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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.

'This means war': main opposition party chief locks horns with prosecutors

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Jae-myung, center, and other Supreme Council members of the party leave the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju, Friday. YonhapRival parties clash over prosecution's summons of Lee Jae-myungBy Nam Hyun-wooThe two main rival parties are clashing over the prosecution's summoning of main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung for questioning on allegations over his involvement in a 2015 land development scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The DPK has called the investigation “political retaliation” against the main opposition party by the ruling People Power Party (PPP), as well as “war.” The PPP denounced the statement, saying that Lee should appear before the prosecution and clear his name if he is not guilty.As the parties butt heads, the regular session of the National Assembly, which began on Thursday, will likely see a confrontation between lawmakers, resulting in a legislative stalemate. For Lee, who became the main opposition party's leader just six months after l

Sep 2, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
'This means war': main opposition party chief locks horns with prosecutors

Main opposition leader Lee calls summons 'inappropriate'

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, new leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a party supreme council meeting in the southwestern city of Gwangju, Sept. 2. YonhapMain opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Lee Jae-myung on Friday called the prosecution's summons of him an "inappropriate" attempt to find fault with him after his party condemned the investigation as "political revenge."Lee, who lost to President Yoon Suk-yeol by a razor-thin margin in the March presidential election, was asked to appear for questioning by next Tuesday as part of a probe into allegations he lied during the presidential campaign last year.The main opposition has denounced the summons as "political revenge" against Lee and the party, while a close aide to Lee referred to it as "war" in a text message sent to him that was caught on press cameras."After failing to find fault despite dusting me through inside out, they are nitpicking with something absurd. It is inappropriate," Lee told reporters during his visit to the southwestern city of Gwangju, the home turf of the liberal bl

Sep 2, 2022
Main opposition leader Lee calls summons 'inappropriate'

PPP's nat'l standing committee approves charter revision to form new emergency leadership

The ruling People Power Party holds a national standing committee meeting at the National Assembly complex in western Seoul, Sept. 2. YonhapThe ruling People Power Party's (PPP) national standing committee on Friday approved the revision of a party charter to form a new emergency leadership committee.The standing committee decided with unanimous approval to revise a party charter to specify "emergency situations" where an emergency leadership committee can be launched. The PPP has been trying to launch a new emergency leadership committee after a court effectively ruled the current leadership invalid last week by suspending the duties of its chair, a decision seen as a victory for ousted PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok.The PPP plans to pass the charter revision through its national committee Monday next week to complete the launch of a new leadership. (Yonhap)

Sep 2, 2022
PPP's nat'l standing committee approves charter revision to form new emergency leadership

Presidential Archives raided in probe into North Korea's killing of fisheries official

The entrance to the Presidential Archives in Sejong, Thursday. The prosecution raided the office in its investigation into the former Moon Jae-in administration's handling of the killing of a fisheries official by North Korea in 2020. YonhapProsecutors raided the Presidential Archives on Thursday as part of an investigation into the previous administration's handling of the death of a fisheries official at the hands of North Korea in 2020. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent a team of prosecutors and investigators to the Presidential Archives in the central city of Sejong in the morning to seize related materials. Prosecutors have been investigating the allegations that high-level officials under the Moon Jae-in administration deleted or fabricated intelligence reports related to the death of the fisheries official, Lee Dae-jun, to depict Lee as having been attempting to defect to North Korea. The Thursday raid reportedly focused on documents pertaining to Cheong Wa Dae's decision-making process surrounding the case. As part of the probe, last month prosecutors raided

Sep 1, 2022
Presidential Archives raided in probe into North Korea's killing of fisheries official

Prosecution asks DPK leader Lee to appear for questioning

Main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung speaks at the Democratic Party's supreme council meeting at the National Assembly, Aug. 31. YonhapThe prosecution has notified new leader Lee Jae-myung of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to appear for questioning next week, a party spokesperson said Thursday, denouncing the investigation as "political revenge."Lee was asked to come to the prosecution next Tuesday as part of an investigation into allegations that he lied during the presidential campaign about a land development project pushed for in Seongnam, south of Seoul, when he was its mayor.The DPK strongly protested the summons."The prosecution served Chairman Lee a summons for absurd reasons. This is a demand that we find hard to accept," the party's spokesperson, Rep. Park Sung-joon, told a press briefing. "The DPK cannot back off against political revenge on the leader of the main opposition party and a former presidential candidate who competed against President Yoon Suk-yeol as well as political suppression to break up the main opposition."Lee has been under probe on

Sep 1, 2022
Prosecution asks DPK leader Lee to appear for questioning

ANALYSIS Why Three Nos don't matter for Seoul-Beijing ties

Maintaining 'constructive ambiguity' is necessary to keep S. Korea-China partnership working By Kim Yoo-chulDefending the status quo can be a difficult and lonely position to be in, especially in an age where political policies are established based on conflicts between long-time allies and strategic partners.However, in diplomacy, the preferred option is keeping things as they are, although doing this is more about tolerating unexpected uncertainties. Sandwiched as Seoul is between regional powers in Northeast Asia ― China, Japan, Russia and the United States ― this “middle power” can't sway its powerful neighbors on pending geopolitical issues.Political analysts in Seoul say it is far-fetched to expect South Korea, as a middle power, to help alleviate key geopolitical tensions. According to them, while Seoul is asked to keep its expectations modest, the country is thereby obliged to maintain a sort of “constructive ambiguity” when handling China's so-called "Three Nos" policy. Constructive ambiguity is a political stance commonly attributed to Henry Kissinge

Sep 1, 2022By Kim Yoo-chul
[ANALYSIS] Why Three Nos don't matter for Seoul-Beijing ties

Yoon designates 7 more areas as special disaster zones

President Yoon Suk-yeol inspects a submerged semi-basement home in Seoul's Gwanak Ward on Aug. 9. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday designated seven more areas hit by deadly floods last month as special disaster zones, a spokesperson said.The new zones are Dongjak and Seocho Wards in Seoul; the cities of Yeoju, Uiwang and Yongin in Gyeonggi Province; Hongcheon county in Gangwon Province; and the city of Boryeong in South Chungcheong Province, deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung said in a written briefing.The designations were made following a survey of damage caused by the heavy rains in early August.Yoon earlier designated 10 areas, including Seoul's Gwanak Ward and Yangpyeong county in Gyeonggi, as special disaster zones."President Yoon instructed Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to swiftly execute disaster relief payments without discrimination before the Chuseok holiday so that not only the special disaster zones, but everyone who suffered damage in the recent heavy rains, can swiftly recover from the damage," Lee said.The Chuseok fall harvest holiday falls on S

Sep 1, 2022
Yoon designates 7 more areas as special disaster zones

Rival parties agree on revising bill to ease comprehensive real estate tax burden

This photo shows apartment complexes in Seoul, Aug. 31. YonhapThe ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea agreed Thursday to revise a bill to ease tax burdens on those owning only one home as part of efforts to improve people's financial situations, officials said.Under the revision bill, long-term owners of one home will be allowed to postpone payment of the comprehensive real estate holding tax and those who own two homes temporarily will be considered as single householders.The rival parties plan to pass the bill through the National Assembly on Wednesday next week as Thursday's parliamentary legislative committee meeting was canceled.The parties, however, failed to reach a consensus on details on raising the tax base and providing a special tax deduction.The comprehensive real estate holding tax was introduced as a means to have those rich pay more taxes. But the government and the PPP have been pushing to overhaul the tax scheme as soaring home prices and tax rate hikes made under the previous administration led to an increase in the num

Sep 1, 2022
Rival parties agree on revising bill to ease comprehensive real estate tax burden

Police officer probing first lady case invited to Yoon's inauguration ceremony

President Yoon Suk-yeol, right, alongside his wife Kim Keon-hee, bows during his inauguration ceremony in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, May 10. YonhapA police officer investigating the corruption case allegedly involving first lady Kim Keon-hee and her mother was one of the special guests invited to President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony, an official said Thursday.The lieutenant, whose identity has been withheld, was invited to the ceremony held at the National Assembly complex in May for his role in preventing core technology from leaking overseas, the official at the interior ministry said.The officer was among 700 special guests, such as firefighters, soldiers and public officials.Earlier, similar controversies arose that the son of a businessperson under investigation over a stock manipulation case allegedly involving Kim attended the ceremony.Despite the opposition party's demand, the presidential office has said it is difficult to confirm the list of attendees at the inauguration ceremony. (Yonhap)

Sep 1, 2022
Police officer probing first lady case invited to Yoon's inauguration ceremony

Yoon vows to increase support for export industries

President Yoon Suk-yeol tours a distribution center at Busan New Port in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Aug. 31. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol vowed Wednesday to increase government support for the country's export industries amid a widening trade deficit caused by falling semiconductor prices and other factors.Yoon made the promise as he presided over an emergency meeting on the economy and public livelihood matters at a container terminal at Busan New Port in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul."We've recently seen record high volumes in exports, but our export forecasts for the second half of the year are not that bright because of a fall in semiconductor prices," he said during the meeting attended by government and business officials, including from the banking and construction sectors."First of all, the government will do its best to immediately resolve these difficulties of export businesses," he said, announcing plans to increase trade financing for local exporters to a record 350 trillion won ($261 billion)."We will also dedicate ourselves t

Aug 31, 2022
Yoon vows to increase support for export industries
  • Korea to offer record trade financing to exporters to prop up exports
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