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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.

Russia's role in Korean Peninsula draws attention

President Moon Jae-in, left, talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit meeting in 2017. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae By Do Je-hae Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to Seoul next week is renewing attention to the country's role in Korean Peninsula issues. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Russia's top diplomat will be in Seoul March 23 to 25. One of the top objectives of the visit is to take part in a ceremony for the 30th anniversary of relations between the two countries, as well as talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong.“Minister Chung will hold talks with Minister Lavrov on March 25 and exchange views on bilateral relations and the Korean Peninsula as well as share comprehensive views on a range of global issues.”The visit comes amid rising interest in the possible revival of multilateral discussions on the Korean Peninsula such as the six-party talks under the new Biden administration to resuscitate momentum for M

Mar 20, 2021By Do Je-hae
Russia's role in Korean Peninsula draws attention

Gov't, ruling party seek tougher rule on public officials' property registration

Apartments in Seoul / YonhapThe ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the government agreed Friday to push for expanding the asset declaration system of civil servants in a bid to stave off their unfair and illicit real estate transactions.The two sides announced the move at the start of a high-level meeting also involving Cheong Wa Dae on measures to prevent the recurrence of an incident like the snowballing scandal centered around the Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH), the state housing supply arm. The session was held at the National Assembly.At least 20 LH employees are suspected of having purchased huge swathes of undeveloped land around Seoul over a few years with undisclosed information on plans to construct major residential towns there.The scandal has rocked the political circles as it emerged at a time when public discontent over the nation's soaring housing and rent prices runs high. Moon's approval ratings, already affected by his left-leaning administration's failure to curb the hikes, fell significantly once again."We will consider expanding the system to require all assets

Mar 19, 2021
Gov't, ruling party seek tougher rule on public officials' property registration

Moon says Green New Deal the only way of survival

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in on Friday declared 2021 as the starting year of South Korea's green transition for daily infrastructure, reiterating his commitment to the Green New Deal policy.Attending a government strategy meeting on the Green New Deal policy at the Boryeong Thermal Power Plant in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, Moon said the nation's political, economic, social and cultural sectors should be overhauled "with an extraordinary determination that the Green New Deal is the only way for the nation to survive."The Moon administration has been campaigning for the Green New Deal aimed at fostering environment friendly industries in tandem with a push for balanced national development.On his vision of South Korea achieving carbon neutrality and reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050, Moon said the nation has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 10.8 percent over the past two years, thanks in part to the earlier-than-scheduled closures of coal power plants.He also vowed efforts to ensure the "democratic transition of energy" by mandating an i

Mar 19, 2021
Moon says Green New Deal the only way of survival

Ahn Cheol-soo accepts PPP's terms in picking unified opposition Seoul mayor candidate

Seoul mayoral candidate of the minor conservative People's Party Ahn Cheol-soo speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido in Seoul's Yeongdeungpo District, Friday. YonhapAhn Cheol-soo, the Seoul mayoral candidate of the minor conservative People's Party (PP), said Friday he will accept the terms proposed by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) in conducting public opinion surveys to determine a unified single opposition candidate in the April by-election."I am accepting the (candidacy) unification methods demanded by interim PPP chairman Kim Chong-in and candidate Oh Se-hoon," Ahn said in a press conference held at the National Assembly. Ahn added, "If public opinion polls are launched this weekend, we might be able to select (a single candidate for the opposition bloc) on Monday," he noted. He also added that the unification process should be completed speedily so that the final candidate can be fixed at least before next Thursday, when election campaigns will officially begin.A former software mogul-turned-politician, Ahn had been in negotiations w

Mar 19, 2021
Ahn Cheol-soo accepts PPP's terms in picking unified opposition Seoul mayor candidate

President Moon in dilemma over AstraZeneca vaccine

President Moon Jae-in speaks with Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong during his visit to a public health center in Seoul's Mapo District, Feb. 26, to observe the administering of COVID-19 vaccines to healthcare workers. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seokBy Jun Ji-hyePresident Moon Jae-in is facing a dilemma over whether he has to keep his promise to receive an AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shot next week, as concerns over safety of the vaccine have kept rising as cases of blood clots after vaccinations have been reported for two consecutive days, Thursday.The presidential office earlier said President Moon, 68, and first lady Kim Jung-sook, 66, planned to get vaccinated in public on March 23, saying the inoculation is part of preparations for participation in a G-7 summit to be held in Britain in June.“Moon and the first lady's inoculation against COVID-19 is in line with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's (KDCA) guidelines for those who have to go overseas for essential purposes,” presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok s

Mar 18, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
President Moon in dilemma over AstraZeneca vaccine
  • Gov't considering introducing 'vaccination leave'

Moon apologizes for LH scandal following mounting public outcry

President Moon Jae-in presides over a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Yonhap By Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in offered his first public apology, Tuesday, for allegations of speculative land purchases by some employees at the state-owned Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH), amid a mounting public outcry over mismanagement by the government. Now dubbed, the “LH scandal,” the story has engulfed the nation after allegations were first raised two weeks ago that at least 20 LH employees used classified development information to purchase land in parts of Gyeonggi Province before the government's announcement of their designation as a major new town development projects last month. The scandal has fueled doubts over the Moon Jae-in administration's housing policy and the sincerity of its goal to promote justice in all corners of society, which has been the President's trademark policy goal.“Our government has done our utmost to fight corruption and unfairness

Mar 16, 2021By Do Je-hae
Moon apologizes for LH scandal following mounting public outcry

Moon offers public apology over LH property speculation scandal

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in apologized to the people Tuesday over alleged insider property speculation involving officials at the state-owned housing supply body, two weeks after the revelation of the case by civic groups."I am sorry for having caused great concern to the people," he said at the start of a weekly Cabinet meeting.The case has brought about a "great sense of despondency and disappointment" among the public, he added.The apology followed a string of strong messages from Moon on the incident, mostly calling for a thorough probe.At least 20 employees of the Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) purchased huge swathes of undeveloped land in areas around Seoul, allegedly on the basis of classified information, well ahead of the government's announcement on projects to build new residential towns there.The scandal has added fuel to public anger that has already been running high, with housing prices and rents continuing to soar across South Korea under the Moon administration. The president reiterated that the government is determined to eradicate real es

Mar 16, 2021
Moon offers public apology over LH property speculation scandal

Moon to take AstraZeneca vaccine shot on March 23 to attend G-7 summit

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in is scheduled to receive an AstraZeneca vaccine shot next week in preparation for participation in a Group of Seven (G-7) summit to be held in Britain, Cheong Wa Dae announced Monday, as health authorities here have decided to extend the use of the COVID-19 vaccine to the elderly.In accordance with a related procedure drawn up by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook plan to take the vaccine in public on March 23, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.He stopped short of revealing the venue, citing presidential security protocol.The KDCA, which is in charge of South Korea's state vaccination program, is giving priority to Moon, 68, and Kim, 67, as they require "essential" foreign travel for the diplomatic event. Britain has invited Moon to the multilateral session.Some officials who will accompany Moon on the upcoming trip will also take the vaccine.The AstraZeneca vaccine will be available for those aged 65 and older in South Korea starting on March 23, Kang said.The presi

Mar 15, 2021
Moon to take AstraZeneca vaccine shot on March 23 to attend G-7 summit

Will LH scandal accelerate lame-duck presidency for Moon?

President Moon Jae-in presides over a meeting with his key aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. YonhapSpeculative land buying scandal pushes down President's support rateBy Jung Da-minA speculative land purchase scandal involving employees of a state-run housing corporation has dragged down support for President Moon Jae-in and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), becoming a major variable for the April 7 mayoral by-elections in the cities of Seoul and Busan. Given that real estate is one of the most sensitive issues here with people suffering from high home prices, there are expectations that the effects of the incident may not stop at the by-elections but go beyond them accelerating the Moon administration into a lame-duck presidency.According to a survey of 2,510 adults conducted by local pollster Realmeter from March 8 to 12, 37.7 percent said they believed Moon was doing a good job, down 2.4 percentage points from the previous week. Those expressing disapproval of the President's job performance continued to outnumber those expressing support, moving up 1.7 percentage points t

Mar 15, 2021
Will LH scandal accelerate lame-duck presidency for Moon?

Moon's approval rating falls to five-week low

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in's approval rating has dropped below 40 percent for the first time in five weeks, a poll showed Monday, as his administration struggles to calm public outcry over alleged speculative land purchases by officials at the state-owned housing supply enterprise.Public support for the ruling Democratic Party (DP) also dipped, while that for the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) ascended, with less than a month left before the all-important Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections, according to Realmeter.In its five-day survey from last Monday of 2,510 voters nationwide, 37.7 percent of respondents supported Moon, down 2.4 percentage points from the previous week.It is the first time that Moon's approval rating has declined below 40 percent in Realmeter's tracking poll since it recorded 39.3 percent in the first week of February.The portion of those who disapprove of Moon's presidency rose 1.7 percentage points to 57.4 percent.His rating, especially, plunged 5.8 percentage points to 32.6 percent in Seoul and 5.3 percentage points to 58.3

Mar 15, 2021
Moon's approval rating falls to five-week low
  • People want President Moon's apology for LH scandal
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