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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.

Moon asks Assembly to cooperate on economic bills

President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech at the start of a weekly meeting with senior presidential aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulPresident Moon Jae-in asked the National Assembly for wider-scale bipartisan cooperation in handling economic bills, as the economy is on track for one of its worst two-year growth periods in more than half a century.“Please help the government proceed pending economic bills affecting citizens' daily lives. If you really care about the economy, it's no question that economic bills are certainly having a rather large impact on almost all aspects of citizens' lives,” Moon said at the start of a weekly meeting with senior presidential aides at the presidential office, according to Cheong Wa Dae press pool reports, Monday.President Moon also asked the political parties to assess the economic bills separately from those relating to political viewpoints. “Because all actions and moves at the Assembly are keenly watched by the public, the political parties should be held accountable. That means the parties should avoid any p

Dec 30, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
Moon asks Assembly to cooperate on economic bills

4th anniv. of sexual slavery deal

Members of a students' group against the Shinzo Abe administration hold a rally in front of the former Japanese embassy site in Seoul, Monday, to mark the fourth anniversary of the Seoul-Tokyo deal on Japan's wartime sex slavery which has been criticized here for excluding victims' opinion and trying to resolve the issue hastily without an official apology from Japan. /Yonhap

Dec 30, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji
4th anniv. of sexual slavery deal

Gov't to grant special pardons to over 5,000 people to mark new year

Acting Justice Minister Kim Oh-soo speaks during a press conference at the government complex in Seoul on Dec. 30, 2019, to announce that the government will grant special pardons to 5,174 people, including conscientious objectors, minor offenders and activists, ahead of the new year. YonhapIn the third round of special pardons of the Moon Jae-in administration, the government on Monday announced plans to grant special pardons to 5,174 people, including conscientious objectors, minor offenders and activists, ahead of the new year.The move, set to go into effect Tuesday, includes 1,879 conscientious objectors, 267 who have been convicted for breaching the election law, as well as three political and labor activists, the justice ministry said in a press release.The government said the special pardon is aimed at relieving the burden of convicts whose livelihoods were affected and helping them return to society, anticipating the decision will become a source of "people's unity."Among high-profile figures, Han Sang-kyun, former leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, a hard-li

Dec 30, 2019
Gov't to grant special pardons to over 5,000 people to mark new year

Moon-Abe summit opens up more questions

President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Du Fu Thatched Cottage, a park and museum for the famous Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu (712 ― 770), on Dec. 24. YonhapRare meeting builds rapport, but differences linger on key issues By Do Je-hae A rare Korea-Japan summit is considered the highlight of President Moon Jae-in's Dec. 23-24 visit to Chengdu, China. There was much anticipation toward the first official meeting between the two leaders in 15 months. The biggest outcome of their latest summit in the southwestern Chinese city is that the two leaders have restored a certain level of trust, which has been glaringly absent in their relationship while bilateral relations have tumbled to their lowest level in decades. While attending the 8th Korea-China-Japan summit in China, it was noteworthy that the leaders of Korea and Japan, who have hardly spoken since a contentious 2018 South Korean Supreme Court ruling on wartime forced labor, spent a considerable amount of time together during their brief stay in China. On Dec. 24, they spent the whole day togeth

Dec 29, 2019By Do Je-hae

Ruling party embraces multicultural policies for election

Rep. Lee Hae-chan, left, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), and Rep. Lee In-young, floor leader of the DPK, participate in a party meeting at the National Assembly, Friday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is preparing to introduce more policies to improve immigrants' rights in the lead-up to the general election next April hoping to attract voters of multicultural backgrounds.The DPK's committee on multiculturalism has suggested recently the party unveil various election promises related to the rights of immigrants including the establishment of a presidential body on multiculturalism so that the body can serve as a control tower to tackle relevant social issues, according to sources. The pledges also include expanding support for undocumented immigrant children, easing the work permission system for foreigners, giving teachers and public servants mandatory education on multiculturalism, improving welfare systems for multicultural families and establishing an overall marriage policy for immigrants. Above all, the committee is planni

Dec 27, 2019By Park Ji-won
Ruling party embraces multicultural policies for election

Heated legal battle expected between Cho, prosecution

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk leaves a detention center in eastern Seoul, Friday, after a court rejected an arrest warrant for him over abuse of power allegations in closing a Cheong Wa Dae bribery investigation into former Busan Vice Mayor Yoo Jae-soo in 2017. /YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiFormer Justice Minister Cho Kuk has managed to avoid arrest over his alleged abuse of power in halting Cheong Wa Dae's corruption investigation of a former Busan vice mayor, as a local court rejected the prosecution's request to issue an arrest warrant for him.However, the court implied a large part of the allegations have been confirmed through the prosecution's probe so far, although they may not be grave enough to merit putting him behind bars.This conclusion is expected to bring a fierce court battle between Cho and the prosecution.Following a review on the warrant request on Thursday, the Seoul Eastern District Court said early Friday morning that it did not recognize the need to detain him at this point although the allegations are serious.“Cho's abusing of power to halt the inspection into (

Dec 27, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji
Heated legal battle expected between Cho, prosecution

New election bill passed amid clashes

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang announces the passage of a contentious election bill introducing a new proportional representation system at the National Assembly, Friday, as members of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party protest around Moon. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe National Assembly passed a contentious election bill introducing a new proportional representation system amid fierce opposition from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), Friday.National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang announced that the National Assembly passed a revision bill on electoral reform proposed by Rep. Kim Kwan-young of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party. Out of 167 present lawmakers, 156 lawmakers voted to pass the bill while 10 opposed it. The bill outlines that the number of seats will be the same as last time: 253 seats from constituencies and 47 seats for proportional representatives in the 300-member National Assembly. However, what is different from the previous scheme is the proportion of proportional representation seats out of the 47 seats. Under the new rule, the number of p

Dec 27, 2019By Park Ji-won
New election bill passed amid clashes

Kim Jong-un's sister boasts presence in N. Korean military

Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jongBy Jhoo Dong-chanNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister Kim Yo-jong commanded her first instruction to military units as the country's vice director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, sources said.According to the sources, Kim Yo-jong, on Dec. 17, delivered her message to each military unit that they should take extra care of female soldiers' health conditions.“Rechargeable batteries can be hazardous to health because of their chemical contents so they should be placed in designated areas,” she said in the message.“Each base should also take special care of female soldiers' working and health condition.”Kim Kyong-hui and Ko Yong-hui had taken the role to improve female soldiers' working conditions before Yo-jong. Kim Kyong-hui is the aunt of Kim Jong-un and Yo-jong. Ko is Kim Jong-un and Yo-jong's mother.North Korean experts said Kim Yo-jong has taken the center stage of North Korea's power elite at a younger age than the previous generation did.Kim Yo-jong came to the post in No

Dec 27, 2019By Jhoo Dong-chan
Kim Jong-un's sister boasts presence in N. Korean military

Assembly pushes to pass electoral reform bill on Friday

Lawmakers leave the National Assembly as an extraordinary session ends at midnight after days of a filibuster by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, Thursday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe National Assembly is expected to pass a fast-tracked bill on electoral reform on Friday after failing to put it to a vote due to a days-long filibuster by the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) which lasted from Monday to Wednesday.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and other minor political parties are planning to push for passing the reform bill on Friday, along with other bread-and-butter bills. The bill is designed to add the number of proportional representatives in favor of smaller parties such as the Justice Party. As the number of lawmakers of these parties meets the 148-seat quorum, the bills could be passed without the LKP's participation.The DPK and other political parties continued to stress the importance of passing the bills.“It's the people's order to reflect their opinions in National Assembly seats by creating a law of a

Dec 26, 2019By Park Ji-won
Assembly pushes to pass electoral reform bill on Friday

Why Moon needs to closely look at Chengdu's innovation

Buildings in Chengdu's Tianfu district. Korea Times photo by Do Je-haeBy Do Je-hae CHENGDU ― This southwestern city about four hours from Seoul by plane may not be the best-known Chinese city to Koreans. But President Moon Jae-in's visit here this week is sparking interest in the exciting capital of Sichuan Province that has quickly emerged as China's new tech hub. Many IT giants, such as IBM, Intel, Alibaba and Siemens, have flocked to Chengdu, home to almost 300 Fortune Global 500 companies. They're attracted to the city's young, skilled workforce and strong local government support, according to experts.The city also boasts an impressive per capita GDP growth rate of over 7 percent, and international indexes have ranked Chengdu among the most innovative and entrepreneurial cities in China. The Korea-Japan-China Summit, held on Dec. 23 and 24, is just one of many international events the city has been hosting on the back of its burgeoning status as a global metropolis. To experience the heartbeat of Chengdu, a visit to the Tianfu district is a must. There is a palpable sense of ene

Dec 25, 2019By Do Je-hae
Why Moon needs to closely look at Chengdu's innovation
  • Game firms disappointed with Moon-Xi summit
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