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Justice minister slams DPK for doxxing prosecutors

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, attends Christmas mass at a cathedral in Incheon, Sunday. YonhapRuling party condemns opposition's 'irrational' shielding of Lee Jae-myungBy Ko Dong-hwanThe main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Sunday disclosed the personal information of 16 prosecutors who are investigating the party's chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung, arguing that they are collaborating with President Yoon Suk-yeol to bring down the DPK as well as its leader. The liberal party made a list of the prosecutors, including their names and photos, and shared it online with its local chapters across the country. The list had been made public last Friday by DPK Rep. Park Chan-dae during a party leaders' meeting in Gangwon Province.Rep. Lee, who had previously been Seongnam mayor in 2010 to 2014 and then Gyeonggi Province governor before running in the March 9 presidential election as the DPK's candidate, now faces multiple allegations: the city government's attraction of 16 billion won ($12 million) in corporate donations to its city-run football club

Dec 26, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan
Justice minister slams DPK for doxxing prosecutors

Justice minister slams opposition party for disclosing prosecutors' names

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon attends a Cabinet meeting, Dec 15. YonhapJustice Minister Han Dong-hoon strongly denounced the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Monday for disclosing the names of prosecutors investigating opposition leader Lee Jae-myung.DPK Chairman Lee was earlier summoned by prosecutors to appear this week for questioning over bribery allegations surrounding corporate donations to a football club while he was serving as the mayor of Seongnam, just south of Seoul.Claiming the investigation to be politically motivated, the DPK distributed the names and photos of 16 prosecutors to its party members."It will be recorded in history as (the DPK) branding public officials by abusing its power as the majority party and destroying the rule of law in the process," Han told reporters.Han urged Lee to appear for questioning, just like other people acting within the boundary of the law.Prosecutors suspect the city government of Seongnam attracted some 16 billion won ($12 million) in corporate donations to its municipal football club in return for administrative

Dec 26, 2022
Justice minister slams opposition party for disclosing prosecutors' names

PM cancels meeting with Yoon after aide tests positive for COVID-19

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo attend a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Dec. 13. Korea Times filePrime Minister Han Duck-soo canceled his weekly meeting with President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday after one of his aides tested positive for COVID-19, the Prime Minister's Office said.The president and prime minister meet at the presidential office every Monday to discuss state affairs, usually over lunch.An aide to Han tested positive for COVID-19 early Monday, and some events involving the prime minister and members of his office had to be canceled in line with COVID-19 rules, the office said in a notice to the press.Han tested negative on a self-test and plans to undergo an additional PCR test at a hospital. (Yonhap)

Dec 26, 2022
PM cancels meeting with Yoon after aide tests positive for COVID-19

Opposition leader calls for scrapping pardon for ex-President Lee

Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Dec. 26. YonhapMain opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung called Monday for scrapping a likely pardon for former President Lee Myung-bak, saying it would go against public sentiment.Lee of the Democratic Party of Korea made the remark during a party meeting, a day before President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to approve a list of year-end special pardons recommended by the Justice Ministry.The list reportedly includes former President Lee, who has been serving a 17-year prison term on charges of embezzlement and bribery."Preferential pardons that betray the people's common sense and expectations, and in fact hinder national unity, should be withdrawn completely," the party leader said. "Unfair abuse of power is a sin that destroys the people's sovereignty and democracy."Other beneficiaries of this week's pardons reportedly include former South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo.Kim, who has been serving a two-year sentence on opinion rigging charges, is expected to receive a p

Dec 26, 2022
Opposition leader calls for scrapping pardon for ex-President Lee

Yoon's approval rating inches up 0.1 point to 41.2%: poll

President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee attend Christmas Mass at a church in Seoul, Dec. 25. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating inched up 0.1 percentage point to 41.2 percent, climbing for the second consecutive week, a poll showed Monday.In the survey of 2,518 adults conducted from Monday to Friday last week, 41.2 percent gave a positive assessment of Yoon's performance, while 56.6 percent gave a negative assessment, according to pollster Realmeter.The positive assessment was up 0.1 percentage point from the previous week's survey, while the negative assessment was down 0.2 percentage point.The previous survey marked the first time in 24 weeks Yoon's approval rating broke through the 40 percent level, or the first time since June."President Yoon's approval rating has not fallen below 40 percent on any day in the past 2 weeks on a daily basis," said Bae Cheol-ho, a senior analyst at Realmeter. "With the removal of uncertainties that weighed on his approval rating, such as the passage of next year's budget and the start of the parliamentary probe into the Itae

Dec 26, 2022
Yoon's approval rating inches up 0.1 point to 41.2%: poll

PPP to hold nat'l convention March 8 to pick new leader

Ruling People Power Party leader Chung Jin-suk speaks at a meeting at the National Assembly, Dec. 26. YonhapThe ruling People Power Party decided Monday to hold a national convention on March 8 to pick a new leader.The upcoming convention will be the first time the PPP applies a set of revised rules, including choosing a leader only by a vote of party members, not by a ratio of 70 percent from party members and 30 percent from a public opinion survey.The party will also hold a runoff if none of the candidates wins a majority."Even if there is a runoff, we will make our final decision by March 12," interim chief Rep. Chung Jin-suk said during a party meeting.Candidate registration will begin in early February. After the primaries, the final candidates will hold debates starting in mid-February.Yoo Heung-soo, a former four-term lawmaker and standing adviser to the party, was appointed chief of the election management committee. (Yonhap)

Dec 26, 2022
PPP to hold nat'l convention March 8 to pick new leader

President Yoon to make last-minute decision on who to be pardoned

Former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, who is currently serving two years behind bars for opinion rigging, is being considered for President Yoon Suk-yeol's special pardons at the end of the year. Korea Times fileBy Kwon Mee-yooPresident Yoon Suk-yeol is pondering over a list of people to be pardoned. Among others, Yoon was recommended to pardon former President Lee Myung-bak and former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo. Unlike Lee who was recommended to be pardoned along with reinstatement, if the justice ministry committee's decision is accepted, Kim will be released on parole. Yoon's list of people to be pardoned will be confirmed and unveiled on Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting. Earlier, Kim released a handwritten statement on social media urging Yoon to fully pardon him, instead of releasing him on parole. His wife had uploaded a photocopy of her husband's letter to social media after receiving it from him. Kim, a close aide of former President Moon Jae-in, was sentenced to two years in prison on opinion rigging charges in July 2021 and origina

Dec 25, 2022By Kwon Mee-yoo
President Yoon to make last-minute decision on who to be pardoned

North Korea hacked 892 foreign policy experts

North Korean hackers sent almost 900 spear phishing emails to South Korean foreign policy experts this year and attacked the country's online shopping malls to demand cyber assets, according to the National Police Agency. Gettyimagesbank Police say almost 900 received phishing emails, and some ended up paying ransomBy Ko Dong-hwanNorth Korean carried out cyberattacks on at least 892 foreign policy experts from South Korea to steal their personal data and email lists as well as carrying out ransomware attacks against online malls, according to the National Police Agency. The South Korean authorities said Sunday that the attacks were meticulous enough to have tricked some of the victims into signing into fake websites, exposing their login details to the attackers.The attacks, mainly targeting think tank experts and professors, began as early as last April, the agency said. The hackers sent spear phishing emails from multiple accounts posing as figures in South Korea

Dec 25, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan
North Korea hacked 892 foreign policy experts

Yoon considering New Year's address on economy, reform plans: officials

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a meeting with the Presidential Committee of National Cohesion at the presidential office in Seoul, Dec. 21. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to deliver a New Year's Day speech to be broadcast live nationwide on his major policy plans for the coming year, his aides said Sunday.Yoon is positively considering issuing his message for the new year on Jan. 1, an official at the presidential office said. A related schedule will likely be fixed through the president's weekly meeting with his senior aides on Monday.If the event is held, Yoon is expected to use it to reveal his major policy direction and vision for 2023, especially ways to deal with growing economic woes and a reform drive in his second year in office.Yoon has pledged reforms on Korea's pension, labor and education systems. (Yonhap)

Dec 25, 2022
Yoon considering New Year's address on economy, reform plans: officials
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