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Moon expects March presidential election to bring hope for future

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Dec. 21. Korea Times file President Moon Jae-in said Saturday he expects the upcoming presidential election to bring hope for the future, with people set to vote in a tight race in March between two main candidates."An election to pick a new president lies ahead," Moon said in a New Year message posted on social media, adding he "expects an election that assures hope for the future, together with people." The presidential election will be held March 9, and recent polls show that ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung has a lead over main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol. Moon, whose single five-year term ends in May, said he will continue to spare no efforts to make 2022 a year to leap forward as a leading nation through the end of his term. With the COVID-19 pandemic entering its third year, the President expressed his gratitude toward public health workers for their

Jan 1, 2022
Moon expects March presidential election to bring hope for future

Koreans pin high hopes on watershed presidential election

Graphic by Cho Sang-wonNo matter who wins, 2022 will be turning point for KoreaBy Jung Da-min The year 2022 is expected to be a watershed period for Korea, with the major political event of the presidential election slated for March 9.Frustrated with the deepening polarization and division of the country, most Koreans, regardless of age, social status or political background, expect to see a major turnaround following the upcoming election.Though the presidential competition is mainly a race between the rival candidates of the country's two-major parties ― Lee Jae-myung of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) ― all eyes are on whether the ruling liberal bloc will manage to retain power or if the conservative bloc will succeed in bringing a leadership change.No matter who wins in the March election, Korea is expected to enter a new era. If elected, Lee is highly likely to expedite reforms that the Moon Jae-in administration has been pushing for and steer the country toward what he calls a “fair socie

Jan 1, 2022
Koreans pin high hopes on watershed presidential election

Ex-President Park says she did nothing "ugly" for personal gain

Ousted former President Park Geun-hye defended herself in a series of letters written after she was imprisoned for corruption in 2017, saying she never did anything as "ugly" as abusing her office to help others for personal gain.Park published the letters in a book titled "Not everybody feels a longing," which was published Thursday just hours before she was set free under a presidential pardon.Former President Park Geun-hyeThe notes are her responses to missives she received from supporters during her four years and nine months in prison following her impeachment, removal from office and conviction on charges of corruption."What I can say with certainty is that I never did anything as ugly as helping another's interests with a personal motive in mind," the 69-year-old former leader wrote.Park was accused of letting her close friend, Choi Soon-sil, run state affairs from behind the scenes and colluding with her to extort money from big businesses including Samsung.Park denied the charges but was sentenced to 22 years in prison following months of nationwide candlelight rallies deman

Dec 31, 2021
Ex-President Park says she did nothing "ugly" for personal gain

Pardoned ex-president expresses resentment over impeachment

A person purchases former President Park Geun-hye's book, which is a compilation of her prison letters, at a bookstore in Seoul, Thursday. Park was released under a presidential pardon Friday. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooFormer President Park Geun-hye, who was released Friday under a presidential pardon, claimed that she never gave privileges to anyone with an axe to grind, in a book published a day ahead of her pardon. Park, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for corruption and influence-peddling scandal after being ousted in March 2017, released a book compiling letters she exchanged with her supporters while behind bars from 2017 to 2021, Thursday.In the book, "Longing Doesn't Happen to Anyone (translated title)," Park consistently remains critical of court rulings which found her guilty and media reports on the scandal, implying the impeachment was unfair and unjust. However, in the book, she does not explicitly apologize for the influence-peddling scandal which led to her impeachment.“I believe the truth will be revealed and issues will be unraveled in the end even though it

Dec 31, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Pardoned ex-president expresses resentment over impeachment

Ahn Cheol-soo rises to chip away at PPP's support rate

.Minor opposition People Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo answers reporters' questions during a visit to a traditional market in Gangbuk District, Seoul, Friday. YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooMinor opposition People Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo is quickly enhancing his presence and chipping away at the support of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Suk-yeol.In a number of recent surveys, No. 3 candidate Ahn is showing meaningful growth in public support, tempting the two major candidates ― Yoon and ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung ― to potentially ask the center-right candidate to unify behind their respective candidacies. With the election coming in less than 70 days, Ahn's choice of whether he will maintain his candidacy or form a coalition with another candidate is expected to determine how the presidential race will unfold in the remaining period.According to a Gallup Korea poll at the request of Seoul Shinmun released on Thursday, Ahn secured a 9.3 percent support rate, following the DPK's Lee at 36.8 percent a

Dec 31, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Ahn Cheol-soo rises to chip away at PPP's support rate

Assembly passes bill to lower age of candidacy for parliament to 18

gettyimagesbankThe National Assembly on Friday passed a bill that lowers the age of candidacy for parliament and local elections from 25 to 18.Under the bill, which is expected to be endorsed by the Cabinet next month, anyone aged 18 and above can run for a seat in the National Assembly starting with the by-elections slated for March 9, when the presidential election will be held simultaneously.At least five seats will be up for grabs in the 300-seat Assembly.The bill passed 204-12, with 10 abstentions.This is the first time the age of candidacy has been lowered since the country's Constitution was established in 1948.The revision recently gained momentum as both the ruling and opposition parties pushed to appeal to young voters and increase their political participation ahead of the presidential election.The minimum age for a presidential candidate will remain unchanged at 40.The bill's passage also comes ahead of local elections slated for June.The rival parties scheduled Friday's plenary session specially to handle this and other key items, such as extending the deadline of a spec

Dec 31, 2021
Assembly passes bill to lower age of candidacy for parliament to 18

Ex-President Park Geun-hye set free under presidential pardon

Supporters of former President Park Geun-hye gather outside Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul, Dec. 31, the day she was set free under a presidential pardon. She is expected to stay at the hospital for treatment until early February. YonhapFormer President Park Geun-hye was set free Friday under a presidential pardon, after four years and nine months of imprisonment following her impeachment and ouster from office for corruption.The 69-year-old Park has served a combined 22-year prison sentence since March 2017 after being impeached and removed from office over far-reaching corruption and an influence-peddling scandal involving a close friend accused of manipulating her.Last week, President Moon Jae-in decided to pardon Park as part of his special amnesty for the new year. The government said the decision was made in consideration of her deteriorating health and as part of efforts to promote national unity.Park has been receiving treatment at a Seoul hospital for a series of back, shoulder and other ailments. She received a certificate of pardon at the hospital at midnight and

Dec 31, 2021
Ex-President Park Geun-hye set free under presidential pardon

Moon calls for sustainable containment measures against COVID-19

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with medical staffs, Thursday. YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in on Thursday urged health authorities to come up with sustainable containment measures against COVID-19, as the nation is struggling to cope with a recent surge in the number of critically ill patients and deaths. Health authorities have sought to secure an additional 10,000 hospital beds for patients with moderate to serious cases of COVID-19 by the middle of next month, raising their total number to 25,000. "COVID-19 is not a temporary infectious disease, so securing beds, medical systems and containment systems should be sustainable," Moon told a meeting with senior officials at state and public hospitals, according to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Moon urged them to prepare for long-term measures to fight against the pandemic, Park said in a written briefing. Moon has called for national university hospitals to focus their resources on treating critically ill COVID-19 patients and for the government to prepare for a scenario in which the omicron variant becomes the

Dec 30, 2021
Moon calls for sustainable containment measures against COVID-19

Iran state TV says Tehran launched rocket into space

This photo released by the official website of the Iranian Defense Ministry on Dec. 30, shows the launching of Simorgh, or "Phoenix," rocket in an undisclosed location in Iran. Iran on Thursday announced it launched a satellite carrier rocket bearing three devices into space, though it's unclear whether any of the objects entered orbit around the Earth. AP-YonhapIran on Thursday announced it launched a satellite carrier rocket bearing three devices into space, though it's unclear whether any of the objects entered orbit around the Earth.The state TV report, as well as others by Iran's semiofficial news agencies, did not say when the launch was conducted nor what devices the carrier brought with it. However, the launch comes amid difficult negotiations in Vienna over Iran's tattered nuclear deal. Previous launches have drawn rebukes from the United States. The U.S. State Department, Space Force and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Ahmad Hosseini, a Defense Ministry spokesman, identified the rocket as a Simorgh, or ``Phoenix,'' rocket. He said the three

Dec 30, 2021
Iran state TV says Tehran launched rocket into space

Q&A Lee Jae-myung to promote fair distribution to bolster growth

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, third from left, speaks during a joint interview with The Korea Times, the South China Morning Post and Reuters at the party's headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulRuling party candidate seeks to introduce nuclear submarinesBy Nam Hyun-woo, Kang Seung-woo, Jung Da-minPolarization has been aggravated here in various social sectors as well as the economy and education, especially for the last two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But the resolution to this problem doesn't lie in a choice between growth and distribution, because distribution through efficient means will lead to a virtuous circle of consumption, demand, investment and growth, said ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung.Lee is seeking a shift toward renewable energy, but his policy ideas are slightly different from the current Moon Jae-in government, and he advocates South Korea having nuclear submarines while opposing calls from the conservative bloc for the redeployment of

Dec 30, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
[Q&A] Lee Jae-myung to promote fair distribution to bolster growth
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