South Korea - The Korea Times

Main opposition party's presidential candidate in conflict with party chairman

People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl, center, touches an electric vehicle battery at the plant of Clever, a mid-sized company manufacturing battery making facilities, in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Tuesday. YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooConflict is intensifying between the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl and party Chairman Lee Jun-seok over the organization of the former's election camp, with Lee dropping hints that he will not assist in the campaign. According to the PPP, Chairman Lee canceled a scheduled appearance at a forum hosted by a news outlet Tuesday morning.Hours after Lee skipped the event, the party told reporters that “Lee's official schedule, in its entirety, is now canceled.” He was scheduled to appear at a farmer federation's anniversary event and hold an interview with broadcaster KBS. The cancelation came after Lee wrote on Facebook, Monday night, without further explanation: “If so, this is it.” He also posted an emoji “ ^-^p” meaning “thumbs down.” L

Nov 30, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo

Main opposition party's presidential candidate in conflict with party chairman

No candidate dominant 100 days before presidential election

Main opposition People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly on Yeouido in Seoul, Monday. A signboard indicates that the presidential election is 100 days away. Joint Press CorpsBy Nam Hyun-wooWith the presidential election just 100 days away, neither ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung nor main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Seok-youl is taking a noticeable lead. As a growing number of voters have begun describing the election as being about “choosing the less-hated candidate,” each of them is grappling with their weaknesses and risks.According to a poll by the Korea Society Opinion Institute released Monday, Yoon was leading the pack with support of 41.8 percent, followed by Lee with 39 percent. However, the 2.8 percentage point gap was within the 3.1 percentage points margin of error for the poll, which surveyed 1,009 people, Nov. 26 and 27. A separate poll by Embrain Public, released Sunday, showed that Yoon was sitting in pole position with 38.9 percent,

Nov 29, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo

No candidate dominant 100 days before presidential election

Yoon leads Lee by 9.4 percentage points in presidential race: survey

Lee Jae-myung, left, the presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party, shakes hands with Yoon Seok-youl, the nominee of the main opposition People Power Party, at a forum in Seoul, Nov. 24. YonhapPresidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl of the main opposition People Power Party is leading his ruling Democratic Party rival Lee Jae-myung by 9.4 percentage points in a hypothetical multicandidate race, a survey showed Monday.Yoon had 46.3 percent support against Lee's 36.9 percent in the survey of 3,023 adults conducted last Monday to Friday by Realmeter.The difference fell outside the margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the minor opposition People's Party, came in third with 3.7 percent, followed by Sim Sang-jeung of the minor progressive Justice Party at 3.3 percent.Undecided voters accounted for 7.9 percent.The survey comes about three months ahead of the March 9 presidential election.President Moon Jae-in's job performance received 39.5 percent approval and 56.9 percent disapproval.Su

Nov 29, 2021

Yoon leads Lee by 9.4 percentage points in presidential race: survey

Leading presidential contenders stay tight in latest poll

From left are Yoon Seok-youl, presidential nominee of the main opposition People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate for the ruling Democratic Party. YonhapThe two leading presidential candidates remained neck and neck with each other in the latest survey released Sunday.Yoon Seok-youl, the presidential nominee of the main opposition People Power Party, earned 38.9 percent support, while Lee Jae-myung, the candidate for the ruling Democratic Party, had 36.1 percent support in the poll conducted by Embrain Public.Yoon's lead of 2.8 percentage points was within the margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. The survey was conducted on 1,020 adults on Friday and Saturday.Coming in at a distant third place was Ahn Cheol-soo, representing the minor opposition People's Party, at 6.1 percent. Sim Sang-jeung of the minor progressive Justice Party was next at 5.6 percent. (Yonhap)

Nov 28, 2021

Leading presidential contenders stay tight in latest poll

Presidential election D-100

Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during an inauguration ceremony of the party's regional election committee at the Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju, Sunday. Monday will mark 100 days left to go before the presidential election slated for March 9. YonhapYoon Seok-youl, presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, speaks during a launching ceremony of the party's youth committee at a cafe on Yeouido, Seoul, Sunday. Monday will mark 100 days left to go before the presidential election slated for March 9. Yonhap

Nov 28, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo

Apology by Chun's widow not meant for Gwangju massacre victims

Lee Soon-ja, center, the widow of Chun Doo-hwan, and other bereaved family members enter the Seoul Memorial Park to attend Chun's cremation ceremony, Saturday. Yonhap By Lee Hae-rinThe apology by the widow of Chun Doo-hwan for past wrongdoings inflicted by the former dictator has only refueled the anger of victims of the bloody suppression of the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement, as Chun's side made it clear that the massacre was not subject to the apology.Former first lady Lee Soon-ja made the apology during Chun's funeral in Seoul, Saturday, four days after he died of a type of blood cancer. The former Army general, who seized power through a military coup in 1979 and served as president from September 1980 to February 1988, was responsible for the brutal suppression of Gwangju citizens but went to his grave without ever making an admission of guilt or an apology.In a speech as a family representative, Lee said, “On behalf of my husband, I would like to deeply

Nov 28, 2021By Lee Hae-rin

Apology by Chun's widow not meant for Gwangju massacre victims

Late ex-President Chun's wife apologizes for 'pains and scars' inflicted during his presidency

Lee Soon-ja, the wife of late former President Chun Doo-hwan, attends his funeral service at the Severance Hospital in Seoul, Nov. 25. YonhapThe wife of the late former President Chun Doo-hwan, widely criticized for the bloody crackdown on a 1980 pro-democracy uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju, issued an apology Saturday for the "pains and scars" inflicted during his presidency.Lee Soon-ja made the apology in the first such move by Chun's family, as the bereaved family was preparing to carry his coffin out of a hospital and move it to a burial site. Chun died Tuesday at age 90 from chronic ailments."On behalf of my husband, I would like to deeply apologize, especially to those who suffered pains and scars during his time in office," Lee said at Yonsei University Severance Hospital in central Seoul.Lee also recalled that Chun used to say, "All things were due to my fault and my lack of virtue."Chun told his family to hold a small funeral service, to never erect a tomb for him, and to cremate him and spread his ashes in areas overlooking North Korea, Lee said.Chun, an ex-Arm

Nov 27, 2021

Late ex-President Chun's wife apologizes for 'pains and scars' inflicted during his presidency

Korea-Pacific SDG Forum to take place next month

By Kang Seung-wooThe inaugural Korea-Pacific SDG Forum, a framework of discussing various issues ranging from trade, culture, tourism and human resource development between Korea and Pacific islands, will be held next month in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. The forum, sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is scheduled for Dec. 8, to be held in an online-offline hybrid format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It comes after Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his 14 counterparts from island nations in the Pacific Ocean held a videoconference, Nov. 16, where they agreed to elevate the dialogue mechanism between the two sides to summit level and to shorten the host cycle of the ministerial meetings from three to two years as part of efforts to enhance their collaboration.The forum will feature various lectures, attractions and creative attempts to be presented under the three themes of trade economy, cultural tourism and capacity-building between Korea and Pacific nations. In addition, the Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO) and Yeosu plan to sign an agreement to cooperate for the su

Nov 27, 2021By Kang Seung-woo

Korea-Pacific SDG Forum to take place next month

Yoon, Lee neck and neck at 42 percent vs. 39.8 percent: survey

This compilation image shows Lee Jae-myung, left, the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, and Yoon Seok-youl, the nominee of the People Power Party. YonhapYoon Seok-youl, the presidential nominee of the main opposition People Power Party, is neck and neck with ruling Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung with 42 percent support against 39.8 percent, a survey showed Friday.The difference between the two was 2.2 percentage points, which was within the margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level, according to the survey of 1,005 adults conducted Tuesday and Wednesday by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI).In third place was Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the minor opposition People's Party, at 4.4 percent, followed by Sim Sang-jeung of the minor progressive Justice Party at 3.2 percent.Yoon and Lee posted 40 percent and 39.5 percent, respectively, in a previous KSOI survey conducted last Friday and Saturday.A month earlier, Lee led Yoon 33.9 percent to 31.5 percent in a KSOI poll conducted on Oct. 26 and 27.Wh

Nov 26, 2021

Yoon, Lee neck and neck at 42 percent vs. 39.8 percent: survey

Lee pledges more subsidies for electric vehicles

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, speaks at a discussion with foreign correspondents in Seoul, Nov. 25. YonhapRuling Democratic Party presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung pledged Friday to expand government subsidies for the electric vehicle industry and increase the production of the cars.In a Facebook post, Lee said government subsidies have fallen far short of the amount needed to produce enough EVs to meet consumer demand.He noted the biggest obstacles to getting more EVs on roads are their high price and lack of charging facilities."I will drastically expand the scope of subsidies in order to get auto companies to make more," Lee wrote. "By doing so, (we) will meet buyers' demand and shorten the delivery wait time."He also pledged to expand the charging infrastructure and push to gradually replace cars used in the public sector and public transport with electric vehicles.Around 3.6 million EVs will be required to meet the country's 2030 target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent, he said. (Yonhap)