South Korea - The Korea Times

Moon urges North Korea to return to negotiation table

President Moon Jae-in points at a journalist to take a question during a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae after a speech to mark his fourth anniversary of inauguration, Monday. YonhapPresident confident of 'November herd immunity' goal By Nam Hyun-wooPresident Moon Jae-in said Monday that the new North Korea policy developed by President Joe Biden's administration was “another chance” for Pyongyang to begin dialogue, pledging he will do his utmost to facilitate talks between the two Koreas and the U.S. “The U.S. consulted with the South Korean government on the policy from the beginning, in the belief that the prolonged breakdown in talks with the North is inappropriate,” Moon said during a press conference marking his fourth anniversary in office. “Though the new U.S. administration's North Korea policy has not been fully revealed, it is on the same page as our government.”Moon's remarks came amid the prolonged stalemate in the President's efforts to revive the “peace mood” on the Korean Peninsula after the failed Hanoi summit in 2019

May 10, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo

Moon urges North Korea to return to negotiation table

Moon vows speedy vaccinations, efforts for 4% economic growth

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a media conference at the Chunchugwan press room of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, May 10. YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in on Monday agreed to modify some of his real estate policies, calling them a main reason for voters' "severe punishment" for his party in recent local by-elections."(My government) has failed to achieve the aim of stabilizing property prices and (the party) received a severe punishment for that," Moon said during a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae held to mark the fourth anniversary of his inauguration.He picked the real estate problem when asked by a reporter what was the most "most regrettable" policy failure in the past four years.Moon's policy failures to curb runaway housing prices have been blamed for the ruling Democratic Party's crushing defeat in the April 7 Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections, a key barometer of voter sentiment ahead of next year's presidential election.Furthermore, he pointed out a corruption scandal erupted involving officials at the state housing developer, Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH).The president lik

May 10, 2021

Moon vows speedy vaccinations, efforts for 4% economic growth

Virus fight, North Korea policy to challenge Moon's final year in office

President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech during a policy briefing session on the scheme to create a 6GW floating offshore wind power complex by 2030, at the New Industrial Complex for 3D Printing in Ulsan, Thursday. YonhapPresident to deliver special speech to mark 4th anniversary in officeBy Jung Da-minWith just a year left before President Moon Jae-in's term ends in May 2022, his government is facing challenges on multiple fronts including the economy and diplomacy. Among the challenges are achieving herd immunity against the COVID-19 pandemic as soon as possible through its vaccination program, stabilizing the real estate market and reigniting Moon's now-stalemated “peace process” on the Korean Peninsula. Whether these are achieved will be a measure of the success of the administration, political watchers said Sunday, adding that this will also affect the presidential election slated for next March 9.Moon is set to deliver a special speech to the public, Monday, the fourth anniversary of his inauguration, and is expected to address his administration's policy achievemen

May 9, 2021

Virus fight, North Korea policy to challenge Moon's final year in office

Ruling party lawmaker Park Yong-jin declares bid for president

Rep. Park Yong-jin of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea / YonhapPark Yong-jin, a two-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party, announced Sunday he will run for president in next year's election, becoming the first person to officially declare his candidacy."I will achieve a change of era in the Republic of Korea through a generational change in politics," the 50-year-old said during a press conference held on the National Assembly compounds."I will create a happy nation and become a courageous and young president who stands up against unfairness and inequality," he said.Park recently made news for suggesting that South Korea replace its draft with a volunteer military system and require both women and men to receive basic military training for up to 100 days.He reiterated Sunday that he would work to make that happen if elected. (Yonhap)

May 9, 2021

Ruling party lawmaker Park Yong-jin declares bid for president

Former PM Lee Han-dong dies at 87

Lee Han-dongFormer Prime Minister Lee Han-dong died of a chronic disease Saturday at the age of 87, according to a close aide the same day. "The former prime minister died at his home at around noon," the aide told Yonhap News Agency.Lee served six terms as a lawmaker from 1981 to 2000 and as prime minister from 2000 to 2002 under then President Kim Dae-jung.In 2002, he made an unsuccessful presidential bid with a pledge to eradicate regionalism and corruption.In 2004, he was indicted without detention on charges of taking illegal political funds worth 200 million won (US$170,000) in cash from SK Group during the presidential election. The Seoul Central District Court handed him a two-year suspended sentence and ordered him to pay 200 million won in restitution. (Yonhap)

May 8, 2021

Vaccine, real estate problems to dominate Moon's final year in office

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapMarking his fourth inauguration anniversary next week, President Moon Jae-in is still wrestling with several challenges, especially COVID-19 vaccinations, a stalemate in his Korea “peace process” and continued hikes in home price in major cities.Moon has just a year in office to handle the problems, the results of which will affect the chances of his Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) winning the next presidential election.The President is grappling with the coronavirus vaccine issue, as his government aims to achieve herd immunity by November, while hundreds of newly confirmed coronavirus cases are reported here daily. Many people have doubts about the smooth introduction of vaccines ― they are also concerned about the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with Pfizer-made ones, the only other brand currently available here, reportedly in short supply.Moon gained huge public support for the government's early-phase coronavirus response, which was praised by the international community. South Korea, however, is now dubbed a "laggard" on vaccines.He

May 8, 2021

Vaccine, real estate problems to dominate Moon's final year in office

Presidential secretary offers to resign over graft allegations

Presidential secretary for cultural affairs Jun Hyo-kwan / YonhapA presidential secretary on Friday offered to resign over allegations that he awarded public projects worth millions to his private firm while serving as a senior official at the Seoul city government.The resignation offer by Jun Hyo-kwan, a presidential secretary for cultural affairs, came amid the allegations, raised by an opposition lawmaker, that his private company received a total of 12 orders worth 5.1 billion won ($4.5 million) from the Seoul city government from 2014-2018. During the period, Jun was serving as the director general at the municipal government's innovation bureau. "What Secretary Jun intends is that he is going to resign to deal with (the allegations) as a private citizen, without putting any burden on (President Moon Jae-in's) administration," Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said. She, however, said a related inspection by the presidential office found no evidence or testimonies backing the allegations. Jun also denied the allegations. The spokesperson said the case will be referred to

May 7, 2021

Presidential secretary offers to resign over graft allegations

President Moon to deliver special address next week on 4th inauguration anniversary

President Moon Jae-in at New Industrial Complex For 3D Printing in Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province, May 6, where a strategic briefing about floating offshore wind power generation was made / YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in will deliver a special address next week on his policy plans during the remainder of his tenure, Cheong Wa Dae announced Friday, as the president is marking his fourth year in office.The speech is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Monday at the Chunchugwan pressroom in the presidential compound, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.Moon plans to "look back at" his presidency over the past four years and present the direction of his key policy for the coming year, she added.Following a 20-minute speech, the president will receive questions from reporters. The number of reporters attending the event will be restricted to 20 due to the COVID-19 situation. Moon took office on May 10, 2017, for a single five-year term. (Yonhap)

May 7, 2021

President Moon to deliver special address next week on 4th inauguration anniversary

President with ambassadors at wind power plant briefing

President Moon Jae-in greets Norwegian, Danish, German and Spanish ambassadors to Korea at the New Industrial Complex for 3D Printing in Ulsan, Thursday, where he was briefed on a plan by the city and Hyundai Heavy Industries to establish an off-shore wind power plant. Yonhap

May 6, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji

President with ambassadors at wind power plant briefing

Ruling party heavyweights present cash handout idea to woo young voters

Rep. Lee Nak-yon, former chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, delivers a congratulatory message at a conference on real estate policy at the Eroom Center in Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press CorpsBy Jung Da-minRuling party heavyweights who are aiming to run in the next presidential election are considering handing out cash to young people, in a bid to win more support from younger generations.Rep. Lee Nak-yon, former chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said in a video released on his YouTube channel, Wednesday, that he thinks young men drafted for their mandatory military service should be given 30 million won ($26,638) when they leave the military to help start their careers.“I hope that young people will be given equal opportunities when they enter society, at least once in their lives,” Lee said. “I would like to think more about this support, which could be given in the form of a support fund or other ways.”Earlier on Tuesday, Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung, also a DPK member, talked about giving 10 million won to young people

May 6, 2021

Politics