South Korea - The Korea Times

President appoints 'reformer' Choo as justice minister

President Moon Jae-in offers his hand gestures to Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, Moon's right, on his way for a tea meeting also with other senior presidential aides at the President's main working room in Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulPresident Moon Jae-in appointed former ruling party head Choo Mi-ae as justice minister Thursday, a few days after the National Assembly passed a bill to set up an anti-corruption agency to investigate corruption allegations against high-profile officials. “At the stroke of midnight, Choo Mi-ae officially took the role as the country's justice minister. President Moon approved this at 7 a.m., Thursday,” Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Ko Min-jung told reporters via a text message.The appointment came two days after President Moon requested the National Assembly to approve Choo for the position. He asked the Assembly to forward confirmation reports by New Year's Day, however, it failed to do so as the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) refused to adopt them.Generally, minister-nominees must undergo a confirmation hearing at th

Jan 2, 2020By Kim Yoo-chul

President appoints 'reformer' Choo as justice minister

Moon puts prosecution reform, fair society top of his 2020 agenda

President Moon Jae-in made a commitment Thursday to complete prosecution reform and other measures aimed at promoting social justice this year, addressing a meeting with business leaders and representatives from various fields.He vowed "clear change" for South Korea on the basis of what he says is a number of achievements made during his presidency that began in May 2017."'The reform of powerful institutions' and 'fair society reform' are the beginning (of the process)," he said during the New Year's event held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) headquarters in Seoul.In South Korea, usually four state organizations ― the prosecution, police, state intelligence agency and national tax service ― are called powerful institutions.In particular, reforming the prosecution service, said to have excessive power and authority, is one of the hottest topics."No powerful institution can exist above the people," Moon stressed.Only when everyone is actually equal and fair by law, "social trust" can be formed, which will serve as the basis for "co-prosperity and national unity," h

Jan 2, 2020

Moon puts prosecution reform, fair society top of his 2020 agenda

Ministry plans 'no mercy' for LKP lawmaker Khang

Rep. Khang Hyo-shang of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) has his head shaved to protest President Moon Jae-in's appointment of key political ally Cho Kuk as justice minister at a square near Dongdaegu Station in Daegu, in this Sept. 17 file photo. YonhapBy Jung Da-min The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is showing no signs of dropping its criminal complaints filed against a lawmaker and a diplomat.The prosecution indicted Rep. Khang Hyo-shang of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), Tuesday, for leaking details of a phone conversation between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump months earlier. A former diplomat, Khang's high-school alum, who has been fired by the foreign ministry for providing the information, has also been indicted. In early May last year, Khang held a press conference at the National Assembly, where he claimed Moon had asked Trump to visit Seoul right after his visit to Tokyo in late May. Cheong Wa Dae denied Khang's claim and the foreign ministry filed a criminal complaint against him and the diplomat for illegally collecting an

Jan 1, 2020

Ministry plans 'no mercy' for LKP lawmaker Khang

PM Lee holds clear lead over opposition rivals

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon speaks during an interview with Yonhap at his office in Seoul, Dec. 26. YonhapBy Park Ji-won, Kim Yoo-chulPrime Minister Lee Nak-yon is clearly holding his ground this year as the “right candidate” for the next South Korean leader.The latest Realmeter poll showed the outgoing PM leading among other ruling Democratic Party Korea (DPK) and main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) politicians as South Korea's next presidential candidate with support of 29.1 percent, compared with 20.1 percent for LKP chief Hwang Kyo-ahn and 8.8 percent for Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung. Lee has led his rivals for seven consecutive months.Now, Lee is set to be a DPK candidate in a key Seoul precinct in the crucial April general election. Political analysts say chances are very high that the PM will be elected. Lee, the longest serving prime minister since South Korea adopted a direct presidential election system in 1987, broke his silence about the next stage in his political career, saying in a recent interview that he would run in the general election

Jan 1, 2020By Park Ji-won

PM Lee holds clear lead over opposition rivals

Ethnic Korean support group awarded for improving democracy

Actor and activist Kwon Hae-hyo, second from right, poses after Mongdang Pencil, a Seoul-based civic organization working for improving rights for ethnic Koreans living in Japan led by him, won the fourth Kim Geun-tae award for its contributions to democracy in Seoul, Dec. 27. Courtesy of Mondang PencilBy Park Ji-wonMongdang Pencil, a Seoul-based civic organization supporting rights for ethnic Koreans in Japan, was awarded for promoting democracy.The award committee of the Democracy Activist Kim Geun-tae Award said the civic organization became the fourth winner of the award on Dec. 27 for its contributions to giving hope to the children studying in Korean schools in Japan.Mongdang Pencil was founded in March 2011 by actor and activist Kwon Hae-hyo and singer songwriters Lee Ji-sang and Ahn Chi-hwan after Japan was struck by an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident. It has been working for improvement of rights for Zainichi Koreans or ethnic Koreans residing in Japan, many of whom have been suffering from hate crimes and discrimination in Japan since before World War II. Ethnic Ko

Jan 1, 2020By Park Ji-won

Ethnic Korean support group awarded for improving democracy

YouTube, breeding ground for Korea's far right

Image of a young man watching a YouTube channel that uses derogatory terms to refer to Korean women. A loose network of young, mostly male YouTubers, host a vibrant community for Korea's new far right, feeding right-wing views to hundreds of thousands of subscribers. / GettyimagesbankBy Lee Suh-yoonOne was a young jobseeker. Another, an instructor at a college prep academy. There was also one who claimed to have run a successful online fashion mall business in women's clothing.All three are now part of a loose network of dozens of young, mostly male YouTubers who play hosts at YouTube's most vibrant community ― the far right. Their channels feed right-wing news commentary and worldviews to hundreds of thousands of viewers on a daily basis. These young YouTubers differ from the traditional far-right conservatives known for mobilizing seniors for raucous rallies supporting now-jailed former President Park Geun-hye. The topics are more varied ― often linked to a trending news event ― and videos neither start with typical blatant proclamations of one's political ideology nor endorse righ

Jan 1, 2020

YouTube, breeding ground for Korea's far right

NK likely to maintain denuclearization tug-of-war in 2020: experts

그림1Seen above are satellite images of the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Tongchang, North Pyongan Province, North Korea. On the left is an image from Dec. 17, and the right is from Dec. 18. / Courtesy of 38 North By Jhoo Dong-chanNorth Korea is likely to maintain the status quo combining its hardline stance with an open negotiation channel next year, according to a number of experts in South Korea and abroad.They also claim it is a very tall task to lead North Korea to complete and irreversible denuclearization without guaranteeing its regime survival.According to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), Monday, the first RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk aircraft arrived at an air force base in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, on the day. The government purchased four Global Hawk remotely piloted surveillance planes from the United States. The remaining three are expected to be delivered next year. The ROKAF has not revealed details for its deployment plan, but the

Jan 1, 2020By Jhoo Dong-chan

NK likely to maintain denuclearization tug-of-war in 2020: experts

National Assembly passes bill for investigative agency

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, center, bangs the gavel to announce the start of a plenary session for the vote of a judiciary reform bill to launch a special investigative body looking into corruption of high-ranking officials and their family members, Monday, amid a protest by lawmakers of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Jung Da-min The National Assembly passed a controversial bill, Monday, to launch a special investigative body to look into corruption of high-ranking officials and their family members despite strong protests from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP). The judiciary reform bill, aimed at overhauling the prosecution, was passed by a 159-to-14 vote, with three abstentions. Its passage needed at least 148 votes out of the of the 295-member assembly. A total of 176 lawmakers participated in the vote. LKP lawmakers abstained from voting, walking out en mass of the Assembly's plenary session in protest. With the passage of the bill, the anti-corruption investigation unit is scheduled to debut in July at the ea

Dec 30, 2019

National Assembly passes bill for investigative agency

Moon grants special pardons ahead of elections

The Moon Jae-in administration on Monday announced special pardons. From top to bottom are former Gangwon Province Governor Lee Kwang-jae, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education former superintendent Kwak No-hyun and Han Sang-kyun, former leader of the hardline Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. YonhapBy Do Je-hae The Moon Jae-in administration on Monday announced special pardons for a host of politicians ahead of the general elections in April 2020. The Ministry of Justice announced a list of 5,174 individuals to be pardoned and reinstated as of today, including Election Law offenders, conscientious objectors and activists, among others. There were 267 politicians on the list, including former Gangwon Province Governor Lee Kwang-jae who was a close associate of the later former President Roh Moo-hyun, and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education former superintendent Kwak No-hyun. Also included were former lawmakers of the main opposition Liberty Party of Korea, such Shin Ji-ho and Gong Sung-jin.Han Sang-kyun, former leader of the hardline Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU

Dec 30, 2019By Do Je-hae

Moon grants special pardons ahead of elections

Hanwha signs $118 mil. deal with Army

K55 A1 self-propelled howitzersBy Kim Yoo-chulHanwha Defense, a leading land systems manufacturer in South Korea, has signed a deal to provide the Army with a fifth batch of K55 A1 self-propelled howitzers, the company said on Dec. 30.Valued at 137.4 billion won ($118 million), the contract was signed between Hanwha Defense and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). Delivery of the artillery is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 30, 2022.The K55A1 is an up-to-date version of the K55 self-propelled howitzer, a South Korean variant of the American M109 Paladin. The vehicle carries up to six personnel, and the primary armament is a 155mm main gun.The South Korean Army has fielded more than 1,000 of the artillery systems to counter North Korea's possible attacks near the heavily fortified border.

Dec 30, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

Politics