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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.

Ruling party changes coalition partner over LGBTQ issue

Officials from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and minor liberal parties pose for a photo, Tuesday, after signing an agreement to form a coalition to jointly run for the proportional representation seats in the April 15 general election. For the coalition, the DPK decided to partner with the Civil Together ― a minor party created by liberal activists who support the Moon Jae-in administration and former Justice Minister Cho Kuk ― instead of its earlier plan to cooperate with the Coalition for Political Reform. Courtesy of DPKDPK partners with 'pro-Moon Jae-in' group for proportional representation seats By Jung Da-min The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has been under fire for avoiding LGBTQ issues during its pursuit of a coalition with minor liberal parties.Such remarks were made by DPK General Secretary Yun Ho-jung, Tuesday, when the DPK decided to partner with the Civil Together ― a minor party created by liberal activists who support the Moon Jae-in administration and former Justice Minister Cho Kuk ― instead of its earlier plan to cooperate with the Coalition f

Mar 18, 2020
Ruling party changes coalition partner over LGBTQ issue

New parties in boom with unique policy promises

Parties promising unique policies are receiving public attention ahead of the April 15 general election, while such policies reflect the problems Korean society is facing and needs to resolve, such as wealth inequality, low birthrate and North Korea's continuous nuclear threats. Graphic by Bae So-youngThis is the last in a series on minor parties with specific agendas that were newly launched to target proportional representation seats for the April 15 general election. ― ED.By Jung Da-min Parties promising unique policies are receiving public attention about a month ahead of the April 15 general election, fueled by a revised electoral reform law that aims to make the National Assembly more reflective of the opinions of the electorate. Many new parties have emerged with their own agendas in hopes of winning these new proportional representation seats.Some of the new parties are making unfeasible promises that could be considered populist. Although their policies are unlikely to be realized, they reflect the problems Korean society is facing and needs to resolve, such as wealth inequa

Mar 18, 2020
New parties in boom with unique policy promises

Moon to preside over new economic council on COVID-19

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Government Complex Seoul, Tuesday. / YonhapBy Do Je-hae The government will launch an Emergency Economic Council chaired by President Moon Jae-in to facilitate swift decision-making in dealing with the economic fallout from COVID-19. The rare move was announced by Moon during a Cabinet meeting, Tuesday, and comes as an addition to a recent series of strong measures to improve the economy amid rising fears of a global recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The first meeting will be held at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday, according to the presidential office.During the Cabinet meeting, Moon underlined that the current situation is even more serious than the 2008 financial crisis. “The situation is more complex because people's daily activities as well as consumption and production have been affected, and both supply and demand are rapidly shrinking. The real economy and financial markets are being hit simultaneously,” Moon said, according to press pool reports. “The situation is aggravated by the blocking of cro

Mar 17, 2020By Do Je-hae
Moon to preside over new economic council on COVID-19

Surge in parcel deliveries

Delivery workers load parcels onto their trucks at a parcel distribution center in Seoul Tuesday. The number of parcels has been surging in recent weeks as consumers go online to order household items rather than go to stores amid the coronavirus outbreak. Yonhap

Mar 17, 2020By Lee Hyo-sik
Surge in parcel deliveries

Coronavirus likely to disrupt overseas voting

Korean living in Australia line up at the Consulate General of Korea in Sydney to vote for the general elections on April 25, 2017 photo. / Korea Times fileBy Kang Seung-wooThe fallout from the coronavirus outbreak could affect the upcoming election as Koreans living abroad may struggle to reach their polling stations due to many countries restricting the movement of residents to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With the general election scheduled for April 15, Koreans living abroad can cast their ballots for proportional representations from April 1 to 6 at 206 diplomatic missions from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the National Election Commission (NEC). Among a total of 2.14 million people eligible to vote, 176,960 applied to register to vote at overseas polling stations, the election watchdog added.The biggest challenge to overseas voting is more countries across the globe imposing a lockdown that prevents people from going to the polls. Italy and Spain have placed lockdowns, requiring people to stay home unless it's essential for them to leave, while the United States also urges

Mar 17, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Coronavirus likely to disrupt overseas voting

'American collective mindset' causes corona bungling

U.S. President Donald Trump receives an elbow bump in place of a handshake during a recent White House function. Reuters-YonhapCompiled by Oh Young-jin Here are some of comments left by readers on The Korea Times Top 10 ranking articles on March 17. We have minimized editing to let the readers appreciate them at their discretion. As with comments on any social network services, they are ad hoc and private, not always reflecting the majority opinions. ― ED. 'Korea shows leadership in global coronavirus fight'Robert Cornett says: Although South Korea is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, it benefits from two things ― few ports of entries that can be controlled relatively easily and a collectivist population that will sacrifice their own good for the good of the whole. Imagine how few cases there'd be if the church had acted prudently and President Moon Jae-in banned Chinese travelers from the beginning.I've always been impressed with how quickly Korea's society could militarize, compared to America's individualistic society where it would be like herding cats. Am

Mar 17, 2020By Oh Young-jin
'American collective mindset' causes corona bungling

RASKB's Pyeongtaek Gold Rush

By Steven L. Shields(slshields@gmail.com}Gold rushes in California and Alaska are well-known in history. But Korea had its own gold rush that began in the final years of the Joseon era, through the Korean Empire and into the Japanese occupation. Many people, and often their families, came to Korea to dig the precious metal out of the hillsides and mountains. One miner later became president of the United States!The Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch (RASKB) is working on launching what it hopes to be a regular event in Pyeongtaek, with an inaugural lecture on early American gold mining in Korea. The event was intended originally for tonight but has been postponed due to coronavirus concerns. Going to Seoul for an evening lecture is not an option for many members and friends of the RASKB who have now been relocated from Yongsan Garrison in Seoul to the distant Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. The RASKB wants to continue including those important members, as well as anyone else who lives and works in and around the new USFK headquarters post.The history of gold mining in Korea is not well

Mar 17, 2020

Cases of identity theft increase amid mask shortages

People line up to buy masks outside a pharmacy in Jongno, Seoul, Monday./ Yonhap By Kim Se-jeongAn increasing number of people have discovered their resident registration numbers have been used by others to purchase hard-to-get face masks amid continued supply shortages, according to police officers Monday.In Gwangju, 350 kilometer south of Seoul, police said they received complaints from two citizens who couldn't buy masks because someone else had already used their ID without their knowledge. In one case, the masks were purchased in Muan, South Jeolla Province, while for another case, the ID was presented in North Gyeongsang Province. Beginning on March 9, each resident has been able to buy two masks per week at a pharmacy upon presenting their personal identification card. Also, people are restricted to buying masks once a week between Monday and Friday based on each individual's birth year ― although these are not applicable on weekends. The government institute

Mar 16, 2020By Lee Hyo-sik

Moon proposes G20 teleconference on COVID-19

President Moon Jae-in YonhapBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in is seeking a summit to come up with international cooperation in COVID-19 responses, actively pushing for a G20 teleconference over the issue. The proposal comes as the number of novel coronavirus infections is spiking across the world, and has gained backing from key members such as France and the U.S., according to Cheong Wa Dae.During a March 13 phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, President Moon proposed that they seek a teleconference among G20 members, which the former agreed to, the presidential office said.Following the discussion, Chung Eui-yong, chief of the presidential National Security Office, spoke on the phone with White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, Sunday, and requested that Moon's proposal for the G20 teleconference be relayed to U.S. President Donald Trump. Cheong Wa Dae said the U.S. side showed a positive response. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will consult with relevant governments for the realization of the G20 teleconference,” a presidential aide told r

Mar 16, 2020By Do Je-hae
Moon proposes G20 teleconference on COVID-19

With election 30 days away, parties still mired in internal feud over nomination

Officials of the National Election Committee test ballot paper sorting machines at the committee's branch in Seoul's Jongno-gu, Monday, 30 days ahead of the April 15 general election. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Jung Da-min The April 15 general election is only a month away, but most political parties are far from prepared for the quadrennial event, with many facing internal feuds and struggling to finalize candidate selections.The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) leader Hwang Kyo-ahn said Monday that he will lead the party's election strategy committee, making the announcement after the party leadership failed to scout a powerful political figure for the committee chief position. The UFP reached out to Kim Chong-in, former interim chief of then-main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) who led the DPK's victory in the 2016 general election, despite divisions among the UFP leadership over whether to invite him to join. The UFP was ultimately unsuccessful.“I will raise the flag of the party's election strategy committee to revive the country's economy an

Mar 16, 2020
With election 30 days away, parties still mired in internal feud over nomination
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