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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.

Moon praises ascent of main opposition's new young chairman as historic feat

President Moon Jae-in on Friday congratulated Lee Jun-seok of the main opposition party on being elected as the youngest person ever to lead a major political party in modern Korean history, praising his win as a sign of transformation for the country. Lee, 36, was elected chairman of the People Power Party (PPP) earlier in the day, taking the helm of the main opposition party as the youngest-ever leader of a mainstream party in modern South Korean politics. Following the announcement of Lee's win, Moon spoke with the new PPP chairman on the phone to congratulate him for having "achieved a great feat," according to Park Soo-hyun, the president's senior secretary for public communication.Moon also told Lee that his victory would be remembered throughout the country's history of politics and that his election was a sign that South Korea was on a path of transformation.The president also asked Lee for the PPP's cooperation on pending issues amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, while acknowledging that political clashes between the PPP and the ruling Democratic Party would be unavoidabl

Jun 11, 2021
  • Lee Jun-seok's victory ushers Korean politics into new era

Lee Jun-seok wins surprise victory to head main opposition as youngest-ever leader

Lee Jun-seok, left, hails after being elected as the leader of the main opposition People Power Party at the party headquarters in Seoul, June 11. YonhapLee Jun-seok, a 36-year-old politician with no experience as a lawmaker, won a victory Friday to take the helm of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) as the youngest-ever leader of a mainstream party in modern South Korean politics.Lee was announced the victor in the party's convention to elect its new chairman to be in charge of steering the biggest conservative party through next year's presidential election in March. Lee secured 43.8 percent of the ballots cast online and by telephone by party members and private citizens from Monday-Thursday, defeating his four established senior rivals, including two high-profile former party floor leaders.With no record of serving a parliamentary term, Lee entered the PPP's leadership race as an underdog. Lee Jun-seok makes a speech after being elected as the leader of the main opposition People Power Party at the party headquarters in Seoul, June 11. YonhapBut his surprise ascent in o

Jun 11, 2021
Lee Jun-seok wins surprise victory to head main opposition as youngest-ever leader

State audit agency spurns PPP's request to inspect members' real estate dealings

Lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party submit a request to the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea to conduct an investigation into party lawmakers' potential illegal real estate purchases, Wednesday. YonhapThe Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea (BAI) on Thursday turned down the main opposition party's request to inspect all the party's sitting lawmakers for potential illegal real estate dealings in connection with a public sector land speculation scandal."BAI is informing (you) that we cannot carry out (the inspection)," the state agency said in an official response to the People Power Party (PPP), one day after the party submitted a letter requesting an investigation.Amid public uproar over a far-reaching real estate speculation scandal involving employees of the state land developer, the Korea Land Housing Corp. (LH), and other civil servants, the PPP asked the state audit agency to look into property dealings of all its 102 lawmakers.The request, however, came under criticism as BAI, upon hearing on the PPP's plan to submit it, warned on Wednesday that an insp

Jun 10, 2021
State audit agency spurns PPP's request to inspect members' real estate dealings

'Lee Jun-seok effect' increases calls for generational shift in politics

Candidates running in the main opposition People Power Party's chairmanship election, including Lee Jun-seok, right, pose before their online debate in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooA generational shift in politics appears to be looming as young politicians are becoming increasingly vocal, refusing to stand in the shadows of high-profile veteran lawmakers. Political watchers believe that the phenomenon reflects a strong desire for change in Korean politics among voters who are fed up with the old guard. Lee Jun-seok, a 36-year-old former member of the main opposition People Power Party's Supreme Council who has never won a seat at the National Assembly, has been at the forefront of the new wave and is also the strongest candidate to be the PPP's next leader, according to public opinion polls. He is running against former PPP floor leaders Na Kyung-won and Joo Ho-young. Na is a former four-term lawmaker and Joo is a five-term Assemblyman.Within the ruling party, Rep. Park Yong-jin of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), a two-term lawmaker who is regarded as a leading figure

Jun 10, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
'Lee Jun-seok effect' increases calls for generational shift in politics

Lawmaker apologizes for using BTS photos to promote her tattoo bill

Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the progressive minor Justice Party / Korea Times fileRep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the progressive minor Justice Party apologized Thursday for using photos of BTS member Jungkook to promote her bill on legalizing tattooing. "I want to give my apology if there were people hurt (by the action)," Ryu told a radio program by local broadcaster MBC. "As a fan of BTS myself, I hated their acts of artistic expression getting restricted," the lawmaker noted.Ryu came under heat for uploading photos of Jungkook on her Twitter account on Tuesday to promote her bill on legalizing tattooing by non-medical workers. The Medical Service Act currently allows only those with a medical license to provide tattoo services. "Remove the Band-Aid from the body of BTS," Ryu said in the Twitter messages carrying photos of Jungkook being on a TV show with a bandage covering his tattooed finger.The posting immediately provoked the ire of BTS fans, who accused the lawmaker of unfairly dragging the star into politics to advance her political interest. Angry fans flooded Ryu's Twitter account with call

Jun 10, 2021
Lawmaker apologizes for using BTS photos to promote her tattoo bill
  • Lawmaker's use of BTS photo to promote bill on legalizing tattooing draws backlash

Lawmaker's use of BTS photo to promote bill on legalizing tattooing draws backlash

Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the progressive minor Justice Party / Korea Times filePhotos of BTS member Jungkook, uploaded to promote a bill on legalizing tattooing, have provoked the ire of BTS fans who say a lawmaker has unfairly dragged the K-pop star into politics. Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the progressive minor Justice Party posted several photos of Jungkook on her Twitter account Tuesday, including some showing the star on a TV show with a bandaid covering his tattooed finger. "Remove the bandaid from the body of BTS," Ryu said in the Twitter post, introducing her legislative initiative to legalize tattooing by non-medical workers. Tattooing is currently governed by the Medical Service Act that only allows those with a medical license to provide tattoo services. "Have you seen a bandaid plastered on the body of an artist you love? This ugly scene, uniquely rampant in Korean broadcasting, is designed to cover up tattoos," Ryu wrote. "Tattooing (by non-medical workers) is still illegal (here) ... Korea has turned its back on 'K-tattoo' at a time when the population of people with tattoos reac

Jun 9, 2021
Lawmaker's use of BTS photo to promote bill on legalizing tattooing draws backlash
  • Lawmaker apologizes for using BTS photos to promote her tattoo bill

Calls for women's mandatory military service lose momentum following sexual assault revelations

Defense Minister Suh wok, facing front row, third from left, attends a session of the National Assembly's Defense Committee at the Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Jung Da-min The recent debate on mandatory military service for women has all but disappeared, following the suicide of a female Air Force non-commissioned officer last month after her report of a sexual assault was allegedly covered up. Critics say the military's macho hierarchical culture is to blame for this and other ongoing sex crimes, many of which go unreported. The decades-long debate on women's mandatory service had again been brought up by some presidential hopefuls after the April 7 by-elections, in which the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), which took the mayoral seats of the country's two biggest cities, Seoul and Busan.After a large percentage of men in their 20s voted for opposition party candidates seemingly being the most dissatisfied with government policies, the two major parties and their presid

Jun 9, 2021
Calls for women's mandatory military service lose momentum following sexual assault revelations

Lawmaker pays fine for elderly cardboard collector

Rep. Kang Sun-woo of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea speaks during a session at the National Assembly, Seoul, in this Nov. 6, 2020 photo. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Rep. Kang Sun-woo of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea has paid a fine on behalf of an elderly man collecting cardboard to make ends meet, after he was penalized for causing damage to an Audi sedan. The 67-year-old man accidentally scratched the Audi vehicle, which was parked on a sidewalk, while dragging his handcart loaded with waste paper and folded boxes in Dong District, Daejeon, June 17, 2020. He was charged with inflicting 1 million won ($900) in property damages and put on trial.In May of this year, the Daejeon District Court ordered the man to pay a 300,000-won fine. The court took into consideration his circumstances of suffering from financial difficulties and having a mental disability, but concluded that the fine was inevitable as the car owner wanted punishment.Rep. Kang, who represents the constituency of Gangseo District, Seoul, offered to pay the fine for the man, according to her office

Jun 9, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Lawmaker pays fine for elderly cardboard collector

Ruling party demands 12 lawmakers quit over speculation allegations

Rep. Yun Ho-jung, center, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Jung Da-minThe ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) demanded 12 of its lawmakers leave the party, Tuesday, a day after they or their family members were accused of alleged real estate speculation by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC). The move was in response to an earlier pledge to take strong action if any real estate speculation ― even allegations ― was uncovered involving its members, and followed a speculation scandal involving employees of the Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH).“During an earlier party convention, we pledged the party would sternly deal with any speculation, and the Supreme Council members today held a discussion and decided to demand all 12 leave the party,” DPK spokesman Rep. Koh Yong-jin said. He said the party decided not to wait until the results of an investigation came out, because the public anger over housing and land speculation issues is so huge, an

Jun 8, 2021
Ruling party demands 12 lawmakers quit over speculation allegations

Daegu mayor apologizes for controversial bid to import Pfizer vaccines

Mayor Kwon Young-jin speaks during a press conference at Daegu City Hall in Daegu, June 8. YonhapThe mayor of Daegu offered an apology on Tuesday for causing a "big stir" over the southeastern city's recent bid to import a massive amount of Pfizer vaccines that turned out to be fake.Mayor Kwon Young-jin apologized to Daegu citizens and the whole nation in a news conference, saying his city's attempt to arrange for the South Korean government to buy 30 million doses of Pfizer vaccines from abroad was made out of good will.The incident dates back to May 31, when Kwon told reporters that a foreign trading company contacted by an association of medical institutions in Daegu can provide 30 million Pfizer doses for the South Korean government in three weeks.Kwon said he had delivered the vaccine import proposal to the central government. But the Ministry of Health and Welfare concluded days later that the Pfizer vaccine proposal from Daegu was not trustworthy, while Pfizer Korea also raised questions about the foreign trading company, saying its vaccines are not provided through an interme

Jun 8, 2021
Daegu mayor apologizes for controversial bid to import Pfizer vaccines
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