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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.

Underdog rattles PPP's two-way race to elect new leader

Ruling People Power Party chairman candidate Chun Ha-ram speaks during a candidates' speech event at a studio in Gangseo District, Seoul, Feb. 7. Joint Press CorpsBy Nam Hyun-wooThe ruling People Power Party's (PPP) competition to elect a new leader took a new twist after an underdog candidate, Chun Ha-ram, emerged out of the blue to rattle the two-way race between Reps. Kim Gi-hyeon and Ahn Cheol-soo.Of six candidates who submitted their bids for the party chairmanship, the conservative PPP on Friday will eliminate two based on the results of a phone survey of 6,000 party members. Recent polls indicate that Chun, who belatedly expressed his bid to run for the chairmanship, is now finding the supports that had previously been directed toward Ahn. According to a Realmeter poll from Feb. 6 to 7, Chun secured a 9.4 percent support rate, coming in third after Kim with 45.3 percent and Ahn with 30.4 percent.In a separate poll by Hangil Research from Feb. 4 to 6, Chun enjoyed a 10.9 percent support rate, trailing Ahn with 35.5 percent and Kim with 31.2 percent. These results were surprisin

Feb 9, 2023By Nam Hyun-woo
Underdog rattles PPP's two-way race to elect new leader

Will National Assembly hitch finance minister to keep Seoul's metro free riders happy?

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, left, shakes hands with Rep. Yoon Young-seok of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), president of the National Assembly's Strategy and Finance Committee, at the lawmaker's office in the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday. The mayor visited Yoon to gain support in persuading the finance ministry to help the city's subway operator to keep offering free rides senior citizens. YonhapFinance minister says welfare burden should fall on city government By Ko Dong-hwanSeoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon sought the support of National Assembly lawmakers on Wednesday in his bid to have the finance ministry help the city's subway operator keep offering free rides to senior citizens.The mayor's effort to rally support from the parliament came a day after the Ministry of Economy and Finance rebuffed his repeated calls to share the burden for free subway rides for the elderly. The ministry said the financial burden should be handled by the city itself rather than relying on the central government.The mayor met three key lawmakers from the National Assembly's Strategy and Fin

Feb 9, 2023By Ko Dong-hwan
Will National Assembly hitch finance minister to keep Seoul's metro free riders happy?

Nat'l Assembly submits impeachment resolution against interior minister to Constitutional Court

Lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party exit a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul after a motion to impeach Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min was passed, Feb. 8. YonhapThe National Assembly submitted the impeachment resolution against Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to the Constitutional Court on Thursday, a day after passing the first-ever such motion against a Cabinet member.The motion passed through the opposition-controlled parliament Wednesday to hold Lee accountable for the government's allegedly bungled response to the Oct. 29 crowd crush that killed 159 people. Lee has been suspended from his duties as a result until the Constitutional Court decides whether to endorse or reject the motion.On Thursday, the impeachment resolution was submitted to the Constitutional Court, said Rep. Kim Do-eup of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), who chairs the parliamentary legislative and judiciary committee, in a text message to reporters.As chairman of the judiciary committee, Kim will play the role of the prosecution during the impeachment trial. The main opposit

Feb 9, 2023
Nat'l Assembly submits impeachment resolution against interior minister to Constitutional Court

INTERVIEW Seoul, Washington forced to maintain greater discipline: Council on Foreign Relations

U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers, center, F-22 fighter jets and Republic of Korea Air Force F-35 fighter jets, bottom, fly over the Korean Peninsula during a joint air drill in South Korea, Jan. 1, in this photo provided by the South Korean defense ministry. AP-YonhapThis is the third in a series of interviews with security experts at leading think tanks in Washington and former U.S. officials on the implications of the escalating arms race in Northeast Asia and South Korea's growing nuclear ambitions. ― ED.US-NK summit would require departures from both parties' current default policiesBy Kim Yoo-chulA few days after joint air drills by South Korea and the United States, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered his military to ensure the regime's readiness for war.According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Feb. 7, its leader Kim attended a Central Military Commission gathering of the Workers' Party and asked his military to boast its strength. The point of focus is how North Korea may leverage unfolding developments regarding the possible creation of a “missile de

Feb 9, 2023By Kim Yoo-chul
[INTERVIEW] Seoul, Washington forced to maintain greater discipline: Council on Foreign Relations

National Assembly votes to impeach interior minister for Itaewon tragedy

Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min attends a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. The assembly passed a motion to impeach Lee to hold him responsible for the Itaewon tragedy, which took 159 lives last Halloween in central Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapRuling camp accuses DPK of 'unconstitutional' measure: ball is now in Constitutional Court's handsBy Lee Hae-rinThe National Assembly on Wednesday approved a motion to impeach Minister of Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, to hold him accountable for the deadly crowd crush that killed 159 people who gathered in Itaewon to celebrate Halloween on October 29 last year. With the passage of the motion, Lee has been suspended from his duties at the ministry.This is the first time that the National Assembly passed a motion to impeach a Cabinet member. On Wednesday, 293 out of 300 assembly members were present and 179 voted in favor of ousting Lee, with 109 objections and 5 abstentions. Initiated by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the motion will go to the Constitutional Court for a final decision. It will tak

Feb 8, 2023By Lee Hae-rin
National Assembly votes to impeach interior minister for Itaewon tragedy

Yoon's office slams interior minister's impeachment as 'shame' in parliamentary history

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a meeting on integrated defense at Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office, in Seoul, Feb. 8. YonhapThe office of President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday slammed the National Assembly's passage of an impeachment motion against Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, calling it a "shame" in parliamentary history.The presidential office issued the statement shortly after the opposition-controlled Assembly voted 179-109 to impeach Lee over the government's allegedly bungled response to the Oct. 29 Itaewon crowd crush that killed 159 people."It's an abandonment of parliamentarism," it said. "It will go down in parliamentary history as a shame."Lee is the first Cabinet member to be impeached by the National Assembly.The government and ruling party have maintained Lee did not violate the law or Constitution in his response to the crowd crush to warrant impeachment. (Yonhap)Interior Minister Lee Sang-min attends the annual central integrated defense council meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Feb. 8. Yonhap

Feb 8, 2023
Yoon's office slams interior minister's impeachment as 'shame' in parliamentary history
  • Nat'l Assembly votes to impeach interior minister over Itaewon tragedy

Nat'l Assembly votes to impeach interior minister over Itaewon tragedy

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min attends a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office, in Seoul, Feb. 8. YonhapThe opposition-controlled National Assembly voted Wednesday to impeach Interior Minister Lee Sang-min over last year's Itaewon crowd crush, marking the first-ever impeachment of a Cabinet member.The impeachment motion passed 179-109, with five votes ruled invalid, forcing the suspension of Lee from duties until the Constitutional Court decides whether to endorse or reject the motion.Depending on the court's decision, Lee will either be reinstated or removed from office.The court has 180 days to rule on the case. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and two minor parties introduced the impeachment motion earlier this week to hold Lee accountable for the government's allegedly bungled response to the crowd crush that killed 159 people.It marked the National Assembly's first impeachment of a Cabinet member.In the past, two presidents ― Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye ― were impeached by the National Assembly in 2004 and 2016, respectively. The Constuti

Feb 8, 2023
Nat'l Assembly votes to impeach interior minister over Itaewon tragedy
  • Yoon's office slams interior minister's impeachment as 'shame' in parliamentary history

Yoon says previous administration relied on 'fake peace'

President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, speaks during a meeting on integrated defense at Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office, in Seoul Feb. 8. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk Yeol accused the previous administration on Wednesday of weakening the country's defense posture by neglecting necessary drills and relying on a "fake peace."Yoon made the remark while presiding over the annual central integrated defense council meeting in an apparent reference to former President Moon Jae-in's push for reconciliation with North Korea.Critics have argued the Moon administration's peace drive bought North Korea time to advance its missile and nuclear weapons programs."Under the previous government the meeting was downsized, and integrated drills between the civil sector, government, military and police were not properly implemented because of its reliance on fake peace," Yoon said during the meeting held at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae."As a result, there was a weakening in combining all national defense powers into one and in the implementation of the nationwide all-out war for

Feb 8, 2023
Yoon says previous administration relied on 'fake peace'

Kim again takes lead in PPP leadership race: poll

Candidates running for the chair of the ruling People Power Party ― Ahn Cheol-soo, left, and Kim Gi-hyeon ― chat with each other during an event in Seoul to present their visions ahead of its leadership race scheduled for March 8, Feb. 7. YonhapRep. Kim Gi-hyeon of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) has reclaimed the front-runner position in the race for party leader in the wake of a row between his rival Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo and the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol, a poll showed Wednesday.In the survey of 402 PPP supporters conducted by Realmeter on Monday and Tuesday, Kim earned 45.3 percent of support, up 9.3 percentage points from last week, while Ahn fell to second place with 30.4 percent, down 12.9 percentage points.The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.Kim's surge came after Yoon's office openly expressed displeasure with Ahn after the candidate said he has good "alliance"-like relations with Yoon. The presidential office said the remark was inappropriate as it put Ahn on par with the president."It appears that

Feb 8, 2023
Kim again takes lead in PPP leadership race: poll

Presidential office tests waters as opposition moves to impeach interior minister

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, right, talks to Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyoon during a Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex in Sejong, Tuesday. Joint Press CorpsBy Nam Hyun-wooThe presidential office is wary of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK's) attempt to impeach Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min for his allegedly insufficient response to the Itaewon crowd disaster last October. As the presidential office closely follows parliamentary proceedings, it is contemplating whether to give a response to the passing of the DPK-led motion in the National Assembly.The DPK plans to team up with two other opposition parties to pass a motion calling for the impeachment of Lee at the National Assembly's plenary session on Wednesday. The DPK controls 169 of 300 Assembly seats. A total of 175 lawmakers jointly tabled the motion.If the Assembly approves Lee's impeachment, he will be suspended from his job immediately until the Constitutional Court can decide whether to uphold the impeachment or not. If this happens, L

Feb 7, 2023By Nam Hyun-woo
Presidential office tests waters as opposition moves to impeach interior minister
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