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Lee calls for cautious approach to prosecution reform amid hard-line DPK push

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday called for a measured and strategic approach to the ongoing prosecution reform to ensure it achieves its intended purpose, responding to hard-line calls within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) for sweeping changes to the prosecution system. Lee made the remarks on his social media account on X, as some hardliners in the DPK have been pushing for far-reaching reforms aimed at sharply curbing prosecutorial powers. Their proposals include renaming the prosecutor general as the "chief of the indictment agency" in line with plans to transform the prosecution service into a body focused solely on indictments. "The separation of investigation and prosecution, as well as the exclusion of the prosecution from investigative authority, has already been confirmed as a national policy task and is irreversible," Lee wrote. "It is difficult to understand why the title of prosecutor general should be changed to 'chief of the indictment agency,' which could leave room for controversy over its constitutionality." Under a government reorganization bill passed by

Mar 16, 2026By Yonhap
Lee calls for cautious approach to prosecution reform amid hard-line DPK push

Seoul mayor snubs PPP primary again, fueling leadership speculation

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has twice refused to register as a candidate for the People Power Party's (PPP) Seoul mayoral primary, even as the main opposition party extended its registration deadline for a third time on Monday in an apparent bid to draw the incumbent into the race. The unusual standoff has fueled speculation that the mayor’s decision may be part of a broader political calculation rather than a simple disagreement over the party’s nomination process. Oh said he will not file for candidacy unless the party first commits to meaningful reform and clarifies its political direction before asking contenders to enter the race. The PPP’s nomination committee reopened the registration window again and set Tuesday as the latest deadline for candidates to apply, with interviews scheduled for Friday. The repeated extensions were widely interpreted as an attempt to pressure Oh into participating. The move came shortly after Lee Jung-hyun returned as chair of the party’s nomination committee, just two days after announcing his resignation. Lee publicly called on Oh to take part in t

Mar 16, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul mayor snubs PPP primary again, fueling leadership speculation

Ruling party, gov't agree to submit extra budget bill by end-March

The ruling Democratic Party Korea (DPK) and the government agreed to draw up and submit this year's first supplementary budget bill to the National Assembly by the end of this month to help ease livelihood concerns that stem from the ongoing war in the Middle East, officials said Monday. The DPK and the government also agreed to gradually release 22.46 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves over the next three months amid soaring global oil prices triggered by the Middle East conflict. The decision was made during a task force meeting attended by officials from the finance ministry, the Financial Services Commission and other agencies to discuss measures to stabilize energy supply and oil prices, Rep. Ahn Do-geol said in a press briefing. The planned release comes in line with an agreement among the 32 member countries of the International Energy Agency to make 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves available to the market. The contribution of each country in the collective endeavor was calculated in proportion to its share of the member countries' total oil consumpti

Mar 16, 2026By Yonhap
Ruling party, gov't agree to submit extra budget bill by end-March

Lee vows to push through reform agenda at dinner with ruling party freshmen

President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday called on first-term ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers to join him in pushing through his reform agenda over dinner, a DPK spokesperson said. Park Ji-hye, who attended the dinner at Cheong Wa Dae, said the president urged the 34 lawmakers to maintain close cooperation with the presidential office and to engage directly with the people. Lee also praised the party's efforts, and expressed his hope to build a better society through reform, according to Park.

Mar 15, 2026By Yonhap
Lee vows to push through reform agenda at dinner with ruling party freshmen

PPP official in charge of nomination for local elections rescinds resignation offer

Lee Jung-hyun, head of the nomination committee at the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) for the upcoming local elections, returned to work Sunday, two days after offering to step down from his post. "I will resume my work as head of the party's nomination committee," Lee said in a statement. "I will also bear full responsibility for the election results." Lee said he had been approached by PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok the previous night about seeing the reform of the nomination process to the end and that Jang had also offered him "full authority" on all matters related to nominations for the June 3 elections. "At this critical juncture, I think the party and the people want someone to step up to take responsibility and make decisions," Lee said. "If I have to make decisions during the nomination process going forward, I will not shy away from them. I will make sure this process will be an opportunity for the PPP to be born again." Lee had informed the party leadership Friday he would resign from his post, less than a month after being appointed amid an apparent internal rift over

Mar 15, 2026By Yonhap
PPP official in charge of nomination for local elections rescinds resignation offer

Pres. Lee congratulates para cross-country skier for winning 4 medals

President Lee Jae Myung congratulated para cross-country skier Kim Yun-ji, Saturday, for her groundbreaking feat of clinching four medals in the ongoing Winter Paralympics in northern Italy. "I congratulate Kim on her fourth medal. It is an amazing accomplishment that makes it hard to believe it is her first Olympics participation," Lee wrote on Facebook, saying she "made history." Lee said he hopes the athlete will perform her best in the remaining cross-country skiing 20 kilometer interval start race, set for Sunday (local time). Kim became the first Korean woman to capture a Winter Paralympic gold medal after winning the women's individual sitting title in para biathlon and has earned three more silver medals. Lee, meanwhile, also applauded the Korean wheelchair curling team for finishing fourth after a competitive race.

Mar 14, 2026By Yonhap
Pres. Lee congratulates para cross-country skier for winning 4 medals

PPP turmoil deepens ahead of local elections as nomination chief quits

Internal turmoil within the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is intensifying ahead of the June 3 local elections, as the chief of its nomination committee suddenly quit and the confrontation between party leader Jang Dong-hyeok and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is escalating. While the party is still dealing with internal disputes surrounding its ties with ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, fresh turbulence is threatening to disrupt preparations for the key elections. Lee Jung-hyun, who had been overseeing the party’s nomination process for the upcoming elections, announced his resignation Friday, saying he could no longer carry out the vision he sought to pursue during the selection process. “In the course of this nomination process, I strongly felt the need for change and reform, and I have tried to do my best in the role entrusted to me,” Lee said in a statement. “However, as I respected various opinions, I concluded that it had become difficult to push forward the direction I had envisioned. Taking full responsibility, I will step down from my position as chairman of th

Mar 13, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
PPP turmoil deepens ahead of local elections as nomination chief quits

Lee's approval rating hits highest level since inauguration: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating climbed to 66 percent, marking its highest level since he took office last June, a survey showed Friday. The survey by Gallup Korea, conducted Tuesday through Thursday on 1,002 respondents aged 18 and over, showed that the positive assessment of Lee's overall performance gained 1 percentage point from the previous week. The negative assessment fell 1 percentage point to 24 percent. Lee's economic policies were cited most frequently as the reason for the positive evaluation at 20 percent, followed by diplomacy at 10 percent. Following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, the government rolled out a series of measures to stabilize the economy and help ease livelihood burdens stemming from the impact of the Middle East conflict, including a fuel price cap. Among the negative responses, concerns over the economy, including people's livelihoods and the high dollar-won exchange rate, stood at 16 percent, followed by his diplomacy and unilateral decision-making at 8 percent. The approval rating for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea rose 1 percentage point to

Mar 13, 2026By Yonhap
Lee's approval rating hits highest level since inauguration: poll

Lee calls for close monitoring of gas stations as fuel price cap takes effect

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday called for close monitoring of local gas stations to ensure compliance with a fuel price cap, as the government implemented the price ceiling to help ease burdens for consumers. "(The government) decided to set a ceiling on supply prices to curb fluctuating fuel costs stemming from uncertainty in the international situation," Lee wrote on X. Lee urged public participation to prevent potential profiteering by actively reporting cases of violations. "Public monitoring and participation are needed to prevent some companies from profiteering during this period of instability or taking unfair profits," he said. "If you find gas stations violating the (oil price cap) system, please report the cases to me without delay." It marks the first time since 1997 that Korea has enforced a price ceiling system under a provision in the Petroleum Business Act, which allows the industry minister to set a maximum sales price when oil prices fluctuate sharply and threaten economic stability.

Mar 13, 2026By Yonhap
Lee calls for close monitoring of gas stations as fuel price cap takes effect

Lee vows supports for industrial sectors in AI adoption

President Lee Jae Myung said Friday the government will step up coordinated efforts to advance artificial intelligence (AI) transformation across industrial sectors in partnership with the private sector. Lee made the pledge in a post on social media platform X, sharing a news report that the ministries of science and ICT, industry, and SMEs will jointly launch bids for major AI projects aimed at developing AI solutions and applying them in factories. "(The government) will bring together all our capabilities to swiftly push forward industrial AI transformation," Lee wrote. Lee said the initiative is possible because his administration has lowered barriers across ministries to promote interagency cooperation. The envisioned project is worth 432 billion won ($289.7 million) and includes programs to support smart factories, AI applications in manufacturing and their integration, with the government set to announce the bid next week. Under the initiative, the Ministry of Science and ICT will develop AI agents capable of managing or operating industrial processes, while also advancing AI inte

Mar 13, 2026By Yonhap
Lee vows supports for industrial sectors in AI adoption
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