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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.

Ex-Prosecutor General Yoon flatly dismisses political meddling allegations

Ex-Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl speaks to reporters during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press CorpsYoon Seok-youl, the front-running opposition presidential contender, on Wednesday once again denied allegations that he tried to meddle in politics while he was the chief prosecutor, branding the claims a "political maneuver" intended to overturn his lead in the race.The suspicion implies that Yoon, who served as prosecutor general from 2019 to March 2021, prodded the main opposition party to lodge criminal complaints against several pro-government figures ahead of the parliamentary elections in April last year, possibly to influence the polls. Yoon has denied the suspicion since it was first raised by local news outlet Newsverse last week. The allegations are based on "dubious documents whose source and author are nonexistent," Yoon said during a hastily called press conference at the National Assembly."It is such a pity that political maneuver and propaganda such as this should be mobilized every election season," he said.The reaction cam

Sep 8, 2021

Expert discussion on 'fake news' bill faces complications

Members of a consultative body created by the country's two major parties hold its first meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday, to review details of the ruling party's contentious revision bill to penalize publishers of alleged “fake news.” Joint Press CorpsBy Jung Da-minA consultative body created by the country's two major parties held its first meeting, Wednesday, to discuss details of the ruling party's contentious revision bill to penalize publishers of alleged “fake news.” The likelihood of the body reaching an agreement, however, appears slim as the participants have clearly different opinions on the issue. Wide speculation is that they will end up with no results and the clash between the parties will resume ahead of the planned National Assembly plenary vote on the bill on Sept. 27.The eight-member consultative body is comprised of four lawmakers, two each from the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP), and four media experts, two recommended by each party.The DPK an

Sep 8, 2021
Expert discussion on 'fake news' bill faces complications

Ruling party presses Yoon over political meddling scandal

Yoon Seok-youl, the main opposition People Power Party's presidential contender and former prosecutor general, speaks during a press conference in western Seoul, Sept. 7. YonhapThe floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Wednesday ratcheted up pressure on the front-running opposition presidential contender over a snowballing political meddling scandal allegedly involving him. "People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Seok-youl should apologize to the public and put himself up for investigation with sincerity," DP floor leader Rep. Yun Ho-jung said in his parliamentary speech marking the opening of a regular legislative session.Suspicions have grown that Yoon, who served as prosecutor general from 2019 to March 2021, prodded the main opposition party to lodge criminal complaints against several pro-government figures ahead of the parliamentary elections in April last year, possibly to influence the polls.Yoon resigned from office in March and joined the main opposition PPP as the front-running conservative presidential contender. The DP floor leader accused Yoon of "going f

Sep 8, 2021
Ruling party presses Yoon over political meddling scandal

Ex-Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon declares presidential bid as independent

Former Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon speaks during his online announcement that he will run for presidency as an independent. YonhapFormer Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon officially announced Wednesday he will run in the presidential election slated for March as an independent."We can create a nation where opportunities flow like a river if we can collect our strength with the people," Kim said in a pre-recorded speech announcing his presidential candidacy uploaded on YouTube.Calling for a change of today's political and power establishments, the former career bureaucrat stressed the need to completely overhaul the nation into a "republic of opportunities" from what he described as the current "republic of the privileged."Describing his campaign as a "political startup," Kim said he envisions amending the Constitution to scale down the power and authority of the presidency, limit consecutive terms of legislators and introduce a recall election system to strengthen people's power over elected officials. Having served as a life-long bureaucrat, mostly in economy and budget-related area

Sep 8, 2021
Ex-Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon declares presidential bid as independent

Gyeonggi Governor Lee cleared of corruption charges over football club

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung / YonhapPolice on Tuesday cleared Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung of charges of pressuring businesses to provide money to a pro-football club formerly headed by him. The leading candidate competing in the presidential primary of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) was probed by the Bundang Police Station in Seongnam, south of Seoul, after his electoral rival filed a complaint against him before the local elections in June 2018.The now-defunct Bareunmirae Party claimed that Lee, then mayor of the Seongnam City and owner of its football club Seongnam FC, pressured large companies based in the city to pay a total of 16 billion won ($13.8 million) in advertisement fees to the K-League 1 club in exchange for business favors.Lee, who served as Seongnam mayor from 2010 to 2018, denied the allegations.The Bundang police said they decided not to press the charge against him, citing insufficient evidence. The police began the probe in earnest in October 2020 after dealing with other charges of election law violations also raised by the party

Sep 7, 2021
Gyeonggi Governor Lee cleared of corruption charges over football club

Creating jobs for young people

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, right, poses with participants of an event marking the government's job creation project for young people, held at KT's technology convergence research center in southern Seoul, Tuesday. As the first company to participate in the project, KT announced its plan to hire 12,000 young people over the next three years. Yonhap

Sep 7, 2021
Creating jobs for young people

Metro unions plan walkout next week; PM calls for settlement over restructuring measure

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Seoul, Sept. 7. YonhapPrime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on Tuesday asked subway unions of Seoul and four other major cities to refrain from staging a planned walkout next week, saying it will seriously disrupt the public transportation service."The people will likely experience great inconvenience and disruption if subways' operation gets interrupted ahead of the fall harvest Chuseok holiday," Kim said during a Cabinet meeting held at the government office complex in Seoul. This year's Chuseok holiday is set for Sept. 20-22.The labor union of Seoul Metro, the operator of the Seoul subway system, has warned it will go on strike from Sept. 14 if the company does not withdraw its plan to lay off workers as part of restructuring measures.Labor unions of the Incheon, Busan, Daegu and Daejeon metro operators have also pledged to join the strike. "Every group has its own reasoning and difficulty, but I ask (the metro unions) to remember that subways essentially serve as the legs for the fatigued ordinary peop

Sep 7, 2021
Metro unions plan walkout next week; PM calls for settlement over restructuring measure

'Fake news' laws only in 'authoritarian countries:' International Press Institute

Rep. Choi Hyung-du of the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) speaks during a press conference held by seven media organizations in front of the main building of the National Assembly, Aug. 30, to protest the ruling party's push to revise a law to allow punitive damages against media outlets or reporters allegedly producing "fake news." The organizations view the bill as an attempt to prevent reports critical of those with political and economic power. Yonhap'Media reform bill should be completely withdrawn'By Jung Da-min The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, executives and journalists dedicated to the protection and promotion of media freedom, has called for the withdrawal of a bill being pushed by the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to punish media outlets producing alleged “fake news,” noting that many such laws are promulgated in “authoritarian countries.” “In recent years, there has been a rapid growth of so-called fake news laws around the world. Many of these laws have been passed in

Sep 6, 2021
'Fake news' laws only in 'authoritarian countries:' International Press Institute
  • President Moon unlikely to veto 'fake news' bill

Main opposition party torn apart even before primary

Main opposition People Power Party presidential contender Rep. Hong Joon-pyo visits a park in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Monday. YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooThe main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is being roiled by internal disputes even before starting its primary, as heavyweight contenders are failing to agree on the rules for choosing a single presidential candidate. Although the discord seemed solved temporarily and ostensibly resolved Sunday, expectations are that the party may face another feud soon over the details on how to measure each contender's competitiveness.The PPP's election committee unanimously decided to drop four of the 12 contenders in the first round of the primary. To do this, voting by party members will account for 20 percent and that by the general public, 80 percent. The ratio will be 30:70 in the second round, and 50:50 in the final round, respectively. In the final round, the poll will also ask which contender would be the most competitive against rivals from other parties in the actual presidential election.Initially, the party planned to reflect voting

Sep 6, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Main opposition party torn apart even before primary
  • Rep. Hong climbs to 3rd spot among contenders vying for next presidency

Self-employed people to hold drive-through protests against COVID-19 restrictions

This Aug. 25 file photo shows police stopping a car attached with a banner calling for a boycott of social distancing rules during small business owners' drive-through rally in Busan. Self-employed people plan to hold drive-through protests in several cities this week to call for eased COVID-19 restrictions. YonhapSelf-employed people in South Korea plan to hold drive-through protests in several cities this week to call for eased COVID-19 restrictions and more compensation, the organizer said Monday.About 3,000 members of an emergency committee of the self-employed and other online communities are expected to participate in the rallies scheduled to be held in nine regions nationwide Wednesday night, according to the group."Drive-through protests are a moderate way of expressing our opinion while not violating the Infectious Disease Control Prevention Act and the Assembly and Demonstration Act," the association said.It will be the third time for the committee to stage car protests. Hundreds of vehicles participated in protest parades in Seoul in July and in the southeastern city of Bu

Sep 6, 2021
Self-employed people to hold drive-through protests against COVID-19 restrictions
  • Nearly 60% of Koreans support shift to 'living with COVID-19' strategy: poll
  • Calls growing for 'live with COVID-19' strategy
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