South Korea - The Korea Times

Reporter's notebook President's talk with citizens turns into 100-minute 'fan meeting'

President Moon Jae-in waves to the participants of a meeting with citizens as he leaves broadcaster KBS's studio on Yeouido, Seoul, Sunday. YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooPresident Moon Jae-in's televised meeting with citizens to answer their questions drew mixed responses, as most of the participants' comments were praising Moon's achievements rather than asking about sensitive matters such as real estate issues.During the 100-minute show on Sunday, Moon answered questions from 204 people who participated in person and 100 people joining online. Cheong Wa Dae said host broadcaster KBS and a poll agency selected the participants based on their gender, age and region. Since the meeting was the first of its kind in two years, expectations were high for Moon's or the government's ideas on how to handle pending state affairs. But the show drew responses that it was a lackluster event as both the questions and answers failed to touch on the most urgent and sensitive matters.Most of the questions were on the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Korea, but they were mostly focused on showing appreciation o

Nov 22, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo

[Reporter's notebook] President's talk with citizens turns into 100-minute 'fan meeting'

Silent tribute to late ex-president

Yoon Seok-youl, center, the presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, pays a silent tribute to late former President Kim Young-sam on the sixth anniversary of his death, with other members of the party's Supreme Council ahead of their meeting at the National Assembly, Monday. Joint Press Corps

Nov 22, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin

Yoon, Lee neck and neck in presidential race: survey

This combination of file photos shows ruling Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, left, and the main opposition People Power Party's presidential candidate Yoon Seok-you. YonhapYoon Seok-youl, the presidential nominee of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), and his opponent Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) are neck and neck in a hypothetical multicandidate race, a survey showed Monday.Yoon garnered 40 percent support, while Lee trailed by only 0.5 percentage point at 39.5 percent, within the survey's margin of error, according to the survey of 1,007 adults conducted Friday and Saturday by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI).Yoon's rating fell 5.6 percentage points from the previous week, while Lee's gained 7.1 percentage points. Sim Sang-jeung, the candidate of the progressive Justice Party, earned 4.5 percent, followed by Ahn Cheol-soo, the candidate of the minor opposition People's Party, with 4 percent and former Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon with 1.1 percent.The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percenta

Nov 22, 2021

Yoon, Lee neck and neck in presidential race: survey

Moon's 'talk with citizens' fails to restore public trust

President Moon Jae-in answers to questions from the citizens during a televised town hall meeting at KBS on Yeouido, Seoul, Sunday. YonhapPresident says Korea touted as 'one of top 10 nations'By Nam Hyun-wooPresident Moon Jae-in held a “town hall meeting” Sunday to answer questions about his policies, but ended up facing criticism that he only shared blind optimism and fell short of suggesting tangible plans and measures to tackle pending issues during the remainder of his presidential term. The event was televised live from broadcaster KBS's building where Moon took questions from 204 people who participated in person and 100 people joining online. During the 100-minute “town hall,” the President apologized to the public for the government's real estate policies that failed to stabilize home prices in Seoul and its surrounding cities, but added his government has provided more homes than any other administration.“I have apologized several times for the real estate issue, and I think it would have been better if the government had made greater efforts on

Nov 21, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo

Moon's 'talk with citizens' fails to restore public trust

Ex-interim party leader named to lead presidential election campaign committee for Yoon

This combination of file photos shows the main opposition People Power Party's presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl, left, and its former interim leader Kim Chong-in. Korea Times fileA former interim leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) was named Sunday to lead the election campaign committee for the party's presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl. Yoon said Kim Chong-in, a veteran politician who resigned in April after heading the PPP as a caretaker leader, will be in charge of his campaign committee for the 2022 presidential election.Incumbent PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok will serve as a co-standing chairman for the election campaign committee along with Kim Byong-joon, former interim head of the Liberty Korea Party, the shortlived predecessor of the PPP. Yoon also named Kim Han-gil, a former head of the liberal Democratic Party, to lead a separate committee on "preparations for a new era." "(Kim Han-gil) decided to join forces for a change of government by creating a platform in which hesitant moderate voters, as well as rational progressives, could join the PPP," Yo

Nov 21, 2021

Ex-interim party leader named to lead presidential election campaign committee for Yoon

1 out of 3 young people undecided about presidential candidates

Ruling party candidate challenges Constitution with idea on unification

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, left, shakes hands with a supporter as he arrives in Boeun County in North Chungcheong Province, Sunday. YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooRuling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung has created a controversy by stating “it is too late to pursue the unification” between the two Koreas, as this challenges South Korea's Constitution as well as the DPK's manifesto. During a meeting with university students in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, Saturday, Lee made the statement, adding “there is no need to elevate hostility by denying each other's system and arguing over which can be absorbed by which.”Lee made the remarks in answering a question about what would distinguish his North Korea policies from that of previous administrations.The DPK candidate noted that he prefers a “de-facto unification status,” saying, “There is the argument that we should refrain from being too political and rather focus on practical approaches.” Lee's comments brought on

Nov 21, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo

Ruling party candidate challenges Constitution with idea on unification

1 out of 3 young people undecided about presidential candidates

Both ruling, opposition candidates fail to get support from young generation By Jung Da-min With less than four months left ahead of the next presidential election in March, young voters in their 20s and 30s have risen as swing voters who could play a decisive role in selecting the winner. In recent opinion polls, many in this age group have said they support neither of the candidates of the country's two major parties ― Yoon Seok-youl of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).According to a survey of 1,004 adults conducted together by four local pollsters ― Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research International and Hankook Research ― from Nov. 15 to 17, support for both Yoon and Lee were notably lower among the younger voters than among those in other age groups.Among those surveyed, 38 percent of people aged between 18 and 29 supported either Lee or Yoon; while among those in their 30s, 58 percent supported one of the two candidates. But 37 percent of the youngest age group and 27 percent of people in their

Nov 21, 2021

1 out of 3 young people undecided about presidential candidates

Ex-interim party leader named to lead presidential election campaign committee for Yoon

Namyang Dairy signs conditional deal to sell controlling stake to Dayou Winia

Namyang Dairy Product Chairman Hong Won-sik listens to questions from the National Assembly State Affairs Committee during an audit held in Seoul, Oct. 5. Korea Times file South Korea's No. 2 dairy company, Namyang Dairy Products Co., said Friday that its controlling shareholders ― Chairman Hong Won-sik and his family ― have signed a deal to sell their majority stake and management rights to the mid-sized local Dayou Winia Group.Namyang said the sale will go ahead only if it wins a legal dispute with local private equity fund (PEF) Hahn & Company. But if Hahn & Company wins the dispute, Namyang will have to sell its majority stake to the PEF. Details of the prices of the major stake sale and the date to finalize the deal were not available, Namyang said.In late May, Hong and his family struck a deal with Hahn & Company to sell a 53 percent stake in Namyang Dairy Products for 310.7 billion won ($262.1 million). The largest shareholders of the dairy firm did not concl

Nov 19, 2021By Kim Jae-heun

Namyang Dairy signs conditional deal to sell controlling stake to Dayou Winia

S. Korea, U.S. in final-stage talks over end-of-war declaration: unification minister

Foreign Minister Chung Ui-yong, left, and Unification Minister Lee In-young talk prior to a general meeting of National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee at the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Nov. 19. YonhapSouth Korea and the United States are in the final-stage of talks over President Moon Jae-in's proposal for the declaration of a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War, a top official said Friday.Unification Minister Lee In-young made the remarks during a forum on international relations, as the government has been striving to accelerate consultations with Washington over the proposal, which it says would serve as a catalyst to resume denuclearization talks with North Korea."The South and the U.S. have been holding very serious, deep consultations regarding the end-of-war declaration," he said. "I can say that to a certain extent, those discussions are entering a final stage."Saying that a "sign of change" on the Korean Peninsula has been emerging, the minister predicted that the North would not do things that would escalate tensions for the time being."Still,

Nov 19, 2021

S. Korea, U.S. in final-stage talks over end-of-war declaration: unification minister

2 Chinese, 7 Russian warplanes enter S. Korea's air defense zone without notice: JCS

An Ilyushin Il-76 military cargo plane of the Russian Aerospace Forces evacuates citizens of Russia and other countries, Nov.19. YonhapTwo Chinese and seven Russian military aircraft entered South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ) without notice Friday, prompting the Air Force to scramble fighters to the scene, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Between around 11 a.m. and 16:38 p.m., the planes separately entered the KADIZ northeast of South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo before exiting it, the JCS said, noting that none of them violated the country's territorial air space.Each plane flew through the KADIZ for about 10 minutes.Prior to their entry, the South Korean military deployed F-15 and F-16 fighter jets and a KC-330 tanker plane to the scene as a "normal tactical step" to prepare against any contingencies, the JCS said.This is the first time the Air Force has mobilized a tanker for such a KADIZ-related incident, the military said.Through a communication hotline, the Chinese authorities told the South Korean military that their aircraft were staging a "rou