Constitutional Court President nominee Kim Yi-su apologized over controversial rulings he made against citizen protesters in a democratic uprising in 1980, during his confirmation hearing Wednesday. “I sincerely apologize to those who still suffer from my past rulings,” Kim said. “I was inexperienced then, and it was hard for me to go against existing laws of that time.”As a military judge in 1980, he handed down punishments to protestors who fought against the authoritarian regime led by milita

Politics June 7, 2017

A small opposition party with just 40 parliamentary seats is enjoying an outsized say in the parliamentary process and in President Moon Jae-in’s key personnel choices and policy pushes. But the People’s Party is also finding itself in a deepening dilemma over its relations with the new liberal administration led by the Democratic Party of Korea with which it shares the same political roots. In last week’s parliamentary endorsement of Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, the centrist party became a key a

Politics June 6, 2017

Four parties agreed Monday to push for a reunion of families separated by the Korean War on Aug. 15 Liberation Day, triggering controversy over the idea’s legitimacy and feasibility due to the absence of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party and an ongoing series of military provocations from North Korea. At a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Chung Se-kyun, the floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, center-left People’s Party and splinter conservative Bareun Party agreed

Politics June 5, 2017

A big fire broke out on Mount Surak in northern Seoul Thursday, firefighters said, with no casualties having been reported so far.Firefighters said they were struggling to contain the fire that started at around 9:08 p.m., with a long ribbon of fire forming near the top of a ridge.(Yonhap)The exact cause of the wind-fed forest fire is not yet known, but the size of the blaze is quite large, they added. South Korea's public safety watchdog said it sent emergency text messages to nearby residents

Social Affairs June 1, 2017

SEJONG (Yonhap) -- A South Korean official at the transportation ministry on Thursday was elected the head of the International Transport Forum at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, government officials said.Kim Young-tae, 50, a director of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, became the secretary-general of the intergovernmental body for a five-year term, according to the ministry. This photo, provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Diplomatic Circuit June 1, 2017

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out at the daughter of former US President Bill Clinton in an expletive-laden speech for a second straight day Thursday after she criticized a comment he made about rapes committed by soldiers.          Duterte, speaking Wednesday at a navy event, questioned whether Chelsea Clinton also criticized her father when he had an affair with Monica Lewinsky in the White House when he was president. He repeated his remarks Thursday

World News June 1, 2017

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday held phone talks with Denmark’s prime minister to discuss North Korea’s nuclear issue and ways to strengthen their countries’ ties, the presidential office said.Moon expressed his thanks to Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen for Denmark’s support of Seoul’s move to seek North Korea’s denuclearization, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)Moon solicited support from Rasmussen over Seoul’s plan to push for North Korea’s denuclearization in a bol

Diplomatic Circuit June 1, 2017

South Korea said Thursday it is too early to say whether it will approve a civic group’s plan to visit North Korea for a joint inter-Korean summit anniversary event slated for this month.The Ministry of Unification on Wednesday decided to allow a civic group to contact North Koreans to prepare for a joint event to mark the first inter-Korean summit held on June 15, 2000.The ministry cast a prudent stance over whether it will approve the group’s visit, saying that it will take into account the ev

North Korea June 1, 2017

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Thursday said it was pulling out of a consultative body that President Moon Jae-in proposed as a platform for discussions between five major political parties and the president. 　“In yesterday’s general meeting, many of our lawmakers agreed that we cannot just watch the government unilaterally wielding its political force,” the party’s interim chief and Floor Leader Chung Woo-taik said Thursday. “I think the president’s suggestion to create a consultati

Politics June 1, 2017

The National Assembly on Wednesday endorsed Lee Nak-yon as prime minister, allowing President Moon Jae-in to fill the No. 2 post amid a prolonged state management vacuum. Lee, a former provincial governor nominated for the job on May 10, the first day of Moon in office, received 164 votes out of 188 cast at the plenary session on Wednesday afternoon. Some 107 lawmakers of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party lawmakers boycotted the vote, while some 20 voted to disapprove. Prime Minister Lee N

Politics May 31, 2017

President Moon Jae-in will push for policy items that he shared with his four main competitors during the past election, his de facto transition team said Tuesday. The State Affairs Planning Advisory Committee has chosen 44 election pledges, which were shared by all five presidential candidates of the main political parties, and made them a priority for the Moon administration’s state affairs agenda.Rep. Park Kwang-on of ruling Democratic Party of Korea (Yonhap)“We have reviewed the manifestos o

Politics May 30, 2017

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday asked former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri to play a role in thawing tensions between the two Koreas, during their meeting here, the Seoul presidential office said.“I know you have provided a lot of help in arranging inter-Korean summits for former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun,” Moon was quoted as saying in the talks at Cheong Wa Dae. “I think there would be a good result if you render help as before.”Megawati positively respo

Diplomatic Circuit May 29, 2017

Former UN official Kang Kyung-wha, who is tapped to head South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, on Monday apologized for allegations that she used a false address to get her daughter admitted into her alma mater. “My eldest daughter had trouble getting used to the environment in the US and I wanted her to feel more comfortable in Korea by going to my alma mater, Ewha Girls’ High School,” she said at a short press briefing in Seoul. Kang Kyung-wha (Yonhap)Her three children went to the United States in

Politics May 29, 2017

South Korea’s new President Moon Jae-in had his first phone talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday and expressed hope that the two countries will be able to develop their strategic partnership by holding meetings of diplomatic and defense ministers on a regular basis, Seoul’s presidential office said.“I agree that there is a need to strengthen sectorial cooperation at the ministerial level between the two countries,” Moon was quoted by Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun as sayi

Diplomatic Circuit May 29, 2017

As the National Assembly gears up for the first parliamentary plenary session of the Moon administration on Monday, attention is focused on whether some of the controversial reform bills will pass a National Assembly dominated by opposition parties.The floor leaders of the five main parties met President Moon Jae-in soon after his inauguration and agreed to create a policy consultative body for regular discussions between the ruling and opposition parties. However, the outlook for reform legisla

Politics May 28, 2017