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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.

Declaring presidential bid

Rep. Park Jin from the conservative main opposition People Power Party declares his presidential bid at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. He vowed to advance the country's politics, accomplish economic growth by creating more jobs and improve the alliance with the U.S. Yonhap

Jul 13, 2021
Declaring presidential bid

Opposition leader under fire for flip-flopping on COVID relief fund

Lee Jun-seok, left, chairman of the main opposition People Power Party, answers questions from reporters at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooLee Jun-seok, chairman of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), is in the hot seat for backpedaling in less than two hours on an agreement with his ruling party counterpart to provide COVID-19 relief money to all citizens. On Monday, ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Song Young-gil and Lee met and agreed to provide emergency relief funds to all citizens regardless of their financial status, according to their respective spokespeople. The government and the ruling party had initially decided to provide the relief money only to those outside the top-20 percent income bracket.However, the agreement was short-lived as PPP spokeswoman Hwangbo Seung-hee corrected her previous wording, saying the two leaders agreed to review the need to first use the extra budget to expand support for pandemic-hit small business owners and, if there is money left over, review the need to expand the handouts to a

Jul 13, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
Opposition leader under fire for flip-flopping on COVID relief fund

Moon taps former judge as vice justice minister

Kang Sung-kookPresident Moon Jae-in on Tuesday nominated Kang Sung-kook, a former judge currently serving as a senior justice ministry official, as his new vice justice minister, Cheong Wa Dae said.Kang, head of the ministry's legal affairs bureau, will fill the vacancy left when former Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu resigned in early June after he was embroiled in a controversy over his unpunished assault of a taxi driver last year, according to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Kang's term will begin Wednesday.Kang previously served as a judge and then later practiced private law after joining a law firm in 2015. He was hired as the head of the ministry's legal affairs bureau last year.Park said that Kang is expected to actively tackle key ministry tasks backed by his deep understanding of the ministry's overall affairs and legal expertise.The nomination is in line with the Moon administration's personnel philosophy of excluding former prosecutors at key posts within the justice ministry. Kang's predecessor was the first vice minister who had no previous experience in th

Jul 13, 2021
Moon taps former judge as vice justice minister

Main opposition lawmaker tests positive for COVID-19

Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig of the main opposition People Power Party / Korea Times fileA sitting lawmaker affiliated with the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, party officials said. Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig based in the southern coastal city of Tongyeong was confirmed to have contracted the new coronavirus after attending a meeting last week with a journalist who tested positive for the virus, PPP floor leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon said. "Jeong attended a meeting of (PPP) lawmakers representing South Gyeongsang Province last Thursday, and a journalist who attended the same meeting was later found to be a COVID-19 patient," Kim said during a meeting of the party's floor leadership. Some of the other PPP lawmakers who attended the meeting have tested negative so far, he said, calling for preemptive self-quarantine measures for PPP members who came in contact with Jeong through various routes.Jeong is the first PPP lawmaker who has tested positive for COVID-19. Two lawmakers affiliated with the ruling Democratic Party tested positive in April and June, as

Jul 13, 2021
Main opposition lawmaker tests positive for COVID-19

Presidential hopefuls begin seeking campaign funding

Lee Seok-joon, right, former minister for government policy coordination who is now an aide to former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, submits Yoon's application to register as a preliminary presidential candidate at the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooRunning for the presidency requires not only qualifications and strong support ― it requires money, and lots of it. With the National Election Commission (NEC) beginning to receive registrations by preliminary candidates for the presidential election slated for March 9 next year, presidential hopefuls' have also begun seeking financing for their campaigns.Those registered as preliminary candidates will enjoy several advantages in their election campaigns over those who are not, such as being able to hire camp staff and send out campaign leaflets. The registration for final candidacy will take place from Feb. 13 to 14, which will be followed by an official full-scale campaign period.Among major candidates, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who is viewed as the leading o

Jul 12, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Presidential hopefuls begin seeking campaign funding

Opposition leader meets Chinese envoy

Lee Jun-seok, right, chief of the main opposition People Power Party, shakes hands with Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Xing Haiming at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday, during the latter's courtesy call to celebrate Lee's election as the opposition leader. After the meeting, Lee said to reporters that he told Xing he expects China to meet international standards in social systems and democratic values. Yonhap

Jul 12, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Opposition leader meets Chinese envoy

Moon's approval rebounds back to above 40 percent for 1st time since early March: poll

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in's job approval rating climbed back to above 40 percent for the first time in 18 weeks, thanks to increased support from 30-something voters and independents, a poll showed Monday.In the survey conducted by Realmeter on 2,519 people over the age of 18 from July 5-9, Moon's job approval rating was recorded at 41.1 percent, up 3.1 percentage points from the previous week.The result marked Moon's highest performance in public polls since the 40.1 percent figure in the first week of March, just before the administration was hit by a massive real estate speculation scandal involving public officials at Korea Land and Housing Corp.The president saw his approval grow especially strong among those in their 30s and independent voters, up 13.5 percentage points and 9.1 percentage points, respectively, according to the survey.The approval rating of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) also climbed 3.3 percentage points to 32.9 percent, while the rating for the main opposition People Power Party slid 0.6 percentage point to 37.1 percent.The poll sho

Jul 12, 2021
Moon's approval rebounds back to above 40 percent for 1st time since early March: poll

Ruling party narrows lineup of presidential contenders down to 6

The six contenders who will run for the second round of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) presidential primary pose after making it through the first round at the party's headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul, Sunday. From left are Rep. Kim Du-kwan, Rep. Park Yong-jin, former DPK Chairman Lee Nak-yon, former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung and former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooThe ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) narrowed down the list of its presidential contenders to six in the first round of the party's primary, Sunday.The six presidential hopefuls of the ruling party are former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, former DPK Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon, Rep. Park Yong-jin and Rep. Kim Du-kwan, after two candidates ― Gangwon Province Governor Choi Moon-soon and South Chungcheong Province Governor Yang Seung-jo ― did not make the cut.There were originally nine contenders, but Rep. Lee Kwang-jae agreed to throw his support behind Chung on Jul

Jul 11, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Ruling party narrows lineup of presidential contenders down to 6

Opposition chief draws backlash for calling unification ministry 'useless'

People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok, right, speaks during a preparatory meeting for the party's primary to select its presidential candidate at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Friday. YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooLee Jun-seok, chairman of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), stirred up controversy by calling for the dismantlement of South Korea's Ministry of Unification, which is in charge of dealing with North Korea.Lee claimed recently that ministries that have been failing to show results should be abolished, singling out the unification ministry as well as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. However, his comments have drawn strong backlash from not only the ruling bloc, but also Lee's own party, raising questions over his views on the reunification of the two Koreas.Lee first created a stir during an interview with CBS radio, Friday, saying he has “always been calling for the dismantlement of the unification and gender equality ministries.” He added, “The separation of the foreign affairs ministry and the unification ministry can be ineffi

Jul 11, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Opposition chief draws backlash for calling unification ministry 'useless'

Lawmakers criticized for planning overseas visit amid pandemic

The main building of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, is seen in this October, 2020, photo. Korea Times fileBy Jung Da-minFour lawmakers are facing searing criticism for planning a business trip to Europe when Korea is being overwhelmed by a fourth wave of mass COVID-19 infections.The lawmakers have yet to make a final decision on whether to push ahead with the trip, but they are likely to make the journey, according to an aide of Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun. Yoon heads the Korea-Latvia Parliamentary Friendship Group of the National Assembly and is one of the four lawmakers who is scheduled to visit Latvia and Lithuania for eight days from July 24 to 31.According to Yoon's aide, the three other lawmakers are Rep. Yoo Sung-kull, head of the Korea-Lithuania Parliamentary Friendship Group, and two Assemblymen who belong to each friendship group of Latvia and Lithuania, respectively. The aide refused to identify the two lawmakers.As soon as the lawmakers' planned trip became known, many people started questioning if the visit to the two European countries is necessary amid the worsening

Jul 11, 2021
Lawmakers criticized for planning overseas visit amid pandemic
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