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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.

Yoon appoints new education minister

President Yoon Suk-yeol, left, poses for a photo with Lee Ju-ho, new education minister and deputy prime minister for social affairs, after presenting him with a letter of appointment at the presidential office in Seoul, Nov. 7. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol appointed his new education minister Monday, his office said, completing the lineup of his first Cabinet.Lee Ju-ho, a professor at the Korea Development Institute and former education minister under the Lee Myung-bak administration, was named education minister and deputy prime minister for social affairs in September.He underwent a confirmation hearing, but the National Assembly failed to adopt a report on the hearing, making him the 14th senior government official under the Yoon administration to be appointed without such a report.Lee succeeds Park Soon-ae, who quit in August only a month after taking office amid public opposition to her plan to lower the elementary school starting age.Yoon's first nominee for education minister, Kim In-chul, withdrew amid allegations of favoritism related to his family's reception of scholarsh

Nov 7, 2022
Yoon appoints new education minister

Yoon's approval rating falls after Itaewon crowd crush: Realmeter

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, put their hands together during a memorial service for the victims of the Itaewon tragedy at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul, Nov. 6. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol saw his approval rating dip slightly at the end of last week, a survey showed Monday, in the aftermath of the Halloween crowd crush.In the poll of 2,521 voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, 34.2 percent positively assessed Yoon's job performance, down 1.5 percentage points from the previous week. Yoon's disapproval rating was 62.4 percent, up 0.7 percentage point. In terms of daily rating, support for Yoon dropped from 35.7 percent Tuesday to 32.5 percent Friday. The steeper fall could be attributable to public criticism over Interior Minister Lee Sang-min's inappropriate remarks over the Halloween tragedy and revelations of a botched police response, Bae Cheol-ho, a senior analyst at Realmeter, said. Lee came under fire after he said the Halloween crowd in Seoul's entertainment district of Itaewon this year was not "worryingly large" compa

Nov 7, 2022
Yoon's approval rating falls after Itaewon crowd crush: Realmeter
  • Yoon apologizes to nation over Itaewon crowd crush

Yoon apologizes to nation over Itaewon crowd crush

President Yoon Suk-yeol presides over a government-civilian meeting on national safety regulations at the presidential office in Seoul, Nov. 7. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol apologized to the nation Monday for the deadly Itaewon crowd crush, saying he will ensure a thorough investigation into the tragedy and hold those responsible to account.Yoon issued the apology during a meeting held to review crowd control and other safety regulations in the wake of the tragedy that killed 156 people on Oct. 29."I dare not compare myself to the parents who lost their sons and daughters, but as the president who should protect the people's lives and safety, I grieve and my heart is heavy," he said. "I am apologetic and sorry to the bereaved families who are facing an indescribable tragedy and to nation that is sharing in the pain and sadness."The remark was seen as his first formal apology to the nation, though he previously apologized in remarks during Buddhist and Christian memorial services.Yoon renewed his call on the government to handle the aftermath of the tragedy in a responsible manner, a

Nov 7, 2022
Yoon apologizes to nation over Itaewon crowd crush
  • Analysis Sewol ferry disaster haunts nation in wake of Itaewon tragedy
  • Yoon's approval rating falls after Itaewon crowd crush: Realmeter

Pressure weighs on Yoon over accountability in Itaewon tragedy

President Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee pray during a requiem mass at Myeongdong Cathedral, Jung District, Seoul, Sunday. YonhapPresident vows not to repeat such tragedyBy Nam Hyun-wooWith the weeklong national mourning period for victims of the Itaewon crowd crush last weekend over on Nov. 5, attention is now on how President Yoon Suk-yeol will deal with political pressure from growing criticism of the government's poor handling of the tragic incident that killed 156 people. Over the past week, Yoon and his administration focused on mourning the deaths of the victims, the majority in their teens and 20s, taking care of those injured and investigating the cause of the tragedy, while deflecting political attacks from the opposition calling for a parliamentary investigation into the case. Yoon visited the memorial altars set up for the victims in Seoul on a daily basis and attended religious events to offer his condolences.“As the president who has to take responsibility for the lives and safety of the people, I feel very heartbroken and sorry,” Yoon said during

Nov 6, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
Pressure weighs on Yoon over accountability in Itaewon tragedy

Yoon attends Mass honoring victims of Itaewon crowd crush

President Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee pray during a memorial Mass held at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul on Nov. 6. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee attended a memorial Mass held Sunday at the Myeongdong Cathedral for the victims of the Itaewon crowd crush. It was Yoon's third attendance in a religious service honoring the victims, following a Buddhist memorial service at the Joggye Temple in central Seoul on Friday and a church service organized by the United Christian Churches of Korea on Saturday.During Sunday's Mass, Yoon was seen crossing himself and praying. Unlike the two previous services, Yoon did not take the podium for a speech.On Friday, Yoon said he is "profoundly heartbroken and sorry" as the president responsible for the people's lives and safety. He said Saturday that he will never be free from an apologetic heart for failing to protect young people.At least 156 people, mostly in their 20s, were killed in the tragedy. (Yonhap)

Nov 6, 2022
Yoon attends Mass honoring victims of Itaewon crowd crush
  • Police squad first arrives at Itaewon crowd scene about 85 minutes later

Analysis Sewol ferry disaster haunts nation in wake of Itaewon tragedy

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, left in front row, attend a memorial service for the victims of the Itaewon crowd crush at the Jogye Temple in central Seoul, Friday. The event was hosted by the nation's largest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order. Joint Press CorpsPresident learns lesson from 2014 maritime disaster, tries to minimize fallout on his leadership By Kang Hyun-kyungPresident Yoon Suk-yeol is walking a tightrope in the wake of the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon that killed 156 people and injured many others. There is an old Korean phrase taken from Chinese characters, “nae-woo-wae-hwan,” which refers to having a lethal combination of trouble both at home and abroad. Yoon is now in the midst of such turmoil, particularly in the aftermath of the Itaewon tragedy. In a situation like this, any minor mistake or seemingly trivial miscalculation could force political leaders to face irreversible negative consequences.On Thursday, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo shared a piece of advice for Yoon on Facebook, urging the president to stand firm to win against bot

Nov 6, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
[Analysis] Sewol ferry disaster haunts nation in wake of Itaewon tragedy
  • Yoon apologizes to nation over Itaewon crowd crush

Candlelight vigils mourn Korea Halloween disaster victims

Participants hold candles and placards at a rally to mourn victims killed in the Itaewon crowd crush near City Hall in central Seoul on Nov. 5, the final day of the weeklong national mourning period for the disaster that killed at least 156 people. YonhapCandlelight vigils and rallies were held in South Korea on Saturday to commemorate the 156 people killed in a Halloween crowd crush, with public anger growing over one of the country's deadliest disasters.The victims, mostly young people, were among the estimated 100,000 that had flocked to the capital Seoul's popular Itaewon nightlife district to celebrate the first post-pandemic Halloween.South Korean law enforcement officials have conceded that there was insufficient safety planning for a crowd that large, and opposition politicians have accused President Yoon Suk-yeol's government of not taking responsibility for the disaster.Participants hold candles and placards at a rally to mourn victims killed in the Itaewon crowd crush near City Hall in central Seoul on Nov. 5, the final day of the weeklong national mourning period for the

Nov 5, 2022
Candlelight vigils mourn Korea Halloween disaster victims
  • Police squad first arrives at Itaewon crowd scene about 85 minutes later

South Korea, Germany agree to cooperate in response to North Korea's provocations

President Yoon Suk-yeol and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier hold a joint press conference after their summit at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Friday. YonhapTwo presidents vow to work together in supply chain, energy security issuesBy Kwon Mee-yooPresident Yoon Suk-yeol and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is visiting Korea for three days, agreed to work closely to thwart North Korea's provocations during a summit held in the presidential office in Seoul, Friday. Steinmeier is the first European president to visit Korea since Yoon was inaugurated on May 10. During a joint briefing after the summit, Yoon said he and the German president shared a concern regarding North Korea's repeated missile tests and agreed to work closely to draw a unified response from the international community against North Korea."Germany is a country that has experienced division and reunification, so we can learn from Germany in resolving the issues on the Korean Peninsula," Yoon said. "We also agreed to strengthen cooperation to improve the human rights situation i

Nov 4, 2022By Kwon Mee-yoo
South Korea, Germany agree to cooperate in response to North Korea's provocations

Ruling party leader calls for China's active role in reducing tensions amid NK provocations

Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming, left, speaks at a meeting with Rep. Chung Jin-suk, the interim chief of the ruling People Power Party, held at the National Assembly in western Seoul, Nov. 4. YonhapThe ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader met with Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming on Friday and asked for Beijing's active role in reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula amid a recent series of North Korean missile launches."Peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula fits China's national interest as well," PPP leader Chung Jin-suk told the envoy during their meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul. "North Korea's military provocations are surpassing the critical point." Xing said China is also concerned about the escalating tensions and called for talks to defuse them. "The Korean Peninsula is connected to China. We also hope for peace on the Korean Peninsula," he said.North Korea has been ramping up its military threats recently, firing 81 ballistic missiles on 34 occasions in violation of an inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement signed in September 201

Nov 4, 2022
Ruling party leader calls for China's active role in reducing tensions amid NK provocations

Gaffes over Itaewon tragedy anger public

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks at a press conference with foreign media on the Itaewon crowd disaster at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Prime Minister's OfficeBy Lee Hae-rinWhile President Yoon Suk-yeol has visited the memorial altar to the victims of the Halloween crowd disaster four days in a row since Monday, the gaffes of his close aides have infuriated the public.Prime Minister Han Duck-soo offered an apology for an inappropriate joke made during a press conference on the incident with foreign reporters at the Korea Press Center, Tuesday. “Regardless of its context, I apologize for making people uncomfortable (with my behavior),” Han said in a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office, Wednesday. When asked by a foreign correspondent what the prime minister thought about “where the Korea government's responsibility begins and ends, especially in a situation that seems like it is no one's fault,” referring to the Itaewon disaster, Han said that he was unable to hear the question well because of the interpreter and asked t

Nov 3, 2022By Lee Hae-rin
Gaffes over Itaewon tragedy anger public
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