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North Chungcheong governor candidates bet on lake tourism, new subways

The ruling People Power Party's candidate for North Chungcheong Provincial Governor Kim Young-hwan explains about his lake park pledge during a press conference at the provincial government's headquarters in Cheongju, May 24. NewsisRival parties promise to improve the interior region's infrastructureBy Ko Dong-hwanCandidates from two major parties running for the North Chungcheong Provincial Governor seat in the June 1 local elections have each come up with a bandwagon pledge to innovate different parts of the region's infrastructure. The ruling People Power Party's (PPP) Kim Young-hwan bet on developing lakes as new tourism bases, while the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) Noh Young-min promised to introduce subway lines in one of the province's biggest cities.Kim on Tuesday unveiled his pledge to establish clusters of parks around different lakes scattered throughout the province in order to upgrade the sites and offer them to the public as the region's new tourism zones. He said the bid was to connect areas near lakes and shape the clusters as new lake parks.&ldqu

May 25, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan
North Chungcheong governor candidates bet on lake tourism, new subways

Yoon promises 'bold opportunities' for women in public posts

President Yoon Suk-yeol poses with the outgoing National Assembly leadership, including Speaker Park Byeong-seug, second from left, ahead of dinner at the presidential office in Seoul, Tuesday. From left are Deputy Speaker Chung Jin-suk, Park, Yoon, Deputy Speaker Kim Sang-hee and Secretary General Lee Chun-seog. Yonhap President Yoon Suk-yeol said Tuesday that in the process of appointing public officials, he will work to give "bold opportunities" to women, amid calls for his administration to enhance gender equality.Yoon made the remarks during his meeting with outgoing leaders of the National Assembly at his office in Seoul, according to presidential spokesperson Kang In-sun. "I will work hard to give bold opportunities to women when it comes to public personnel appointment," Yoon was quoted as saying. "Maybe I had a narrowed vision because I just started politics, but from now on, I will look more broadly." His remarks came after National Assembly Deputy Speaker Kim Sang-hee, the first woman to hold the position, expressed her regret over gender conflicts. She told Yoon that ther

May 24, 2022
Yoon promises 'bold opportunities' for women in public posts

South Chungcheong governor candidate pledges to relocate military academy from Seoul

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's South Chungcheong gubernatorial election candidate Yang Seung-jo, left, and the ruling People Power Party's candidate Kim Tae-heum register their candidacy at the National Election Commission's South Chungcheong Chapter, May 12. Courtesy of election camps for Yang and KimCurrent governor appeals to public after recovering from COVID-19By Ko Dong-hwanThe ruling People Power Party's (PPP) South Chungcheong Provincial Governor candidate Kim Tae-heum has pledged to relocate Korea Military Academy in Seoul to Nonsan in the province, envisioning it will see more people move to the local city in the country's central region and develop it in the process.Kim, who has been neck-and-neck in public opinion ratings for the gubernatorial election with the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) Yang Seung-jo, was canvassing at a traditional street market in the city on May 23 when he made the pledge.“President Yoon Suk-yeol had promised to relocate it to Nonsan (when he was a presidential candidate before being elected in March), and

May 24, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan
South Chungcheong governor candidate pledges to relocate military academy from Seoul

Summit gives momentum to Yoon, ruling party ahead of local elections

President Yoon Suk-yeol leaves the stage after delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Gas Conference in Daegu, Tuesday. YonhapPresident, ruling party see increase in approval ratingsBy Nam Hyun-wooPresident Yoon Suk-yeol and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) are enjoying a boost in approval ratings after a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden last weekend, which is positively affecting the conservative ruling bloc's campaign for the June 1 local elections.Political watchers said the summit will likely motivate conservatives to unite for the elections, as the two leaders showcased amicable scenes recognizing South Korea's elevated status as well as sharing their commitment to a stronger deterrence against North Korea.According to a poll by RnSearch released Tuesday, Yoon's job approval rating stood at 53.2 percent, with 41.1 percent responding negatively. Compared to a week earlier, the new president saw a 3.2-percentage-point rise in his approval rating.In a separate survey by Realmeter released on Monday, 54.3 percent of respondents answered positively when

May 24, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
Summit gives momentum to Yoon, ruling party ahead of local elections

Rep. Kim Jin-pyo picked as National Assembly speaker candidate

Rep. Kim Jin-pyo, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for the new National Assembly speakerThe main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) selected five-term lawmaker Kim Jin-pyo, Tuesday, as its candidate for the next National Assembly speaker in a general meeting of its lawmakers, party officials said.Kim is expected to ultimately become the speaker, as it is customary for the largest party in terms of parliamentary seats to take the speaker position, with two vice speaker seats divided between the ruling and main opposition parties.The DPK holds 167 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly.The 75-year-old Kim passed the high civil service exam in 1974 after graduating from Seoul National University and has spent most of his career as a bureaucrat in the finance ministry. He served as the finance minister in 2003 and education minister in 2005 under the Roh Moo-hyun administration.The DPK said it aims to call a plenary session and vote for Kim's endorsement before Sunday, when the current speaker, Park Byeong-seug, is set to step down.Four-term lawmaker Rep

May 24, 2022
Rep. Kim Jin-pyo picked as National Assembly speaker candidate

Ex-Gyeryong mayor found dead after losing nomination in local elections

Former Mayor of the central city of Gyeryong Lee Ki-won / Korea Times file Former Mayor Lee Ki-won of the central city of Gyeryong has been found dead on the island of Jeju after he lost the ruling People Power Party's nomination for a second term in the upcoming local elections.Police found him dead on a hill at around 11 p.m., Monday, after his family reported him missing a day earlier, police officials said. Lee and his family came to Jeju last week for a month-long vacation, and he went out of contact after going out for a "bicycle ride" Sunday morning. "We are conducting an investigation after finding out that former Mayor Lee sent a text message to a former colleague right before his death," a police official noted. Lee, who served as the mayor of the central city of Gyeryong from 2010-2014, had been nominated to run again for the seat in the June 1 local elections on the ruling People Power Party's ticket.Reversing the decision, however, a regional nomination

May 24, 2022
Ex-Gyeryong mayor found dead after losing nomination in local elections

Yoon ranked among Time's 100 most influential people of 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol / Courtesy of Presidential OfficePresident Yoon Suk-yeol has ranked among U.S. magazine Time's 100 most influential people of 2022, its website showed Tuesday.Yoon, who was inaugurated two weeks ago, was chosen in the category of leaders.He was introduced as "a former prosecutor with little foreign policy experience" who is "determined to take on the challenge" of North Korea's nuclear weapons program."On the campaign trail, Yoon, of the conservative People Power Party, called for a tougher stance in relation to his country's northern neighbor, compared with that of his predecessor, who had pushed for greater engagement with North Korea," the magazine said."In his May 10 inauguration address, Yoon offered an 'audacious plan' to strengthen North Korea's economy in exchange for complete denuclearization. It's a deal that analysts say Kim Jong-un is unlikely to accept," it added, referring to North Korea's leader.Time noted that Yoon has said he wants to align more closely with the United States, which will likely create friction with China."But if Yoon has big a

May 24, 2022
Yoon ranked among Time's 100 most influential people of 2022

Yoon's pick for health minister withdraws from nomination

Health minister nominee Chung Ho-young / YonhapHealth minister nominee Chung Ho-young withdrew Monday amid controversy over his children's school admissions and other issues. The former chief of Kyungpook National University Hospital has been under pressure to step down from both the ruling and opposition parties."I will serve as a nest egg for the success of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties," he said in a statement. Chung was nominated in April to head the health and welfare ministry. He immediately came under fire from the main opposition Democratic Party over allegations he used his position to help his daughter and son gain admission to the university's medical school and exempt his son from active duty military service.On Monday, the ruling People Power Party joined the call for his withdrawal amid concerns that his appointment could hinder the party's chances in the June 1 local elections. "I listened to many lawmakers in the party, and many of them showed objections to Chung's appointment," PPP floor leader Rep. Kwe

May 23, 2022
Yoon's pick for health minister withdraws from nomination

Democrats try to ride on Roh's posthumous popularity to undercut 'summit effect'

Two enlarged banner stand photos featuring two former Presidents, Moon Jae-in and Roh Moo-hyun, stand in front of the late Roh's home in Bongha Village in Gimhae City, South Gyeongsang Province, Monday. A ceremony to commemorate the 13th anniversary of Roh's death was held there. YonhapSupport for ruling party goes up further, hits 50 percent, ahead of June 1 elections By Kang Hyun-kyungDozens of lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and other high-profile politicians flocked to the southeastern city of Gimhae on Monday for a ceremony to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the tragic death of the late President Roh Moo-hyun, Monday. Former President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook also attended the ceremony. Roh committed suicide. He jumped from a mountain cliff behind his home in the countryside village of Bongha, South Gyeongsang Province on May 23, 2009, amid a corruption investigation of him and his family. Song Young-gil, the former DPK chairman and now the party's candidate running in the Seoul mayoral election, said he dropped by Bongha Villag

May 23, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
Democrats try to ride on Roh's posthumous popularity to undercut 'summit effect'

Police to question first lady in writing about allegations of falsified academic records

First lady Kim Keon-hee / Courtesy of Presidential OfficePolice plan to question first lady Kim Keon-hee in writing about allegations of falsifies academic records, Seoul's police chief said Monday.Choi Gwan-ho, commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, told reporters that the written questionnaire planned for Kim was not necessarily an implicit assumption of her guilt or innocence and a final decision will be made after her answers are received.The People's Livelihood Economy Research Institute and many civic groups filed a complaint against Kim with police last December, accusing her of submitting false records of her academic and career background on job applications sent to local universities between 2013 and 2014.Choi said police have sent the questionnaire to Kim as part of the written investigation stage after investigating the positions of the concerned university officials."We've not made any decision (on a written investigation) too hastily," Choi said. "Please understand that we've done it in consideration of various circumstances." (Yonhap)

May 23, 2022
Police to question first lady in writing about allegations of falsified academic records
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