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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.

Lee Jae-myung criticizes Yoon's 'selective' justice

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung prepares for an online press conference explaining his presidential pledges at a hotel in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, Friday, a day after officially announcing his presidential bid. YonhapLee, Yoon head-to-head in poll after announcing presidential bidsBy Kwon Mee-yooGyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung has emphasized "fairness" as the top priority among his presidential pledges, targeting Yoon Seok-youl, former Prosecutor General and leading presidential hopeful from the opposition bloc.Lee, who announced his presidential bid officially online Thursday, held an online press conference Friday to detail his pledges. Lee is a front-runner by a large margin among the ruling Democratic Party's (DPK) presidential contenders.Lee said restoring justice is the most important task, as it would open new opportunities in the efficient use of resources and turn crisis into opportunity.When asked about the prosecution's investigation into former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, Lee said the prosecution went overboard. Lee said that Korea's prosecution abu

Jul 2, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Lee Jae-myung criticizes Yoon's 'selective' justice

Korea proclaims 'industrial independence' from Japan

President Moon Jae-in speaks during an event to share the outcome of the government's initiative to achieve self-sufficiency in materials, parts and equipment at COEX convention hall in Gangnam District, Seoul, Friday. YonhapSeoul-Tokyo relations expected to stay chillyBy Nam Hyun-wooPresident Moon Jae-in said Friday Korea has made noticeable achievements in becoming self-sufficient in terms of key industrial materials, parts and equipment, implying that Japan's tactics to exert industrial influence by restricting exports towards Seoul over the two countries' historical disputes have been ineffective.“The country has been walking the path toward self-sufficiency in materials, parts and equipment for the past two years, in response to Japan's unfair export restrictions that began like an ambush,” Moon said during an event to share the outcomes of the government's initiative to achieve self-sufficiency in materials, parts and equipment at COEX convention hall in southern Seoul. “There have been concerns that the restriction will cause a heavy impact on our economy, bu

Jul 2, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Korea proclaims 'industrial independence' from Japan

Cheong Wa Dae faces growing doubts on vetting ranking officials

President Moon Jae-in hits a gavel during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, June 22. Courtesy of Cheong Wa DaePresidential office under fire for overlooking public sentiment on real estate, fairnessBy Nam Hyun-wooCheong Wa Dae is being subject to unrelenting criticism over its system of vetting candidates to serve as President Moon Jae-in's aides, as a series of controversies has continued over the true qualifications of many of those selected. Causing greater problems is Cheong Wa Dae's insensitivity to public sentiment, as it persists in appointing secretaries and other top ranking officials despite knowing that their questionable backgrounds and real estate trading deals may trigger a public uproar. Kim Gi-pyo, former presidential secretary for anti-corruption / Korea Times fileSo far, five presidential aides have resigned over controversies related to their real estate deals. Marking the latest was Kim Gi-pyo, the presidential secretary for anti-corruption, who resigned June 27 as criticisms mounted over his real estate purchases, which were mostly financed with loans.Kim, who

Jul 2, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Cheong Wa Dae faces growing doubts on vetting ranking officials

Cheong Wa Dae secretary offers to resign after being indicted

Lee Gwang-cheol / YonhapA Cheong Wa Dae secretary to President Moon Jae-in offered to step down Thursday after being indicted on the charge of abuse of power in allegedly orchestrating an illegal exit ban on a former vice justice minister.Lee Gwang-cheol, secretary for civil affairs, also apologized to the people for "causing worries as a civil servant," while dismissing the indictment by the state prosecution service as a "very unjust and regrettable" decision. Lee's statement was made public by Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.Lee said he is resigning in consideration of the impact to his duties and potential burden on Moon's presidency.Earlier in the day, prosecutors in the Suwon District Prosecutors Office indicted him on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice.Lee is accused of colluding with other senior government officials to falsify official documents to prevent former Vice Minister Kim Hak-ui from leaving the country in March 2019. Moon earlier ordered a thorough investigation into allegations that Kim had received "sexual favors" arranged by a local b

Jul 1, 2021
Cheong Wa Dae secretary offers to resign after being indicted

Parliament passes bill on compensating COVID-19-related business losses

Lawmakers attend a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, July 1. YonhapThe National Assembly on Thursday approved a revision bill enabling the government's financial compensation for small business owners ravaged by COVID-19 business restrictions.The proposed revision of the Act on the Protection of and Support for Micro Enterprises was passed by the assembly's plenary meeting, opening the door for the government to recompense small merchants for business losses incurred by antivirus restrictions.The new law stipulates the government compensate owners of small enterprises through an objective evaluation by a relevant committee when they suffer business losses due to state-issued business restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of an infectious disease such as COVID-19. At the initiative of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), which advanced the bill, however, it has been formulated not to be applied retroactively, meaning business losses inflicted so far since the initial local COVID-19 outbreaks early last year will not be covered by the new law. Instead, the DP includ

Jul 1, 2021
Parliament passes bill on compensating COVID-19-related business losses

Gyeonggi governor vows to tackle inequality, unfairness

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, left, speaks during a press day event held by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in which its presidential contenders pledged a fair competition and answered questions regarding their policy promises, held at the Glad Hotel on Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. YonhapLee officially declares his presidential bid By Jung Da-minGyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung has launched his bid to become the next president vowing to tackle the inequality and unfairness he said were deeply rooted in Korean society. Lee, the front-runner among nine presidential contenders from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), officially announced his bid, Thursday, in a pre-recorded video released through online channels including YouTube and Facebook.He vowed to push forward a strong policy drive to revamp the country's stagnating economy, saying overcoming chronic problems of unfair practices and economic polarization would be his main agenda if he becomes the next president. The presidential election is slated for March 9.“Leading the economy is the r

Jul 1, 2021
Gyeonggi governor vows to tackle inequality, unfairness

KBS's plan to raise TV license fee draws criticism

KBS headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul / Korea Times fileBy Jun Ji-hyeKBS, the country's public television and radio network, is facing widespread criticism after its board of directors decided to seek to raise the monthly TV license fee to 3,800 won ($3.36) from the current 2,500 won. Objectors claimed that KBS doesn't deserve more money from viewers as it has not carried out its role as a public broadcaster properly.The TV license fee is a quasi-tax used to operate the public broadcaster, thus everyone must pay it even if they do not watch its channels and programs ― payment is included in electricity bills.On Wednesday, KBS's 11-member board passed the motion with nine in favor, one against and 1 abstention. The broadcaster is scheduled to submit the motion to the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) next week. After a review, the KCC must forward it to the National Assembly within 60 days, where it will be finalized if a plenary session votes in favor. After passing the motion, the board said in its statement, “The TV license fee has been frozen for the past 41 years. We agree

Jul 1, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
KBS's plan to raise TV license fee draws criticism

Sendbird appoints new CEO for Asia-Pacific region

Lee Sang-heeBy Lee Kyung-min Sendbird, Korea's first unicorn startup in the field of business-to-business transactions, has appointed Lee Sang-hee as CEO of its Asia-Pacific region headquarters overseeing the firm's Korean business.A unicorn refers to a privately held startup valued at over $1 billion (1.13 trillion won). The term was coined in 2013 with the mythical animal representing the statistical rarity of such successful ventures. Similarly, a decacorn is a word referring to startups valued at over $10 billion.Sendbird is a global leader in chat application programming interface (API), which is a program that receives requests from a client or user and passes them on for processing by a server or database.Lee joined Sendbird in 2015 after serving as a consultant at McKinsey & Company.He also played a key role with the firm's Series A funding, the first significant round of venture capital financing mostly concerning the development stage, and Series B funding, the next round of financing for a startup that has met certain milestones.Sendbird was recognized for its corporat

Jul 1, 2021By Lee Kyung-min
Sendbird appoints new CEO for Asia-Pacific region

Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung launches presidential bid

Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung visits the Seoul National Cemetery on July 1, the day he declared his presidential bid. YonhapGyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung officially launched his high-profile presidential campaign Thursday, pledging to alleviate inequality between the powerful and the weak.The front-runner by a wide margin among the nine contenders of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), Lee announced his bid to run in the March 9 presidential election through a prerecorded video, released on YouTube and other online platforms, in consideration of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "Through the politics of moderating the privilege and foul play-driven desires of the powerful and embracing the lives of the weak, (the country) must move toward a world of unity where everybody prospers together," Lee said. "Society has its future only when people or regions don't get to suffer a loss for abiding by the rules, the opportunities are fair, and a reasonable reward is given as the result of fair competition."Lee pinpointed growing inequality and social polarization in the nation, saying they hold back e

Jul 1, 2021
Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung launches presidential bid

Meeting with national leaders

President Moon Jae-in bumps fists with Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Kim Myeong-su during a meeting with the heads of the major national organizations at Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday. The presidential office said that Moon shared the outcomes of his recent trip to the Group of Seven Summit in the U.K., Austria and Spain with the attendees. From left are Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, Constitutional Court President Yoo Nam-seok, Chief Justice Kim, National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug and Moon. Yonhap

Jun 30, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Meeting with national leaders
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