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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.

Court holds hearings to decide on ex-defense chief's arrest over slain fisheries official

Former Defense Minister Suh Wook enters the Seoul Central District Court on Oct. 21. YonhapFormer Defense Minister Suh Wook and former Coast Guard Commissioner General Kim Hong-hee attended court hearings held Friday to determine whether they should be arrested over the previous administration's mishandling of the 2020 death of a fisheries official at the hands of North Korea.Neither of them answered any questions from reporters when entering the Seoul Central District Court for the hearings. A decision on whether to approve their arrest is expected to come late Friday night or early Saturday.The two are facing various charges, including dereliction of duty, abuse of power and creating false official documents, in connection with the former government's conclusion without sufficient evidence that the fisheries official was killed while attempting to defect to the North.Critics have accused the Moon administration of drawing the conclusion to curry favor with Pyongyang.Prosecutors suspect Suh deliberately erased intelligence reports that suggest the official, Lee Dae-jun, did not inte

Oct 21, 2022
Court holds hearings to decide on ex-defense chief's arrest over slain fisheries official

Opposition leader proposes special counsel probe into Seongnam development scandal

Main opposition Democratic Party Chair Lee Jae-myung adjusts his glasses on Oct. 21. YonhapOpposition leader Lee Jae-myung called Friday for an independent counsel investigation into a corruption scandal that led to an arrest warrant request for one of his closest aides, claiming his innocence as a prosecution probe closes in on him. Lee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea made the remark after prosecutors sought the warrant for Kim Yong, a longtime confidant of Lee, for allegedly receiving 847 million won ($593,552) in illegal political funds from real estate developers involved in a corruption-laden project in the city of Seongnam. Prosecutors suspect the money was used to help finance Lee's presidential campaign. "I didn't receive even a piece of candy, let alone presidential campaign funds," Lee said. Lee urged President Yoon Suk-yeol and the ruling People Power Party to agree to a special prosecutor investigation into the development corruption scandal in Seongnam, including allegations of irregularities involving Yoon. "I officially ask the president and the ruling

Oct 21, 2022
Opposition leader proposes special counsel probe into Seongnam development scandal

Opposition leader to hold news conference over prosecution's probe

The main opposition Democratic Party Chair Lee Jae-myung, Oct. 20. YonhapOpposition leader Lee Jae-myung will hold a previously unannounced press conference at 11 a.m., officials said, as a prosecution investigation closes in on him after an arrest warrant was sought for one of his closest aides on charges of taking illegal campaign funds.Kim Yong, a long-time confidant of Lee, is suspected of receiving 847 million won ($593,552) in illegal political funds last year from real estate developers involved in a corruption-laden project in the city of Seongnam when Lee was mayor.Prosecutors suspect the money was used to help finance Lee's presidential campaign.Lee, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, has denied any wrongdoing, saying he never used a penny of illegal money and he believes Kim is innocent.Lee and his party have denounced the prosecution investigation as a political reprisal and an attempt to supress the opposition."The government and the ruling party seem to be trying to annihilate and deny the existence of the opposition party," Lee said.The investig

Oct 21, 2022
Opposition leader to hold news conference over prosecution's probe
  • Main opposition party chief in crosshairs of state prosecutors

Yoon's office to disclose entirety of next economic meeting

President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a meeting on economic policy at Pangyo 2nd Techno Valley in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, in this June 16 photo. Korea Times fileThe office of President Yoon Suk-yeol said Thursday it will disclose the entirety of an economic meeting to be presided over by Yoon next week in a departure from similar meetings in the past.Yoon launched the emergency economic and public livelihood meeting in July to address various economic challenges facing the country. He has held 10 such meetings so far at a traditional market, a port, a smart farm and other locations symbolic of people's livelihood issues.Yoon's opening remarks have been open to the press, while the rest of the meeting has been held behind closed doors and followed by a presidential office press briefing on what was discussed.The upcoming meeting next Thursday will be disclosed in its entirety to the press and the public to give them a better sense of how the president plans to deal with ongoing economic challenges, deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung said.Sources said the presidential

Oct 20, 2022
Yoon's office to disclose entirety of next economic meeting

Yoon doubles down on fighting 'pro-North Korea' faction

President Yoon Suk-yeol enters the presidential office building in Seoul, Thursday. NewsisOpposition politicians condemn remarks as unacceptableBy Jung Min-hoPresident Yoon Suk-yeol isn't backing down despite criticism from opposition parties.Speaking to reporters Thursday, Yoon doubled down on his previous remarks that he would fight what he calls a “pro-North Korea Jucheist faction.”When asked who he was referring to by the description, Yoon said, “They themselves know whether they are a 'jusa-pa' (Jucheist faction). I was not targeting any specific group. I made the statement as a person in a position to defend the country and the Constitution.”“Jusa-pa” refers to a faction of followers of Juche ideology, North Korea's official ideology of self-reliance that includes unconditional loyalty to its leader.At a luncheon Wednesday with officials of his ruling People Power Party, Yoon used the term “pro-North Korea Jucheist faction,” to allude to the opposition here, saying it is an anti-state group that is against the Constitution, which

Oct 20, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Yoon doubles down on fighting 'pro-North Korea' faction

Main opposition party chief in crosshairs of state prosecutors

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Jae-myung speaks during a party lawmakers' meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. The backdrop reads, "Stop coercion on opposition party, Halt revenge investigation!" Joint Press CorpsBy Nam Hyun-wooMain opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung is in the crosshairs of prosecutors, who are narrowing the focus of their investigation into a series of allegations raised against him by arresting or indicting key aides.Lee and the DPK are striving to resist, claiming that the investigation is part of a drive by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to persecute the main opposition party. Opposition lawmakers have boycotted a series of National Assembly audit sessions on the prosecution and government ministries, and are demanding an apology from the president.During a general meeting of DPK lawmakers, Thursday, Lee said the ruling bloc and the prosecution are abusing their powers to “coerce the main opposition party.”“This is not politics, this is coercion,” Lee sa

Oct 20, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
Main opposition party chief in crosshairs of state prosecutors
  • Opposition leader to hold news conference over prosecution's probe

Yoon hits back at opposition protest over attempted raid

President Yoon Suk-yeol arrives at the presidential office in Seoul, Oct. 20. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol hit back at the main opposition party on Thursday over allegations his administration masterminded the prosecution's attempted raid of its headquarters, saying the people will be the judge of whether such claims are justified.Prosecutors swooped down on the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) headquarters in Seoul on Wednesday as part of an investigation into whether a close aide to DPK leader Lee Jae-myung took illegal political funds but withdrew after a standoff with party officials.The DPK has denounced the investigation and other investigations into members of the previous Moon Jae-in administration as a political reprisal and an attempt to suppress the opposition party."As far as investigations are concerned, I only know what I see in press reports, and as far as the details, I'm not free enough to look into investigation details," Yoon told reporters as he arrived for work."But if there is talk about suppressing the opposition party, if we think about raids conducted for day

Oct 20, 2022
Yoon hits back at opposition protest over attempted raid
  • DPK leader cries foul over prosecution's attempt to raid headquarters

DPK leader cries foul over prosecution's attempt to raid headquarters

Lee Jae-myung, chief of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Oct. 18. YonhapOpposition leader Lee Jae-myung strongly denounced the prosecution's attempt to raid the headquarters of his Democratic Party of Korea as "oppression" of the opposition Thursday and claimed his innocence after a long-time confidant was detained on bribery charges.DPK Chairman Lee made the remarks a day after prosecutors apprehended Kim Yong, one of Lee's closest confidants, on bribery charges and attempted unsuccessfully to raid the DPK headquarters where Kim's office is located.Kim is suspected of receiving some 800 million won ($558,932) worth of illegal political funds between April and August last year from private companies in connection with a land development project south of Seoul. Critics raised suspicions that the money could have been used for Lee's election campaign."It's not politics, it's simply oppression," Lee said of the raid attempt. "It is so pitiful that political power entrusted by the people is wasted on oppressing the

Oct 20, 2022
DPK leader cries foul over prosecution's attempt to raid headquarters
  • Yoon hits back at opposition protest over attempted raid

Yoon orders inquiry into death of worker at bread factory

President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks to reporters at the presidential office in Seoul, Oct. 20. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol lamented the recent death of a young worker at a bread factory Thursday, saying it was "truly regrettable" and that he has instructed officials to determine the details of the incident.A 23-year-old worker at a factory affiliated with food and beverage giant SPC Group died Saturday after getting caught in a mixer at the plant in Pyeongtaek, 65 kilometers south of Seoul, according to police.Her death prompted an outpouring of grief among the public as questions arose about whether the company followed safety protocols and she was found to have been the breadwinner of her family consisting of her mother and younger brother."It's such a regrettable accident," Yoon told reporters as he arrived for work, relaying what he had read in the press about how people were enraged by the fact that the factory appeared to be running the mixer again even before an investigation into the accident was completed."Laws and systems and profits are all good, but we're all living in the s

Oct 20, 2022
Yoon orders inquiry into death of worker at bread factory
  • Police launch investigation into death of worker at bread making factory

New COVID-19 cases stay below 30,000 for 2nd day amid virus slowdown

Korea reported 25,431 new COVID-19 infections, including 53 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,219,546, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. YonhapKorea's new COVID-19 cases continued to stay below 30,000 Thursday as the country's virus curve has moved down in recent months.The country reported 25,431 new COVID-19 infections, including 53 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,219,546, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.Thursday's figure is down 4,072 from a day ago. It also declined by around 1,500 from a week ago and 3,200 from two weeks ago.The country reported 23 deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, raising the death toll to 28,922. The fatality rate stood at 0.11 percent. The number of critically ill patients came to 249, up six from a day earlier, the KDCA said.Korea's virus curve has been on the general decline since peaking at over 180,000 cases on Aug. 17. In response to the pandemic's slowdown, the government has eased antivirus restrictions, including lifting all outdoor mask mandates and the COVID-19 po

Oct 20, 2022
New COVID-19 cases stay below 30,000 for 2nd day amid virus slowdown
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