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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.

Moon vows to fulfill his duty as commander-in-chief until end of term

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a virtual Cabinet meeting, March 22. Yonhap President Moon Jae-in called Tuesday for watertight national security and vowed to fulfill his duty as commander-in-chief until his term ends, a day after expressing concern successor-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's plan to relocate the presidential office could leave a security vacuum.Moon, whose term ends May 9, said during a Cabinet meeting that his "last mission" was to "fulfill duties as head of state, chief of the administration, and commander-in-chief of the military that the Constitution has granted to the president." The President also said the security situation on the Korean Peninsula was "grave." "It is time for our military to maintain its highest security readiness," Moon said. (Yonhap)

Mar 22, 2022
Moon vows to fulfill his duty as commander-in-chief until end of term

Nearly 60% oppose Yoon's plan to relocate presidential office

The Ministry of National Defense main building is seen in Seoul, March 20. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol said Sunday he will abandon the current mountainside presidential palace of Cheong Wa Dae and establish his office in central Seoul as part of efforts to better communicate with the public. AP-Yonhap About 58 percent of Koreans are against President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's plan to move the presidential office out of Cheong Wa Dae, while 33 percent support the idea, a poll showed Tuesday. According to the poll of 1,018 adults, conducted by pollster Mediatomato, Saturday and Sunday, 58.1 percent said the presidential office should remain at Cheong Wa Dae and 33.1 percent said they backed the relocation plan.On Sunday, Yoon officially announced his decision to move the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to what is now the defense ministry building, saying he wants the top office to move out of a "symbol of imperial power" and get closer to the people.But the reloc

Mar 22, 2022
Nearly 60% oppose Yoon's plan to relocate presidential office
  • Moon reacts negatively to presidential office relocation amid power transition

Moon reacts negatively to presidential office relocation amid power transition

Seen above is the Ministry of National Defense headquarters in Yongsan District, Seoul, which will be used as the new office for President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol. YonhapPresident-elect reiterates resolve to return Cheong Wa Dae to public on May 10By Nam Hyun-wooPresident Moon Jae-in on Monday put the brakes on President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's plan to begin his presidency at a new office in the defense ministry compound in Yongsan District, Seoul, expressing worries about a possible security vacuum during the power transition process.Moon's reaction came a day after Yoon unveiled a plan to relocate the presidential office to Yongsan, which requires Cabinet approval due to the huge relocation cost. Yoon's first initiative since his election win earlier this month has encountered an obstacle with the sitting president voicing skepticism about the relocation plan. It remains uncertain whether the President-elect will push ahead with the plan at the expense of his relationship with Moon. “Since President Moon pledged to have the presidential office move to the Government Complex in Gwan

Mar 21, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
Moon reacts negatively to presidential office relocation amid power transition
  • Presidential office to relocate to Yongsan
  • Nearly 60% oppose Yoon's plan to relocate presidential office

NEC launches task force to investigate early vote mishandling

Members of a civic group hold a press conference to condemn the National Election Commission's poor handling of the early voting for the March 9 presidential election, near the Gwanghwamun Station in central Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-hanMain opposition PPP threatens to impeach NEC chief Noh Jeong-hee By Jung Da-min The National Election Commission (NEC) has launched a special task force to investigate the agency's mishandling of early voting procedures for the March 9 presidential election. The NEC held a closed-door plenary session, Monday, to discuss the formation of the task force. The agency's commissioner, Cho Byoung-hyun, will head the task force and also be in charge appointing its members, according to the NEC's press release after the meeting.According to Sunday's media reports, the task force is expected to consist of seven members, including Cho as the head and four outside consultants.The NEC said the task force will operate until April 18. The election watch dog also said it will leave a minimum number of staff at its headquarters and sub-committees for

Mar 21, 2022
NEC launches task force to investigate early vote mishandling

Yoon promises to remove obstacles to businesses growth

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, center, poses with the leaders of the nation's six largest business lobby groups prior to their luncheon meeting at the office of the presidential transition committee in Seoul, Monday. From left are Kim Eun-hye, Yoon's spokesperson, Korea Federation of Small, Medium Enterprises Chairman Kim Ki-moon, Federation of Korean Industries Chairman Huh Chang-soo, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Chey Tae-won, Yoon, Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF) Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea (FOMEK) Chairman Choi Jin-shik, Korea International Trade Association (KITA) President Koo Ja-yeol and Rep. Chang Je-won, Yoon's chief of staff. YonhapBusiness leaders ask President-elect to revise industrial accident lawBy Kang Seung-wooPresident-elect Yoon Suk-yeol vowed, Monday, to remove unnecessary regulations to help businesses make decisions with more certainty and to promote investments to spur the growth of the country's economy.Yoon's promise came during a lunch meeting with the heads of six business lobby groups. The

Mar 21, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
Yoon promises to remove obstacles to businesses growth

Moon, Yoon expected to discuss relocation of presidential office

Cheong Wa Dae / Yonhap President Moon Jae-in is expected to hold comprehensive discussions about President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's plan to relocate the presidential office out of Cheong Wa Dae when they hold a meeting, a senior aide to Moon said Monday.Park Soo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for public communication, made the remark to YTN radio, stressing that Cheong Wa Dae remains unchanged in its position to respect Yoon's election pledges and the direction he's going to steer state affairs."If the two meet, I think they will also talk broadly about how to realize the president-elect's wish to bring Cheong Wa Dae closer to the people," Park said.Yoon officially announced his decision to move the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to the defense ministry building in Yongsan, saying he wanted the top office to move out of a "symbol of imperial power" and get closer to the people.The relocation of Cheong Wa Dae was one of Yoon's key campaign pledges.Park said

Mar 21, 2022
Moon, Yoon expected to discuss relocation of presidential office
  • Presidential office to move to Yongsan

Former conservative daily journalist named as foreign press presidential spokesperson

Kang In-sun, left, and Kim Il-bum President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol named a former Washington correspondent as his foreign press spokesperson Monday.Kang In-sun, former chief of the Washington bureau for the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, is expected to help promote Yoon's administrative philosophy overseas, based on her diverse experience covering political, social and cultural affairs, Yoon's spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said during a press briefing.Yoon also named Kim Il-bum, former vice president at SK Supex Council Global Growth Committee, as an assistant for public communication with the foreign press.Kim previously worked for the foreign ministry and as an interpreter for former Presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak."His linguistic abilities are excellent, and his skills in diplomatic speech have been praised and recognized by other countries," spokesperson Kim said.His wife, Park Sun-young, is a well-known actress. (Yonhap)

Mar 21, 2022
Former conservative daily journalist named as foreign press presidential spokesperson

Government signaling u-turn in nuclear energy policy

Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Moon Sung-wook, front right, walks through the lobby at Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, March 18. YonhapBy Lee Kyung-min The government is rushing to make a rapid course correction in its nuclear energy policy, as evidenced by the energy minister calling for swift construction of four nuclear energy plants, a plan that has long been stalled and faced political disruptions under the Moon Jae-in administration. The trade ministry has dismissed the brewing criticism over policy inconsistencies. However, his marked flip-flopping calls into question whether and how deep Cheong Wa Dae was involved, since he made it clear in late January that expansion of nuclear energy was “not desirable.” On March 18, Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Moon Sung-wook visited Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, and reiterated the need for the speedy construction of four nuclear power plants.“Please ensure the full use of the nuclear energy plants in o

Mar 21, 2022By Lee Kyung-min
Government signaling u-turn in nuclear energy policy

NEC in post-election turmoil

National Election Commission (NEC) chairperson Noh Jeong-hee, center, enters the NEC headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Yonhap By Kwon Mee-yooThe March 9 presidential election is over, with the conservative opposition People Power Party's candidate Yoon Suk-yeol securing victory with a narrow margin over his ruling party rival, Lee Jae-myung. But the election agency is still reeling from attacks over mistakes it made in handling the ballots of COVID-19 patients and quarantined voters during the early voting period. Criticism has been mounting both within and outside the agency.In presidential petitions uploaded on Sunday, several people called for punishment or an investigation of the National Election Commission (NEC) for its mishandling of ballots. One petitioner in Daegu's Dong District blamed the NEC for mismanagement and insinuated ballot fraud, due to its flawed management of election procedures. According to the petitioner, two voters cast

Mar 20, 2022By Kwon Mee-yoo
NEC in post-election turmoil

Whose idea was it to move presidential office to defense ministry?

Former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin / Korea Times fileVice speaker of Nat'l Assembly gives ex-defense minister credit for relocation By Kang Hyun-kyungRep. Chung Jin-suk of the People Power Party (PPP) said on Sunday that the relocation of the presidential office into the Ministry of National Defense building was the idea of former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, who held the position during the former President Lee Myung-bak administration.In his social media post uploaded on Sunday, Chung, a five-term lawmaker and vice National Assembly speaker, shared the story behind how the defense ministry has been honed in as the new site for the presidential office and residence, disclosing what he heard from Kim during their meeting on March 16. “Mr. Kim told me about the critical problem that will occur if the presidential office is relocated into the Government Complex building (at Gwanghwamun), which was initially proposed as the site, or the foreign ministry building. There is no bunker underneath them,” wrote Chung.Unlike those buildings, the lawmaker went on to say that the

Mar 20, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung
Whose idea was it to move presidential office to defense ministry?
  • Presidential office to move to Yongsan
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