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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.

Police request Interpol's help in tracking down key figure in land development scandal

Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management / YonhapPolice said Saturday they have requested Interpol's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of a key figure in a sprawling land development scandal possibly linked to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) leading presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung.The Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency made the request as it is trying to track down a lawyer, Nam Wook, who left for the United States months before the scandal broke last month.Nam allegedly played a key role in the massive residential construction project in Seongnam, south of Seoul, from which he reportedly earned about 100.7 billion won (US$84.16 million) on an investment of 87.21 million won.The public-private project was launched in the mid-2010s, when Lee was mayor of the city. He is now governor of Gyeonggi Province, which includes Seongnam, and the front-runner in the DPK's primary to pick its candidate for next year's presidential election.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office has also requested the foreign ministry to invalidate Nam's passport, sources said Friday. The ministry i

Oct 9, 2021
Police request Interpol's help in tracking down key figure in land development scandal

South Korea grants asylum to Angolan family

This Feb. 19, 2019, photo shows activists rallying at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, urging the immigration office to grant entry to Nkuka Lulendo and his family. YonhapThe Ministry of Justice has granted refugee status to an Angolan family with a Congolese background, citing the likelihood of persecution should they return home, officials said Saturday.The Refugee Council approved the application from Nkuka Lulendo and his family, who were in the media spotlight in 2019 for being stuck at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, for nine months after they were denied a chance to file for refugee status. "The possibility of them being persecuted by the government of their home country has become quite substantial due to media reports during their stay in Korea," the council was quoted as saying.Lulendo, his wife and four children arrived at the Incheon airport in December 2018 on a tourist visa. They asked for a chance to seek asylum, citing persecution against people with Congolese origins in Angola.The immigration office at the airport refused the request and de

Oct 9, 2021
South Korea grants asylum to Angolan family

Opposition party narrows down contenders

This composite photo shows, from left, former Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Governor Won Hee-ryong, former opposition lawmaker Yoo Seong-min, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl and Rep. Hong Joon-pyo during the sixth televised debate among presidential hopefuls of the main opposition People Power Party, Oct. 5. The four made it the cut in the party's second elimination round of its presidential primaries, Friday. YonhapFormer BAI chief fails to make cutBy Kwon Mee-yooThe main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has finalized its four candidates for the party's presidential primary, with former Jeju Govenror Won Hee-ryong making the cut along with ex-Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, and former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min. The four passed the party's second elimination round, which was based on a public poll with a 70 percent weighting, and a survey of PPP members with 30 percent. The party did not disclose the percentage of votes each contender received.Since Yoon, Hong and Yoo were expected to make it to the final four, the remaining five contenders comp

Oct 8, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Opposition party narrows down contenders

Will Seongnam land development scandal face special probe?

People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok, right, speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly, Thursday. The backdrop reads "The one who refuses a special probe is the culprit," referring to a land development scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, which is suspected to involve Democratic Party of Korea presidential contender Lee Jae-myung. Joint Press CorpsBy Nam Hyun-wooThe main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is escalating its demands for an independent counsel's investigation into a land development scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, targeting Lee Jae-myung, the leading presidential contender of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Lee was mayor of the city in 2015 when the development project was initiated. However, the chances of this taking place appear slim, as it requires either an agreement with the DPK, which holds a super-majority in the National Assembly, or with President Moon Jae-in. The DPK is refusing to discuss appointing a special counsel, while Moon is striving to keep a neutral stance in order to avoid making comments that could affect

Oct 7, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Will Seongnam land development scandal face special probe?

Hong Joon-pyo, outspoken 'strongman' seeking second presidential bid

Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, a presidential contender of the conservative main opposition People Power Party, speaks during a campaign event held at the party's regional branch in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Monday. YonhapThis article is the fourth in a series on the major presidential contenders' leadership styles, campaign promises, strengths and weaknesses, as well as career histories ― ED.By Jung Da-minThe rise of five-term lawmaker Rep. Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) as a strong presidential contender for the next presidential election, slated for next March, is rather unexpected, considering that former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl had long been topping polls of potential presidential candidates and it was once thought Hong's golden opportunity had already passed, political watchers said. Since early September, Hong has been surpassing Yoon in some popularity polls on potential presidential candidates of the main opposition party.Both Hong and Yoon are prosecutors-turned-politicians but unlike Yoon, a political rookie who just en

Oct 7, 2021
Hong Joon-pyo, outspoken 'strongman' seeking second presidential bid

Yoon accused of ties to anal acupuncture specialist

Yoon Seok-youl / YonhapYoon Seok-youl, the leading opposition presidential candidate, has increasingly faced questions about superstitious or unscientific beliefs, this time over his alleged ties to an anal acupuncture specialist that he claims to have no knowledge of.The allegation surfaced Tuesday during the sixth TV debate among presidential contenders of the main opposition People Power Party, when one of Yoon's competitors, former Rep. Yoo Seong-min, asked him if he has met someone "known to perform acupuncture on a strange and particular area." Yoon replied he had not.The subject was likely a sore point for Yoon because only days earlier he had come under intense criticism for displaying the Chinese character for "king" on his palm, showing what his opponents described as an utter disregard for the democratic system and a reliance on superstition.The latest fodder appeared in footage from an event in June, in which the self-professed acupuncture specialist is seen walking next to Yoon.Yoo's campaign reprised the attack on Wednesday, issuing a statement asking "what is Yoon tryi

Oct 7, 2021
Yoon accused of ties to anal acupuncture specialist

Calling for special probe into land development scandal

People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Lee Jun-seok, second from left, holds a sign calling for an investigation by an independent special counsel into a land development scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, during a rally at the National Assembly, Wednesday. Ruling Democratic Party of Korea presidential contender Lee Jae-myung was mayor of Seongnam at the time of the development project in 2015, and the PPP is demanding an investigation targeting his role in the scandal. Yonhap

Oct 6, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Calling for special probe into land development scandal

President's new car

President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook test drive a Hyundai Casper vehicle at Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday. Moon purchased the micro SUV on Sept. 14 for use after he leaves office. The Casper was assembled by Gwangju Global Motors, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor and Gwangju Metropolitan Government, with Hyundai building the car factory and the central and regional governments covering financial and welfare support packages for workers. It is one of the outcomes of Moon's job creation pledges. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae

Oct 6, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
President's new car

Yoon Seok-youl accused of belittling women

By Jung Da-minFormer Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, the current frontrunner among the main opposition People Power Party's presidential hopefuls, prepares for a TV debate at a local broadcaster's studio on Seoul's Yeouido, Tuesday. Joint Press CorpsFormer Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, the frontrunner among presidential contenders of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), has again come under fire for a comment widely viewed as unfairly stereotyping women.During a TV debate among presidential contenders of the PPP, Tuesday, Yoon's rival contenders attacked him regarding a controversy over having the Chinese character for “king” written on his palm during three previous debates. They have raised suspicions that he is relying on shamanistic rituals to stay ahead in the presidential bid, suggesting the character might have a ritualistic meaning.When asked by former four-term lawmaker Yoo Seong-min if Yoon himself or his family members often meet with fortune-tellers or monks, Yoon said: “I rarely meet those people. I am not sure about my mother-in-law's

Oct 6, 2021
Yoon Seok-youl accused of belittling women

Investigators look into spy chief over meddling in presidential election politics

National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won / Korea Times fileThe state anti-corruption investigation office said Wednesday it has opened a probe into National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won over allegations of political meddling ahead of the March presidential race.The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) announced that it booked Park on Tuesday on charges of allegedly violating the National Intelligence Service Act and the Public Official Election Act. Park has been accused by Yoon Seok-youl, former prosecutor general and a leading presidential contender of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), and his campaign team of colluding with two others in tipping off online news outlet Newsverse for a supposed series of hit pieces on Yoon. The outlet has reported a series of stories alleging that a prosecutor previously under Yoon secretly asked the PPP, just before the general elections in April 2020, to file a complaint against three pro-government figures for their alleged involvement in damning news reports about Yoon's wife.In a

Oct 6, 2021
Investigators look into spy chief over meddling in presidential election politics
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