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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.

Ex-PM Kim wins Gwangju-Jeolla primaries in leadership election

Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok won the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) primaries in Gwangju and Jeolla Province on Saturday, outpacing his two rivals in the party's leadership race. Kim garnered a combined 57.54 percent of the votes from Gwangju and North and South Jeolla provinces, beating Jung Chung-rae, who is seeking a second consecutive term as DPK leader, with 32.65 percent. Song Young-gil, a former DPK leader, came in third with 9.81 percent. Kim's victory Saturday allowed him to maintain his lead in the leadership race ahead of the party congress Monday, where the new leader will be elected. The party's new leader is expected to play a key role in overseeing the nomination of candidates for the April 2028 parliamentary elections. Kim leads the race in cumulative votes, garnering 52.21 percent, followed by Jung with 38.14 percent. The DPK has held five of six regional primary rounds so far. The final primary, in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, takes place Sunday. Kim has won four rounds — in the central Chungcheong region; Incheon and Jeju Island; Gangwon Province, Daegu

Aug 15, 2026By Yonhap
Ex-PM Kim wins Gwangju-Jeolla primaries in leadership election

Lee proposes talks with NK to formally end Korean War, halt Pyongyang's nuclear program

President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday proposed that the two Koreas begin talks on ending their long-running war and discuss practical ways to halt the advancement of Pyongyang's nuclear program, pledging to seek a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Lee made the proposal in his speech at a National Liberation Day ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. "Let us put down our intentions to threaten each other and begin discussions to end the long-running war as the directly involved parties," Lee said, adding, "In the process, (we) may also discuss effective ways to halt the advancement of the North's nuclear capabilities." The divided Koreas have technically remained at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. Lee said he will embark on a journey to end the war and replace the "unstable armistice system" with a peace regime. Lee's dialogue overture came despite the North remaining unresponsive to Seoul's repeated reconciliatory gestures since Lee took office in June last year. In his Liberation Day s

Aug 15, 2026By Yonhap
Lee proposes talks with NK to formally end Korean War, halt Pyongyang's nuclear program

Two candidates shortlisted for special counsel investigating ballot shortages

Two former prosecutors were selected Friday as candidates for special counsel to investigate ballot shortages reported during the June 3 elections. A bipartisan recommendation committee unanimously picked Lee Tae-han and Lee Hyuk, both prosecutor-turned-lawyers, from among six candidates recommended by the Korean Bar Association and the Association of Korean Law Schools. The two will be recommended to President Lee Jae Myung, who is required to appoint one of them as special counsel within three days. The appointed special counsel will have up to 20 days to prepare for the investigation, with a full-scale probe expected to begin early next month. The special counsel team will have up to 90 days to investigate allegations of mismanagement of ballot papers by the National Election Commission, with the period extendable twice by 30 days each.

Aug 14, 2026By Yonhap
Two candidates shortlisted for special counsel investigating ballot shortages

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK Why Lee skipped summer vacation

President Lee Jae Myung has skipped his summer vacation this year — an unusual move considering presidents typically take time off between late July and early August to recharge and prepare for the second half of the year. “Staying at home is rest for me,” Lee said last week, reflecting his well-known workaholic tendencies. But his decision has also prompted speculation over whether he is mindful of his falling approval ratings, with multiple polls showing a sustained decline in public support. Realmeter’s latest poll placed Lee’s approval rating at a record-low 43.3 percent, marking its fourth consecutive weekly decline. His disapproval rating reached 53 percent, while his approval fell below the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s 44.6 percent approval rating for the first time under his administration. Other surveys showed a similar trend, as Gallup Korea put Lee’s approval at 44 percent, its lowest level since his inauguration in June 2025 and below his 46 percent disapproval rating. Taken together, the surveys suggest that Lee’s support is facing a steady decline rather

Aug 14, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
[REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK] Why Lee skipped summer vacation

PM vows to put highest priority on overseeing housing supply

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Friday she will put the highest priority on housing supply as she presided over a meeting to oversee the government's massive housing supply plan unveiled the previous day. The government announced Thursday that it will try to supply more than 230,000 additional homes in the Seoul metropolitan area by accelerating development on public land, lifting greenbelt restrictions in some areas and supporting private-sector projects. "What is important is the speed, how fast we can accomplish this," Han said at the start of the first meeting of related ministers and senior officials. "Swift supply is more important than anything else in order to meet the people's expectations. The housing supply situation will be the highest priority of the prime minister." Han said she will visit construction sites in person every week, check progress in the projects and report the outcomes at Cabinet meetings every month. She also said she will hold interagency meetings as frequently as necessary to coordinate and resolve pending issues.

Aug 14, 2026By Yonhap
PM vows to put highest priority on overseeing housing supply

PPP lawmaker sends letters to US House members over Coupang data breach

An opposition lawmaker said Friday he has sent official letters to U.S. House members explaining that Korea's regulatory action against Coupang over a massive data breach was not discriminatory against the U.S.-listed company. Rep. Cho Kyung-tae of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) sent the letters to nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives amid growing concerns in the U.S. Congress over Korea's treatment of Coupang and its broader digital market regulations. "The letters were prepared to deliver accurate facts based on the official findings and regulatory actions of the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) in response to claims raised by some U.S. lawmakers that the Korean government has unfairly targeted Coupang," his office said in a press release. Cho explained that the regulatory action against Coupang was based on the same standards applied to domestic companies, dismissing claims that the Korean government discriminated against the U.S. company. He also pointed to a significant discrepancy between the PIPC's finding that the breach affected around

Aug 14, 2026By Yonhap
PPP lawmaker sends letters to US House members over Coupang data breach

Lee vows to restore honor of women sexually enslaved by imperial Japan

President Lee Jae Myung pledged Friday to restore the honor of Korean women sexually enslaved by Japan during World War II, saying Seoul will play a central role in Asia in promoting the values of human rights and peace. "I will work responsibly until the honor and dignity of each and every victim are fully restored," Lee said in his message, read by his chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, to a ceremony commemorating the so-called "comfort women." Historians estimate that up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea, were forced to work in front-line brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War II, when Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910-45. Korea commemorates Aug. 14 as the day for victims of sexual slavery by Japan, marking the date in 1991 when a victim came forward publicly for the first time to speak about the wartime atrocity. "Thanks to the sharing of the painful memory with the world, we have been able to engrave in our hearts the lesson that history should not be neglected so that the same tragedy will not be repeated," Lee said. The president said passing on the values of human rights

Aug 14, 2026By Yonhap
Lee vows to restore honor of women sexually enslaved by imperial Japan

4 PPP lawmakers indicted for blocking investigators from detaining ex-President Yoon in 2025

A special counsel team said Friday it has indicted four lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) for allegedly obstructing investigators from detaining former President Yoon Suk Yeol in the wake of his failed 2024 martial law bid. Reps. Na Kyung-won, Kim Gi-hyeon, Kwon Young-jin and Yoon Sang-hyun face charges of special obstruction of official duties for allegedly forming a human wall with Yoon's supporters outside the presidential residence on Jan. 15, 2025, when investigators made their second attempt to detain Yoon over his martial law bid "The defendants did not merely express opposition to the detention, but formed a human wall with other people at the site to block entry into the residence," special counsel Kwon Chang-young's team said. Kwon's team said it confirmed the allegations after reviewing footage of the detention attempt and testimonies from multiple officials who were involved in the operation. Investigators ultimately detained Yoon that day after failing to take him into custody earlier the same month as the Presidential Security Service refused to coop

Aug 14, 2026By Yonhap
4 PPP lawmakers indicted for blocking investigators from detaining ex-President Yoon in 2025

Lee reiterates support for four-year, two-term presidential system

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday reiterated his support for a four-year, two-term presidential system through a constitutional revision, stressing that he is also open to shortening his term. "It has been my campaign pledge and consistent position that we should pursue a constitutional revision to introduce a four-year presidency allowing either nonconsecutive or consecutive terms, enabling voters to conduct a midpoint evaluation, while strengthening local autonomy and the people's basic rights," Lee said in a social media post. Lee noted that he is open to shortening his term when necessary for the constitutional revision. Article 128 of the Constitution stipulates that an extension of the presidential term shall not apply to the president in office at the time the amendment is proposed. "The Constitution, which is now 40 years old, is no longer suited to the current era, and a majority of the people agree on the need for a revision. If a constitutional revision is actually pursued, it would be desirable for the specific details to be determined by the National Assembly through an agre

Aug 14, 2026By Yonhap
Lee reiterates support for four-year, two-term presidential system

PPP slams gov't housing supply plan as lacking concrete measures

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday took aim at the government's recently unveiled housing plan, calling it a rehash of previous measures that fail to ease people's burdens and address housing shortages. The criticism came a day after the government announced a comprehensive package aimed at expanding housing supply, and stabilizing both the rental and sales markets, with a focus on Seoul and other high-demand areas in the capital region. "If the government continues to recycle previously announced measures and trick people by inflating the numbers, even good policies are bound to lose the trust of the market and the public," PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig said during a floor meeting. "The government boasts of supplying more than 1.5 million housing units, but 1.35 million of them simply come from a Korea Land and Housing Corporation-led public housing supply plan announced last year," he added. Rep. Jeong also noted that the government plans to secure around 240,000 additional homes, including 100,000 units at newly designated public housing sites, but has so far unv

Aug 14, 2026By Yonhap
PPP slams gov't housing supply plan as lacking concrete measures
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