-ryul, a political scientist at Yong In University said, “In reality, the opposition parties should collaborate to win the elections. But it is also true that such unity has been cited as a bad habit of the opposition.”Ahn and his aides have expressed negative views about fielding joint candidates.  The first-term lawmaker said at the end of last month, “Seeking opposition unity is just a defeatist mentality that is only concerned about the possibility of being bea

Feb 4, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
Ahn hit by electoral catch-22
South Korea

Lawmakers gather together for group picture

Lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party, the main opposition Democratic Party, the minor opposition Justice Party and the Unified Progressive Party, together with other independent legislators, pose for a group photo in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. It was the first such group portrait in 66 years. / Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geunBy Jun Ji-hyeLawmakers gathered together Monday to pose for a rare group photo against the backdrop of the National Assembly.The group picture of all legislators from both the ruling and opposition parties was the first taken in 66 years.There is one of the inaugural lawmakers taken in 1948 when the National Assembly first convened, but those in the photograph are mostly unrecognizable in the blurred picture.This latest group shot was part of an unveiling ceremony for a large-sized bronze image of the 1948 picture which shows all of the then 199 lawmakers and secretary general of the National Assembly. The image was placed at the Assembly hall on the second floor of the main building.In explaining the reasons for the absence of group pic

Feb 3, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
Lawmakers gather together for group picture
South Korea

DP chief proposes 'lawmaker recall'

Rep. Kim Han-gil, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, speaks Monday during a press conference at the National Assembly to launch the party’s plan to empower voters to unseat corrupt lawmakers./ Korea Times photo by Ryu Hyo-jinBy Jun Ji-hyeDemocratic Party (DP) Chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil Monday proposed introducing recall elections so that voters can oust corrupt lawmakers and strip them of their seats.“Voters should be able to directly judge lawmakers on corruption and failure to fulfill their constitutional duties,” Kim told a news conference.The reform measures from the largest opposition party came ahead of the June 4 local elections in which the party will be challenged by independent lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo’s new party as well as the ruling Saenuri Party.Rep. Ahn, who is promoting a new politics, has been garnering higher approval ratings than the leading opposition party in recent opinion polls.Chairman Kim also suggested that lawmakers disclose how much they spend and earn at events, for instance, when publicizing books written by them, a ty

Feb 3, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
South Korea

Parties set to square off at Assembly

By Jun Ji-hye The ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) have been gearing up for a key 26-day extraordinary session of the National Assembly that starts today.With four months to go before the June 4 local elections, the rivals are expected to be engaged in a fierce political battle to generate results that will appeal to voters.Among the key issues dividing both parties are the latest leakage of the personal information of credit cardholders, the Park Geun-hye administration’s apparent retreat from campaign pledges to promote welfare.The parties agreed last week to carry out a parliamentary investigation at the National Policy Committee into the leak of more than 100 million personal financial details of some 20 million people from three credit card companies ― KB Kookmin, NongHyup and Lotte.Other relevant committees will hold hearings on countermeasures in the legislative process to prevent the recurrence of such an incident.Even before proceedings begin, the rivals are already as divided as ever on the matter.The governing side said tha

Feb 2, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
Parties set to square off at Assembly
South Korea

'People with suspended sentences eligible to vote'

By Jun Ji-hye The Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday that it is unconstitutional to ban people sentenced to suspended prison terms from casting their ballots.The court unanimously decided Article 18 of the Election Law, limiting the voting rights of people with suspended sentences, is unconstitutional. The decision will enable those people to participate from the local polls in June 4. The decision came after civic groups made constitutional appeals three times. In 2004 and 2009, the court determined it was constitutional. In 2011, the National Human Rights Commission said to the then-justice minister, “Limitation of basic rights should be implemented in very limited cases.”A court official said, “The decision came as those on suspended prison terms live the same life as ordinary citizens. The fact that few countries ban those from voting also affected the determination.”With regard to limiting voting rights of those in prison, the court decided that is incompatible with the Constitution. Such decision, which has the same impact as a ruling of unconstitutional

Jan 28, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
'People with suspended sentences eligible to vote'
South Korea

Parties all out to keep Ahn at bay

By Jun Ji-hyeParties are striving to hold Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo in check amid concerns that he may steal the show in the June 4 local polls.All-out criticism from the ruling Saenuri Party came after Ahn tentatively announced the “New Politics Party,” as the name of his organization which is expected to be launched in March. Ahn’s preparatory committee said an official meeting of initiators to create the new party will be held on Feb. 17.Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan, floor leader of the governing camp, downplayed Ahn’s fledgling party by making sarcastic comments: “Ahn should change the name to the ‘old politics party.’”Choi claimed that many questions have arisen over whether Ahn is qualified to talk about new politics.“Moves Ahn recently made do not seem to accord with his emphasis on a new politics. He is just trying to make it appear better than it really is,” said Choi.The floor leader refuted Ahn’s recent call for the abolition of the practice of parties selecting candidates to run for municipal mayor and gubernatorial posts

Jan 28, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
Parties all out to keep Ahn at bay
South Korea

Ahn's party tentatively named 'New Politics Party'

By Jun Ji-hyeRep. Ahn Cheol-soo’s preparatory committee said Monday that the tentative name for his political party, expected to be launched in March, is the “New Politics Party.”“We plan to register with the National Election Commission as the New Politics Party,” the committee said in a statement. “We will use the name until the party is officially launched. The final name will be decided through a public contest later.”The decision was made in a meeting at its headquarters in Yeouido.“We tried to emphasize our desire for new politics through the tentative name of the new party,” said Kim Sung-sik, a former lawmaker of the Grand National Party (now the ruling Saenuri Party) who co-chairs the committee.Kim said the committee will push ahead with creating the party after the Lunar New Year holiday, which ends on Feb. 2, and hold open forums to explain its constitution and policies.After the meeting, Rep. Ahn said he will not focus on recruiting sitting lawmakers just to secure a fixed election symbol number in the June 4 local ele

Jan 27, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
Ahn's party tentatively named 'New Politics Party'
South Korea

Criticism against NHK boss escalates

By Jun Ji-hyeNHK President Katsuto MomiiNew NHK President Katsuto Momii said Monday he regrets his controversial remarks justifying Japan’s use of sex slaves during World War II, but his apology was insufficient to curb public uproar in Korea.According to the Kyodo news agency, Momii attempted to quell mounting criticism against him, saying, “My remarks were very improper. I should not have made such comments. Those were just my personal opinion.”The apology came after Momii said in his first news conference on Saturday that, “The practice of comfort women was common in any country that was at war, including France and Germany.”Lawmakers and citizens here collectively condemned the new head of Japan’s national broadcaster, demanding that he step down from his post.His remarks furthered outraged Koreans who were mourning Hwang Geum-ja, a 91-year-old victim of the Japanese military’s sexual slavery who died on Sunday.Members of the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) were united in saying that the Japanese governm

Jan 27, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
Criticism against NHK boss escalates
South Korea

DP leader, Ahn ally against Saenuri

Rep. Kim Han-gil, left, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, and Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo leave a restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul, after a one-on-one meeting Friday. They agreed to pressure the ruling Saenuri Party to keep its pledge to ban parties from selecting candidates to run for municipalmayor and council member posts in local elections. / YonhapTwo join forces to scrap party nominationBy Jun Ji-hye Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Kim Han-gil and Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo agreed Friday to pressure the ruling Saenuri Party to scrap the practice of parties nominating candidates for municipal mayors and councilors in local elections.They also agreed to press for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the spy agency’s alleged election-meddling. They reached the agreement at a one-on-one lunch meeting at a restaurant in Yeouido.It was the first meeting between the two since Kim was elected as party chairman at the national convention in May.“Kim and Ahn agreed to take part in rallies calling for the abolishment of party nominations (i

Jan 24, 2014By Jun Ji-hye
DP leader, Ahn ally against Saenuri
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