The Korea Times

Park Geun-hye to hit balance between US, China

Rep. Park Geun-hyeBy Jun Ji-hyePark Geun-hye, the ruling Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate, said Thursday that if elected she would seek balanced diplomacy between the United States and China.The 60-year-old conservative said such an approach was necessary to overcome various conflicts including territorial disputes that have plagued Northeast Asia, and to promote peace and economic cooperation in the region.“Relations between the U.S. and China are unique. The U.S. has attempted to strengthen its presence in Northeast Asia, while China has risen rapidly,” she said at a meeting with foreign press at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club.In her remarks, the daughter of the late President Park Chung-hee stressed that harmonious relations between the U.S. and China were essential to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula as well as in Northeast Asia.“We don’t need to view the two countries’ relations as a zero-sum game. I believe President Barack Obama, who was successfully re-elected, and China, which is going to establish its new l

Nov 8, 2012By Jun Ji-hye

Park Geun-hye to hit balance between US, China

Politics

Rep. Park downplays alliance move

Park Geun-hye, the presidential candidate of the ruling Saenuri Party, holds up a shirt featuring a design based on the nation’s eastern islets of Dokdo at an event at the Press Center in downtown Seoul, Wednesday. Japan has ramped up its claim to the rocks in recent months. / YonhapSaenuri candidate focuses on support in Gyeongsang provincesBy Jun Ji-hyePark Geun-hye, the ruling Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate, downplayed two liberal candidates’ agreement on a unified candidacy, describing it as unrelated to the people’s livelihood Wednesday.The conservative standard bearer raised the question whether the liberal contenders’ will able to protect the nation from the constant threat from North Korea.“I doubt if they have the will to protect the Northern Limit Line (NLL),” she said referring to the Democratic United Party’s Moon Jae-in and independent Ahn Cheol-soo.She made the comment during an event organized by a national policies advisory committee at the party’s headquarters in Seoul.“How can they overcome the nati

Nov 7, 2012By Jun Ji-hye

People & Events

Koreans lack understanding of hanok's cultural value

Peter BartholomewBy Jun Ji-hyeAn American, who has lived in Korea and been involved in preserving traditional Korean houses, Hanok, for more than 40 years, claimed there is little understanding and awareness of the cultural value of the buildings among Korean people.  Peter Bartholomew, managing director of iRC, a a Korea-focused business development consultancy, received the King Sejong Prize from the government last week in recognition of his contributions to preserving Hanok.“I was very surprised. I didn’t expect to receive any award. It was just my hobby and interest outside of business,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times.He said he has been fighting to save Hanok because he was very disappointed over the past 40 years when he saw houses being destroyed throughout Korea.“The number of Hanok has decreased a lot in Seoul. And now, 70 percent of Hanok are in redevelopment areas and are scheduled for destruction. It is very bad policy of the government. It must change,” he said.He claimed, in Korea, old buildings are considered to be

Nov 7, 2012By Jun Ji-hye

Koreans lack understanding of hanok's cultural value

Politics

Park Geun-hye seeks to change presidential term

Rep. Moon Jae-in, center, presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic United Party, chats with independent contender Ahn Cheol-soo during an event organized by a fisheries organization at Seoul Plaza, Tuesday, while Park Geun-hye, left, candidate of the ruling Saenuri Party, looks pensive. The event took place just hours before Moon and Ahn met for talks on a single candidacy. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeThe Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate Park Geun-hye said Tuesday that if elected she would look to amend the Constitution to allow future presidents to serve for four years for a maximum of two consecutive terms. “I will push ahead with changing the current five-year single-term presidency,” she said during a news conference on her political reforms at the party headquarters in Seoul. However, she refused to discuss the matter in detail, saying it shouldn’t become a campaign issue. “I don’t think it is desirable to approach the issue with a politically motivation,” she said. The 60-year-old ruling party candidate tried to shift foc

Nov 6, 2012By Jun Ji-hye

Park Geun-hye seeks to change presidential term

South Korea

Candidates disagree over TV debates

By Jun Ji-hyeThe leading presidential candidates are at odds over plans to have them debate on television, the result of which is expected to have a significant impact on the outcome of the Dec 19 election.  The controversy first broke out after a debate planned to be aired on Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) was indefinitely postponed because of the failure of the ruling and opposition party to agree on terms.The three major candidates – the Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye, Democratic United Party’s (DUP) Moon Jae-in and independent Ahn Cheol-soo -- have yet to hold television debates. With only 20 days left before candidates have to officially register with the Electoral Commission, this development has surprised many observers because it is the first time for candidates not to hold the debates since they were introduced in 1997.The Park camp has made clarification of a widely-rumored opposition merger between Moon and Ahn a condition for its participation in any debate. The Saenuri Party candidate insists that until the opposition is clear on that matter, then

Nov 5, 2012By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Park aims at 1% rise in growth potential

By Jun Ji-hyePark Geun-hye Strategists working for Rep. Park Geun-hye, presidential candidate of the ruling Saenuri Party, said Sunday that they mulled ways to boost the economy’s growth potential by 1 percentage point higher, enough to tackle jobless growth.  A potential growth rate has become a buzzword for the Park campaign. It refers to the possible production and output of the economy without causing inflation or other economic friction and distortion.“The economy’s potential growth rate has hovered some 3.5 percent over the past years and this trend is expected to go on until 2016. After that, it is projected to drop,” Kim Kwang-doo, a ranking strategist of the economic committee of the Park camp, said.“Our goal is to boost the rate 1 percentage point higher so that an average 4.5 percent of growth potential is achieved. Jobless growth cannot be solved if the potential growth rate remains at 3.5 percent.”The Park side said their pledge is different from President Lee Myung-bak’s vision calling for an annual growth rate of 7 pe

Nov 4, 2012By Jun Ji-hye

Park aims at 1% rise in growth potential

South Korea

Presidential term change in spotlight

By Jun Ji-hyeShould Korea amend its Constitution to revise its single-term, five-year presidential system? The question is surfacing again ahead of the Dec. 19 presidential election.Analysts say that Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye, may try to use the issue to divert attention away from her liberal opponents, the Democratic United Party’s (DUP) Moon Jae-in and independent Ahn Cheol-soo, who are dominating headlines amidst widespread rumors of a possible alliance between them.Park is said to support a two-term, four-year system but has yet to decide whether she will include this proposal in her forthcoming election pledges.Her camp expressed active support for the move on Friday.  “I think we should give positive consideration to a two-term presidency with both a president and vice president,” Han Kwang-ok, chief vice chairman of the National Integration Committee, said during a radio appearance.“A sitting president should get another chance to lead if he or she does a good job,” he said, adding that the issue should be included in Park’s

Nov 2, 2012By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Dispute flares up over voting hour extension

By Jun Ji-hyeLeading presidential candidates have entered a head-on collision course over the envisioned extension of voting hours in the presidential poll slated for Dec. 19.The possible extension has emerged as a significant campaign issue as it will greatly influence the voter turnout which will decisively affect the election result.Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party (DUP) took the initiative by saying Wednesday he will accept a bill proposed by ruling Saenuri Party that calls for returning a government subsidy if a candidate withdraws from an election.In return for his acceptance of the bill, Moon urged the ruling party to cooperate in extending the voting hours as suggested by the opposition. Saenuri Party expressed some misgivings over the issue, apparently for fear that such extension will help liberal candidates.The dispute initially flared up when Sanuri Party’s Lee Jung-hyun, PR chief for the party’s presidential candidate Park Geun-hye, suggested bipartisan negotiation for simultaneous handling of both bills: returning a government subsidy proposed by t

Nov 1, 2012By Jun Ji-hye

People & Events

Bipartisan effort underway to fight cyber-bullying

Min Byung-chulBy Jun Ji-hyeLike-minded lawmakers joined a campaign encouraging bloggers and Internet users to use appropriate online language and to drive slang and swearing out of online chat rooms and forums. The launch ceremony for the National Assembly Sunfull Committee, formed to promote the work of the Sunfull Movement, will be Friday.One hundred lawmakers signed up to the campaign to tackle cyber bullying and malicious comments. Sunfull’s aim is for Internet users to post positive and complimentary online messages in forums and blogs.Lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties teamed up to fight bad language online as cyber bullying has driven some celebrities such as the late actress Choi Jin-sil to commit suicide.  The bipartisan step came days before the campaign, which was initiated by English educator Min Byung-chul, marks its fifth anniversary on Nov. 7.  Min, chairman of the Sunfull Movement Campaign Office, will attend the launch event as a joint promoter. “The Sunfull Movement has been spread by teachers, students and parents who attempt

Oct 31, 2012By Jun Ji-hye

Bipartisan effort underway to fight cyber-bullying

South Korea

Economy is next president's priority

By Jun Ji-hyeThe majority of the public say economic growth is the most important task that the next president has to tackle, rather than political reform or the expansion of welfare, according to a survey conducted by The Korea Times.In a recent poll of 1,000 people, 41.3 percent said they want the next president to prioritize economic growth.This was followed by 18.7 percent support for political reform and 17.5 percent who think there should be an expansion of welfare.National security and reform of conglomerates received low support at 13.2 percent and 6.2 percent respectively.The Korea Times conducted the survey jointly with Korea Research on the occasion of its 62nd anniversary which falls on Thursday.The poll found that people in their 40s and 50s favor economic growth as the most significant task for the next president. Most of these are supporters of the ruling Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate Park Geun-hye and live in Daegu and across North Gyeongsang Province.In contrast, supporters of the Democratic United Party’s (DUP) Moon Jae-in and independent Ahn Ch

Oct 31, 2012By Jun Ji-hye

Park outpaces 2 rivals on foreign policy

Jun Ji-hye

Read more

Park Geun-hye to hit balance between US, China

Rep. Park downplays alliance move

Koreans lack understanding of hanok's cultural value

Park Geun-hye seeks to change presidential term

Candidates disagree over TV debates

Park aims at 1% rise in growth potential

Presidential term change in spotlight

Dispute flares up over voting hour extension

Bipartisan effort underway to fight cyber-bullying

Economy is next president's priority

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