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Minister nominees embroiled in controversies

Health and Welfare Minister nominee Chung Ho-young answers reporters' questions from the office of the preparation team for his National Assembly hearing, set up in Seoul's Seodaemun District, Friday. Joint Press Corps Some under siege for past columns By Jung Da-min Nominees for the cabinet of the incoming Yoon Suk-yeol administration are facing mounting allegations of corruption and questions over their qualifications, portending bumpy rides at their National Assembly confirmation hearings. As of Thursday, the president-elect wrapped up the nominations for his Cabinet, including of the prime minister and 18 ministers.Chung Ho-young, the nominee to lead the Ministry of Health and Welfare, is facing snowballing allegations that he used his influence when he was the head of the Kyungpook National University Hospital to help his daughter and son transfer to Kyungpook National University School of Medicine in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Chung took office as the hospit

Apr 15, 2022
Minister nominees embroiled in controversies

Korea, US in talks to hold Yoon-Biden summit around May 21: source

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the Alumni-Foundation Event Center of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, April 14. AFP-YonhapKorea and the United States have been in talks to hold a summit between President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden around May 21 in Seoul, a source said Friday.Korea has been pushing to have Biden visit before he travels to Japan to attend a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting set to take place around May 24, the source added.If realized, the summit would come just days after Yoon takes office, May 10, making it the earliest-ever South Korea-U.S. summit after a Korean president's inauguration."Nothing has been confirmed, but I understand the two sides are coordinating schedules," an official on Yoon's transition team told Yonhap News Agency.President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol /Yonhap"During the recent U.S. visit by Yoon's policy consultation delegation, they expressed their wish for a South Korea-U.S. summit at the earliest possible date as part of President Biden's visit to Asia," the official said.Japane

Apr 15, 2022
Korea, US in talks to hold Yoon-Biden summit around May 21: source

Moon to leave Cheong Wa Dae on May 9, attend Yoon's inauguration ceremony

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with his senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, April 11. Yonhap President Moon Jae-in will move out of Cheong Wa Dae, May 9, a day before his successor Yoon Suk-yeol takes office, and will attend Yoon's inauguration ceremony the following day, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said Friday. The decision to leave Cheong Wa Dae on the eve of Yoon's inauguration is in line with Yoon's plan to open the Cheong Wa Dae compound to the public on his first day in office after relocating the presidential office to what is now the defense ministry building.Meanwhile, Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook will receive their second COVID-19 booster shots April 25, Park said. Earlier this week, the government unveiled its plan to expand the rollout of the second COVID-19 booster shot for people over 60. (Yonhap)

Apr 15, 2022
Moon to leave Cheong Wa Dae on May 9, attend Yoon's inauguration ceremony

INTERVIEW Environment ministry ends decades-long local drinking water dispute

Environment Minister Han Jeoung-ae poses during an interview with The Korea Times at the Han River Flood Control Center in Seoul's Seocho District, April 8. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukKorea, known as a “climate villain,” now sets a global example in emissions trading By Ko Dong-hwanEnvironment Minister Han Jeoung-ae can recall a number of accomplishments she is proud of after she took the helm of the ministry in January of last year. She is proud that the country set goals to protect against climate change such as neutralizing carbon emissions by 2050 and, as part of Korea's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), reducing greenhouse gases 40 percent compared to 2018 levels by 2030. She liked that Korea was recognized during the UN Climate Change Conference U.K. 2021 in Glasgow (COP26) for its competitive goals and respectable passion that were comparable to the world's leading countries. Traveling across the country to solve some of the most deep-rooted domestic issues during her tenure also makes her smile.Of them, Han said that one achievement she is most pro

Apr 15, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan
[INTERVIEW] Environment ministry ends decades-long local drinking water dispute

Moon nominates ex-judge as standing commissioner of election watchdog

Kim Pil-gon /Yonhap President Moon Jae-in nominated a former longtime judge as a standing commissioner of the National Election Commission (NEC), Friday, with Cheong Wa Dae saying that the nomination came after consultations with President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition team. Kim Pil-gon, head of a law firm who spent about 30 years as a judge, was nominated as the NEC's standing commissioner, according to Park Soo-hyun, senior secretary for public communication. A senior official at Cheong Wa Dae said the nomination was discussed between Lee Cheol-hee, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, and Yoon's chief of staff Chang Je-won. Earlier in the day, the Board of Audit and Inspection also recommended nominations for two new commissioners, with Yoon officials saying they had "in-depth discussions" with Cheong Wa Dae over the nominations. (Yonhap)

Apr 15, 2022
Moon nominates ex-judge as standing commissioner of election watchdog

Prosecution reform will hurt ordinary people who lack power: justice minister nominee

Justice Minister nominee Han Dong-hoon speaks to reporters at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office, April 15. Yonhap Justice Minister nominee Han Dong-hoon reiterated his opposition Friday to the ruling party's push for a bill that would deprive the prosecution of its investigative power, claiming it would only end up hurting ordinary people who lack power.The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has been pushing for what it calls a "complete deprivation of the prosecutorial investigative right" as part of efforts to reform the powerful law enforcement agency that has long been accused of abusing its power for political and other purposes. The DPK plans to officially propose a bill to the National Assembly within the day."In the end, if this bill passes, only the people without power will end up being hurt," Han told reporters as he appeared at his provisional office at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office.Han, a close confidant of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, also warned th

Apr 15, 2022
Prosecution reform will hurt ordinary people who lack power: justice minister nominee

Yoon calls for response to long-term inflation

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a meeting with leaders of his transition team at its headquarters in Seoul, April 15. Transition team chief Ahn Cheol-soo is seated on the left. Yonhap President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol said Friday that the economy was showing clear signs of a "multi-front crisis," with inflation particularly concerning, and instructed his transition team to come up with countermeasures."We will have to properly establish a comprehensive plan to improve the economic structure, including measures to stabilize prices to prepare for inflation over the long term," Yoon said at a meeting with committee leaders. "It appears that the lives actually felt by the people are extremely difficult."Yoon said the Bank of Korea's decision to raise its interest rate to 1.5 percent Thursday was partly inevitable, but asked that the committee look into ways to minimize its harmful impact on vulnerable people."The new government's agenda has to be based on priori

Apr 15, 2022
Yoon calls for response to long-term inflation

US special envoy for North Korea to visit Seoul for talks: State Dept.

South Korea's chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk, left, and his U.S. counterpart, Sung Kim, speak to reporters after their meeting on denuclearizing North Korea at the U.S. State Department in Washington, April 4. YonhapU.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim will visit South Korea next week for talks that will include discussions on a joint response to North Korea's recent missile launches, the state department said Thursday.The special representative for the DPRK will visit Seoul from Monday through Friday, according to the department."During his visit, Special Representative Kim will meet with Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk and other senior ROK officials to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula, including the international community's response to the DPRK's recent ICBM launches," it said in a press release.DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.Kim's trip to Seoul comes after the South Korean special envoy visited Washington last week to discu

Apr 15, 2022
US special envoy for North Korea to visit Seoul for talks: State Dept.

Veteran labor activist named as labor minister nominee

Labor Minister nominee Lee Jeong-sik / Yonhap Labor Minister nominee Lee Jeong-sik is a veteran labor activist who previously served as secretary-general of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), one of Korea's two major umbrella unions.The 61-year-old has spent more than 30 years as a labor expert since joining the FKTU in 1986 after graduating from Seoul National University.He served as a policy adviser to the transportation minister from 2004 to 2006 under the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration, went back to the FKTU and worked as the group's secretary-general between 2014 and 2017. In May 2017, he became the chief of the Korea Labor and Employment Service.In 2020, Lee was scouted as a consultant on labor issues for Samsung Electronics after the tech giant's first official union was formed under the FKTU in 2019. Observers say Lee's appointment comes as a surprise as President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is expected to push for pro-business policies, such as an a

Apr 14, 2022
Veteran labor activist named as labor minister nominee

President-elect nominates labor, agriculture ministers

Labor minister nominee Lee Jung-sik, left, and agriculture minister nominee Chung Hwang-keun / YonhapBy Lee Hae-rinPresident-elect Yoon Suk-yeol finalized Cabinet nominations for 18 ministerial positions, Thursday, by nominating Lee Jung-sik as Minister of Employment and Labor and Chung Hwang-keun as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.Introducing Chung as a career government official, Yoon called him an architect of the country's agricultural policies. “He is the right person to resolve the problems facing farmers and the agricultural sector of the country and cultivate the industry to become competitive as a future growth engine,” the president-elect said. Chung joined the agriculture ministry in 2002 in the agricultural policy division. After serving as spokesperson for the ministry from 2008 to 2010, Chung led the policy division for agriculture and fishery until 2012.In 2013, Chung joined the presidential transition committee to then-President-elect Park Geun-hye as an adviser and served as presidential secretary for agriculture, food and rural affairs un

Apr 14, 2022By Lee Hae-rin
President-elect nominates labor, agriculture ministers
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