Articles by Jung Min-kyung
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Jung Min-kyung
mkjung@heraldcorp.com-
Justice minister becomes interim leader of ruling party
Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon on Thursday stepped down to take on the role of interim leader of the ruling party, heeding the growing calls to steer the party through next year's general election. President Yoon Suk Yeol officially accepted Han's offer to resign from his current post, hours after he had expressed his intention to step down earlier in the day. The Justice Ministry explained that Han decided to take on the role of chairman of the People Power Party‘s emergency lea
Social Affairs Dec. 21, 2023
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[News Analysis] Will justice minister become beacon of hope for Korea’s conservative bloc?
There is currently one man in South Korea who many in the conservative bloc believe is popular enough to win voters' hearts, despite his lack of political experience. The man of the hour is Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon -- President Yoon Suk Yeol’s right-hand man and a strong candidate to lead the ruling People Power Party at its helm into next year’s April general election. A survey conducted by local polling agency Gallup Korea earlier this month showed Han as Korea’s
Politics Dec. 20, 2023
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Ex-DP leader Song's arrest rattles party ahead of election
A Seoul court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Song Young-gil, ex-leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, could pose some risks for the liberal bloc ahead of next year’s general election, observers said Tuesday. The Seoul Central District Court on late Monday granted the warrant sought by prosecutors against Song on charges of bribing several of his fellow Democratic Party lawmakers in the time frame leading up to the party’s leadership election in May
Politics Dec. 19, 2023
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Ex-US Amb. Sung Kim to join Bae, Kim & Lee
Sung Kim, who served as US Special Representative for North Korea and US ambassador to South Korea, will join Bae, Kim & Lee to lead a new team at one of the top law firms here, according to the firm. On Tuesday, Bae, Kim & Lee said that Kim will oversee its Global Future Strategy Center, which aims to help the firm and local businesses navigate cross-border issues. The center will also give “strategic advice” to multinational firms operating in Korea. The new partnership is
Social Affairs Dec. 19, 2023
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Yoon nominates new industry minister
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday tapped current Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun as the nominee to head the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The 55-year-old expert in international economy and trade started serving as the Yoon administration’s first trade minister from May last year. This promotion would put him at an actual ministerial-level position, compared to his previous role, which was technically a vice-ministerial level position. “Ahn is a global trade expert backed by bo
Social Affairs Dec. 17, 2023
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Rival parties set to clash over Yoon’s new Cabinet picks
The rival parties are expected to lock horns this week over the scheduled confirmation hearings for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s latest Cabinet nominations, scheduled to kick-off Monday. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers have hinted they plan to scrutinize intensively the six ministerial-level nominees handpicked by Yoon earlier this month. The ruling People Power Party are likely to defend the nominees and push forward with the nominations. “In particular, the nom
Politics Dec. 17, 2023
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Rival parties wrestle with potential defections, leadership void
South Korea's rival parties were scrambling to deal with increasing uncertainty sparked by a series of unforeseen events tied to next year’s general election, as of Thursday. Former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and ex-Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s announcement on Wednesday saying he will establish a new political party of his own has emerged as a major hurdle for both the ruling and the main opposition party lawmakers. Lee, an influential lawmaker, said in Wednesday&rs
Politics Dec. 14, 2023
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Ruling party leader steps down
The leader of the ruling party announced his resignation on Wednesday, expressing hopes that his decision would help unify the party ahead of next year’s general elections. People Power Party Chairman Kim Gi-hyeon released a statement saying that he would step down from his current position, a day after a fellow party bigwig announced he also would not run in the elections. “I take full responsibility for the situation our party is currently in,” Kim said in his statement. &ldq
Politics Dec. 13, 2023
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S. Korea seeks to bar former terrorists from seeking asylum
The Ministry of Justice has announced plans to strengthen legislation that could ban former members of terrorist organizations from seeking asylum in South Korea. On Tuesday, the ministry said it will propose a new bill that will allow the government to revoke a person’s refugee status if the individual commits a serious crime in Korea. The bill will also allow authorities to cancel a person's refugee status after they have been granted asylum in Korea if the individual has a record o
Social Affairs Dec. 13, 2023
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Yoon’s close aide says he won't run in next year’s election
A close confidante of President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed not to run in next year’s general election on Tuesday, a move seen as being in support of intra-party reform. People Power Party Rep. Chang Je-won said he has decided to refrain from running for a seat in the 2024 general election, making him the first among ruling party bigwigs to do so. “I will cheer for the People Power Party’s election win behind the curtains of history,” said Chang, a three-term lawmaker,
Politics Dec. 12, 2023
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Could ex-leaders of rival parties form new alliance?
Former leaders of rival parties here have been hinting at the possibility of joining forces to launch a new party ahead of next year’s general election as of Monday, invoking concern and skepticism from other lawmakers. Former Prime Minister and previous main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Nak-yon along with estranged former leader of the ruling People Power Party Lee Jun-seok have been mentioning each other in various interviews as potential partners to set up a new
Politics Dec. 11, 2023
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Tensions flare in National Assembly over 2024 budget, bills
The rival parties are expected to engage in an intensified tug-of-war starting Monday, as they failed to come to a consensus on the passage of the 2024 government budget and pending bills. The ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday agreed to kick off an extraordinary session on Monday, which will include two plenary meetings scheduled on Dec. 20 and 28, respectively. The Dec. 20 meeting will address next year’s budget plan, which parliament
Politics Dec. 10, 2023
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Ruling party reform committee disbands early, says job half done
The South Korean ruling party’s reform committee announced its early disbandment on Thursday, with its head saying that it saw it as “50 percent successful” in laying out its vision. The People Power Party’s committee, which was formed on Oct. 26 to lay out a vision for realigning the party for the 2024 general election, decided to disband in a largely expected move. The disbandment came some two weeks before the committee's initial plan to disband by Dec. 24. The co
Politics Dec. 7, 2023
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‘Korea could go extinct without proper immigration policy’: minister
South Korea has reached a point where accepting more immigrants under a solid policy is no longer a choice, but a necessity because the country could face extinction without it, the justice minister said Wednesday. “We have already surpassed the phase of contemplating whether or not to adopt immigration policies,” Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said during a ruling party policy meeting held at the National Assembly. “Korea faces the fate of becoming extinct due to a population
Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2023
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Passengers file complaints over burning smell on Gimpo Goldline
Several passengers commuting on a subway line connecting Seoul with its western satellite city of Gimpo expressed concern after they detected a burning smell on Wednesday. The subway lines’ operator, Seoul Metro, said it had received a total of three complaints of a burning smell between Pungmu Station and Gimpo International Airport Station at around 7:50 a.m. The operator said it immediately launched an investigation into the matter. A passenger told local media that “a burning rub
Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2023
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