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Two senior legal officials nominated to lead new high-profile anti-corruption agency

Two senior legal officials were nominated Monday for the inaugural leadership of a powerful investigation agency handling corruption by high-ranking officials.A seven-member committee entrusted to recommend candidates for the first chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said it has nominated Lee Kun-ree and Kim Jin-wook for the post. Kim Jin-wook /YonhapThe 57-year-old Lee, a former prosecutor, is currently a vice chairman of the state-run Anti-Corruption Civil Rights Commission while the 54-year-old Kim, a former judge, is serving as a senior researcher at the Constitutional Court.The two were selected with consent from five of the recommendation committee's seven members, while the other two, who are allied with the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), walked out of the meeting in a boycott of the nomination process, the committee said. The committee added that the two candidates will be formally recommended to President Moon Jae-in for the final choice.The closure of the protracted nomination process is expected to expedite the launch of

Dec 28, 2020
Two senior legal officials nominated to lead new high-profile anti-corruption agency

Government losing trust over vaccination plans with different remarks by officials

Noh Young-min, President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff, speaks during a high-level meeting between officials from Cheong Wa Dae, the government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly, Sunday. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyePublic confusion over the government's COVID-19 vaccination plans has deepened after high-level officials made subtly different comments about when vaccinations will start. President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff, Noh Young-min, presented quite specific vaccination plans Sunday, saying that Korea will begin administering the coronavirus vaccines to medical personnel and the elderly in February next year.He added vaccinations of the general population were expected to begin within the second half of 2021.“Korea will also be able to achieve herd immunity among the general population in a similar time frame or faster than other countries,” Noh said during a high-level meeting of officials from Cheong Wa Dae, the government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, held at the National Assembly. “The government is mobilizing all possib

Dec 28, 2020By Jun Ji-hye
Government losing trust over vaccination plans with different remarks by officials

President to seek turnaround through reshuffle

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. YonhapBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in recently suffered a huge political setback following an administrative court ruling that overturned his endorsement of a disciplinary committee's decision to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl from duty. This incident aggravated the public disapproval of his performance, along with months-long complaints over his failure to curb rising housing prices and the recent news of the government's late procurement of COVID-19 vaccinesA Realmeter survey showed Monday that 59. 7 percent of respondents thought the President was doing a bad job, setting a new high for the negative evaluation of Moon since his inauguration in May 2017. The positive review of his performance was 36.7 percent, the lowest figure he has received and the same rating as two weeks ago.It is widely expected that Moon will reshuffle his Cabinet and Cheong Wa Dae as a way to change the mood in the administration and engineer a turnaround in state management.Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae is

Dec 28, 2020By Do Je-hae
President to seek turnaround through reshuffle

Public disapproval of Moon's presidency close to 60 percent

South Korean President Moon Jae-in drinks tea during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul's Jongno District, Dec. 22, 2020. Korea Times filePresident Moon Jae-in's approval rating has tied its all-time low, while public disapproval of his job performance has surged to the highest point so far, a poll showed Monday.In the four-day Realmeter survey conducted on 2,008 people, aged 18 or older, nationwide till last Thursday, 36.7 percent of respondents supported the president, down 2.8 percentage points from the previous week.Moon's rating had fallen to 36.7 percent, the lowest since he took office in May 2017, in the second week of December and bounced back to 39.5 percent the following week in Realmeter's tracking polls.The proportion of those who gave a negative assessment of Moon's presidency rose 2 percentage points to a record high of 59.7 percent.The survey results appear to have been affected by a string of controversies over the government's COVID-19 vaccine procurement policy, police handling of Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu's alleged assault of a taxi driver and whether Lan

Dec 28, 2020
Public disapproval of Moon's presidency close to 60 percent

Over 400,000 people disapprove of verdict on ex-minister's wife

By Kim RahnDongyang University professor Chung Kyung-sim, wife of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, attends a court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, Wednesday. The court found her guilty of academic and financial fraud and handed down a four-year jail term. YonhapMore than 400,000 people have called for the impeachment of the judges who handed down a four-year prison term to Dongyang University professor Chung Kyung-sim, wife of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, over academic record forgery and financial fraud, claiming the verdict was politically motivated.The call is the latest petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website filed regarding contentious issues, over which public opinions are divided politically and ideologically.As of Monday, over 404,000 people have signed the petition posted last Thursday, a day after the ruling. The petition gained more than 200,000 signatures in one day ― Cheong Wa Dae is required to make an official response for any petition gaining over 200,000 signatures within a month.The petitioner called on the National Assembly to propos

Dec 28, 2020By Kim Rahn
Over 400,000 people disapprove of verdict on ex-minister's wife

Controversy rising over government's 'double-standards'

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting among leaders of the executive, legislative and judicial branch and the National Election Commission held at Cheong Wa Dae, last Tuesday. YonhapBy Jung Da-minA controversy is rising over whether the government's preventive and quarantine measures to contain any further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic are being applied impartially to everyone. Some figures in the ruling bloc have recently been criticized for inappropriate behavior that is not in line with government guidelines.Moon Joon-yong, an artist and the son of President Moon Jae-in, in particular faced criticism for receiving 14 million-won ($12,700) in relief funding from a foundation affiliated with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and holding a solo exhibition from Dec. 17 to 23, which far-right YouTubers claimed was “special treatment” given to him because of his father.The exhibition was held in accordance with COVID-19 containment measures, but members of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) asked if it was necessary to hold such an exhibition amid the wor

Dec 28, 2020
Controversy rising over government's 'double-standards'

No public diplomatic events for Kim Jong-un in 2020

A photo from the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, Sept. 18, 2018 shows South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walking behind Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader's sister. A recent commentary by the Sejong Institute showed that the North's leader did not appear at any public diplomatic events this year. Korea Times fileKim's public activities reduced by pandemic By Do Je-hae North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was involved in 53 public activities this year, the lowest since he took power in 2012 following the death of his father Kim Jong-il.According to latest commentary published by the Sejong Institute, Kim's 53 public events were confirmed through North Korean media this year as of Dec. 17. The number is considerably lower than 2013 when the North Korean leader took part in 212 such activities. Kim took part in 85 last year and 98 in 2018. Among the 53 events this year, 15 were economy-related, and 12 involved the military. He did not take part in any diplomatic events this year. Public activities related to domestic politics, such as politburo meeting

Dec 27, 2020By Do Je-hae
No public diplomatic events for Kim Jong-un in 2020

Call for impeachment of top prosecutor faces backlash

By Kang Seung-wooRep. Kim Du-kwan of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has run into criticism from the opposition bloc and even members of his own party after calling on them to begin impeachment proceedings against Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl. Rep. Kim Du-kwan of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea / Korea Times fileHis call came Friday, one day after the Seoul Administrative Court granted the top prosecutor an injunction against a two-month suspension from duty concocted by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae amid a feud over prosecution reform and politically sensitive investigations. The court decision subsequently led to President Moon Jae-in issuing an apology for causing inconvenience and confusion over the disciplinary action against Yoon.On Friday, the two-term lawmaker and former interior minister said he would launch the impeachment process, denouncing the court decision as a “judicial coup.”“The court made a ridiculous ruling. It is nothing but a coup d'etat that suspended the authority of the President elected by the people. Without reforming th

Dec 27, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Call for impeachment of top prosecutor faces backlash

'Aftermath of COVID-19 to linger over Korean economy next year'

Park Yong-maan, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) speaks during an interview at the KCCI headquarters in Seoul. / Courtesy of KCCIBy Kim Hyun-binPark Yong-maan, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), says although the Korean economy is expected to see a short-term recovery from COVID-19 next year, the government needs to be well prepared for the aftermath of the unprecedented crisis that will follow and the effects it will have on the local economy.The comments came during an interview with journalists Wednesday, his final year-end interview as KCCI chairman as his term ends in March 2021.“The recovery next year will be short-term,” Park said. “Next year, uncertainties in public debt, the property market, the polarization of the job market as well as the Seoul and Busan by-elections and the upcoming presidential elections will further escalate uncertainties in the market.”He urged that the government to be well prepared for any sudden changes and conduct revisions of outdated policies. “There are scores

Dec 27, 2020By Kim Hyun-bin
'Aftermath of COVID-19 to linger over Korean economy next year'

COVID-19 affects every aspect of life in 2020

A medical staffer in protective clothing sits on a step near Gangnam Station in southern Seoul, Thursday, on Christmas Eve, while taking a break from COVID-19 tests at a makeshift testing booth there, with a Christmas tree standing behind her. The pandemic, which started here in January, has affected almost all aspects of people's daily lives throughout the year. YonhapBy Yi Whan-wooCOVID-19 has dominated daily life throughout most of 2020, forcing people to adjust to a new normal in which many adults work from home, children spend their school days doing online classes, clubs and other crowded places are frequently shut down, restaurants close early and so on.The fear of the pandemic, however, did not stop voters from casting their ballots in the April general election, which, with the highest turnout in 28 years, gave a supermajority to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).The pandemic added to worsening inter-Korean relations in September when North Korea fatally shot a South Korean fisheries official adrift in the North's territorial waters of the Yellow Sea and set his bod

Dec 26, 2020By Yi Whan-woo
COVID-19 affects every aspect of life in 2020
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