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Lee Hyo-jin

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.

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Politics

Candidate registration commences for June 1 local elections

A notice installed at the National Election Commission office in Jongno District, Seoul, Thursday, reads that 20 days are left until the June 1 local elections. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Candidate registration for the June 1 local elections and parliamentary by-elections began on Thursday for a two-day period, according to the National Election Commission (NEC), amid widespread anticipation that the upcoming elections will act as a litmus test for the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. The election watchdog said it will accept registrations until Friday, with the 13-day official campaign period kicking off on May 19. Candidates can campaign on the streets, put up election posters and send campaign materials to voters until May 31, while early voting will take place on May 27 and 28. Up for grabs in the local elections are 17 provincial governor and mayor positions, as well as posts for local council members and the heads of regional education offices. On the sidelines of the quadrennial local elections, the country will pick seven lawmakers, after those seats were vacated as those who were ele

May 12, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Candidate registration commences for June 1 local elections
Society

Migrant policy needs to focus on recruitment and retention

Gov't urged to come up with more centralized approach to policy formulationThis is the first in a series of contributions from experts to highlight various issues President Yoon Suk-yeol and his administration should address during his presidency. ― ED. By Steve HamiltonThe Republic of Korea will see an increased number of migrants in the years to come. This reality has already been unfolding regardless of who won the recent presidential election. Understanding and accepting both the need for migrants and the benefits of well-managed migration to Korea is key to successful migration policies. The reality of the demographic challenges faced by previous and future administrations in Korea requires continued preparation for the inevitable dramatic reduction in the working age population. A continued commitment to managed migration will be a key element to help alleviate some problems associated with the decline of the population. Migrants bring with them not only the skills needed to sustain a robust Korean economy but also an entrepreneurial drive that helps sustain a growing economy e

May 12, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Migrant policy needs to focus on recruitment and retention
Global Community

Yoon's inauguration ceremony raises hope for inclusive, multicultural society

Migrant women attend a Korean language class at a multicultural family support center in Seongbuk District, Seoul, in this undated file photo. Korea Times fileExperts call for tailored approach to meet diverse needs of migrantsBy Lee Hyo-jin President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony held in the National Assembly on Tuesday has raised hope for an inclusive society among the multicultural community in Korea. The ceremony featured a performance by the Rainbow Choir, a choral group made up of the children of multicultural families, and an immigrant from Cambodia, who was selected as one among 20 members of the public to walk together onto the stage with Yoon.At a bell-ringing ceremony held prior to the inauguration, an immigrant from the Philippines was invited to be present as one of the 20 representatives of people from different regions and social backgrounds.Migrants' rights activists said it was encouraging to see residents of foreign nationality better represented, with some interpreting their presence as a sign that the Yoon administration would broaden the nation's immigrat

May 11, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Yoon's inauguration ceremony raises hope for inclusive, multicultural society
Politics

Multicultural children's choir opens Yoon's inauguration ceremony

Dancers give performance during President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony held at the National Assembly, Tuesday. Joint Press CorpsNew government expected to promote multicultural policiesBy Lee Hyo-jin President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony kicked off on Tuesday with the national anthem sung by a choir consisting of children from multicultural backgrounds, raising expectations that policies for people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds will receive more attention under the new governmentThe Rainbow Choir, comprised of about 30 children from multicultural backgrounds, along with bass Youn Kwang-chul, sang Korea's national anthem for the inauguration ceremony on the National Assembly lawn, Tuesday. The ceremony was held under the slogan of, “Again Korea! A new country of the people,” with about 41,000 guests in attendance.But unlike previous presidential inaugural ceremonies, which usually included star-studded performances from famous artists and K-pop stars, lesser-known stars and ordinary people were invited for congratulatory performances, refl

May 10, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
  • Renowned bass Youn Kwang-chul sings national anthem at inauguration
  • Homegrown ingredients, spirits served at Yoon's inaugural dinner
Politics

Koreans express hopes for incoming government

President Yoon Suk-yeol receives a briefing from the Joint Chiefs of Staffs in the underground bunker of the new presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapPeople want President Yoon to focus on improving people's livelihoodBy Lee Hyo-jin Korean citizens expressed a wide range of hopes and expectations of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, from the easing of home mortgage regulations, to tailoring welfare policies to those in need, to making society safer for children. Though their expectations differ in the details, they all hope that the policies carried out by the Yoon administration will concretely improve their daily lives over the next five years.Lee Ji-eon, a 31-year-old office worker in Seoul, said that she hopes to buy her own home during Yoon's presidency, as the new president pledged to relax mortgage loan requirements especially for young people and those who do not currently own a home.Lee welcomed the presidential transition committee's recent announcement about raising the loan-to-value ratio up to 80 percent for those who are buying their first-ever homes. T

May 10, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Koreans express hopes for incoming government
  • Yoon begins term at midnight with military briefing
  • Yoon pays his respects at national cemetery ahead of inauguration ceremony
  • Yoon Suk-yeol sworn in as South Korea's new president
Politics

Cheong Wa Dae online petition platform comes to an end

The online public petition platform introduced by outgoing Moon Jae-in government will shut down, Monday, nearly five years since its launch in August 2017. Screenshot from Cheong Wa Dae's websiteBy Lee Hyo-jin The popular online public petition platform launched by the outgoing Moon Jae-in government will shut down, Monday, with the end of Moon's presidency. The public petition platform on Cheong Wa Dae's website was introduced in Aug. 19, 2017, 100 days after Moon took office, with the aim of gathering public opinions better through direct communication with citizens and reflecting them in government policies.Anyone could upload a petition anonymously to the platform, and those who supported the petition could sign it using a social media account. The government was required to give an official response to any petition that collected more than 200,000 signatures within 30 days.According to the presidential website, until Feb. 28 of this year, a total of 1.11 million petitions had been submitted. The aggregate count of visitors to the website stood at 516 million, and the number of

May 8, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Cheong Wa Dae online petition platform comes to an end
Global Community

Korea still grappling with acceptance of Muslim residents

Worshippers pray at a temporary mosque in Daehyun-dong, Daegu, April 29. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-minAmid Islamophobic incidents, experts call for better understanding of Islamic cultureBy Lee Hyo-jin The ongoing neighborhood standoff between Muslim immigrants and non-Muslim Koreans surrounding the construction of a mosque in the southern city of Daegu is one of the latest major displays of xenophobia in the country.The high court's recent ruling in favor of the group of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, who had been pushing for the construction of the mosque in Daegu's Buk district, still faces strong opposition from local residents of Korean nationality. This incident comes four years after some 550 Yemeni asylum seekers of the civil war in Yemen sought refuge on Jeju Island through the 30-day visa-free entry system, causing a stir due to some Korean media outlets alarmist and xenophobic reporting at the time.The Yemenis, who had arrived on the southern resort island between January and May in 2018, triggered heated debate about why the West Asians had been received b

May 5, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea still grappling with acceptance of Muslim residents
Politics

Chung pressed to withdraw from nomination as health minister

Health Minister nominee Chung Ho-young attends a National Assembly confirmation hearing, Tuesday. Joint Press CorpsEducation Minister nominee Kim In-chul steps down amid scholarship allegationsBy Lee Hyo-jin Health Minister nominee Chung Ho-young was grilled at a National Assembly confirmation hearing, Tuesday, over allegations that he used his position to help his children enter a highly coveted medical school. Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) demanded Chung turn down his nomination. Nevertheless, he reaffirmed his earlier stance that he will not refuse the nomination, denying the allegations raised against him. Since he was nominated on April 13, Chung has faced snowballing personal and family-related allegations, all of which he has flatly denied issuing 63 statements through the Ministry of Health and Welfare's website and holding a press conference on April 17. Suspicions were raised that his daughter and son were able to transfer to Kyungpook National University School of Medicine in 2016 and 2017, respectively, allegedly using their father's influence whil

May 3, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Chung pressed to withdraw from nomination as health minister
Global Community

Mosque construction triggers standoff in Daegu

A yellow tent where residents hold protests against the construction of an Islamic mosque is installed next to the construction site in Daehyeon-dong, Buk District, Daegu, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-minFreedom of religion, privacy clash as neither side backs downBy Lee Hyo-jin DAEGU ― Daehyeon-dong, located in Buk District of Daegu, the nation's third-largest city, looks no different from any other residential area of Korea. Neighbors who have known each other for decades are seen casually chatting in the alleys, while wallet-friendly restaurants and cafes cater students who study at nearby Kyungpook National University. But things are not so peaceful in one narrow alley leading to a construction site of an Islamic mosque, which seems almost derelict with only a metal skeleton standing. A small yellow tent is installed next to the property, where neighborhood residents have been holding daily protests against the construction. This uncomfortable cohabitation has continued for over a year since Muslim students at Kyungpook National University decided to construct a two-s

May 3, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Mosque construction triggers standoff in Daegu
  • Appeals court sides with Islamic community, cancels suspension of mosque construction in Daegu
Society

Cultural Heritage Administration hit for discrimination against foreign children

Foreign residents visit Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, Feb. 14, 2021. NewsisBy Lee Hyo-jin The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) is drawing criticism for its discriminatory policy against children of foreign nationality, which initially excluded them from free admissions to royal palaces on Children's Day. In its recent announcement, the CHA said that royal palaces and tombs including Gyeongbok Palace, Deoksu Palace and Changdeok Palace would offer free admission to visitors on Children's Day which falls on May 5, the presidential inauguration day on May 10 and during the Royal Culture Festival period which runs from May 10 to 22. The announcement reads that on Children's Day, visitors aged 12 and under along with their guardians can freely enter. However, it noted that foreign children are exempt from the policy. This sparked debates among online users, with many criticizing the CHA for discriminating against young children based on nationality. A coalition of some 40 migrants' rights civic groups condemned the CHA, demanding it to immediately rectify the discriminatory measure.&ld

Apr 28, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Cultural Heritage Administration hit for discrimination against foreign children
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