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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.

Seoul vows to eradicate discrimination against multicultural families

GettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin The government will establish a legal basis to ban hate speech related to race, country or culture, in a bid to eradicate discrimination against multicultural families, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Friday. “Multicultural families in Korea are experiencing a serious level of discrimination and isolation in daily life,” Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Kyung-sun said at a briefing held at the Seoul Government Complex.“We plan to establish legal grounds to eliminate discrimination and social prejudice formed through hateful expressions related to race, country or culture, by making a revision to the Multicultural Family Support Act.”The same day, the ministry, in cooperation with related authorities such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced a set of measures to build an inclusive society for biracial families. The comprehensive measures are aimed at improving acceptance by guaranteeing people with multicultural background equal access to social activiti

Dec 11, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Seoul vows to eradicate discrimination against multicultural families

Moon's special envoy to Russia stirs speculations of political comeback

Former Ambassador to Russia Yoo Yoon-keun embarks on a trip to Russia Sunday as President Moon Jae-in's special envoy to discuss high-level exchanges and other key bilateral issues. YonhapReports say Cheong Wa Dae is pursuing ruling party veteran as next chief of staffBy Do Je-hae Cheong Wa Dae's announcement to send ruling party heavyweight Woo Yoon-keun as a presidential envoy to Moscow next week is raising speculations that the former three-term lawmaker could soon be making a political comeback, possibly as the next presidential chief of staff. Woo has stayed out of politics following his service as Moon's first ambassador to Russia from October 2017 through June 2019.Woo's Russia visit is expected to be centered around a possible visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Korea next year and other ways to deepen bilateral ties.“To mark the 30th anniversary of Korea-Russia diplomatic relations this year, the government will send Woo to Russia as a presidential envoy from Dec. 13 to 19 to explore ways to develop bilateral relations. The former ambassador to Russia will con

Dec 11, 2020By Do Je-hae
Moon's special envoy to Russia stirs speculations of political comeback

Novice opposition lawmakers to join filibuster to block contentious bill's passage

People Power Party's first-term lawmakers announce in a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Friday they are joining the party's ongoing filibuster to block the parliamentary passage of a contentious bill. Yonhap A group of novice lawmakers from the conservative main opposition party said Friday they will join the party's ongoing filibuster to block the parliamentary passage of a contentious bill.The participation pledged by all of the People Power Party's 58 first-term lawmakers in the filibuster raises the possibility that the marathon debate the party launched Thursday could continue throughout the current extraordinary parliamentary session's one-month run.The main opposition party began filibustering Thursday afternoon to stop a revision bill on the National Intelligence Service (NIS) law from passing through the National Assembly, where the ruling Democratic Party commands a majority.The bill primarily aims at transferring the state spy agency's authority to conduct anti-communist investigations to the police. It is one of the two remaining bills the main oppos

Dec 11, 2020
Novice opposition lawmakers to join filibuster to block contentious bill's passage
  • 'Korea's democracy in crisis'

Top prosecutor may be first target of new investigative body

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl arrives at work in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, Friday. By Yi Whan-wooA new investigative body tasked with handling high-profile corruption cases may select Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl as its first target after its launch, which could happen by the end of this month.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) used its supermajority in the National Assembly to pass a bill to launch the anti-corruption probe agency, Thursday.Once considered President Moon Jae-in's man to lead political reform, Yoon has since clashed with the Moon administration on several occasions, the ongoing tussle with Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae being the latest example.Against this backdrop, the agency is expected to take over the investigation of fraud, bribery and other corruption allegations surrounding Yoon and his family members.Under Choo's command, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office has been leading the probe against Yoon.The new agency i

Dec 11, 2020By Yi Whan-woo
Top prosecutor may be first target of new investigative body

'Korea's democracy in crisis'

Lawmakers of the People Power Party (PPP) hold pickets protesting the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's railroading of contentious bills at an extra session of the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday, after a revision bill related to a new investigative agency tasked with high-profile corruption cases has been passed. YonhapSupermajority DPK railroading contentious billsBy Jung Da-minConcerns are growing over the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) making the most use of its supermajority in the National Assembly, as it continues to steamroller controversial bills through the legislature.The opposition bloc and experts say such an act is damaging the democratic values that President Moon Jae-in and the DPK had pledged to uphold.The DPK has 173 seats, almost three fifths of the 300-strong Assembly, and thus is able to push ahead with the passage of contentious bills with the support of several liberal-minded lawmakers. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP), on the other hand, has 103 seats and does not have any practical way to prevent the ruling party from passing the b

Dec 10, 2020
'Korea's democracy in crisis'
  • Moon's approval rating dips again, reaches new low of 37.1%: poll
  • Novice opposition lawmakers to join filibuster to block contentious bill's passage

Disciplinary committee for top prosecutor

Lawyers Lee Seok-woong, left, and Lee Wan-gyu, members of the legal team for Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, answer reporters' questions before attending the Ministry of Justice's disciplinary committee meeting at the Government Complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, to discuss charges levelled against Yoon. Yoon faced six allegations of wrongdoings raised by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, but has fiercely denied all the allegations she has made against him. The committee did not reach an agreement at the meeting and decided to adjourn until a second one to be held Dec. 15. / Yonhap

Dec 10, 2020By Jun Ji-hye
Disciplinary committee for top prosecutor

Moon's approval rating dips again, reaches new low of 37.1%: poll

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in's job approval rating has dropped again this week, dipping further from last week's all-time low figure, a poll showed Thursday, with a rift between the justice minister and the top prosecutor deepening and new virus cases soaring across the nation.In a Realmeter survey on 1,509 voters nationwide from Monday through Wednesday, 37.1 percent of respondents said they supported Moon.The figure represents a 0.3 percentage point dip from the 37.4 percent approval rating from last week, when Moon lost 6.4 percentage points in support to fall below the 40 percent mark in favorability for the first time during his presidency.The proportion of those disapproving of Moon's job, meanwhile, climbed 0.8 percentage point to reach a new high of 58.2 percent. The rate of those who said they weren't sure stood at 4.7 percent, down 0.5 percentage point.The president's rating especially plunged among liberal and swing voters, by 6 percentage points and 2.2 percentage points, respectively.The ruling Democratic Party, however, saw its popularity inch up

Dec 10, 2020
Moon's approval rating dips again, reaches new low of 37.1%: poll
  • 'Korea's democracy in crisis'

National Assembly passes contentious bill on new investigative organ amid opposition

This year's final legislative session is held in the plenary chamber of the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapThe National Assembly passed a contentious bill Thursday that would expedite the launch of a new investigative body handling high-profile corruption cases amid fierce protest from conservative opposition lawmakers.The revision bill on the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) law passed a plenary session in a 187-99 vote. One lawmaker abstained. The proposal was tabled at the last plenary meeting of the regular parliamentary session Wednesday, but the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) thwarted parliamentary voting on it by launching a filibuster.The bill aims to remove veto power held by the two PPP-side members of the seven-person committee entrusted to select candidates for the inaugural chief of the CIO.Due to their veto, the committee failed to reach an agreement in its three rounds of meetings last month, stalling the launch of the investigative organ championed by President Moon Jae-in and the ruling Democratic Party (DP).As

Dec 10, 2020
National Assembly passes contentious bill on new investigative organ amid opposition

New investigative body losing original purpose

Members of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) stage a protest against the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in front of the plenary chamber of the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday, as the DPK lawmakers were set to push ahead with a revision to relevant laws on the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials by removing a right given to the PPP in the process to select the head of the new investigative body. YonhapBy Jung Da-minA new agency tasked with investigating high-profile corruption cases seems to be losing its original purpose, with the ruling bloc trying to strip the main opposition party of the power to influence the process of launching the organization.The ruling camp's planned revision of a relevant law is likely to open the path for the President to appoint a person close to the government to be chief of the investigative body, which would undermine the original goal of the agency to remain politically neutral and keep the powerful elite in check.The launch of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) has been

Dec 9, 2020
New investigative body losing original purpose
  • Favorability for prosecutor general as presidential candidate surpasses 25%

Historic painting donation

President Moon Jae-in poses for a photo at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul with Sohn Chang-keun, who has donated the historic Joseon-era painting “Sehando” to the National Museum of Korea, Wednesday. Sohn was bestowed with the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit the previous day. “Sehando” was painted by Chusa Kim Jeong-hui, a scholar, painter and calligrapher during the 1390-1910 Joseon Kingdom. Yonhap

Dec 9, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Historic painting donation
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