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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.

Transition team denies Yoon's wife's influence on decision to change presidential residence

The foreign minister's official residence in Seoul's Yongsan District, Sunday, seen from Mount Nam in downtown Seoul. YonhapBy Jung Da-minPresident-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition committee, Sunday, denied media reports indicating his wife Kim Keon-hee had exerted influence on Yoon's decision to use the foreign minister's official residence as the new presidential residence.“After the committee had reached the decision in consideration of security, costs, construction period and other things, Kim made a visit there,” Yoon’s spokesperson, Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the main opposition conservative People Power Party (PPP), said during a press briefing at the committee’s headquarters in central Seoul.“It is a false report that Kim had an influence on changing the venue of their residence. The relocation of the office and the residence is an issue that the relevant subcommittee has placed emphasis on with many alternatives,” she said.After deciding in March to move his presidential office to the defense ministry building in Yongsan, Yoon had said earlier t

Apr 24, 2022
Transition team denies Yoon's wife's influence on decision to change presidential residence

Yoon to commute to office from private home while official residence is renovated

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol /YonhapPresident-elect Yoon Suk-yeol expected to commute to the new presidential office in central Seoul from his private home for about a month after his inauguration while his official residence is renovated, officials said Sunday.Yoon has decided to remodel what is now the foreign minister's residence into his official residence in line with his plan to move the presidential office and residence out of Cheong Wa Dae in an effort to connect better with the people.Renovation work on the foreign minister's residence in Hannam-dong will begin on Yoon's inauguration on May 10 and is expected to take around a month, and Yoon plans to commute to his new office from his private home in Seocho-dong in southern Seoul, transition team officials said."We will be mainly taking the Banpo Bridge on our commute as it is the closest one to Seocho Ward. ... The route could change depending on the situation," an official told Yonhap News Agency.Yoon's commute could worsen traffic congestion because roads are blocked for his motorcade.The official residence of the Army c

Apr 24, 2022
Yoon to commute to office from private home while official residence is renovated

Park Young-sun not to run in DP's mayoral primary

Park Young-sun /Korea Times filePark Young-sun, a former minister for smaller and venture firms, has decided not to run for the ruling party's Seoul mayoral primary, party officials said Saturday.The Democratic Party will now select its nominee for Seoul mayor through a primary that includes former party chief Song Young-gil, Rep. Park Ju-min and Rep. Kim Jin-ae."Former Minster Park has sent a message that she will not run for the mayor primary after deep consideration," the party's emergency committee said.The party earlier reversed itself and decided to select its nominee for Seoul mayor through the primary amid a power struggle between those for or against former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung.The Seoul mayoral election will be one of the biggest races, along with the gubernatorial election in Gyeonggi Province, with current Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party expected to seek reelection. (Yonhap)

Apr 24, 2022
Park Young-sun not to run in DP's mayoral primary

Justice minister nominee expresses concern about bipartisan deal on prosecution reform

Justice minister nominee Han Dong-hoon speaks to reporters at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office in this April 15, 2022, photo. Korea Times fileJustice minister nominee Han Dong-hoon expressed concern Saturday about bipartisan bills aimed at reducing and eventually scrapping the prosecution's investigative powers.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) agreed Friday to pass compromise legislation proposed by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug within this month."Even the current system brought by the 2020 revision exposed many side effects and loopholes in protecting the common people and tackling corruption," Han said in a statement. He was referring to the latest law amendments that limited the prosecution's investigation to six types of crime, including corruption and economic offenses."If the additional legislation is hastily enacted without a close analysis and social consensus, the problems will worsen severely," he said.Han, a high-level prosecutor and one of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's closest confidants, was nomin

Apr 24, 2022
Justice minister nominee expresses concern about bipartisan deal on prosecution reform

Hong becomes candidate for Daegu mayor of Yoon's party

Rep. Hong Joon-pyo The conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) nominated Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, an ex-presidential contender, as its candidate for the mayoralty of the southern city of Daegu in the June 1 local elections, Saturday. Hong, who competed against now President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol in the PPP presidential primary last year, beat two rivals, including Yoo Yeong-ha backed by former President Park Geun-hye, in the Daegu primary, conducted Thursday and Friday, party officials said. The party also nominated Kim Jin-tae, a former two-term lawmaker, as its candidate for the governorship of Gangwon Province and Huh Hyang-jin, an ex-chancellor of Jeju National University, as the candidate for the governorship of the namesake province, party officials said. (Yonhap)

Apr 23, 2022
Hong becomes candidate for Daegu mayor of Yoon's party

Unification minister nominee calls for bipartisan North Korea policy

Unification Minister nominee Kwon Young-se speaks at a seminar organized by the national unity committee under President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition team at its office in Seoul, April 22. YonhapUnification Minister nominee Kwon Young-se on Friday called for a bipartisan policy on North Korea."Only when a bipartisan North Korea policy is drawn up on the foundation of a national consensus will it be possible to pursue policies in a sustainable and consistent manner," he said at a seminar organized by the national unity committee under President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition team.Kwon said the reunification of Germany demonstrated the need to pursue bipartisan policies in order to achieve the peaceful reunification of North and South Korea."North Korea's complete denuclearization and the completion of peaceful reunification are the greatest tasks facing our people," he said."We must break from the old dichotomy that conservatives are anti-North Korea and progressives are pro-North Korea and build a policy of unity," he added. (Yonhap)

Apr 22, 2022
Unification minister nominee calls for bipartisan North Korea policy

PPP ethics panel launches process for disciplinary action against party chief

People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok speaks at a meeting held at the National Assembly in Seoul, April 22. YonhapThe ethics committee of South Korea's main opposition party said Friday it will take steps to pursue disciplinary action against the party chief over allegations he tried to destroy evidence in an alleged sexual bribery case.People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Lee Jun-seok has faced allegations that he received sexual favors from a businessperson in 2013, a charge he has denied.The ethics committee met late Thursday and decided to launch a process for disciplinary action, it said in a press release, citing Lee's "violation of his duty to maintain his dignity related to allegations of abetting destruction of evidence."The allegations are that Lee sent an aide to the person accusing him of sexual bribery to obtain a statement that the claims were false. Lee has countered it was the whistleblower who reached out first to offer to correct the record.The committee will decide whether to seek disciplinary action after hearing an explanation from Lee.The types of disciplinary a

Apr 22, 2022
PPP ethics panel launches process for disciplinary action against party chief

Rival parties agree on bill to limit prosecutors' investigative powers

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug, center, poses with Democratic Party of Korea floor leader Park Hong-keun, left, and People Power Party floor leader Kweon Seong-dong after the floor leaders signed a bill on amending laws related to prosecution reform proposed by the National Assembly speaker, during their meeting at the speaker's office in the National Assembly, Seoul, Friday. Joint Press CorpsUnhappy prosecutor general again offers to resignBy Nam Hyun-wooThe ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) each decided to accept a compromise version of a bill on reforming laws related to prosecutors' investigative powers, after spending a month at loggerheads.DPK floor leader Park Hong-keun said in a press briefing on Friday that the party has decided to accept the compromise bill proposed by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug.“It is difficult to say that our intentions were fully reflected (in the compromise bill), but we decided to accept it and then complement its shortcomings later on,” floor leader Park said

Apr 22, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
Rival parties agree on bill to limit prosecutors' investigative powers
  • Top prosecutors offer to resign en masse in protest over reform legislation

Controversy swirls over president-elect's appearance on talk show

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, center, appears on a popular talk show “You Quiz on the Block,” hosted by Yoo Jae-suk, left, and Jo Se-ho, right, Tuesday. Captured from InstagramBy Kwon Mee-yooPresident-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's unexpected appearance on a popular TV show stirred controversies over the politicization of entertainment.Yoon appeared as a guest on a tvN talk show "You Quiz on the Block," Wednesday, sharing his thoughts after being elected as South Korea's next president and talking about his experiences while preparing for the bar exam for over nine years and working as a prosecutor.During the show, Yoon said his appearance was partly based on his personal intention and partly on advice from his staff as he had heard the show is very popular with the public and his aides suggested it would be useful for him to make an appearance.The talk show, hosted by top comedian Yoo Jae-suk along with Jo Se-ho, explores the lives of various people in society. The program was originally filmed at various locations, visiting different cities and places to meet a diverse range of

Apr 22, 2022By Kwon Mee-yoo
Controversy swirls over president-elect's appearance on talk show

Top prosecutors offer to resign en masse in protest over reform legislation

Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo / YonhapProsecutor General Kim Oh-soo, his deputy and the chiefs of all six high prosecutors' offices nationwide offered to resign en masse Friday after the ruling and opposition parties agreed on legislation that would reduce and eventually scrap the prosecution's investigative powers.The unprecedented move came after the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party reached an agreement on prosecution reform legislation in a breakthrough compromise that defused tensions over the DPK's push to strip the prosecution of its investigative powers.Prosecutors, however, strongly protested the agreement. The Supreme Prosecutors Office issued a statement saying it "firmly opposes" the proposal by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug, arguing that it merely postpones the timing of the DPK's plan and contains "serious procedural problems."After Prosecutor General Kim offered to resign, Deputy Prosecutor General Park Sung-jin and the heads of all six regional high prosecutors' offices ― in Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, Gwa

Apr 22, 2022
Top prosecutors offer to resign en masse in protest over reform legislation
  • Rival parties agree on bill to limit prosecutors' investigative powers
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