The Korea Herald

Park takes narrow lead over Ahn

Sept 14, 2011

Former GNP chairwoman has upper hand in her home turf in southeast Rep. Park Geun-hye of the Grand National Party appeared to have gained a narrow lead over Ahn Cheol-soo in polls on next year’s potential presidential candidates. In a survey conducted Tuesday by the Chosun Ilbo on 1,000 citizens nationwide, the former GNP chairwoman was supported by 45.2 percent, beating Ahn, an entrepreneur tu...
Lee to make state visit to U.S. next month

Sept 14, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak will make an official state visit to the United States next month for talks with U.S. President Barack Obama, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday, upping pressure on the parliament to ratify the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. Lee is scheduled to hold summit talks with Obama on Oct. 13 in Washington to exchange views on bilateral economic cooperation such as the FTA and North K...
Cabinet approves bill on children's food safety

Sept 14, 2011

SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) -- The Cabinet endorsed a bill on Wednesday to place all retailers suspected of selling junk food to children across the country under the monitoring of local governments. There have been mounting calls for increasing the authorities'surveillance of supermarkets or stationery stores selling junk food to children since the current monitoring system is limited to Green Foo...
Han not to run for Seoul mayor

Sept 13, 2011

Park closer to becoming opposition flag bearer; ruling party still searching for candidate Han Myeong-sook, a former prime minister, said Tuesday that she would not run for Seoul mayor. “I have decided not to run in the Oct. 26 by-election for Seoul mayor,” Han, who was considered one of the strongest potential liberal candidates, said in a statement read by Rep. Baek Won-woo of the opposition ...
Lee sends message to Obama to commemorate 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks

Sept 10, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak sent a message of comfort to U.S. President Barack Obama on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on Saturday, pledging to work together with the traditional ally to make sure such a tragedy won't happen again. "On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I would again like to convey my deepest condolences on behalf of the government and ...
Ruling camp plans to expand welfare of low-wage workers

Sept 9, 2011

The government and the ruling party laid out a series of policies to provide unemployment insurance and national pension fees for low-income workers Friday in a bid to appease the working class ahead of Chuseok. The GNP’s plan to raise the salary of irregular workers up to 80 percent of that of regular workers, however, met with disapproval from the government. The special labor committee of th...
Gov't to expand welfare benefits for low-wage workers

Sept 9, 2011

The government and the ruling party agreed Friday to expand welfare benefits for low-wage workers in small workplaces and set guidelines banning discrimination against temporary workers as part of efforts to increase job stability, party officials said. The agreement came at a meeting among the Grand National Party (GNP) and the labor ministry after President Lee Myung-bak vowed to enact measure...
Lee says gas project may proceed 'faster than expected'

Sept 9, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday said the purported project to pipe Russian gas through North Korea into South Korea could take shape "faster than expected" as it would benefit all three countries. "A time will come for the three parties -- South and North Korea as well as Russia -- to discuss (the project)," Lee said in a nationally televised dialogue with two professors and two anchorpers...
Parties eye current and former P.M.s for mayoral race

Sept 8, 2011

Parties, still shaken by the aftermath of Ahn Cheol-soo dropping his bid to run for Seoul mayor, are racking their brains seeking a competitive candidate for next month’s Seoul mayoral by-election. The ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party turned their eyes to incumbent Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, respectively. However, ...
Park begins moves for presidential bid

Sept 8, 2011

Park Geun-hye, former chairwoman of the Grand National Party, is decking out for her second presidential bid after she was beaten in opinion polls by a professor who merely hinted at running for Seoul mayor. People close to Park said the four-term lawmaker was scheduled to open an office outside the National Assembly early next month for an additional team of secretaries to speed up preparations...
Opposition leader calls for change in labor policy

Sept 8, 2011

An opposition leader Thursday called on the government to focus its economic policies on improving working conditions and creating more jobs as part of efforts to move toward a welfare state. “To become a fair welfare state, (the government) should change the policy focus to make a people-centered economy,” Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu of the main opposition Democratic Party said at a speech in the Nation...
Gov't, ruling party agree to spend 1.5 tln won for tuition support

Sept 8, 2011

The government and the ruling party agreed Thursday to set aside 1.5 trillion won (US$1.3 billion) in next year's budget to help curb soaring college tuitions, party officials said. The agreement came at a meeting among the Grand National Party(GNP) and the finance and education ministries. The money will be used to set up "national scholarships," provide subsidies for students from lower-income...
Ruling, opposition parties in confusion over Seoul mayoral race

Sept 7, 2011

The Grand National Party was divided over who should be their mayoral candidate as opposition parties took a step closer to fielding a unified contender after respected entrepreneur Ahn Cheol-soo declared support for an opposition canidate. In a Gallup poll of some 1,000 Seoul citizens earlier this week, nearly 40 percent said they would vote for Ahn. Second-place went to GNP’s Rep. Na Kyung-won...
Park Won-soon, lawyer turned leading activist

Sept 7, 2011

The public’s attention has turned to lawyer-turned-civil activist Park Won-soon, as professor. Ahn Cheol-soo declined to run in the upcoming Seoul mayoral by-election, throwing his support behind Park. “Park has long dedicated himself to promoting civil rights in Korea and is sufficiently qualified to serve as Seoul’s mayor,” said Ahn on Tuesday afternoon after a closed-door meeting with Park. P...
Colombian president to make state visit next week

Sept 7, 2011

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos will visit South Korea next week for summit talks with President Lee Myung-bak on economic cooperation and other issues, the presidential office announced Wednesday. Santos will arrive on Sept. 14 for a three-day state visit that will also include a visit to the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, a meeting with South Korean business leaders and a...