Gov't vows to cut red tape to expedite 46 tln-won corporate investment projects

The South Korean government vowed Wednesday to ease regulations and reduce administrative procedures to promote the swift and smooth implementation of major corporate investment projects, including S-Oil Co.'s petrochemical plant project and the US Sphere Entertainment Co.'s K-pop arena construction plan. The government presented a set of tailored deregulatory measures for a total of 18 projects led by private companies worth 46 trillion won ($35.06 billion) combined as part of efforts

Nov. 8, 2023

First lady visits lepers at hospital in Goheung

First lady Kim Keon Hee traveled to the southern county of Goheung on Tuesday to meet with a group of lepers at a hospital known for treating the patients. Kim visited Sorokdo National Hospital in Goheung, 328 kilometers south of Seoul, and comforted the patients while also encouraging the medical staff, according to the presidential office. Sorokdo is the name of the island where the hospital is located. Two Austrian nurses -- Marianne Stoger and Margaritha Pissarek -- spent 43 years on the i

Nov. 7, 2023

Race issue enters Korean politics

Naturalized South Korean doctor Yohan Ihn's appointment as reform head of the ruling People Power Party in October came as a surprise move in a country with a relatively short history of racial or ethnic diversity in politics. Following his appointment, the 64-year-old Ihn, also known as John Linton, who is white and the descendant of US missionaries, has faced personal attacks over his ethnicity from political opponents who sought to undermine his power, overshadowing his reform agenda.

Nov. 7, 2023

Yoon aides set to leave office to run in general election

With five months remaining ahead of the general election next year, around 30 of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s senior and assistant secretaries are poised to resign to jump into the parliamentary race, widely seen as a midterm test for the president, who has suffered from low approval ratings since taking office last year. The upcoming election is pivotal for Yoon as he faces disapproval ratings of approximately 60 percent and his party has been hit hard after a defeat in a by-election held to

Nov. 6, 2023

Former justice minister hints at parliamentary bid as 'nonlegal' route for redemption

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk has hinted at the possibility of running for the National Assembly in next year's general elections, in a bid to restore his honor. Appearing on a YouTube show hosted by left-leaning broadcaster Kim Ou-joon, Cho expressed his desire to clear his name through legal means while currently standing trial. However, if his legal efforts do not yield the desired results, he said he is considering "nonlegal measures" to rebuild his reputation. “It c

Nov. 6, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Broader offshore financial support, mobility regulatory sandbox

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act Proposed by Rep. Yu Eui-dong (People Power Party) ● Under the current act, franchisers can designate goods or services vital for trademark protection as “essential items” and require their franchisees to trade these items with particular trading partners. However, a growing number of disputes have arisen between franchisers and franchisees due to excessive designation of essential items and price hike

Nov. 6, 2023

Yoon expected to replace several senior secretaries ahead of parliamentary elections

President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to replace several senior secretaries, including those in charge of press affairs and political affairs, in line with the resignations of those preparing to run in next year's parliamentary elections, sources said Monday. Yoon is considering promoting presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon to the position of senior secretary for press affairs to replace Kim Eun-hye, who is expected to resign next month to run for a seat in the Bundang district of Gyeonggi

Nov. 6, 2023

Yoon's approval rating up for 2 consecutive weeks

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating rose for the second consecutive week to 36.8 percent, a poll showed Monday. The survey, conducted by the polling agency Realmeter, showed the positive assessment of Yoon's performance increased by 1.1 percentage points from the previous week, while 60.2 percent of respondents disapproved of his performance, down 1.7 percentage points. Yoon's approval rating had rebounded to 35.7 percent last week, following a two-week decline. The pollster

Nov. 6, 2023

Election calculus dominates debate on Seoul expansion plan

A debate is roiling in South Korea over the plan to make Seoul larger, a recycled election promise that is failing to win voters in and out of the capital, polls reveal. Enlarging Seoul is a recurring proposal in South Korean politics -- interpreted as being intended to sway voters in the capital’s many satellite cities -- renewed by the People Power Party with the general election less than six months away. The plan was previously endorsed in past elections by some candidates with the Dem

Nov. 5, 2023

Ruling party to request spending boost for research and development

The ruling People Power Party has officially requested the government increase budgets in research and development to improve the working conditions of young scientists, a lawmaker said Friday. The request comes amid criticism of the government's double-digit percentage cut in the R&D budget, originally planned to improve inefficiencies in how the money is being spent. The budget for the sector dropped to around 25 trillion won ($18.7 billion), marking the first reduction in eight years

Nov. 3, 2023

The branch of South Korean left blaming Israel for Hamas attacks -- who are they?

A few days after the Islamist militant group Hamas entered Israel on Oct. 7 and killed more than a thousand civilians, posters sympathizing with the deadly attacks popped up on several South Korean college campuses. The posters, which defended the Hamas attacks as an act of self-defense by Palestinians, were taken down shortly after -- but the debate on the war continues to rage on. Speaking to The Korea Herald, one Seoul university sophomore said she was “stunned by such open support for

Nov. 2, 2023

Suspension of ex-chief, Daegu mayor lifted in ruling party's unity drive

South Korea's ruling People Power Party on Thursday approved a plan to lift the suspensions of four party members, including outspoken dissenters former party Chairman Lee Jun-seok and Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo. The decision, effective immediately, enables the individuals to become eligible to run for a parliamentary seat as a member of the ruling party in the upcoming general election scheduled for April 2024. Lee had been imposed with a suspension from party membership for 1 1/2 years by

Nov. 2, 2023

PPP launches special committee on plan to include Gimpo into Seoul

The ruling People Power Party launched a special committee on Thursday to discuss its heatedly debated proposal of integrating the neighboring city of Gimpo into the capital city of Seoul. This committee will be headed by Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae, a five-term lawmaker and a civil engineering doctorate holder with expertise in urban design, Rep. Park Jung Ha, the party's spokesperson, told reporters. The envisioned plan, which aims to include the northwestern city of Gimpo in Gyeonggi Province su

Nov. 2, 2023

PPP decides to lift membership suspensions of ex-party leader Lee, Daegu Mayor Hong

The ruling People Power Party decided Thursday to lift the membership suspensions imposed on former party leader Lee Jun-seok and Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo over alleged misconduct, endorsing one of the first reform measures recommended by its innovation committee. The PPP accepted the committee's "grand amnesty" request and nullified the disciplinary measures taken against Lee, Hong and two other members in a gesture of unity before next year's general elections, according to

Nov. 2, 2023

Kakao taxi-hailing service ‘unethical,’ says Yoon

President Yoon Suk Yeol said the country’s most popular taxi-hailing service from Kakao Mobility demonstrates an “extremely unethical example” of a monopoly, at a regular meeting Wednesday on the economy. The comments at the gathering, attended by a group of 60 ordinary people in addition to policymakers, were in response to suggestions floated by an audience member who asked about lowering the fees taxis pay to the tech giant’s mobility unit, which controls about 90 perc

Nov. 1, 2023

Kim Jong-un orders support for Palestine in Israel-Hamas war: NIS

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is mobilizing support for Palestine in the wake of Israel’s war with Palestinian-Islamist militant group Hamas, according to South Korea’s spy agency. In the 2023 audit by the National Assembly held Wednesday, the National Intelligence Agency’s director Kim Kyou-hyun told lawmakers that the North Korean leader is believed to have instructed “a wide range of support” for Palestine, in an apparent attempt to benefit from the war. The ch

Nov. 1, 2023

[KH Explains] Why ruling party wants to incorporate Gimpo into Seoul

The ruling People Power Party has said it will push to incorporate neighboring cities like Gimpo into Seoul, arguing Seoul needs a size upgrade to "create a megacity." The argument is that Seoul ranks only 38th in population, and with its area of 605 square kilometers, is only the 29th biggest out of 38 cities, according to ruling party Rep. Park Soo-young. The ruling party is working on proposing the "Mega-Seoul Special Law" to speed up the legislation discussion because pro

Nov. 1, 2023

Yoon donates W5m toward construction of memorial for ex-President Rhee

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday donated 5 million won ($3,685) toward the construction of a memorial for South Korea's first President Syngman Rhee, his office said. The donation was sent to the Rhee Syngman Foundation, which has led a fundraising campaign to build a memorial for the former president who ruled the country for 12 years until his ouster in 1960. "Former President Syngman Rhee's fight for independence was a national foundation campaign to construct a liberal dem

Nov. 1, 2023

Floor leader of main opposition party voices disappointment at Yoon's budget speech

The floor leader of the main opposition party on Tuesday voiced his disappointment at President Yoon Suk Yeol's budget speech, saying next year's state budget lacks funds needed to prepare for the future and support vulnerable people. Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo of the Democratic Party made the assessment, as Yoon delivered a budget speech earlier in the day pledging to put the top priority on stabilizing inflation and people's livelihoods. "(The speech) was very disappointing. There w

Oct. 31, 2023

Yoon doubles down on cutting national debt in 2024 budget speech

President Yoon Suk Yeol cited reducing the national debt and stabilizing prices as his top priorities in an address to the National Assembly on Tuesday. “The approach our government is taking in managing our finances is to avoid passing on unaffordable debts to the country’s future generations,” the president said in a budget speech delivered before the members of the Assembly. “A sound fiscal policy is crucial to stabilizing prices in the long run and protecting our econ

Oct. 31, 2023