South Korea - The Korea Times

Moon stresses economic revitalization

By Kim Yoo-chulPresident Moon Jae-in has stressed the revitalization of the local economy, asking the government to join forces with the private and public sectors to apply stimulus measures focusing on emerging industries. “Factors such as external economic uncertainty are denting the prospects of the South Korean economy given the country's heavy reliance on exports. While key economic indices such as inflation, employment rates and foreign reserves are under control, we have to keep the economy afloat by growing new businesses,” Moon said at the start of his weekly meeting with senior presidential secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, according to Cheong Wa Dae press pool reports, Monday.President Moon said the government expects the economy, Asia's fourth-largest, to improve gradually in the second quarter of this year after the country's GDP contracted 0.3 percent in the first quarter ― the biggest decline in a decade.“As the economic situation isn't looking good, calls are high that the government should join forces with the National Assembly, but I am sorry to see th

Apr 29, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

Ruling party head vows stern handling of 'law-breaking' LKP members

Lawmakers of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) hold a sit-in protest in front of the office of the special committee on judiciary reform where its members will decide whether to fast-track reform bills at the National Assembly, Monday. The LKP has continued to protest the fast-track move which was agreed upon by four other political parties last week. Blocking a scheduled meeting is illegal under the Assembly Law. / Yonhap700,000 sign petition calling for LKP disbandmentBy Park Ji-wonRuling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Hae-chan vowed a stern handling of illegal activities by main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) members to block votes on fast-tracking reform bills, Monday.Describing the LKP members as “thieves,” Lee said he took photos of them breaking the law while conducting sit-in protests inside the National Assembly, and filed complaints with the police against them in person.The remarks came as the LKP members are holding sit-in protests to block relevant committees from holding meetings to decide on fast-tracking the reform bill

Apr 29, 2019By Park Ji-won

Ruling party head vows stern handling of 'law-breaking' LKP members

Korean arrested for allegedly abducting fellow Korean in Philippines

By Lee Min-hyungA Korean man has been arrested for allegedly abducting another Korean national in the Philippines and demanding a ransom from his family, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Saturday.The suspect, identified by his surname Lee, reportedly kidnapped the victim in Makati, Manila, sometime in March.The 34-year-old suspect then contacted the father of the victim and demanded $5 million (5.8 billion won) ransom.Philippines police are investigating the case after arresting the suspect, April 22.When the suspect abducted the 26-year-old Korean national is as yet unknown. The Philippines police began investigating the case after his family filed a missing persons report with the Korean Embassy, March 23.“Upon receiving the report, we immediately contacted the local policy and called for a thorough investigation of the case,” a Korean foreign ministry official said.The suspect faces charges of pocketing the initial ransom money of $17,000 through Bitcoin, according to local reports from the Philippines.“The Philippine authorities are conducting an investigati

Apr 28, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Korean arrested for allegedly abducting fellow Korean in Philippines

Party standoff deepens over fast-track reform bills

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea floor leader Rep. Hong Young-pyo holds a press conference at the National Assembly, Sunday, denouncing the main opposition Liberty Korea Party's attempt to block reform bills. YonhapBy Lee Min-hyungThe confrontation between the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and four other parties deepened Sunday after the LKP vowed to use all possible means to block the latters' move to fast-track reform bills.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) filed complaints with the police against 18 LKP members, including its floor leader Rep. Na Kyung-won, for using violence to block related National Assembly committees from holding meetings where they were supposed to vote on whether to push the bills forward. In response, the LKP reported 17 DPK members, including floor leader Rep. Hong Young-pyo, to the police, claiming they assaulted the LKP members.The partisan conflict escalated into a battle for public opinion over the weekend, with the rival parties appealing for public support through street rallies or press conferences, following their recent violen

Apr 28, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Party standoff deepens over fast-track reform bills

Singer-actor Park Yoo-chun arrested over drug use

Park Yoo-chun appears at Suwon District Court, south of Seoul, April 26, to attend a an arrest warrant hearing regarding his alleged use of illegal drugs. YonhapPark Yoo-chun, an actor and former member of boy band JYJ was arrested Friday over his alleged use of illegal drugs. Suwon District Court issued a warrant for the 33-year-old Park over allegations that he took the drugs together with the granddaughter of the founder of a dairy producer.Park is accused of purchasing 1.5 grams of methamphetamine on three occasions between last February and March, together with Hwang Ha-na, the arrested granddaughter of the founder and honorary chairman of Namyang Dairy Products Co., and of using the drug five times.The court said he presented a flight risk and could destroy evidence if released from custody.A National Forensic Agency drug test on a sample of Park's body hair, obtained in police raid on his house earlier this month, tested positive for methamphetamine, a banned substance in South Korea.Police requested an arrest warrant for him Tuesday, citing the risk of him destroying evidence

Apr 27, 2019

Singer-actor Park Yoo-chun arrested over drug use

Four parties submit key fast-track reform bills

Rep. Na Kyung-won, center, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, gets disappointed after listening to the fact that four other political parties have submitted controversial reform bills which her party has been opposing for at the National Assembly, Friday. / YonhapLKP continues face-off with four partiesBy Park Ji-wonThe ruling Democratic Party Korea (DPK) and three minor parties submitted four reform bills to the National Assembly Friday evening to fast-track them. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) strongly protested the DPK-led coalition force's move.Using the Assembly's electronic system, the four parties ― including the Bareunmirae Party (BMP), the Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) and the progressive Justice Party ― submitted the bills, according to party officials. It's the first time in South Korean political history that bills have been submitted electronically.The key points of the submitted bills include plans to increase the number of proportional representation seats in the Assembly, establish a special investigative body to look into co

Apr 26, 2019By Park Ji-won

Four parties submit key fast-track reform bills

Tussle over fast-tracking reform bills

Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and National Assembly officials try to enter the office of bills which is occupied by members of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), early Friday morning. The LKP has opposed the other four political parties' agreement on fast-tracking bills regarding electoral reform and establishing a new investigative body. Yonhap

Apr 26, 2019

LKP fears losing influence

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, center, trades verbal jabs with an unidentified Liberty Korea Party lawmaker at the National Assembly, Wednesday. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulThe country's main opposition Liberty Korea Party's (LKP) strong opposition for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) determined push for a needed electoral reform bill is due to concerns about losing influence.With the 2020 general election deadline looming, the DPK has submitted proposals outlining a vital expansion of proportional representation, which would both restrain endemic regionalism and produce a National Assembly more reflective of the electorate. The DPK partnered with three other opposition parties to pass bills to establish an independent unit designated to investigate alleged misconduct, irregularities and crimes by high-ranking government officials in addition to the electoral reform bill. These bills must be placed on a legislative fast track to ensure the adjustments are in place for the 2020 general election.But the LKP believes the proposed election bill will be a huge plus to the r

Apr 26, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

Speaker shocked by #metoo allegation, needs surgery

Lawmakers of the conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party demand National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang step down for allegedly sexually harassing female lawmaker. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-hanBy Oh Young-jin National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang was transferred to Seoul National Hospital and was to undergo surgery, his office said Friday. Moon checked into the Catholic University of Korea Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital Wednesday suffering from high blood pressure and a rapid heartbeat. The politician, 74, found himself in the middle of a partisan fight over a fast-tracked bill on establishing an agency responsible for investigating corruption by those in high office. Moon touched a female lawmaker on her cheeks when she blocked him in a melee at his office, triggering cries of sexual harassment from women lawmakers. Moon's office said he showed symptoms of being in shock from a low blood sugar level and was told by the medical staff to go to hospital. His spokesmen declined to reveal his conditions, citing confidentiality about the health of heads of the three branches of gove

Apr 26, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Speaker shocked by #metoo allegation, needs surgery

Constitutional Court swings left

President Moon Jae-in, third from right, greets justices Lee Mi-sun, left, and Moon Hyung-bae, right, before awarding appointment certificate as the Constitutional Court justices at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Friday. / Korea Times photo by Ryu Hyo-jinBy Kim Jae-heunDespite strong protests from conservatives, President Moon Jae-in moved ahead with the appointments of two new constitutional justices to make the top court more liberal.In addition, the decision is raising speculation that the top court's future rulings on hot-button issues such as abolishing the death penalty and protecting homosexual military conscripts from persecution may tilt to progressive stances. During his visit to Central Asia last Friday, Moon appointed Lee Mi-sun and Moon Hyung-bae to the nine-member bench of the Constitutional Court, increasing the number of its non-conservative justices to six, the number needed to achieve a two-thirds majority. “President Moon did not want to leave justice seats at the Constitutional Court empty, not even for a day, and he approved the designation of two justices online,

Apr 26, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

Politics