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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 replaces senior press affairs secretary

From left, Kim Eun-hye, Lee Kwan-sup and Lim Jong-deuk /YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol appointed Kim Eun-hye, a former lawmaker and his transition team spokesperson, as new senior secretary for press affairs in a reshuffle of the presidential office Sunday.Kim, a TV anchorwoman-turned-politician who gave up her parliamentary seat when running unsuccessfully for Gyeonggi Province governor in June's local elections, will replace Choi Young-bum as the senior public relations secretary, according to his office. Choi will take on the role of special adviser, the office said.Lee Kwan-sup, vice chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, was appointed to the newly established position of senior presidential secretary for policy and planning.Yoon also appointed Lim Jong-deuk, a former Army general who served as presidential defense secretary during the Park Geun-hye administration, as new second deputy national security adviser.Lim replaced Shin In-ho, who resigned earlier this month due to deteriorating health.The reorganization comes as President Yoon has faced calls to overhaul

Aug 21, 2022
Yoon replaces senior press affairs secretary

Ex-minister ordered officials to promote unpopular school entry age change plan on mom forums

Former Education Minister Park Soon-ae /Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-hanFormer Education Minister Park Soon-ae had ordered ministry officials to leave positive comments on mom forums when her proposal to lower the school entry age drew massive criticism, multiple sources said Sunday.Park, who resigned earlier this month after her proposal to lower the school entry age by one year to 5 infuriated parents, stressed the need to ramp up public relations on the controversial plan after convening a meeting of senior ministry officials, the sources said.She asked participants to leave comments on relevant online posts, explaining that the policy is part of efforts to strengthen public education and that the government will consider public opinion in shaping the proposal, and to report the comments to her by text message.Park later took back the order after ministry officials raised concern that the comments could backfire and worsen public opinion on the unpopular proposal. Critics claimed that the proposal came without sufficient preparations and could deepen the country's fierce competiti

Aug 21, 2022
Ex-minister ordered officials to promote unpopular school entry age change plan on mom forums

Ex-presidential candidate Lee wins North Jeolla province in vote for new DPK leadership

This photo taken on Aug. 20, shows Rep. Lee Jae-myung, right, and his competitor Park Yong-jin make speeches at a gymnasium in Jeonju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul, during the race for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's new leadership. YonhapRep. Lee Jae-myung, former presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), won polls in North Jeolla Province on Saturday as part of an ongoing race for the new party leadership. Lee secured nearly 77 percent of the vote in polls, following his wins in North and South Chungcheong provinces, the central administrative hub of Sejong and neighboring Daejeon a week earlier, according to the party. His competitor, Park Yong-jin, earned 23 percent in the North Jeolla poll. The tally was from voting by DPK members who pay party dues. The votes brought Lee's accumulated total to 78.05 percent of all votes cast and Park's to 21.95 percent. Lee and Park are vying for the party leadership in the planned polls in South Jeolla Province and Gwangju, 330 km south of Seoul, on Aug. 21. The DPK is set to hold a nationa

Aug 20, 2022
Ex-presidential candidate Lee wins North Jeolla province in vote for new DPK leadership

Assembly speaker meets with US ambassador

National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, right, shakes hands with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg during their meeting at Kim's office in the National Assembly on Seoul's Yeouido, Friday, in this pool photo. YonhapNational Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo met with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg on Friday and discussed relations between the two countries."I believe the ambassador will play a big role in improving the South Korea-U.S. alliance into a global strategic partnership through his experienced career in diplomacy," Kim told Goldberg at their meeting held at the National Assembly in Seoul.Kim said Goldberg's appointment shows how much the U.S. government values the relationship and alliance between the two countries.Kim also mentioned U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Seoul earlier this month, saying Pelosi showed "active leadership" and "charisma," and strengthened cooperation between the two countries' legislatures.Goldberg replied that good discussions were made during Pelosi's visit.The ambassador also said he likes kimchi, a popular Korean

Aug 19, 2022
Assembly speaker meets with US ambassador

887 undocumented foreign workers, brokers, employers caught in crackdown

The Ministry of Justice / Korea Times fileBy Lee Hae-rinThe Ministry of Justice said, Friday, it caught 887 undocumented workers of foreign nationality employed in adult entertainment facilities, brokers and employers during a recent crackdown on illegal employment. From the two-month investigation between June and July, the ministry found 642 undocumented employees of foreign nationality and ordered the deportation of 588, while telling 16 to depart voluntarily. Five were sent to the prosecution.The undocumented workers include: 527 Thai, 49 Vietnamese, 33 Chinese, 12 Russian and 11 Filipino nationals.The ministry also captured 11 brokers who helped them unlawfully to enter the country and find jobs here, and sent them to the prosecution.Two hundred thirty-four illegal employers were also caught. Among them, 210 received a notification disposition, while 13 were sent to the prosecution without arrest.The ministry said it conducted an intensive crackdown in massage parlors, hostess bars and other adult entertainment facilities suspected of unlawfully employing foreign nationals who c

Aug 19, 2022By Lee Hae-rin
887 undocumented foreign workers, brokers, employers caught in crackdown

North Korea refuses to form ties with Yoon-led South Korea: experts

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un joins a group photo session with medics of the Korean People's Army at the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang, Thursday, in this photo released by the North's Korean Central Television the following day. YonhapKim Yo-jong rejects South Korean president's 'audacious initiative' By Kang Seung-wooIn a scathing statement unveiled, Friday, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said Pyongyang has no intention of establishing a “significant” relationship with the new South Korean government that recently unveiled an aid-for-disarmament initiative for the northern neighbor.Experts, meanwhile, said North Korea's fiery words reflect its intention to maintain the upper hand in affairs involving South Korea.According to the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim rejected the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's “audacious plan,” which boils down to improving North Korea's economy through large-scale economic incentives and technical support programs if the reclusive country takes steps toward denuclea

Aug 19, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea refuses to form ties with Yoon-led South Korea: experts
  • N. Korea rejects S. Korea's 'audacious initiative' in statement by leader's sister
  • Presidential office expresses regret over N. Korea's 'rude' remarks
  • S. Korea, US voice regret over N. Korea in high-level phone talks

Presidential Archives raided twice in one day by prosecutors probing Moon gov't suspicions

Prosecutors enter the Presidential Archives in the central administrative city of Sejong, Friday, prior to their raid on the agency. YonhapThe Presidential Archives was raided twice on Friday by prosecutors investigating two power abuse allegations surrounding the preceding Moon Jae-in government ― the repatriation of two North Korean fishermen and an earlier-than-scheduled closure of an aging nuclear reactor.The archives' records from the Moon presidency related to the two cases, both of which occurred in 2019, were searched by prosecutors from Seoul and the central city of Daejeon, respectively, throughout the day, according to judicial officials.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent about 10 prosecutors and investigators to the archives in the central administrative city of Sejong in the afternoon to look for clues in the allegedly forced repatriation of the two North Korean fishermen, according to the judicial officials.Prosecutors have been investigating the allegations that the Moon administration deported the two North Koreans back to the North in November 2019 ag

Aug 19, 2022
Presidential Archives raided twice in one day by prosecutors probing Moon gov't suspicions

Assembly to conduct annual parliamentary audit in Oct.

The plenary hall of the National Assembly on Seoul's Yeouido / Korea Times fileThe ruling and main opposition parties agreed Friday to conduct this year's parliamentary audit of the government and state agencies in October as they penciled in a detailed schedule for an upcoming regular session.Under the plan finalized by senior party members of the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party, the National Assembly is scheduled to kick off its regular session on Sept. 1.A four-day interpellation session on political, diplomatic, economic and social issues will take place from Sept. 19 to 22 followed by a three-week parliamentary audit starting on Oct. 4.The rival parties agreed to hold a plenary meeting of an extraordinary session on Aug. 30 to approve bills on livelihood issues. (Yonhap)

Aug 19, 2022
Assembly to conduct annual parliamentary audit in Oct.

Yoon's approval rating stays below 30% for 4th straight week: poll

President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers a congratulatory address during the graduation ceremony of Central Police Academy in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, Friday. YonhapYoon Suk-yeol's approval rating stayed below 30 percent for the fourth consecutive week, a poll showed Friday.In the poll of 1,000 voters conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday to Thursday, 28 percent positively assessed Yoon's handling of state affairs, up 3 percentage points from the previous week, while 64 percent gave a negative assessment, down 2 percentage points.Yoon's rating is the second lowest of the ratings of all South Korean presidents logged around their 100th day in office, following that of conservative former President Lee Myung-bak, according to the pollster.As reasons for disapproval, personnel appointments were cited the most at 26 percent, followed by incompetence and lack of experience and qualifications at 11 percent and poor communication at 7 percent.On the assessment of government policies, education received the lowest support of 11 percent, apparently due to the government's widely unpopula

Aug 19, 2022
Yoon's approval rating stays below 30% for 4th straight week: poll

Supreme Court expected to decide soon whether to finalize liquidation order against Mitsubishi

A victim of Japan's wartime forced labor speaks during a press conference in Gwangju, Aug. 4. YonhapThe Supreme Court was expected to rule as early as Friday on an appeal that Japanese firm Mitsubishi Heavy Industries filed against a lower court's order that some of its assets in South Korea be sold off to compensate victims of wartime forced labor.Should the top court reject the appeal, Japan is sure to protest massively, and the already frayed relations between the two countries, which have shown signs of improvement since President Yoon Suk-yeol took office, would be dealt a heavy blow.Mitsubishi filed the appeal with the top court in April after a district court in the central city of Daejeon rejected an earlier appeal against its order that some 500 million won (US$376,477) worth of trademark and patent rights the Japanese firm holds in South Korea be cashed to compensate forced labor victims.By law, the Supreme Court is required to make a decision by Friday if it chooses to dismiss the appeal without formal deliberations. But the court can sit out the deadline and proceed with

Aug 19, 2022
Supreme Court expected to decide soon whether to finalize liquidation order against Mitsubishi
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