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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.

Lee highlights national unity as political divides persist

President Lee Jae Myung once again stressed the importance of national unity on Friday, urging political leaders to cooperate more closely in promoting social cohesion amid deepening divisions in the country. Speaking at the New Year's luncheon hosted at Cheong Wa Dae for leaders of Korea's political parties, Lee said efforts should be made to reflect the diverse views of the public. Leaders of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and five minor parties — the Rebuilding Korea Party, Progressive Party, Reform Party, Basic Income Party and New Jinbo Party — attended the event. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) did not participate. The meeting marked the third time Lee has held talks with leaders of ruling and opposition parties since he took office last June. “The president is not the leader of the DPK,” President Lee said. “I once served as the DPK leader, but now I must represent all citizens, not just a single political party.” He added that a president should not reflect only one political color, emphasizing the need to ensure diversity to the greatest extent poss

Jan 16, 2026By Anna J. Park
Lee highlights national unity as political divides persist

Korea to offer $27.2 bil. to support local government mergers

The government will provide up to 40 trillion won ($27.2 billion) to support merger plans to turn four local governments into two so-called integrated special cities as part of the Lee Jae Myung administration’s push to strengthen regional development and decentralization. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok announced the plan during a press briefing in Seoul, Friday, saying the government would provide up to 5 trillion won a year for up to four years to each integrated special city formed through administrative mergers. The announcement comes as Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, as well as Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province, are seeking administrative integration, a step that would reshape local governance and carry political implications ahead of local elections in June. “Local governments that merge will be given clear incentives and a matching level of autonomy and responsibility,” Kim said, “Balanced regional development is not a policy meant to favor certain regions but a survival strategy for the country’s future.” Under the government’s plan, integrated special cities

Jan 16, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea to offer $27.2 bil. to support local government mergers

Nat'l Assembly passes new special probe bill against ex-President Yoon, wife

The National Assembly, led by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), passed a bill Friday to launch a new special counsel probe into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law imposition and its aftermath, as well as allegations surrounding his wife. Lawmakers voted 172 for and two against, at a plenary session as the opposition's filibuster to block the bill ended after reaching its 24-hour limit. The bill for the second round of the comprehensive special counsel probe would reopen investigations into alleged insurrection charges related to Yoon's failed martial law bid, along with corruption allegations tied to former first lady Kim Keon Hee and the 2023 death of a Marine, covering 17 allegations that were not fully addressed by the three previous counsels. The move is likely to deepen bipartisan tensions ahead of the local elections in June, with the PPP denouncing the DPK's push as politically motivated and the DPK calling for an end to the aftermath of Yoon's martial law. PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok launched a hunger strike shortly after Thursday's plenary session began, deman

Jan 16, 2026By Yonhap
Nat'l Assembly passes new special probe bill against ex-President Yoon, wife

Lee meets with leaders of ruling, opposition parties

President Lee Jae Myung met with the leaders of ruling and opposition parties on Friday to discuss bipartisan cooperation and pending state affairs, Cheong Wa Dae said. The luncheon meeting, held at Cheong Wa Dae, brought together the leaders of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and five minor parties. Jang Dong-hyeok, the leader of the main opposition People Power Party, did not attend the meeting. On Thursday, Jang launched a hunger strike, demanding the DPK accept special probe bills on allegations of bribery involving the Unification Church and separate claims of illicit payments linked to the DPK's election nominations. The five minor parties are the Rebuilding Korea Party, the New Reform Party, the Basic Income Party, the Jinbo Party and the Social Democratic Party. Details of the conversations were not immediately disclosed, though it was expected that Lee would share the outcomes of his recent visits to China and Japan, exchange views on overall state affairs, and ask for political support for the government's policy efforts. It marked Lee's third meeting with the party l

Jan 16, 2026By Yonhap
Lee meets with leaders of ruling, opposition parties

PPP leader launches hunger strike over special probe bills on Unification Church, bribery allegations

The leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) began a hunger strike Thursday, demanding the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) accept special probe bills on an alleged bribery scandal involving the Unification Church and alleged bribery linked to election nominations. The move came as the rival parties clashed during a parliamentary session this day over a separate bill mandating a second round of special counsel investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law, corruption allegations surrounding his wife and the death of a Marine. PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok claimed that the DPK was rejecting the opposition-led bills "out of fear" that the investigation could reveal a series of corruption cases involving key political figures from DPK leader Jung Chung-rae to senior officials at Cheong Wa Dae. "The truth does not disappear by covering it up," Jang said. "The PPP will fight together with the minor Reform Party to push for the passage of the bills on the Unification Church and nomination bribery allegations." PPP lawmakers staged a rally at the National Asse

Jan 15, 2026By Yonhap
PPP leader launches hunger strike over special probe bills on Unification Church, bribery allegations

Lee calls for bipartisan cooperation on diplomatic, security affairs

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for bipartisan cooperation on diplomatic and security affairs, citing growing uncertainties in the international order. Lee made the remarks at a meeting with senior aides as he wrapped up separate summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi this month. "Amid growing uncertainties in the international order, peace and stability in the region become all the more vital," Lee said, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Lee said pragmatic diplomacy seeking balance and broadening mutually beneficial ties is more important than ever. "The role of domestic politics is especially important now," Lee said. "If we become divided internally, we will not be able to protect our national interests against external pressures, and even our hard-won diplomatic achievements could be squandered."

Jan 15, 2026By Yonhap
Lee calls for bipartisan cooperation on diplomatic, security affairs

Rift widens in PPP as former leader faces expulsion

The main opposition People Power Party’s internal rift deepened Thursday after its leadership postponed a final decision on whether to expel former party leader Han Dong-hoon, highlighting doubts about the party’s ability to manage its own internal conflicts. The move came despite an earlier ruling by the party’s ethics committee to expel Han, a decision that had already triggered strong backlash within the conservative party. By declining to confirm the expulsion at the highest decision-making level, the leadership effectively slowed the process and drew further criticism that the party is drifting without clear direction. The dispute stems from what has been called the “party member bulletin board incident,” involving posts critical of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife on the PPP’s internal online board. The posts were made using accounts linked to Han’s family members. An internal review found that several of these accounts, all registered under Han’s relatives’ names, were accessed from the same few internet addresses, suggesting the activity may have be

Jan 15, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Rift widens in PPP as former leader faces expulsion

What's next for ex-president after special prosecutor's death penalty request?

A special prosecutor's request for the death penalty against impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his 2024 martial law fiasco has turned the spotlight to what comes next, as the court prepares to issue a ruling in the coming weeks. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Feb. 19. The closely-watched ruling will come more than a year after Yoon was indicted in January 2025 on charges of leading an insurrection. Legal experts say an actual death sentence is unlikely and that the case is almost certain to move through a lengthy appeals process. Still, they note that the prosecution's decision to seek the death penalty carries significant symbolic weight. In a 38-minute closing argument on Tuesday, prosecutors under special counsel Cho Eun-seok urged the court to impose the harshest punishment available. They described Yoon's abrupt martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024, not simply as an unlawful exercise of authority but as a long-planned attempt to dismantle the nation's constitutional order through the mobilization of military and police forces. Deputy special counsel P

Jan 14, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
What's next for ex-president after special prosecutor's death penalty request?

Internal rift deepening in main opposition party over move to expel ex-leader Han Dong-hoon

An internal rift in the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) was seen to be intensifying Wednesday after its ethics committee voted to expel former chief Han Dong-hoon over allegations his family posted defamatory comments about former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The ethics panel announced the decision in a late-night meeting Tuesday, saying Han will be expelled for actions deemed "extremely damaging to the party" and for violating party rules in ways that hinder the PPP's development and negatively affect public sentiment. Han's family faces allegations of uploading derogatory posts about Yoon, who was ousted over his failed martial law bid, and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, on a bulletin board of the PPP's website. The expulsion comes as the leadership of the current PPP chief, Jang Dong-hyeok, has sought to distance the embattled party from Yoon ahead of the June 3 local elections. PPP lawmakers clashed over the committee's decision, with those aligned with Han denouncing the vote as politically motivated. Rep. Woo Jae-jun, a member of the party's youth supreme council, said the decision to

Jan 14, 2026By Yonhap
Internal rift deepening in main opposition party over move to expel ex-leader Han Dong-hoon

Death penalty requested for Yoon in insurrection case, ruling set for Feb. 19

A special counsel team on Tuesday sought the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of leading an insurrection through the unconstitutional declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. The court plans to hand down its ruling on Feb. 19. The special prosecutors of the team described the martial law declaration as “an unprecedented and grave act of constitutional destruction.” The request for capital punishment came during the closing hearing of Yoon’s criminal trial, marking a pivotal moment in one of the most consequential cases in Korea’s modern constitutional history. Under Korea’s Criminal Act, the crime of leading an insurrection carries only three possible penalties: death, life imprisonment with labor or life imprisonment without labor. Fixed-term sentences and suspended sentences are not permitted. The prosecutors argued that Yoon was ultimately responsible for attempting to undermine the constitutional order by mobilizing the armed forces and police to suppress the National Assembly. Prosecutors said the actions posed a serious threat to democrat

Jan 13, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Death penalty requested for Yoon in insurrection case, ruling set for Feb. 19
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