South Korea - The Korea Times

Yoon's return may accelerate Moon's lame-duck presidency

President Moon Jae-in, left, and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. Moon apologized, Friday, “for causing inconvenience and confusion” to the people over Yoon's suspension from duty, sought by the justice ministry, and reinstatement following a court decision, Thursday. Korea Times filePresident apologize for 'confusion' over suspension and reinstatement of prosecutor generalBy Yi Whan-wooProsecutor General Yoon Seok-youl resuming his work following a court decision Thursday to grant him an injunction against the justice ministry's move to suspend him from duty is being viewed as a victory over Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, with whom the former has had a nearly year-long power struggle.Furthermore, it is a win over President Moon Jae-in, who approved the disciplinary measure to remove Yoon. The ruling bloc has referred to the prosecutor general as a stumbling block to prosecutorial reform.Speculation is rising that the decision will deal a direct and serious blow to the President's leadership in managing state affairs and pursuing his reform plans in various sectors, event

Dec 25, 2020By Yi Whan-woo

Yoon's return may accelerate Moon's lame-duck presidency

Public disapproval rating of Moon soars to record high 59.1 percent

Moon apologizes for 'confusion' over disciplinary action against top prosecutor

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. Korea Times filePresident Moon Jae-in apologized to the nation Friday for causing "inconvenience and confusion" over the top prosecutor's suspension and subsequent reinstatement by a court.Moon said he "respects" the court's decision Thursday to return Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl to his post, presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok said in a statement."Ultimately, as the person with authority over personnel affairs, I offer an apology for causing inconvenience and confusion to the people," the president was quoted as saying.Yoon won an injunction against the justice ministry's decision to suspend him for two months over four counts of alleged misconduct, including the surveillance of judges hearing cases involving former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and some presidential officials. Moon immediately endorsed that decision last week."I hope this will be an opportunity for the prosecution to reflect on the fair and restrained exercise of prosecutorial powers, with the court's judgment in mind," he said, acco

Dec 25, 2020

Moon apologizes for 'confusion' over disciplinary action against top prosecutor

Confirmation hearing of gender minister nominee

Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Chung Young-ai speaks during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, Thursday. She pointed out many ruling bloc figures are responsible for sexually discriminative remarks and behaviors. / Yonhap

Dec 24, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Confirmation hearing of gender minister nominee

Public disapproval rating of Moon soars to record high 59.1 percent

South Korean President Moon Jae-in joins the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology's meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Dec. 21. YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in saw his public disapproval rating rise further to hit a record high 59.1 percent this week, an opinion poll showed Thursday. In the Realmeter survey conducted on 1,505 voters nationwide for three days through Wednesday, 37.4 percent of the respondents gave a positive assessment of his presidency, down 2.1 percentage points from the previous figure last week. The latest reading marks the fourth consecutive week Moon's approval rating has stayed below 40 percent. Meanwhile, his disapproval rating rose 1.4 percentage points to hit 59.1 percent, the highest negative reception the president has had since taking office in May 2017.Meanwhile, the support rating for the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) came in at 33.6 percent, further expanding the conservative party's opinion poll lead over the ruling Democratic Party (DP), which recorded a 30 percent approval rating. Compared with the previous poll last week, the app

Dec 24, 2020

Public disapproval rating of Moon soars to record high 59.1 percent

Yoon's return may accelerate Moon's lame-duck presidency

South Korea emerges as Asia's news hub

A screen capture from The Washington PostWashington Post to open Asia's breaking-news center in SeoulBy Park Ji-wonThe Washington Post has decided to build its new breaking-news hub in Seoul, creating digital-focused stories occurring in Asia next year as part of its strategic efforts to become a global media company amid the ongoing trade and political dispute between China and the United States.“The Washington Post will take new steps in 2021 to become a more global newsroom by creating breaking-news hubs in Europe and Asia … The Post is creating a total of 19 jobs for this initiative to be divided between two hubs in London and Seoul,” the internationally renowned newspaper said in a statement, Monday, local time.”The Post will be able to operate energetically and rapidly 24 hours a day and seven days a week,?with a particular emphasis on the live coverage of major stories that has become a growing part of our storytelling arsenal through a year dominated by pandemic, protests and politics.”The expansion in Seoul came several months after The New Yor

Dec 23, 2020By Park Ji-won

'One property per household' bill causes controversy

Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea attends the party's Supreme Council meeting in this July 17 photo. Jin has come under fire for proposing a revision bill that will limit home ownership to one property per household as part of the government's real estate policy, which critics said could harm the spirit of capitalism by infringing on individual's property rights. YonhapBy Jung Da-minA ruling party lawmaker has come under fire for proposing a revision bill that will limit home ownership to one property per household as part of the government's real estate policy. Rep. Jin Sung-joon, a two-term lawmaker with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said Monday that he and other DPK lawmakers have proposed a revision bill for the Framework Act on Residence, to include three more articles ― the principle of one property per household; providing houses first to those not owning a home; and preventing the use of properties for the purpose of speculation or increasing personal assetsThe bill has come amid increasing criticism of the government's repeated policy f

Dec 23, 2020

'One property per household' bill causes controversy

Disapproval grows for land minister nominee

Land minister nominee Byeon Chang-heum apologizes for his past controversial remarks and other allegations during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooA National Assembly confirmation hearing of besieged land minister nominee Byeon Chang-heum found, Wednesday, that disapproval of him by the opposition bloc was showing no signs of abating due to his past controversial remarks and alleged misdeeds.Lawmakers from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) asked a barrage of tough questions of Byeon in relation to them, urging him to decline his nomination, and even the minor opposition Justice Party, which has traditionally refrained from finding fault with President Moon Jae-in's Cabinet nominees, denounced him as unfit for the ministerial post.Earlier this month, President Moon nominated Byeon, president of the Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH), to replace Minister Kim Hyun-mee, amid a public backlash against the government's failure to curb skyrocketing housing prices. Minister nominees are subject to Assembly confirmation

Dec 23, 2020By Kang Seung-woo

Disapproval grows for land minister nominee

Opposition lashes out at Cheong Wa Dae's reassurance of vaccine readiness

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. YonhapBy Do Je-hae Opposition criticism is growing toward President Moon Jae-in's alleged lack of attention in acquiring COVID-19 vaccines in comparison to some other countries, leaving Cheong Wa Dae to go all out in refuting the complaints and negative media reports.The presidential office issued a lengthy statement Tuesday, detailing Moon's actions for the development and acquisition of vaccines since earlier this year, starting with an April 9 visit to the Institut Pasteur Korea in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The statement even included Moon's remarks at undisclosed meetings to show that the President has not been idle in acquiring vaccines as alleged by the opposition parties. According to the statement, President Moon discussed the vaccination situation and instructed that a “sufficient amount” of vaccines be secured from global pharmaceutical companies and COVAX during a meeting with aides Sept. 15. The President also underlined the need to exert full efforts for vaccines during another meetin

Dec 23, 2020By Do Je-hae

Opposition lashes out at Cheong Wa Dae's reassurance of vaccine readiness

Court to resume hearing over top prosecutor's injunction request against suspension later this week

Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl. Korea Times fileA high-profile hearing on an injunction request by the country's top prosecutor over a disciplinary measure handed to him earlier this month will resume later this week, a court said Tuesday. The Seoul Administrative Court began the hearing behind closed doors at 2 p.m. on whether to grant an injunction filed by Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. The hearing was wrapped up for the day at around 4:15 p.m. and was scheduled to resume at 3 p.m. Thursday.Yoon did not attend the hearing, according to his lawyer Lee Wan-kyu, as he did at a previous injunction hearing late last month and at two sessions of the justice ministry's disciplinary committee earlier this month.Last week, President Moon Jae-in endorsed the ministry's decision to suspend the top prosecutor for two months over four counts of alleged misconduct, including the surveillance of judges hearing cases on former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and presidential officials' alleged involvement in the Ulsan mayoral election in 2018 to bring victory to one of Moon's longtime friends.The

Dec 22, 2020

Court to resume hearing over top prosecutor's injunction request against suspension later this week

Ranking officials hit for ethical lapses

Land minister nominee Byeon Chang-heum, right, participates in an event with President Moon Jae-in in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Dec. 11. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seokBy Do Je-hae The Moon Jae-in administration is being hit for alleged ethical lapses of high-level officials and nominees for ranking posts.Criticism is stronger as the Moon government has been claiming to advocate fairness and transparency since its inauguration.Byeon Chang-heum, former CEO of the Korea Land & Housing Corp. (LH) and the nominee for the minister of land, infrastructure and transport, has been hit by the opposition and civic groups for some remarks he made regarding an accident at Guui Station in Seoul in 2016, where a subcontracted worker surnamed Kim, 19, was killed by a subway train while fixing a safety door on a metro platform.Byeon made the remarks, which were seen to blame the young worker for the accident, while serving as president of the Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH). “When looking closely at what happened, the subcontracted employee of Seoul Metro died due to

Dec 22, 2020By Do Je-hae

Politics