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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.

Reporter's notebook Concerns rise over PPP candidate Yoon's mastery of public speaking

Main opposition People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during an event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea at the Conrad Hotel on Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press CorpsBy Nam Hyun-wooMain opposition People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol is again at the center of controversy over his remarks that: “most Koreans hate China.” Yoon added that this hatred is the result of the Moon Jae-in government's policies favoring of China. Concern is growing over the PPP candidate's rhetoric, in which he throws out controversial comments which he later has to add follow-up explanations to. Critics say this type of rhetoric can be a problem, especially in diplomacy, if he is elected president.During an event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, Tuesday, Yoon said, “Most Koreans, especially young people, hate China, and most young Chinese hate Korea.”He continued: “This wasn't so in the past. Koreans and Chinese had amicable feelings when Seoul engaged Beijing in strong trilateral cooperati

Dec 29, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
[Reporter's notebook] Concerns rise over PPP candidate Yoon's mastery of public speaking

Anti-corruption agency checked phone logs of 60 opposition lawmakers

The main opposition People Power Party's floor leader Kim Gi-hyeon / YonhapThe state anti-corruption investigation office has checked the phone logs of 60 lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), the party said Wednesday, accusing the powerful investigative agency of illegal surveillance.The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has come under fire following revelations that it obtained the phone records of journalists, politicians and their family members in an alleged attempt to identify the source of leaks to the media.The PPP said it has found that an additional 21 lawmakers were subject to the surveillance. The party, which has 105 lawmakers in the 295-member National Assembly, had said Monday that 39 lawmakers had their phone records checked.Floor leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon and chief policymaker Rep. Kim Do-eup were among those whose phone logs were checked. Six aides to lawmakers were also on the list.The PPP has demanded the CIO's chief step down, and called for the office's abolition.PPP presidential nominee Yoon Suk-yeol wrote on F

Dec 29, 2021
Anti-corruption agency checked phone logs of 60 opposition lawmakers
  • Anti-corruption agency accused of using 'Big Brother' tactics

Assembly committee okays bill on lowering age of candidacy for lawmakers, local elections

Members of the Special Committee on Political Reform attend a meeting at the National Assembly, Monday. Joint Press CorpsA National Assembly committee on Tuesday approved a bill on lowering the age of candidacy for parliamentary and local elections, in a move to woo young voters ahead of next March's presidential election. Under the move, the age of candidacy for parliamentary and local elections will be lowered to 18 from 25, according to officials at the National Assembly's Special Committee on Political Reform. If the National Assembly's plenary session approves the bill later this week, a Cabinet meeting will endorse the bill in January. If so, an 18-year-old can run for a by-election for lawmakers on March 9, when South Korea simultaneously holds a presidential election. Rep. Cho Hae-jin of the main opposition People Power Party, head of the Special Committee on Political Reform, told Yonhap News Agency by telephone that people aged 18 or older could run for a by-election on March 9. In case of a presidential election, the age of candidacy is set at those aged 40 or older. (Yonh

Dec 28, 2021
Assembly committee okays bill on lowering age of candidacy for lawmakers, local elections

Presidential candidate Lee expresses opposition to pardoning ex-President Lee

Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party, delivers a speech at Fairmont Ambassador Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapLee Jae-myung, the presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party, on Tuesday expressed opposition to granting a pardon to former President Lee Myung-bak, saying it could hamper national unity in the long term. After the government decided to pardon former President Park Geun-hye last week, some conservative supporters have been demanding that Lee, currently serving a 17-year prison term over embezzlement and bribery charges, should also be released."We first need to think about whether it helps the national unity and whether we have seen enough result of retribution," the former Gyeonggi governor said of Lee Myung-bak's pardon during a debate hosted by the Korean Local Journalists Club in Seoul. "We also have to consider whether we have achieved the criminal punishment's goal of preventing crimes." The reaction differs sharply from when the government decided to pardon Park. At the time, Lee said he respects the decision, though he demand

Dec 28, 2021
Presidential candidate Lee expresses opposition to pardoning ex-President Lee

Anti-corruption agency accused of using 'Big Brother' tactics

Kim Jin-wook, head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, heads to his office at the Government Complex Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. YonhapForeign correspondents' phone records examinedBy Jung Da-min An independent agency that is supposed to investigate corruption cases involving high-ranking officials is facing allegations of poring over the phone logs of opposition lawmakers as well as journalists, including their family members.The investigative body, called the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), is also the target of mounting criticism for resorting to “Big Brother” tactics, engaging in the random surveillance of citizens.According to an official at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club (SFCC), Tuesday, two journalists who are members of the club discovered that the CIO searched through their phone records in July and August.An SFCC official told The Korea Times that the organization is reviewing the case and collecting the opinions of its members to decide how to deal with the incident, including wh

Dec 28, 2021
Anti-corruption agency accused of using 'Big Brother' tactics
  • Anti-corruption agency checked phone logs of 60 opposition lawmakers

Rival parties clash over debate between presidential candidates

Lee Jae-myung, left, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, and Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, attend an award ceremony hosted by the Local Press Korea Association at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Monday. Joint Press Corps By Kang Seung-wooLee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), and his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Party (PPP) are sparring over when to hold debates. Lee, known as a skilled conversationalist in political circles, is urging Yoon to hold head-to-head debate sessions as often as possible to show voters their respective policies, visions and philosophies, as a way to establish his superiority to Yoon in terms of debating. Yoon, who has often found himself in the hot seat for slips of the tongue, is questioning the validity of debating Lee.The lack of agreement came to the fore following Yoon's S

Dec 28, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
Rival parties clash over debate between presidential candidates

PPP party leader faces attacks from inside

People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok speaks on the amnesty granted to former President Park Geun-hye during a press gaggle at the National Assembly, Friday. Joint Press CorpsInternal disputes chipping away at candidate's support rateBy Nam Hyun-wooMain opposition People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Lee Jun-seok is facing growing doubts over his presence in the party, as members of the conservative party increasingly blame their outspoken leader for the party's internal rifts and the declining support rate of their presidential candidate, Yoon Suk-yeol. Lee quit all of his positions within the party's election camp last week, following a dispute with Rep. Cho Su-jin, the camp's communications chief. The two were not getting along, as Cho had disregarded Lee's orders and said that she would only listen to Yoon. Though Cho also resigned from the campaign, Lee continued his criticisms of Yoon and Yoon's close aides, saying that he won't “flatter” Yoon and that his campaign “lacks strategies to win votes.” As Lee continued criticizing, Yoon said on Monday, &ldquo

Dec 28, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
PPP party leader faces attacks from inside

Police open probe into resume falsification allegations involving Yoon's wife

Kim Keon-hee, the wife of Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party / YonhapPolice launched an investigation Tuesday into allegations that the wife of Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, falsified credentials on her resume for teaching jobs.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has taken over the complaints filed against Yoon's wife, Kim Keon-hee, and planned to hold an interview Wednesday afternoon with civic group officials who filed the complaints, officials said.Two civic groups filed the complaints, claiming Kim falsified her credentials in her resume submitted for her past teaching positions at several universities, including Suwon Women's University and Kookmin University."She duped institutions of higher education and students by falsifying or fabricating some 20 credentials," the groups claimed.The allegations have continued to plague Yoon's campaign in the run-up to the presidential election on March 9.Kim publicly apologized Sunday, saying, "All was my fault and carelessness. Please f

Dec 28, 2021
Police open probe into resume falsification allegations involving Yoon's wife

President's annual salary set at 240 million won

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapThe annual salary of President Moon Jae-in for 2022 was set at 240.6 million won ($202,815) as the Cabinet approved the personnel and management ministry's pay raise plan for public servants Tuesday.According to the plan, public servants will get a 1.4 percent raise for their salary for 2022. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum will get an annual salary of 186.5 million won, while deputy prime ministers and chief state auditor will receive 141.1 million won next year. The annual salary of ministers was set at 137.1 million won, while that of vice minister level officials was set at 133.2 million won. Despite the raise, the government said high-ranking officials and political service servants, including the president and the prime minister, will return the increased amount of their salaries to share the burden with people suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning they will receive the same wages they received in 2021. For public servants, the government gave a 3.5 percent pay raise for 2017, followed by 2.6 percent for 2018, 1.8 percent for 2019, 2.8 percent

Dec 28, 2021
President's annual salary set at 240 million won

Moon urges conglomerates to create more jobs for youth

President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong during a luncheon with the leaders of six domestic conglomerates at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. On the left is POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo. Yonhap President meets Samsung chief for 1st time since his parole in Aug.By Nam Hyun-wooPresident Moon Jae-in emphasized the role of businesses in tackling the youth unemployment issue during a meeting with the chiefs of the nation's top conglomerates, Monday, asking the corporate leaders to create more quality jobs for young jobseekers.He invited chiefs of the country's top six business conglomerates including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong to Cheong Wa Dae to express his gratitude for their job creation efforts and to seek further efforts.Moon's meeting with Lee came just three days after the President pardoned his ousted and jailed predecessor Park Geun-hye. Given that the Samsung chief served a prison term and was released on

Dec 27, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Moon urges conglomerates to create more jobs for youth
  • President Moon discusses key issues with major conglomerate chiefs
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