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New COVID-19 cases rebound to 40,000s amid relaxed virus curbs

A health worker conducts a COVID-19 test at a testing site in front of Seoul Station, May 5. YonhapNew COVID-19 cases bounced back to the 40,000s for Saturday, but overall, daily cases are widely seen to be on a downward trend even after the lifting of almost all antivirus curbs.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 40,064 new infections, including 16 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,544,398.The tally is up from 26,714 for Thursday and 39,600, Friday. Daily infections have been on the downward trend in recent weeks after peaking at over 620,000 in mid-March due to the fast spread of the Omicron variant.The country reported 83 more deaths, bringing the total to 23,360, the KDCA said, for a fatality rate of 0.13 percent; while the number of critically ill patients came to 423, slightly up from 419 a day earlier.In mid-April, Korea lifted almost all social distancing rules in a major step toward a return to pre-pandemic normalcy, after restrictions were first introduced in March 2020.Last week, the government also removed the outdoor mask mandat

May 8, 2022
New COVID-19 cases rebound to 40,000s amid relaxed virus curbs

Ahn hints at running in by-election in Bundang after transition committee

Ahn Cheol-soo, the chairman of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's presidential transition committee, speaks with local media at the Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooAhn Cheol-soo, the chairman of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's presidential transition team, hinted at running in the by-election for the Bundang electoral district in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, as the team wrapped up its 50-day journey, Friday.He made the comments during the last event of the transition committee at the Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Friday afternoon. When asked whether he would run in the by-election, Ahn answered, "I would devote myself to an election victory in Bundang as well as to other regions in the capital area," after his job as head of the transition team is over. The Bundang National Assembly seat was previously held by Kim Eun-hye, the president-elect's former spokesperson, who is now running for Gyeonggi Province governor. "As Kim Eun-hye is vying for the Gyeonggi gubernator

May 6, 2022By Kwon Mee-yoo
Ahn hints at running in by-election in Bundang after transition committee

Yoon names 20 more presidential secretaries

From left, Lim Sang-beom, Lee Moon-hee, Baik Tae-hyun and Wang Yun-jong / YonhapPresident-elect Yoon Suk-yeol named 20 more presidential secretaries Friday, including seven under the national security adviser and one in charge of personnel affairs.Yoon tapped Bok Doo-kyu, who worked as the secretary-general at the Supreme Prosecutors Office when the president-elect was prosecutor general, for the newly established position of personnel affairs officer, his office said, announcing the second round of nominations for presidential secretaries.Two other secretaries were named to work with Bok.Seven people were named secretaries in the offices of the first and second deputy national security advisers.The four under First Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo will include Lim Sang-beom and Lee Moon-hee, both foreign ministry officials, who will be responsible for security strategy and diplomacy, respectively.Baik Tae-hyun, a unification ministry official, will handle unification policy, while Wang Yun-jong, a professor at Dongduk Women's University, will be in charge of economic sec

May 6, 2022
Yoon names 20 more presidential secretaries

Lee Jae-myung to run in Incheon by-election

Lee Jae-myung, former presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea / Korea Times fileBy Kang Hyun-kyungLee Jae-myung, the former Gyeonggi governor who lost the March 9 presidential race by a close margin on the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) ticket, will run in the upcoming by-election in Incheon, continuing his political career. The electoral district seat has been vacant since former DPK Chairman Song Young-gil resigned to run in the Seoul mayoral election. Seven by-elections to fill vacant parliamentary seats will be held concurrently on June 1, along with the local elections to elect mayors, governors and city and provincial council members. DPK senior spokesman Ko Yong-jin confirmed Lee's candidacy for the by-election after a two-month hiatus following the presidential election, saying he was called upon by several DPK members to run in Incheon's Gyeyang B district.“Not only will he run in the by-election, but he will also lead the DPK's campaign for the June 1 local elections as the chairperson,” Ko told reporters after the party's interim commi

May 6, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
Lee Jae-myung to run in Incheon by-election

Moon accepts prosecutor general's resignation after signing reform bills

Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo, front, leaves the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seoul's Seocho District for good, Friday, after President Moon Jae-in accepted Kim's resignation earlier the same day. YonhapBy Ko Dong-hwanPresident Moon Jae-in on May 6 has accepted the resignation of Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo, days after the president signed the controversial prosecutorial reform bills into law. Earlier, Kim had offered to resign in protest of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) push to pass the legislation. Kim said he resigned because he feels responsible for the recent fiasco surrounding the country's prosecutors and the National Assembly's passage of the reform bills on May 3 ― the Prosecutors' Office Act and the Criminal Procedure Act ― which prosecutors adamantly objected to, including Kim himself.Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said Friday that it “has come to the point where accepting Kim's resignation could no longer be delayed.” Kim previously submitted his resignation to Cheong Wa Dae on April 17 when the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (D

May 6, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan
Moon accepts prosecutor general's resignation after signing reform bills

Ex-presidential candidate Lee selected as candidate for parliamentary by-election

Former presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea Lee Jae-myung / Yonhap The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) selected its former presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung, Friday, as a candidate for national Assembly by-elections that will be held concurrently with the June 1 local elections. Lee, who lost to now President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol by only 0.73 percentage points in the March 9 presidential election, will run for a National Assembly seat representing a constituency in Gyeyang, Incheon, the DPK said. "Our leadership recently asked Lee to run in a by-election for our elections victory and Lee agreed to that," DPK spokesperson Koh Yong-jin said.Lee, former Gyeonggi Province governor, has never served as a national lawmaker in his career.Assembly by-elections will take place in seven constituencies concurrently with the local elections. (Yonhap)

May 6, 2022
Ex-presidential candidate Lee selected as candidate for parliamentary by-election

From Kim-Trump summits to missile tests: How Moon failed to deliver on promises

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapPeace with North Korea and a "fair and just" society in the South: outgoing President Moon Jae-in made big promises, but after five years in power, he has failed to deliver, according to analysts.Talks between Washington and Pyongyang that Moon brokered have collapsed, North Korea is test-firing long-range missiles again, and leader Kim Jong-un last week said he was strengthening his nuclear arsenal "at the fastest possible speed.”Domestically, Moon's key housing policy backfired, landmark anti-discrimination legislation never materialized, and top luminaries in his government and party became ensnared in sex and bribery scandals.Public frustration with his administration is what galvanized a political opposition in disarray, analysts say ― Moon will hand power May 10 to Yoon Suk-yeol, whose conservatives he ousted from government five years ago."Moon's biggest legacy will be the election of Yoon as president," Gi-wook Shin, a sociology professor at Stanford University, told AFP.An avowed anti-feminist and right-wing security hawk, Yoon is the anti

May 6, 2022
From Kim-Trump summits to missile tests: How Moon failed to deliver on promises

Yoon's adviser tapped as presidential secretary for policy coordination

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol enters the presidential transition committee office in Tongui-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press CorpsPresident-elect picks 19 presidential secretaries By Nam Hyun-wooPresident-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday announced the appointments of 19 secretaries who will assist his administration. He also announced the creation of a new office for policy coordination and plans to pursue synergy in various government policies. According to the spokesperson of the president-elect, Yoon named six secretaries under the senior secretary for economic affairs, two under the senior secretary for political affairs, four under the policy coordination and planning office and seven under the chief of staff.It was the first round of nominations for secretary-level aides, and Yoon will finish naming the others by Sunday, the spokesperson's office said in a statement.From left are presidential policy coordination and planning officer nominee Jang Sung-min, secretary for planning nominee Park Sung-hoon, secretary for speechwriting nominee Kim Dong-jo and secreta

May 5, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
Yoon's adviser tapped as presidential secretary for policy coordination

President-elect's national tour ahead of local elections sparks controversy

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, fourth from left, and Kim Jin-tae, right, the People Power Party (PPP)'s candidate for Gangwon Province governor, visit Chuncheon Station, Gangwon Province, Wednesday to inspect railroad infrastructure. Yoon was accompanied by local election candidates from the PPP during his regional tour, which sparked controversy over the lack of political neutrality of the president-elect. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooPresident-elect Yoon Suk-yeol wrapped up his tour of the country on Wednesday, visiting some 29 cities over 50 days. The last province he visited was the nation's northeastern province of Gangwon. Yoon's stated purpose was to listen to the voices of the people and reconfirm his regional pledges and balanced development policies. Yoon's nationwide listening tour has sparked controversy among some lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), not because of his purpose, but because of the timing of his national tour. His tour came ahead of the June 1 local elections, prompting the DPK to state that the real goal of his tour is, in fact, an effort to i

May 5, 2022By Kwon Mee-yoo
President-elect's national tour ahead of local elections sparks controversy

Who will attend Yoon's inauguration ceremony?

From left are U.S. Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. YonhapUS vice president's husband, Chinese leader's close aide may be presentBy Jung Da-minHigh-profile delegates from the United States and neighboring countries such as China and Japan may attend President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony, which is set to be held at the National Assembly on May 10.From the U.S. side, second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, is being considered to lead the U.S. delegation, according to Tuesday's media reports. Labor Secretary Martin Walsh and House Foreign Affairs subcommittee head Rep. Ami Bera are among other members who would accompany Emhoff.In previous inaugural ceremonies of South Korean presidents, the U.S. secretary of state or the U.S. national security adviser represented Washington, but it has been reported that the possibility is low due to preparations for U.S. President Joe Biden's summit with Yoon in Seoul, which is slated for May 21.Emhoff also led the

May 4, 2022
Who will attend Yoon's inauguration ceremony?
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