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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.

Virus tests Moon's leadership ahead of April election

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Jan. 31. YonhapBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in is exerting all-out efforts to ease mounting public concern over the spread of the new coronavirus.Moon presided over a meeting with quarantine experts Sunday morning, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The meeting was arranged urgently to discuss ways to contain the spread of the virus after Korean residents of Wuhan, China, were evacuated from the epicenter of the virus on chartered planes and brought to Korea last week. Most have been quarantined in government-run facilities.The virus has quickly emerged as a key test of the Moon administration’s crisis management capacity. Failure to properly deal with the virus could dent the public’s trust.Ahead of the April 15 general election, Cheong Wa Dae is moving to assure the public that the government is on top of the situation. Moon has been initiating related meetings regarding the response to the coronavirus since its outbreak, including one on Jan. 27, the final day of the Lunar New Year holidays.“Cheon

Feb 2, 2020By Do Je-hae
Virus tests Moon's leadership ahead of April election

Ex-presidential candidate Ahn unveils plan for new party

Former presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo announces his plan for a new party at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Sunday. YonhapBy Yi Whan-wooFormer presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo announced a plan for an envisioned new party, Sunday, but will the fourth time be a charm for this party leader?This comes after Ahn rode a roller coaster of failure and success as a co-leader or co-founder of three parties in the local, general, and presidential elections from 2013 to 2018.The three were — the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s (DPK) predecessor the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), the centrist People’s Party, which later merged with center-right Bareun Party and changed their name to Bareunmirae Party.Ahn retreated from politics following his defeat in the Seoul mayoral race in June 2018 and stayed abroad before making a political comeback in January.This time, Ahn vowed to create a party aimed at shoring up a pragmatic and middle-of-the-road brand of politics in the lead-up to the April 15 National Assembly election.The name of the party and wh

Feb 2, 2020By Yi Whan-woo

South Korea to ban entry from China

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announces a set of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in South Korea, at the government complex in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap- S. Korea will ban entry of foreign nationals who visited China's Hubei Province in the past two weeks.- The ban will be effective from Tuesday.- Visa-free entry to Jeju Island has been suspended.- Voluntary quarantine urged to Koreans who visited China's Hubei Province in the past two weeks South Korea said Sunday it will bar foreigners who've been in China's Hubei Province in the past two weeks from entering the country, in a drastic measure to stem further spread of the new coronavirus here.Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the ban will take effect on Tuesday.The measure was reached to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, which broke out in Wuhan, Hubei Province, in December and has since reached South Korea and other nations around the globe.The United States and Japan are among other countries to have issued a similar entry ban.So far, South Korea has reported 15 virus cases, with some believed to be human transmissi

Feb 2, 2020
South Korea to ban entry from China

LG says coronavirus disrupting supply chain

An LG Display plant in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of LG Display By Kim Yoo-chulThe growing fear of contagion after the outbreak of a novel coronavirus is hitting the display supply chain structure, LG Display, the world's leading display supplier, said Friday.“Due to the coronavirus outbreak, it's possible that the supply of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) will be reduced. We can say the situation in China is getting gradually worse,” Suh Dong-hee, chief financial officer at the LG Group's display affiliate, told investors upon announcing fourth quarter earnings results.Regarding plans to minimize negative effects, the executive said the company will “soon decide” on its factory operation plans in China, hinting that it could extend the production break for the safety of employees working at its plants there.The monthly production capacity of LG's LCD panel plant in China's southern industrial city of Guangzhou is about 200,000. LG also runs display-manufactur

Jan 31, 2020By Kim Yoo-chul
LG says coronavirus disrupting supply chain
  • 350 evacuees from Wuhan placed in two quarantine facilities
  • 2nd chartered plane with 333 Koreans arrives in Seoul from Wuhan
  • South Korea reports 12th new coronavirus case, 70 potential cases under observation

Conservative parties to launch united party in mid-February

Members of conservative parties participating in a committee for the renovation and unification of the conservatives attend chant their goal of “judging” the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, while announcing their joint policy goals at the National Assembly, Friday. From right in the front are committee leader and former National Assembly Secretary-General Park Heong-joon, New Conservative Party leader Rep. Ha Tea-keung, Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, and Onward for Future 4.0 leader Rep. Lee Un-ju. YonhapBy Jung Da-min Conservative parties participating in a move to form a “big tent” to win the April 15 general election are set to launch a united party in mid-February, according to a committee for the renovation and unification of conservatives, Friday.Launched in early January, the committee is comprised of members from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), other minors including New Conservative Party and Onward for Future 4.0, and some independent lawmakers. Vowing a strong level of renovation, they have held 10 rounds of meetings si

Jan 31, 2020
Conservative parties to launch united party in mid-February

Warning against fake news

Rep. Nam In-soon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) calls for the need to crack down on fake news about the coronavirus epidemic, which she says could mislead people about the situation, during a party meeting at the National Assembly, Friday. But on the day, party Chairman Lee Hae-chan made a false comment about the situation by saying the sixth confirmed patient worked at a public health center, which the party later said was a misunderstanding on his part. Yonhap

Jan 31, 2020
Warning against fake news

Ruling party's approval rating lowest since Moon's inauguration: Gallup

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea, right, Chairman Lee Hae-chan and floor leader Lee In-young / YonhapThe ruling Democratic Party's approval rating has plunged to its lowest since the launch of the Moon Jae-in administration, a Gallup poll showed Friday, amid a controversy over the qualification of a newly recruited party official for the April 15 general elections.In the three-day phone survey of 1,000 people nationwide, aged 18 or older, from Tuesday to Thursday, 34 percent supported the party, down 5 percentage points from two weeks earlier. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.It marks the lowest level since Moon's inauguration in May 2017.The party's popularity was hit hard in the latter half of last year by public criticism of Moon's pick of Cho Kuk as his justice minister despite allegations of irregularities involving his children's schooling and family investment in a private equity fund.It fell to 36-38 percent in September and mid-October before starting to rebound.The party has faced another round of harsh public condemnation for its recruitment of a

Jan 31, 2020
Ruling party's approval rating lowest since Moon's inauguration: Gallup
  • #MeToo brings down young politician of ruling party

Main opposition party stoking 'China-phobia'

Hwang Kyo-ahn, second from right, chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, and other party members hold a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooAmid growing public concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party's (LKP) calls for “preventive measures” are raising eyebrows as many of them may be inciting hatred of China and Chinese people.The opposition party has called for banning Chinese nationals from entering Korea and deporting those who are already here. Party members are intensifying these calls as the epidemic has snowballed, killing more than 170 people and infecting nearly 8,000 in China. Korea has reported six confirmed cases.“Chinese from Wuhan and Hubei Province, where the coronavirus is rampant, are admitted to Korea without proper quarantine process. The government has not dealt with the coronavirus thoroughly,” Rep. Won Yoo-chul of the LKP said during a party meeting at the National Assembly, Wednesday. “I will submit a revision bill to the Quarantine Act t

Jan 30, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Main opposition party stoking 'China-phobia'
  • 'Desperate time calls for desperate measures'
  • Korea reports 1st human-to-human transmission of coronavirus
  • 368 Korean evacuees from Wuhan sent to two state-run facilities

Quarantine effort

President Moon Jae-in cleans his hands with hand sanitizer ahead of a meeting at the Government Complex in Seoul, Thursday, to discuss the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak. Moon said his administration will take every necessary measure to contain the deadly virus and called for a strict response to fake news linked to the disease. / Yonhap

Jan 30, 2020By Kang Seung-woo

Coronavirus affects election campaign

Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn shakes hands with a resident in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, while supporting a candidate from the party for a by-election in this March 24, 2019 photo. Although a handshake is the traditional way for politicians to express friendliness to voters, candidates for the April 15 general election are now avoiding it due to public concerns over the spread of the virus. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooThe recent coronavirus outbreak is affecting candidates' campaigning for the April 15 general election, as voters are reluctant to visit congested places and are avoiding physical contact with others, both of which are common practices on the campaign trail.The coronavirus, originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has killed more than 170 people and infected nearly 8,000 solely in China so far. The virus is transmissible via airborne particles or physical contact. Korea has reported six confirmed cases.In that respect, candidates are refraining from launching campaigns and postponing the opening of campaign offices until as late as possible. Former P

Jan 30, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Coronavirus affects election campaign
  • 'Desperate time calls for desperate measures'
  • Korea reports 1st human-to-human transmission of coronavirus
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