DP candidates slam Yoon Suk Yeol's 'self-coup,' split over presidential relocation

The presidential candidates of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea said Friday that those responsible for former President Yoon Suk Yeol's attempted self-coup must face justice. In a televised debate, former Democratic Party Chair Lee Jae-myung, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, and former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo voiced unanimous support for holding accountable anyone involved in Yoon’s controversial imposition of martial law last December. Lee, a prominent fi

April 18, 2025

2 outgoing justices say Constitution must be abided by as prerequisite for democracy

Constitutional Court of Korea Justices Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-son said the South Korea's Constitution and any ruling by the court must be abided by, as the order of the sovereign people, because otherwise social instability will ensue, as Friday marked the end of their six-year terms as justices on the bench, two weeks after the same court removed disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol from office in a unanimous 8-0 ruling. In a farewell speech, Moon, who served as the acting chief justice

April 18, 2025

Policy Watch: Lee Jae-myung to double Korean culture industry revenue, exports in 7 years

Liberal Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate front-runner Rep. Lee Jae-myung said he would work to support Korea's content industries related to arts and culture, which he said could annually generate a total of 300 trillion won ($211 billion) in sales and 50 trillion won in exports by 2030. According to the latest government estimate unveiled in March, South Korea's content industries in 2023 generated a total revenue of 154.2 trillion won, while total exports stood at $13.3 billion

April 18, 2025

Policy Watch: Hong Joon-pyo open to potential S. Korean nuclear armament

Hong Joon-pyo, former mayor of Daegu and a presidential contender from the conservative People Power Party, stressed his belief that South Korea should “fight nuclear with nuclear” Thursday, signaling strong support for South Korea’s nuclear armament in response to escalating threats from North Korea. Hong said Thursday that he would work to let the United States Forces Korea deploy tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula, or to leave South Korea open to the possibility of possessing nu

April 17, 2025

Policy Watch: Lee Jae-myung vows expanded support for defense exports

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, a presidential contender in the Democratic Party of Korea primary, pledged to expand government support for South Korea’s growing defense exports. If elected, Lee said he would convene regular meetings on export strategies and establish a centralized "control tower" or overseeing body to coordinate national efforts, aiming to position South Korea among the world’s top four arms exporters. Lee proposed increased state funding for defense-related R&D and a revamp of policy loan

April 17, 2025

Policy Watch: Lee Jae-myung to push for relocation of presidential office, National Assembly to Sejong

Democratic Party of Korea former leader and presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung pledged Thursday to open a presidential office and National Assembly building in Sejong, South Korea’s administrative capital about 110 kilometers south of Seoul. Once there is national social consensus on the plan, he pledged, the country will initially operate dual offices for the presidency and legislature in both Seoul and Sejong. Lee said he would push for the complete relocation of these institutions in the lo

April 17, 2025

Policy Watch: Kim Dong-yeon pledges immediate relocation of presidential office to Sejong

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Dong-yeon pledged Thursday to begin his presidency in Sejong, South Korea’s de facto administrative capital, if elected in the upcoming June 3 election. “If I win the election, I will start working as president in Sejong City the next day,” Kim said during a visit to Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. He also floated the idea of adding a runway for the presidential jet at nearby Cheongju Airport to support the relocation. Kim’s remarks align with his broader pledge

April 17, 2025

Policy Watch: Yoo Jeong-bok proposes W10tr for overseas entrepreneurship

Incheon Mayor and conservative presidential candidate Yoo Jeong-bok announced Thursday that, if elected, he would allocate 10 trillion won ($7.04 billion) to support 100,000 aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start businesses overseas. Each entrepreneur would receive 100 million won to assist with market research, local partnerships and the costs of establishing a company abroad. Each entrepreneur would receive 100 million won to assist with market research, local partnerships, and the costs of e

April 17, 2025

Constitutional Court suspends acting president's 2 justice nominations

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday suspended the effect of acting President Han Duck-soo’s nomination of two Constitutional Court justice candidates. Wednesday's court decision came after Han's appointment on April 8 of two new judges: Minister of Government Legislation Lee Wan-kyu and senior judge Ham Sang-hoon. They were to replace two outgoing justices -- acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae and Justice Lee Mi-son -- who are due to retire Friday. Attorney Kim Jung-hwan filed the injunction

April 16, 2025

DP slams deputy prime minister in hearing

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok was slammed on Wednesday for reversing his testimony about whether he had changed his mobile phone after former President Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law in December. During a hearing at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held to debate a motion to impeach Choi, he denied that he had changed his phone since martial law was imposed on Dec. 3, 2024, and lifted the next morning. Choi was responding to a ques

April 16, 2025