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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

Can Rep. Moon revive pro-Roh faction?

By Jun Ji-hye Rep. Moon Jae-inRep. Moon Jae-in, a former liberal presidential candidate and chief of staff for the late President Roh Moo-hyun, recently expressed hope for an administration change in five years time.His remarks are seen as a signal that the lawmaker of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) will resume political activities after months of maintaining a low profile following his defeat in the Dec. 19 presidential election.Moon is the main figure of the pro-Roh faction within the party. The faction lost influence both inside and outside the DP following defeats in the general and presidential elections held last year.Moon did not attend the party’s convention on May 4, but is now making statements both in public forums and via his Twitter account.He took part in a memorial service for Roh at Seoul Plaza, Sunday, where about 8,000 supporters of the late President gathered. Thursday is the fourth anniversary of his death.“I feel sorry about the failure to change the government. We now have to wait for five years, but we will make preparation

May 22, 2013By Jun Ji-hye
Can Rep. Moon revive pro-Roh faction?
South Korea

Pro-Park factions dominate Saenuri

Rep. Hong Moon-jongRep. Yoo Il-hoRep. Kim Jae-wonBy Jun Ji-hyeMany members of a pro-President Park Geun-hye faction have been given top posts in the ruling Saenuri Party during its structural reorganization.The party completed filling its leadership posts Monday. Third-term lawmaker Hong Moon-jong was appointed secretary general; Rep. Yoo Il-ho, spokesman; and second-term Kim Jae-won, head of strategy and planning department. Prior to this, party legislators elected Choi Kyung-hwan as floor leader last week.These people all have close relations with the President. Choi, Hong and Kim have worked with Park and assisted her for a considerable time. Yoo served as Park’s chief secretary on her power transition team.Analysts say the party is moving to offer solid support for Cheong Wa Dae.“The party chose effective figures able to help the presidential office forge ahead with its projects,” said Chung Goon-gi, a professor at the Journalism and Media Department of Kyonggi University.Political analyst Lee Kang-yun echoed this: “The ruling party, which recently has bee

May 21, 2013By Jun Ji-hye
Pro-Park factions dominate Saenuri
South Korea

PM makes sure trip to Thailand 'sober'

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, second from left, walks along with Kim Keun-ho, left, CEO of Korea Water Resources Corp., or K-water, during his visit to a Lat Pho Canal in Bangkok with officials of Royal Irrigation Department in Thailand, Tuesday. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyePrime Minister Chung Hong-won eliminated two sources of potential trouble for his five-day trip to Thailand ― alcohol and female interns.It appeared to be a move to stem the recurrence of any sexual assault following the embarrassing case of Yoon Chang-jung, the former presidential spokesman who allegedly harassed a 21-year-old female intern hired to assist him during President Park Geun-hye’s U.S. visit.Chung left for Thailand Saturday to attend the Asia-Pacific Water Summit that opened on Monday in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand. He met Thai Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi Tuesday in Bangkok to promote the nation’s water industries.For this visit, the prime minister chose three male interns to assist his entourage and employed only male tour guides.A government official said,  

May 21, 2013By Jun Ji-hye
South Korea

Assembly urged to draw up measures for immigrants

More practical steps needed for immigrants Rep. Chun Soon-ok of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) speaks during a forum she hosted to discuss measures to help immigrants adapt to Korean society at the National Assembly, Monday. YonhapBy Jun Ji-hye Opposition lawmakers and heads of civic groups called on the National Assembly, Monday, to draw up more realistic and effective policies for immigrants and migrant workers.Rep. Chun Soon-ok of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) hosted a forum, dubbed “Role of the Assembly and Parties in Multicultural Policy,” with experts and heads of civic organizations.Rep. Jun Byung-hun, the newly elected DP floor leader also took part in the conference designed to discuss measures to help immigrants adapt to Korean society.“We have not established proper policies backing immigrants in Korean society. I’m also responsible for that. In fact, the matter has become very serious,” Jun said. “If the nation does not provide them with institutional support, they will experience sev

May 20, 2013By Jun Ji-hye
Assembly urged to draw up measures for immigrants
South Korea

Saenuri demands Japan's rightists make apology

By Jun Ji-hye The leader of the ruling party demanded an apology Monday from Japanese right-wingers alleged to have made insensitive remarks about Japan’s past militarism.“Right-wing Japanese politicians, who made reckless remarks, have to immediately apologize to victims and countries that have been damaged by their militaristic past,” said Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party.Tensions between Seoul and Tokyo arose last week after Toru Hashimoto, the mayor of Osaka and co-leader of the nationalist Japan Restoration Party, attempted to justify Japan's use of foreign sex slaves during World War II.Speaking at the party’s supreme council meeting in the National Assembly, Hwang said some thoughtless politicians are seeking to distort history.“In particular, they ignored the human rights of women, universal values around the world, and denied its past wrongdoings. This shocked people all over the world,” he said referring to sexual slavery.The chairman stressed that the most serious problem is the entire Japanese government, no

May 20, 2013By Jun Ji-hye
South Korea

NK defector policy needs fix

The North’s Korean Central News Agency broadcasts a discussion with defectors who returned to the North, Friday. They mostly said they were tempted to go to South Korea, but the reality was too harsh. YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeThe government is facing growing calls to overhaul its treatment of North Korean defectors as the number returning to the communist country are reportedly increasing.The North had treated defectors like betrayers; but it recently changed its approach, using them as propaganda tools.On Friday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) aired a discussion with three defectors ㅡ Lee Hyuck-cheol (26), Kim Kyung-ock (41) and Kang Kyung-sook (60) ㅡ who had returned to the North.“My elder brother who went to the South first told me that he was operating a big company and had several cars. He asked me to follow him, but in reality, he was barely eking out a living in the dormitory of a church. He even asked me to give him a half of my resettlement funds,” said Lee.Lee went back to the Stalinist state in a fishing boat he stole from Yeonpyeong Island las

May 19, 2013By Jun Ji-hye
NK defector policy needs fix
South Korea

Israeli Spike missiles deployed

By Jun Ji-hyeSouth Korea has deployed Israeli-built anti-tank missiles able to incapacitate North Korean coastal artillery near the western sea border, a military official said Sunday."We recently have placed dozens of Spike missiles and their launchers on Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands," an official of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. “They can destroy the enemy’s underground facilities in the case of an attack. They are also capable of seeking and striking moving targets.”The warhead is equipped with a camera so soldiers using the launchers can monitor video images while aiming; or they can input coordinates in advance, according to the official.The satellite-guided Spike missile has a range of 20 kilometers ㅡ Yeonpyeong is located just 11 kilometers from North Korea.The military initially planned to station the GPS-guided missile during the second half of 2012, but experienced a six-month delay because test-firing conducted in Israel from October last year to January this year saw malfunctions.It made the deployment decision in March after all three succ

May 19, 2013By Jun Ji-hye
Israeli Spike missiles deployed
  • NK fires short-range missile into sea for 2nd day
South Korea

DP demands hearings on Yoon

By Jun Ji-hyeThe main opposition Democratic Party (DP) is calling for parliamentary hearings into the allegations against dismissed presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung of sexually assaulting an intern during President Park Geun-hye’s visit to the United States last week.President Park Geun-hye said Wednesday that the presidential office has removed Yoon from the government payroll as a disciplinary measure that deprives him of civil servant status. She also expressed hopes that the U.S. police will expedite its investigation of the case.However, suspicions still remain because accounts of events between Yoon and Cheong Wa Dae officials have differed on issues such as who ordered Yoon to flee to Korea just an hour after a complaint against him was reported to the police in Washington.The DP has already said that parliament needs to intervene in the investigation.“The ruling and opposition parties should make mutual efforts to prevent the recurrence of such incident which damages national prestige. In my opinion, the Assembly should hold the hearing to make Cheong Wa Dae

May 16, 2013By Jun Ji-hye
South Korea

Cheong Wa Dae asked to abstain from alcohol

By Jun Ji-hyeRep. Kim Moo-sung, a five-term lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party, asked officials working at Cheong Wa Dae to quit drinking, citing it as an innovational measure to tighten discipline, Thursday.Kim’s call came as the presidential office has been embroiled in controversy over former spokesman Yoon Chang-jung who allegedly sexually assaulted a 21 year-old female aide while and after drinking with her, during President Park Geun-hye’s U.S. visit.“Taking the Yoon incident as a lesson, Cheong Wa Dae officials will have to show their firm resolution to the public and promise to abstain from drinking so the tragic incident resulting from one official’s egregious mistake will never happen again,” Kim said at a party meeting in the National Assembly.He stressed that members of the office must perform their duties with firm determination and discipline.“Many diplomatic experts assessed Park’s first official U.S. tour as the most successful summit in the two nations’ 60-year-old alliance. It is regrettable the Yoon scandal tarnishe

May 16, 2013By Jun Ji-hye
South Korea

Rival parties select new floor leaders

 Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan Rep. Jun Byung-hunBy Jun Ji-hyeThe ruling and opposition parties on Wednesday elected new floor leaders who will lead the parties in the National Assembly for a year.The ruling Saenuri Party chose Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan as its new floor leader, while the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) elected third-term lawmaker Jun Byung-hun. Both Choi and Jun are described as tough figures in their respective parties.The new leaders will take on the heavy responsibilities of operating in the Assembly as well as supporting the party in future elections including by-elections in October.In the ruling party’s election Choi and Kim Gi-hyeon who stood for the chairmanship of the Supreme Council, decided to become running mates and earned 77 ballots from the total 146 party legislators in attendance.“While preparing for this election, I listened to various opinions from many party members. They mostly want the ruling party capable of holding the government in check and exerting its political influence when necessary to support management of state affairs.

May 15, 2013By Jun Ji-hye
Rival parties select new floor leaders
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