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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Just 2 women in 25 district chief races exposes Seoul's political glass ceiling

Seoul's district chief races remain heavily male-dominated ahead of the June 3 local elections, even as female candidates gain ground in neighboring Gyeonggi Province. Among the 25 district chief races in the capital, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) have so far confirmed only two female candidates combined, both incumbent district heads seeking reelection. The lack of new female contenders has renewed criticism that Seoul's political scene remains difficult for women to break into. According to party nominations finalized so far, the DPK’s Kim Me-kyung, the incumbent chief of Eunpyeong District, and the PPP’s Lee Soo-hee, the incumbent leader of Gangdong District, are the only confirmed female candidates from the two major parties. Kim is seeking a third consecutive term and could become Seoul’s first three-term female district head if reelected. Lee is also running for reelection after winning Gangdong in the 2022 local elections. The number could rise to three if former Chuncheon MBC announcer Lee Yoo-won wins the PPP pri

May 12, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Just 2 women in 25 district chief races exposes Seoul's political glass ceiling

Lee pledges to build nation of fair opportunities for all, shared prosperity

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday pledged to build a nation where all people have fair opportunities and share prosperity, reaffirming his commitment to reducing social disparities. Lee made the remarks in a speech commemorating the 1894 Tonghak Peasant Revolution at a ceremony at the National Museum of Korea in central Seoul, which was read by Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young on his behalf. A horde of peasant farmers who followed Donghak, a Neo-Confucian movement, rose up against the feudal system at the time to demand justice and to protect national sovereignty from Japanese invasion. Lee said his vision for government reflects the spirit of the movement's pursuit of social harmony, adding his administration will do its utmost to build a compassionate society, in which people, as the "genuine owners of the country," enjoy their rightful rights and share in the fruits of growth. "Together with you, I will build a Republic of Korea in which all people enjoy fair opportunities and live prosperously, without any neighbors left behind," the president noted.

May 11, 2026By Yonhap
Lee pledges to build nation of fair opportunities for all, shared prosperity

Rival parties spar over gov't response to attack on Korean vessel in Hormuz

Rival parties stood at odds Monday over the government's response to a strike on a Korean-operated cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, with the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) accusing the government of downplaying what it called an Iranian attack. Tensions between the ruling and opposition parties escalated after a Korean investigation team concluded that two "unidentified airborne objects" caused an explosion and fire aboard the Panama-flagged cargo vessel HMM Namu, operated by Korean shipping firm HMM, in the conflict-hit strait last week. "Our government earlier insisted there were low chances that the vessel had come under attack," PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok said during a meeting of the party's supreme council, slamming the government for failing to identify Iran as being behind the attack. "Now that the strike has been confirmed, it is saying it will not prejudge who was behind the attack. (The government) has no willingness whatsoever to protect the safety and property of the people," Jang added. The PPP leader also argued that Iranian state media has already acknowledg

May 11, 2026By Yonhap
Rival parties spar over gov't response to attack on Korean vessel in Hormuz

Lee's approval rating inches up to 59.7%

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rebounded slightly to 59.7 percent on a strong stock rally and economic achievements, a survey showed Monday. According to the survey conducted by Realmeter and commissioned by EKN newspaper among 2,007 respondents aged 18 and older, the positive assessment of his job performance gained 0.2 percentage point from a week earlier. Negative assessments added 0.7 percentage point to 35.7 percent over the cited period, while 4.6 percent said they were unsure. Lee's approval rating had remained above 60 percent for seven consecutive weeks since the second week of March before slipping to 59.5 percent in the previous survey. Realmeter said economic achievements, such as the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index surpassing the 7,500 mark and the current account surplus reaching a record high, helped drive up Lee's approval rating, but political issues, including the National Assembly's failure to pass a constitutional amendment bill amid a standoff between the rival parties, offset positive sentiment. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) push

May 11, 2026By Yonhap
Lee's approval rating inches up to 59.7%

Landslide outlook fades for DPK as races in PPP base tighten

What once appeared to be a near-certain landslide victory for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is becoming more competitive as the June 3 local elections approach, with conservative candidates narrowing the gap in several key battlegrounds. The shift comes as backlash grows over the DPK’s push for a special counsel bill tied to what the ruling party calls “fabricated prosecutions” under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration. The controversy has energized conservative voters in parts of the country where the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) had appeared to be collapsing only weeks ago, particularly in the southeastern strongholds of Daegu, Busan and the Gyeongsang provinces. Political observers, however, say the overall landscape still favors the DPK, arguing that what appears to be a conservative rebound may simply reflect traditional conservative voters returning to the PPP rather than a broad shift among swing voters. Earlier in the campaign, some analysts had floated a “15-to-1 scenario,” referring to the possibility that the DPK could win 15 of the nat

May 10, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Landslide outlook fades for DPK as races in PPP base tighten
  • Constitutional revision drive stalls as PPP boycotts Assembly vote
  • EXPLAINER Special counsel bill sparks debate over power to drop ongoing trials

Lee says people saved him from 2024 knife attack, vows to devote himself to country

President Lee Jae Myung said Saturday he survived a 2024 knife attack thanks to people's support and will devote himself wholly to the country, a day after the state civil rights commission overturned an earlier decision with regard to his airlift to Seoul from Busan at the time of the attack. Lee was stabbed in the neck by a 67-year-old man posing as a supporter during a visit to the southeastern city of Busan, Jan. 2, 2024, and was transported by helicopter to Seoul National University Hospital from Pusan National University Hospital for surgery. At the time, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission determined the airlift as preferential treatment not allowed for ordinary people, and said that the medical staff and rescue workers involved in the decision deserve disciplinary measures for violating their code of conduct. But the commission overturned the decision Friday, saying the airlift was carried out within their scope of authority. On Saturday, Lee posted a message on social platform X with a link to a news report on the commission's decision, saying that people saved him f

May 9, 2026By Yonhap
Lee says people saved him from 2024 knife attack, vows to devote himself to country

Ruling party fails to push through constitutional amendment bill amid opposition boycott

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) push to put a constitutional change to a national vote in the upcoming local elections fell through Friday as the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) continued to boycott a parliamentary vote on the proposal. Shortly after Friday's plenary session opened, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik announced that he will not put the amendment bill to a vote as the PPP warned it would launch a filibuster to block the proposal. "I convened the plenary session again today in an effort to prevent the first constitutional amendment vote in 39 years from falling through," Woo said. "But I believe further proceedings would be meaningless, seeing the (PPP) responding with a filibuster." The PPP boycotted a vote on the bill Thursday, leaving the unicameral parliament short of a quorum. Cheong Wa Dae expressed regret over the National Assembly's failure to pass the bill due to opposition from PPP lawmakers. "The public will find it difficult to understand why they opposed even minimal constitutional changes aimed at safeguarding national security and dem

May 8, 2026By Yonhap
Ruling party fails to push through constitutional amendment bill amid opposition boycott

Special committee files complaints against 31 figures in alleged fabrication by prosecution

A special parliamentary committee filed complaints Friday against 31 individuals linked to allegations of fabricated indictments, including cases involving President Lee Jae Myung, on charges of perjury and others. The move came after the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)-led committee concluded a monthlong probe last week into allegations that prosecutors under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration had fabricated evidence to indict then opposition leader Lee in multiple cases, including those involving alleged illegal remittances to North Korea and the Daejang-dong development corruption scandal. Lawmakers from the DPK and minor Jinbo Party submitted the complaints to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the National Office of Investigation earlier in the day. Prosecutor Park Sang-yong, who investigated underwear maker Ssangbangwool Group's unauthorized remittance to North Korea, was charged with refusing to take an oath without justifiable reasons in two parliamentary hearings last month. The committee also filed complaints against Kim Sung-tae, f

May 8, 2026By Yonhap
Special committee files complaints against 31 figures in alleged fabrication by prosecution

Lee vows to build nation where state shares responsibility of parents

President Lee Jae Myung vowed Friday to build a nation rokwhere the state shares the responsibility of parents and looks after their well-being in old age. Lee posted the message on Facebook to mark Parents' Day, saying he learned after becoming a father of two children that a parent "carries the worlds" of their children on his or her back. "The more we lessen the burdens of life that are placed on parents' shoulders, the more the Republic of Korea can step forward to become a truly advanced nation," he wrote in the message addressed to all parents, referring to Korea by its official name. "From now on, we will take better care of parents' lives and further expand practical measures to support them," he said. "We will set out to create a 'nation where the people are happy,' which does not lean on parents' one-sided sacrifices but in which the state and community jointly take responsibility (in bringing up children)." Lee listed his administration's plans to ensure a healthy and active life for senior citizens, including by introducing local community care services, creating 1.15 million

May 8, 2026By Yonhap
Lee vows to build nation where state shares responsibility of parents

Constitutional revision drive stalls as PPP boycotts Assembly vote

A constitutional revision aimed at tightening conditions for declaring martial law fell through Thursday after the conservative People Power Party (PPP) boycotted a parliamentary vote, claiming the amendment bill was politically motivated. The National Assembly on Thursday voted on a constitutional amendment package for the first time in 39 years, with a plan to hold a national referendum for the revision alongside the June 3 local elections. The proposed amendment, jointly introduced by six parties excluding the PPP, included provisions requiring parliamentary approval for a presidential declaration of martial law and strengthening the Assembly’s authority to lift martial law. The amendment also added references to the Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising of 1979 and the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising of 1980 to the Constitution’s preamble. The revision package also included calls for balanced regional development. The bill's passage required approval by more than 191 sitting lawmakers, or two-thirds of all 286. However, the PPP, which holds 107 seats, did not participate in the votin

May 7, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Constitutional revision drive stalls as PPP boycotts Assembly vote
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