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Fashionista first lady draws polarized reactions

First lady Kim Keon-hee, center in green skirt, enters the Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid to attend a meeting with Korean residents in Spain, June 29, local time. YonhapPublic either loves or hates Kim Keon-heeBy Lee Hae-rinAs a first lady, Kim Keon-hee is unusual in many ways. Unlike her predecessors who tried to keep a low profile while their husbands were leading the country, Kim seems to care little about the public's attention to her. She stands out to the point of overshadowing her husband on occasion. One aspect that draws attention to her is what she wears. As seen in her recent trip to Madrid, Spain, to accompany her husband Yoon Suk-yeol who took part in the 2022 NATO summit, the first lady could be called a fashionista.Some fashion experts have lauded her for her wardrobe choices. Kang Jin-joo, the head of the Personal Image Clinic, who served as former President Lee Myung-bak's image consultant from 2007 to 2008, told The Korea Times in a recent interview that the country has never seen such a first lady before.“Until now, the country's first ladies had featured t

Jul 5, 2022By Lee Hae-rin
Fashionista first lady draws polarized reactions

PPP urges top officials appointed by Moon gov't to resign

Korea Development Institute President Hong Jang-pyo / YonhapThe ruling People Power Party (PPP) continued to ramp up pressure on high-level officials appointed by the previous Moon Jae-in administration, urging them to give up their positions for the incumbent government's stable operation.In recent weeks, officials of the incumbent government and the ruling party have urged people from the previous administration to leave voluntarily. Last week, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo called for the head of Korea's key economic think tank, the Korea Development Institute (KDI), to step down.On Tuesday, Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, former floor leader of the PPP, joined the move. In a Facebook post, Kim openly urged minister-level officials and heads of state-run institutions appointed by the previous government to quit."The presence of people appointed by the previous government at public institutions and state-run companies ― that should be helping the newly elected Yoon Suk-yeol administration ― is substantially weakening its power to run state affairs," the lawmaker said.Kim criticized the main opposi

Jul 5, 2022
PPP urges top officials appointed by Moon gov't to resign

Korea to expand nuclear power generation to 30% of total by 2030

President Yoon Suk-yeol tours a nuclear reactor factory owned by Doosan Enerbility in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, June 22. Korea Times fileKorea will expand its generation of nuclear power to 30 percent of its total energy creation by 2030 as part of efforts to boost energy security and better meet carbon neutrality goals, the industry ministry said Tuesday.The Yoon Suk-yeol government has pledged to reverse the nuclear phase-out policy of the previous administration, rebuild the industry and support its expansion overseas.The comparable figure came to 27.4 percent as of 2021.According to the comprehensive energy plan announced Tuesday, the government will resume the construction of the Shin-Hanul No. 3 and No. 4 nuclear reactors, and continue operations of existing reactors, which is expected to increase the country's nuclear energy ratio to over 30 percent by 2030.The government also seeks to export 10 nuclear reactors by 2030 and to earmark 400 billion won ($308 million) for the development of small modular reactors (SMR), according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and

Jul 5, 2022
Korea to expand nuclear power generation to 30% of total by 2030

US bill expresses concerns over proposed abolishment of Korean ministry of equality

The sign for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is displayed at the ministry headquarters in the government complex in Seoul, March 17. YonhapA U.S. bill is seeking to express concerns over the proposed abolishment of Korea's Ministry of Equality and Family, the bill showed Monday.The House of Representatives bill on the 2023 budget for the state department will also urge the secretary of state to remain "actively engaged" in promoting gender equality in Korea if passed."The Committee is concerned about the abolishment of the Korean Ministry of Equality and Family and urges the Secretary of State to remain actively engaged with efforts to advance women's empowerment and gender equality in the country," says the bill, introduced in the House of Representatives appropriations committee on Friday.Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, had pledged to abolish the ministry during his election campaign.Yoon appointed a new minister of equality and family after taking office, but the new minister, Kim Hyun-sook, has noted the ministry may be "reorganized" during Yoon

Jul 5, 2022
US bill expresses concerns over proposed abolishment of Korean ministry of equality

Antitrust chief nominee apologizes over sexual harassment allegations

Fair Trade Commission Chairman nominee Song Ok-rial / Courtesy of presidential officeThe nominee for South Korea's antitrust chief apologized Monday over allegations he sexually harassed students while teaching at Seoul National University School of Law.Song Ok-rial issued the apology through the presidential office shortly after he was nominated by President Yoon Suk-yeol to lead the Fair Trade Commission.The Seoul Economic Daily newspaper reported the allegations earlier, saying Song told a group of freshmen while drunk during a dinner in 2014 that their looks ranked "better than average," "worse than average," or "high."The students who witnessed Song's actions considered making a poster denouncing him, but the professor immediately apologized and reached an agreement with them not to take the issue further, the paper said."In the vetting process, we verified the circumstances surrounding his remarks and the detailed story," the presidential office said in a statement. "The nominee apologized to the attendees at the time, and we took into consideration the fact that the matter was

Jul 4, 2022
Antitrust chief nominee apologizes over sexual harassment allegations

Commercial law professor named to lead antitrust regulator

This photo, provided by the presidential office on Monday, shows Song Ok-rial, President Yoon Suk-yeol's pick for the chief of the Fair Trade Commission. Yonhap Song Ok-rial, the nominee for South Korea's new antitrust chief, is an expert well versed in commercial law, who is critical of stricter regulations on companies.Song, 53, passed the bar exam in 1990 while he was studying law at Seoul National University (SNU).After passing the exam, he received training at the Judicial Research & Training Institute, together with President Yoon Suk-yeol, the former prosecutor-general.While at the institute in 1993 and 1994, Song also passed two other state exams to pick senior government officials and diplomats.Song later earned his master's and doctorate degrees at Harvard Law School in the United States. After returning to South Korea, he worked as a lawyer at law firm Kim & Chang, and became a professor at SNU in 2003.The nomination of Song as the chief of the Fair Trade

Jul 4, 2022
Commercial law professor named to lead antitrust regulator

Photo of Yoon staring at blank computer screen raises eyebrows

President Yoon Suk-yeol looks at a computer monitor at his hotel in Madrid, June 28. Courtesy of the presidential officeA photo of President Yoon Suk-yeol staring at a nearly blank computer screen during his visit to Spain last week has raised eyebrows in Korean online communities, with some suspecting it was a setup by the presidential office.Yoon's office released 12 photos Sunday that showed the president and first lady Kim Keon-hee in different settings during their four-day visit to Madrid last week.In one picture, Yoon is seen sitting at a desk and looking straight at a computer monitor with his right hand on a mouse.People were quick to notice the screen was in fact nearly blank, showing just the outline of what appeared to be a document or portal.The presidential office said the photo showed Yoon after a meeting with his aides last Tuesday morning in Madrid as he was preparing for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit.In response to suspicions the president was simply posing for a photo with nothing on his monitor, the office issued a clarification, saying the picture

Jul 4, 2022
Photo of Yoon staring at blank computer screen raises eyebrows

Five-term DPK lawmaker elected as Assembly speaker

Newly elected Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo delivers an acceptance speech during a plenary session at the National Assembly, Monday. Joint Press CorpsBy Lee Hyo-jin Five-term lawmaker Kim Jin-pyo of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has been elected as the new speaker of the National Assembly, Monday, as rival parties reached a last-minute deal on the formation of the new leadership after ending weeks of deadlock.Rep. Kim garnered 255 out of 275 votes in a plenary session held at 2 p.m., winning the position to lead the second half of the 21st National Assembly until May 2024.The election came 35 days after the legislative branch had remained stalled amid conflicts between the two rival parties ― the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the DPK ― on who will take which key committee chair posts, such as the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.Earlier, the DPK offered to hand over the chief post of the judiciary committee in exchange for the PPP's cooperation in launching a special committee on judiciary reform. But the ruling party rejected the proposal.After the two

Jul 4, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Five-term DPK lawmaker elected as Assembly speaker

Yoon appoints education minister, JCS chair without assembly hearing

Park Soon-ae, left, nominee for deputy prime minister and minister of education, and Kim Seung-kyum, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman nominee, each answer questions in Yeouido and in Yongsan District, Seoul, respectively, in this combined May 27 photo. NewsisHealth minister nominee resigns amid allegations of exploiting political fundBy Nam Hyun-wooPresident Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday appointed Park Soon-ae as deputy prime minister and minister of education and Army General Kim Seung-kyum as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), without National Assembly confirmation hearings.Meanwhile, the embattled health and welfare minister nominee, Kim Seung-hee, dropped her candidacy.The presidential office said in a statement that Yoon approved the appointments of Park and JCS Chairman Kim, less than an hour after the former health minister nominee announced her withdrawal.Before leaving last week to attend the 2022 NATO Summit in Spain, Yoon requested the National Assembly hold confirmation hearings on the three nominees and send their reports to him. However, the Assembly did not hold the

Jul 4, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
Yoon appoints education minister, JCS chair without assembly hearing

ANALYSIS Korean exporters start rethinking 'China strategy'

Country asked to maintain strategic balance between US, ChinaBy Kim Yoo-chulThere was a period when top-tier U.S. tech leaders were just “all-in” when it came to China, followed by Korea's leading exporters including the tech affiliates of Samsung, LG, SK and Hyundai.Given its vast population of some 1.5 billion, hugely growing middle-class, loosening economic restrictions, low-cost and high-labor-intensity manufacturing centers, China remains an indispensable market for these Korean exporters. Still, without a sizable presence in China, it will be difficult for Korean exporters to position themselves as “global” in nature and vice versa for multinational businesses.Seoul's renewed focus in regard to China as well as both NATO and Washington's Indo-Pacific strategy ― in terms of strengthening its relationships and also regarding trade matters ― is making Korea's leading exporters rethink their business strategies in China, according to government officials and company executives contacted by The Korea Times.However, some consider President Yoon Suk-yeol's NATO

Jul 4, 2022By Kim Yoo-chul
[ANALYSIS] Korean exporters start rethinking 'China strategy'
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