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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.

Rival parties' leading contenders in tight race for president, poll shows

From left, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung, and Rep. Lee Nak-yon / YonhapTwo leading contenders in South Korea's presidential race ― Yoon Seok-youl and Lee Jae-myung ― are still neck and neck, with the election less than seven months away, a survey showed Monday.In the two-day poll on 1,007 voters nationwide through last Saturday by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI), former Prosecutor General Yoon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) had 29.8 percent of support, down 0.8 percentage point from a week earlier.Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) gained 0.6 percentage point to 26.8 percent, according to the survey on who is "suitable" to become the country's next president. The election is slated for March 9, 2022.Rep. Lee Nak-yon, former head of the DP, ranked third with 12.4 percent, down 0.5 percentage point, followed by Rep. Hong Joon-pyo of the PPP. Hong's rating rose 1.1 percentage points to 8.4 percent.President Moon Jae-in's approval rating climbed 0.7 percentage point to 39.5 percent, w

Aug 23, 2021
Rival parties' leading contenders in tight race for president, poll shows

Top nuclear envoys of South Korea, US hold talks on North Korea diplomacy

Seoul's chief nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, left, and the U.S. special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim / YonhapThe top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States held talks in Seoul on Monday to discuss joint efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea amid renewed tensions with Pyongyang over the allies' ongoing military exercise.The talks between Seoul's chief nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, and the U.S. special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, came as Seoul and Washington have been exploring ways to encourage Pyongyang's return to dialogue through humanitarian initiatives and other means."I'm grateful to have this opportunity to engage you and other senior members of the Korean government at this important time," Kim said at the start of the talks."I think my visit here is another indication of Washington's determination to maintain the closest possible cooperation with the Republic of Korea government on all issues related to North Korea," he added.Noh expressed hope that the two sides can discuss a "flexible and creative" way to advance Seoul's efforts for c

Aug 23, 2021
Top nuclear envoys of South Korea, US hold talks on North Korea diplomacy
  • Vice unification minister to hold high-level consultations with US nuclear envoy

'Fake news' law revision draws concern from international journalists

A statement is posted on the website of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Friday, regarding Korea's planned amendment of the Press Arbitration Act. Captured from the IFJ websiteBy Kwon Mee-yooA number of international media organizations have shown concerns over the Korean liberal ruling party's push to amend a law to impose punitive damages on media outlets and reporters for producing “fake news,” which they say may curtail freedom of expression. Despite mounting calls to scrap the plan, the revision is very likely to go through, as the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which holds a supermajority in the National Assembly, remains firm with its plans to pass the revision bill in the Assembly's Aug. 25 plenary session.As a preliminary step before the plenary session review, DPK members of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of the Assembly approved the bill, last Thursday. A day after the committee's endorsement, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) released a statement Friday, calling for the repeal of the bill, which "represses

Aug 22, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
'Fake news' law revision draws concern from international journalists

Former finance minister's presidential bid expected to be game-changer

Former Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon visits a traditional market in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province, Friday, after announcing his bid to run in the presidential election. YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooFormer Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon, who announced his presidential bid recently, is expected to shake up the presidential election next year, as he will likely appeal to uncommitted voters who account for a significant portion of the country's electorate, despite Korea's decades-long political structure, based on two dominant parties. Kim held a press conference in his hometown of Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province, Friday, and announced that he will run for the presidential election in next March. “There are many contenders whose presence is like that of a conglomerate or a medium-sized company, but I will begin my campaign with the mindset of starting a venture company,” said Kim, who served as the country's finance minister. “I don't want to piggyback on the conventional political community.” Kim served as the deputy prime minister an

Aug 22, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Former finance minister's presidential bid expected to be game-changer

Seoul FM, US envoy discuss ways to resume Korean peace process: ministry

U.S. special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim / YonhapForeign Minister Chung Eui-yong met with U.S. special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, on Sunday and discussed ways to reactivate the stalled Korean Peninsula peace process at an early date, the foreign ministry said.The ministry did not provide further details of the meeting that took place at Chung's residence.Kim arrived in Seoul on Saturday for talks with his South Korean and Russian counterparts as they seek North Korea's return to dialogue amid renewed tensions over the ongoing military exercise between Seoul and Washington."I'm looking forward to very close consultations with our Korean government colleagues," Kim told reporters Saturday upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul.On Monday, Kim is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Seoul's top nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, to discuss how to achieve substantive progress in the efforts for the complete denuclearization and the establishment of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry has said. (Yonhap)

Aug 22, 2021
Seoul FM, US envoy discuss ways to resume Korean peace process: ministry

Gyeonggi Gov. Lee pledges to meet with Biden, Kim Jong-un to broker denuclearization deal

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung holds a press conference on his Korean Peninsula peace policy at the residence of late President Kim Dae-jung in Seoul on Aug. 22, 2021. YonhapGyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung, the front-runner in the ruling Democratic Party's presidential primary race, pledged Sunday to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to broker a step-by-step deal to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue.In a press conference on his Korean Peninsula peace policy, Lee said it was "realistic" and "practical" for both Pyongyang and Washington to "seek an agreement and implementation of denuclearization in a phased and synchronized" method."The likelihood of success by pushing the North to abandon its nukes first or seeking a package settlement through a so-called big deal is slim," Lee said at the press conference held at the residence of late President Kim Dae-jung in Seoul. Lee vowed to come up with concrete means to conditionally lift sanctions and pursue a phased and synchronized denuclearization approach, then "meet with U.S. President

Aug 22, 2021
Gyeonggi Gov. Lee pledges to meet with Biden, Kim Jong-un to broker denuclearization deal

US considers American bases in Korea housing site for Afghan evacuees: report

Afghan refugees, who fled Afghanistan in 1996, hold a poster as they attend a rally in front of the US Embassy in Bishkek, on August 19, 2021. AFP-YonhapThe United States is considering using American military bases in South Korea as one of the housing sites for evacuees from Afghanistan, along with other overseas bases, including those in Japan, the Wall Street Journal has reported.The Pentagon is "looking at American bases in Japan, Korea, Germany, Kosovo, Bahrain and Italy" as existing housing sites in Qatar and elsewhere are filling up quickly, the paper reported Saturday (U.S. time), citing unidentified officials.The report also said the White House is expected to consider activating the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to have major U.S. airlines help with efforts to transport tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees from bases in the region.Dulles International Airport, outside of Washington, D.C., is expected to become the central processing site for a surge of Afghan evacuees, it said.The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), however, said, "To date, USFK has not been tasked to provide temporary hou

Aug 22, 2021
US considers American bases in Korea housing site for Afghan evacuees: report
  • Europe fears Afghan refugee crisis after Taliban takeover
  • Angelina Jolie shares letter from Afghan girl in first Instagram post
  • Biden hopes to end Afghan airlift on time as Taliban blame US for chaos

Democratic Party's presidential hopefuls launch online campaign in metaverse camp

Six presidential hopefuls from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) have embarked on a collective online campaign following the opening ceremony of their metaverse camp last week. YonhapSix presidential hopefuls from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) have embarked on a collective online campaign following the opening ceremony of their metaverse camp last week.Metaverse, a combination of meta (meaning beyond) and verse (from universe), refers to a three-dimensional virtual shared world in which all activities can take place with the help of augmented- and virtual-reality services.The DP has leased parts of "Metropolis," a metaverse program developed by South Korea's app-based home-finding platform Zigbang Co., to help each of the six candidates conduct an online election campaign without time and space restrictions.The six candidates ― Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung, ex-DP chief Lee Nak-yon, ex-Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, ex-Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, Rep. Kim Doo-gwan and Rep. Park Yong-jin ― participated in the opening ceremony Friday from their offices and other places, while DP Chair

Aug 22, 2021
Democratic Party's presidential hopefuls launch online campaign in metaverse camp

Ex-President Chun diagnosed with blood cancer: sources

Former President Chun Doo-hwan, who seized power in a 1979 coup, leaves his home in western Seoul to attend his appellate court hearing on a defamation case in Gwangju, Aug. 9. YonhapFormer President Chun Doo-hwan has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday. The 90-year-old former military strongman has been hospitalized in Yonsei Severance Hospital in western Seoul since he returned from a 660-kilometer round trip to the southwestern city of Gwangju to attend an appellate court hearing on a defamation case. The gaunt-looking Chun appeared at the Gwangju District Court's appellate division Aug. 9 and left the courtroom only 25 minutes after the hearing began citing breathing difficulties. He answered some of the judge's questions with the help of his wife and was seen dozing off."(Chun) has been in bad health for a while," his close aide told Yonhap News by phone. "He is expected to be hospitalized for a while." Last November, the Gwangju District Court sentenced Chun to eight months in pri

Aug 21, 2021
Ex-President Chun diagnosed with blood cancer: sources

Moon orders officials to earmark ample vaccine funds in 2022 state budget

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in on Friday ordered top officials to earmark sufficient funds related to COVID-19 vaccines in next year's state budget, Cheong Wa Dae said.After receiving a briefing from Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki on next year's budget blueprint, Moon instructed financial authorities to be fully ready in terms of the coronavirus response by drawing up a vaccine-related budget that is ample in size, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said."It appears that the vaccine procurement budget is earmarked sufficiently, but there are lots of factors, such as the potential appearance of a new variant virus type and lowering of the inoculation age," Moon was quoted as saying while instructing the officials.According to Park, the president underscored the need to draw up emergency funds to deal with the unprecedented virus crisis but also highlighted the need to work toward a balance between expansionary fiscal policy and financial sustainability.Moon also pointed out the need to reserve funds for seasonal management of coal power plants and carbon neutr

Aug 20, 2021
Moon orders officials to earmark ample vaccine funds in 2022 state budget
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