[Editorial] 'KakaoTalk censorship'

Opposition to demand investigation of posts that defend martial law decree The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea will demand the investigation of messenger users on charges of insurrection propaganda if their posts advocate for President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration, even if the posts are mere copies of others' comments. Jeon Yong-gi, the Democratic Party lawmaker who co-chairs the party's committee in charge of public communications, told a news conference Friday that spreadi

Jan. 14, 2025

[Editorial] Yoon’s legal tactics

President Yoon must cooperate with probe to resolve growing political uncertainty The ongoing political turmoil shows no sign of abating, with President Yoon Suk Yeol still unwilling to cooperate with the investigation into his short-lived imposition of martial law that plunged the nation into chaos last month. A lawyer for Yoon said Wednesday that the impeached president would stand trial if he is formally indicted or an arrest warrant is issued by a court. The move came as the Corruption Inves

Jan. 10, 2025

[Editorial] Pressure on Choi

Opposition asks police to investigate acting president over failure to arrest Yoon The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Tuesday filed a criminal complaint with police against acting President Choi Sang-mok. It accused him of dereliction of duty for doing nothing to handle matters with the Presidential Security Service, which blocked the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials from executing a warrant to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol. Party leader Lee Jae-myung sai

Jan. 9, 2025

[Editorial] Procedural fairness

Impeachment committee withdraws insurrection charge to quicken trial The National Assembly’s impeachment investigation committee, which acts as prosecutors in the Constitutional Court impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol, effectively withdrew the insurrection charge from the motion on Friday. The article of impeachment written by the committee is composed of two parts -- criminal charges related to insurrection and constitutional law violations related to the martial law declaration. Ins

Jan. 7, 2025

[Editorial] Economic outlook for 2025

Government considers extra stimulus steps to address challenges at home and abroad The South Korean government on Thursday put out a gloomy projection for the country’s economic growth in 2025 amid a slew of challenges ahead, including political turmoil at home and growing trade-related uncertainties abroad. The Finance Ministry said the Korean economy is forecast to grow 1.8 percent this year, which is lower than the Bank of Korea’s forecast of 1.9 percent and the earlier projections of other f

Jan. 3, 2025

[Editorial] Up to the court

Justice appointment will legitimize procedure for impeachment ruling Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday appointed two justices of the Constitutional Court. They are Jung Gye-seon nominated by the opposition Democratic Party of Korea and Cho Han-chang nominated by the ruling People Power Party. Choi deferred the appointment of Ma Eun-hyeok, another Democratic Party nominee, until the rival parties agree on the third nominee. The ruling party argued that one of three nominees should be a pe

Jan. 2, 2025

[Editorial] Investigate thoroughly

Complex factors behind Jeju Air crash; Bird habitats raise questions about location Sunday's tragic Jeju Air jet crash at Muan International Airport was caused by complex factors. A bird strike is blamed as the primary cause, while aircraft and runway problems are suspected as well. Also, fundamental questions are being raised about whether the location of the airport was proper in the first place. A thorough investigation of the incident is required. According to the Land Ministry, controllers

Dec. 31, 2024

[Editorial] Another impeachment

Rival parties must stop partisan fight, start exploring compromise on justices For many foreign observers, South Korea has become a nation of impeachment -- a truly shameful image forged by the irresponsible lawmakers and political parties. In less than two weeks after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the opposition-led National Assembly for his short-lived martial law declaration, acting President Han Duck-soo was also impeached Friday in a 192-0 vote at the National Assembly. The rulin

Dec. 30, 2024

[Editorial] Boost domestic demand

Consumer sentiment fall largest in Dec.; retail sales decrease 10 straight quarters Consumer sentiment is plunging amid the fallout from the presidential impeachment. To make matters worse, weak domestic demand has overlapped with sluggish exports and prolonged Korean currency depreciation. If this continues, no one can rule out the possibility of the national economy entering long-term stagnation and falling far short of its potential growth rate next year. The consumer sentiment index fell to

Dec. 26, 2024

[Editorial] Clouds on the horizon

Korea’s export drive projected to face trouble in 2025 due to shift in chip sector The South Korean economy has been chugging along thanks to solid shipments of semiconductors this year. But the outlook for exports in 2025 is far from optimistic, and the reason also involves chips, the country’s key export item. Business organizations project that exports could stagnate next year largely due to worsening market conditions for semiconductors and automobiles. Demand for Korean chips may weaken ami

Dec. 25, 2024

[Editorial] Undermining Han again

Opposition party threatens to impeach acting president if he rejects its demands The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea demanded acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo sign, by Tuesday, bills appointing two special counsels -- one to investigate insurrection charges against President Yoon Suk Yeol and the other to probe allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee. Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the party, said that if Han refuses to accept the demand, the party would "hold h

Dec. 24, 2024

[Editorial] Bracing for Trump

Now that the Constitutional Court will determine the fate of President Yoon Suk Yeol and his impeachment within the next six months, it seems inevitable that South Korea will handle a number of critical tasks in the absence of a sitting president. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has assumed the role of acting president, but whether he can steer the country smoothly despite the political chaos following Yoon’s impeachment remains to be seen. One of the most critical challenges involves US Presi

Dec. 20, 2024

[Editorial] Lee's duplicity

The court on Tuesday suspended proceedings in the third-party bribery trial of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, a case in which a million dollars in cash flowed illegally into North Korea five years ago. In 2019 as governor of Gyeonggi Province, Lee allegedly made Ssangbangwool Group give North Korea $8 million that the provincial government should have given out of its own coffers: $5 million in expenses for a provincial project to set up smart farms in th

Dec. 19, 2024

[Editorial] Risks in financial market

The immediate economic risks linked to the aftermath of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law decree seem to be fading away, at least for the moment, but concerns are still deepening over how the South Korean economy is to grapple with looming challenges in the absence of solid leadership. Not all business sectors are mired in a slump. For instance, the semiconductor sector, led by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, has made a strong recovery this year, helping the country&rsquo

Dec. 18, 2024

[Editorial] Worrisome bills

With the nation in political turmoil in the wake of the National Assembly's vote to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law, several anti-market, anti-corporate bills the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has pushed through parliament are raising concerns about a further dampening of business and economic activity. Five bills that passed a plenary session of the Assembly on Nov. 28 pose urgent problems. The bills include a revision to the Act o

Dec. 17, 2024