South Korea - The Korea Times

Cheong Wa Dae pledges to tighten internal discipline

Cho Kuk, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, answers questions from lawmakers at the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 31, regarding a recent scandal surrounding an allegation that Cheong Wa Dae engaged in illegal surveillance activity on civilians. / YonhapBy Lee Min-hyungCheong Wa Dae plans to tighten its internal discipline, forcing officials to abide by a zero-tolerance policy toward any kinds of corruption by overhauling a special inspection team inside the presidential house, it said, Thursday. The plan came amid an ongoing allegation that the presidential office has conducted illegal surveillance activities on civilians.“Even after the controversy erupted, Cheong Wa Dae has chosen to deal with the incident according to law and principles despite political burden, rather than cover up the case,” the civil affairs' office of the presidential house said in a statement.On top of that, Cheong Wa Dae has since stood up to strong criticisms from opposition parties and some media outlets by actively getting the facts straight in a fair and transparent manner,

Jan 17, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Cheong Wa Dae pledges to tighten internal discipline

Digital strategic alliance

Shinhan Bank India CEO Kwon Oh-hyung, left, and MYND Solution COO Jacob Rapael shakes hands after signing a memorandum of understanding at the bank's headquarters in India, Jan. 11. The two agreed to boost cooperation following the launch of Shinhan's “digital factoring loan,” under which all procedures involving sales of corporate bonds transactions by companies in India will be conducted online. Courtesy of Shinhan Bank

Jan 16, 2019By Lee Kyung-min

UK filmmaker introduces NK through defector

By Kim Bo-eunRoxy Rezvany / Courtesy of Roxy RezvanyNew Malden, a suburb in southwest London, is home to about 600 North Koreans _ making it the largest North Korean defector community outside South Korea.“Yet many people in the U.K. are not aware of this,” British filmmaker Roxy Rezvany, 27, told The Korea Times in an interview. Rezvany grew up in London, but only discovered the area in 2014.This is where she met North Korean defector Choi Joong-wha, who came to New Malden in 2007 and lives with his family there. Hearing about the defectors' stories, she felt she wanted to share this with more people.“The general understanding of North Korea tends to be based on press coverage, either about the regime's nuclear program or silly depictions of its leaders,” she said.“I wanted to provide a humanized portrayal of a North Korean,” Rezvany said, referring to “the deficit of portrayals of North Koreans and information on North Korea in general.”In her film “Little Pyongyang,” Choi, who was a soldier in the North Korean military, r

Jan 16, 2019By Kim Bo-eun

UK filmmaker introduces NK through defector

VIDEO No US Fed rate raise; Korea's economy to grow nicely, says top economist

By Oh Young-jin U.S. economic forecaster Allen Sinai made optimistic observations during a recent visit to Korea. In a breakfast lecture hosted by the Institute for Global Economics (IGE) at the Korea Press Center, Tuesday, Sinai forecast that in 2019 the U.S. Federal Reserve may not raise interest rates, contradicting other forecasters on the chance of recession. The economist, well recognized for his precision, said U.S. growth may reach 3 percent, coupled with the continuation of global expansion. He also expected the U.S. stock market to grow 7 to 8 percent this year, putting the dismal last year behind it. For Korea, he said that the period of 5 percent growth may be over but it still will have a “nice” year, with growth close to 3 percent. As for instruments for investment, he recommended the yen, U.S. Treasuries and gold, among others.He also credited U.S. President Donald Trump's tax cut for fueling U.S. growth but discounted his chance of re-election. Sinai argued that the U.S. Congress is not good for anything, proposing a direct democracy that invites voters to

Jan 16, 2019

No US Fed rate raise; Korea's economy to grow nicely, says top economist [VIDEO]

Ruling party lawmaker suspected of property speculation

Changseongjang, a historic building in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, bought by an aide to Rep. Sohn Hye-won of the ruling Democratic Party, is seen Wednesday. / YonhapBy Park Ji-wonRuling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker Rep. Sohn Hye-won is facing criticism following media reports that she allegedly shared insider information with relatives and aides regarding property investments in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province.Local broadcaster SBS reported Tuesday that Sohn’s relatives and aides bought nine buildings in an old street in the city between May 2017 and September last year before the street was designated a cultural heritage site. It alleged Sohn was involved in these purchases by providing money and sharing information she obtained as a member of the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee.She flatly denied the allegations, but the controversy is unlikely to subside as the broadcaster said it would air another story on the issue.The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) immediately joined in the criticism of Sohn, calling on her to step down if the

Jan 16, 2019By Park Ji-won

Ruling party lawmaker suspected of property speculation

Lawmaker under suspicion for influence peddling in court

PDP leader vows to cut lawmakers' salaries in half for electoral reform

Rep. Chung Dong-young of the Party for Democracy and Peace, center, speaks during a press conference near National Assembly, Wednesday. / Yonhap By Park Ji-wonRep. Chung Dong-young, the leader of Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) proposed cutting lawmakers' salaries to cover the cost of introducing an expanded proportional representation system to increase the number of lawmakers. For the electoral reform, Chung said “The PDP will propose cutting lawmakers' monthly salary to 4.6 million won which is equal to a 2019 median income for one family with four people,” Chung said during a press conference to mark the New Year, Wednesday.Citing the National Assembly Political Reform Committee's proposal of expanding the proportional representation system and the number of lawmakers to 360, Chung urged the introduction claiming, “It is a matter of giving ordinary people political chances and power.”His remarks came amid stalled talks over electoral reform after leaders of

Jan 16, 2019By Park Ji-won

PDP leader vows to cut lawmakers' salaries in half for electoral reform

Hwang Kyo-ahn joins LKP, vowing to unify conservatives

Hwang Kyo-ahn, former prime minister under Park Geun-hye administration, speaks during a press conference for his entry into the main opposition Liberty Korea Party at the National Assembly, Tuesday. / YonhapBy Park Ji-wonFormer Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn joined the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) on Tuesday, pledging to tackle the Moon Jae-in administration’s economic policy and unify the conservatives. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and other opposition parties immediately criticized his entry into the political scene.“I will stop the Moon Jae-in government whose economic policy has failed and led to civil unrest. I will do my best to make the country live well together,” Hwang said during a press conference at the National Assembly Tuesday.“Employees at small firms and small and medium-sized firms, the self-employed and young jobseekers are suffering from a poor economy. I will do my best to unify conservatives.”His move came one year and eight months after he stepped down as acting president, having assumed the role after the

Jan 15, 2019By Park Ji-won

Hwang Kyo-ahn joins LKP, vowing to unify conservatives

LKP excludes far-right figure as fact-finder of Gwangju Uprising

Members from victims' organizations for the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement hold a rally at the National Assembly, Monday, asking for a face-to-face meeting with Na Kyung-won, the floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), over the recommendation of special committee members to conduct an investigation into the uprising. / YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) decided not to recommend Jee Man-won, a controversial far-right figure, as a fact-finder for the May 18 Gwangju Uprising.The LKP recommended three conservative figures on Monday as members of the inter-parliamentary committee to be launched to find the facts over the May 18 student-led pro-democracy movement. It took four months for the LKP to name the three after a special act was introduced to form the committee.A special act took effect Sept. 14 to investigate human rights violations by the military during the May 18 democratic movement. Nine fact-finders should be recommended for the National Assembly speaker to form the special committee under the law. However, the co

Jan 15, 2019By Park Ji-won

LKP excludes far-right figure as fact-finder of Gwangju Uprising

South Korea stops calling North 'main enemy'

Biennial defense white paper reflects inter-Korean peaceBy Lee Min-hyungDefense Minister Jeong Kyeong-dooThe Ministry of National Defense has removed its definition of North Korea as the “main enemy” in its latest defense white paper, reflecting of the ongoing inter-Korean reconciliation.“The South Korean military considers any force threatening the nation’s sovereignty, territory and property as the enemy,” the ministry said in the biennial white paper, published Tuesday.This is the first time since 2010 that the defense ministry dropped the term “enemy” when referring to North Korea in the paper.The decision is in contrast to the previous version of the paper in which the ministry called North Korea the “primary security threat” against South Korea. The 2016 paper also stated the North Korean regime and its military forces will remain as a major security threat as long as the North continues its military provocations.The ministry explained that the shifted stance against the North was in response to the regime’s steps for

Jan 15, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

South Korea stops calling North 'main enemy'

Seoul, Tokyo fail to narrow differences in radar row

Defense Ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo speaks during a briefing Jan. 4 on the release of a video that refutes Japan's claims that a South Korean warship targeted a Japanese patrol plane with a fire control radar. YonhapBy Kim Bo-eunThe conflict between Seoul and Tokyo over what the latter claims was the “painting” of one of its aircraft as a target by South Korean radar is set to stretch on, after generals' talks to address the issue ended up just confirming the differences between each side. The two countries held a meeting on the issue in Singapore, Monday. Attending from South Korea was Vice Adm. Boo Suk-jong, the chief director of military support at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Lee Won-ik, director general of international policy at the defense ministry. Lt. Gen. Atsushi Hikita, the director of operations at Japan's Joint Staff Office, and Takeshi Ishikawa, a senior defense ministry official, represented Japan.The row began after Japan accused the Navy warship Gwanggaeto the Great of targeting one of its P-1 maritime patrol planes with a fire control radar Dec.

Jan 15, 2019By Kim Bo-eun

Politics