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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 to turn down resignation offers from top Coast Guard officials

Korea Coast Guard headquarters in Incheon's Yeonsu District, Friday / Yonhap President Yoon Suk-yeol plans to turn down the resignations tendered by top Coast Guard officials to take responsibility for overturning a previous announcement that a fisheries official killed by North Korea in 2020 was attempting to defect to the North, Yoon's office said.Nine top Coast Guard officials, including Commissioner General Jeong Bong-hun, offered to resign en masse earlier Friday, days after the Coast Guard and the defense ministry announced they had not found any circumstances backing the probe results from two years ago, reversing their previous stance and apologizing to the bereaved family."We respect their genuine intentions, but given that a fact-finding process is underway, including an inspection by the Board of Audit and Inspection, the mass resignation offers will be turned down," the presidential office said in a statement.The 47-year-old official was fatally shot by

Jun 24, 2022
Yoon to turn down resignation offers from top Coast Guard officials
  • Bereaved family demands disclosure of records on ex-president's response on fisheries official case

DPK says will give judiciary committee chairmanship to PPP

Rep. Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), speaks at a party workshop event in Yesan County, South Chungcheong Province, Friday. YonhapThe main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) agreed Friday to the ruling People Power Party taking over the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, a major concession expected to speed up long-stalled negotiations on committee formations.The PPP and the DPK have been wrangling over which party should head which Assembly committees, leaving the National Assembly idling for more than three weeks after the first half of the 21st National Assembly ended last month.The two sides have been especially at loggerheads over the chairmanship of the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee, a key Assembly panel that has the power to approve bills before they are put to a plenary vote."As agreed by the floor leaders of the two parties last year, we agree to the PPP taking the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee," DPK floor leader Rep. Park Hong-keun said. "In ex

Jun 24, 2022
DPK says will give judiciary committee chairmanship to PPP

Yoon, Bill Gates discuss pandemic response

President Yoon Suk-yeol takes reporters' questions as he arrives at his office in Seoul, Friday, in this pool photo. Yonhap President Yoon Suk-yeol spoke by phone with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Friday, and discussed responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, a presidential official said.The two talked about efforts to overcome the pandemic and South Korea's role and contribution to global health cooperation."The president said now is an important time, as COVID-19 stabilizes, to reorganize the global health system and prepare for future health crises," the official told reporters.Yoon said he expects to see ample room for cooperation with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which Gates co-chairs, in promoting research and development in the digital bio sector.He also promised increased cooperation between the South Korean government and health organizations such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which the Gates Foundation actively supports.Mea

Jun 24, 2022
Yoon, Bill Gates discuss pandemic response

Yoon says revision of 52-hour workweek not yet official

President Yoon Suk-yeol takes reporters' questions as he arrives at his office in Seoul on Friday in this pool photo. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol said Friday that a revision to the 52-hour legal workweek has not yet been officially decided upon by the government. Labor Minister Lee Jeong-sik told reporters a day earlier that the government will consider revising the 52-hour workweek system in a way that will allow employers and workers to flexibly spread the hours over a month."The deputy prime minister apparently collected the suggestions of people from private research associations and such and told the labor ministry to look into the flexibility of the labor market," Yoon told reporters as he arrived for work. "It has not yet been announced as the official position of the government."The 52-hour workweek was introduced in 2018 during the previous administration of Moon Jae-in, but has been criticized by some for failing to meet the needs of both businesses and workers.In announcing its economic policy direction last week, the Yoon government said it would push for structural ref

Jun 24, 2022
Yoon says revision of 52-hour workweek not yet official

Bereaved family demands disclosure of records on ex-president's response on fisheries official case

Lee Rae-jin, left, the elder brother of Lee Dae-joon, a fisheries ministry official shot to death by North Korean soldiers in September 2020, speaks during a meeting with the ruling People Power Party (PPP) at the National Assembly in Seoul, Friday, in this pool photo. YonhapThe bereaved family of a fisheries official killed by North Korea in 2020 vowed Friday to reveal what former President Moon Jae-in did during the six hours after their loved one was found adrift at sea until he was ultimately shot to death.The family of the late official, Lee Dae-jun, has accused Moon of failing to do enough to save him after he was found by North Korea's military in waters near the western sea border, Sept. 22, 2020, and concluding without enough evidence that he had attempted to defect to the North.Last week, the Coast Guard and the defense ministry announced that they have not found any circumstances backing the investigation results from two years ago, reversing their previous stance and apologizing to the bereaved family.The family has demanded access to classified presidential documents rel

Jun 24, 2022
Bereaved family demands disclosure of records on ex-president's response on fisheries official case
  • Top Coast Guard officials offer to resign en masse over fisheries official's death
  • Yoon to turn down resignation offers from top Coast Guard officials

Top Coast Guard officials offer to resign en masse over fisheries official's death

The flag of the Korea Coast Guard flies at its headquarters in Yeonsu District, Friday. Yonhap Top Coast Guard officials, including Commissioner General Jeong Bong-hun, offered to resign en masse Friday, days after the agency overturned its previous announcement that a fisheries official killed by North Korea in 2020 was attempting to defect to the North.Last week, the Coast Guard and the defense ministry announced they had not found any circumstances backing the investigation results from two years ago, reversing their previous stance and apologizing to the bereaved family.The 47-year-old official was fatally shot by the North's military, Sept. 22, 2020, near the inter-Korean sea border in the Yellow Sea, after going missing the previous day while on duty aboard a fisheries inspection boat. The Coast Guard and the defense ministry announced at the time he could have been attempting to defect to the North.The commissioner general expressed his intention to step down

Jun 24, 2022
Top Coast Guard officials offer to resign en masse over fisheries official's death
  • Bereaved family demands disclosure of records on ex-president's response on fisheries official case

Ukraine lawmakers to visit Seoul next month: ruling party

Ruling People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Lee Jun-seok, second from left, and other PPP members talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, in Ukraine, June 6. Courtesy of PPPA group of Ukrainian lawmakers will pay a reciprocal trip to Seoul next month, a ruling party official said Thursday, to discuss South Korea's humanitarian assistance to the war-torn nation.The anticipated visit will come around a month after the ruling People Power Party (PPP) delegation led by Chairman Lee Jun-seok paid a weeklong visit to Kyiv and other cities earlier in June. They met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for discussions on various support measures."As far as I know, their visit to South Korea will be around July 4," a PPP official said on the customary condition of anonymity. "The size of the delegation will be similar (to that of the PPP)."The Ukraine delegation is expected to be led by diplomat-turned-lawmaker Andriy Nikolayenko, according to sources. On Tuesday, the South Korean government approved an additional $30 million in humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The budget

Jun 23, 2022
Ukraine lawmakers to visit Seoul next month: ruling party

Yoon angered by police releasing unapproved reshuffle announcement

The flag of the Korean National Police Agency flies at the police headquarters in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Thursday. YonhapInfighting between police, interior ministry blamed for release of unapproved draftBy Nam Hyun-wooPresident Yoon Suk-yeol lashed out at the Korean National Police Agency on Thursday for releasing unapproved documents regarding a police reshuffle before it had been finalized, saying it is either “a disturbance of national discipline” or “a nonsensical error” by government officials. “I picked up the story from a news article and looked it up to find out what had actually happened. I figured out that something absurd happened,” Yoon told reporters referring to the incident. “Police released the list of their own recommendations for the reshuffle, which had yet to be confirmed because it required approval first from the interior ministry and then the president. This is nonsense and equivalent to a disturbance of national discipline as the draft of the list was released.” President Yoon Suk-yeol gestures as he answers

Jun 23, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
Yoon angered by police releasing unapproved reshuffle announcement

Presidential office launches new website to better communicate with public

The new website of the presidential office, "People's Suggestions" / Screencaptured from “People's Suggestions” websiteThe presidential office launched a new website Thursday to facilitate better communication with the public.The site, "People's Suggestions," will replace the "People's Petitions" page used by the previous presidential office of Moon Jae-in."It is a communication channel reflecting President Yoon Suk-yeol's commitment to becoming a president who communicates directly with the people," Kang Seung-kyoo, senior presidential secretary for civil society, told a press briefing.The new site is made up of four sections ― a civil complaint and suggestion page, a petition page, a section for proposing videos, and a phone directory.An additional page for overseas citizens is expected to be added next month.The presidential office said it will operate the site under the four principles of non-disclosure of civil complaints, which is mandated by law; use of real names only; limiting comments that serve the interests of particular groups or organizations; and guaranteei

Jun 23, 2022
Presidential office launches new website to better communicate with public

Yoon declines to get ahead on question of alternative military service for BTS

President Yoon Suk-yeol answers reporters' questions at the presidential office in Seoul's Yongsan District, June 23. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol declined to get ahead on the question of allowing alternative military service for K-pop group BTS, saying any decision should be based on public opinion.The issue has reemerged in political circles after the septet announced its suspension of group activities last week."I don't think the president should state his position first," Yoon told reporters as he arrived for work."Depending on how the people view it, it could proceed in accordance with the law, or if public opinion is such, the National Assembly could revise the relevant regulations. I don't think it's something I should comment on first," he said.All able-bodied Korean men are required to serve around two years in the military.By law, people with special talents in the arts and sports fields can be recommended by the culture minister for exemption from active duty military service, but it does not include pop culture figures.Jin, the oldest of the septet, was born in 1992, and

Jun 23, 2022
Yoon declines to get ahead on question of alternative military service for BTS
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