Articles by Jo He-rim
Jo He-rim
herim@heraldcorp.com-
South Korea cautious over whether to approve summit anniv. event with North Korea
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
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Main opposition party refuses to cooperate with government
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
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Parliament approves prime minister nominee
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
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Moon to push for common election pledges
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
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Moon, former Indonesian President Megawati discuss ways to thaw inter-Korean tensions
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
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FM nominee apologizes, explains false address registration
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
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Moon holds telephone talks with French leader, expresses hope for further partnership
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
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First plenary session to be held under new government
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
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South Korea’s most notorious serial killers
Nowadays, serial killers seem to exist only in movies or fiction. It’s not because society has become more caring and does not produce them anymore. “It is more that a serial of murders are prevented from the beginning. A murderer would be caught before they killed again,” said Kwon Il-yong, the nation’s first criminal profiler who recently retired. But South Korea has in the past had some notorious serial killers. Kwon explained that these “monsters” were born from suppressed anger. “Everybody
Social Affairs May 26, 2017
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South Korea’s most notorious serial killers
Nowadays, serial killers seem to exist only in movies or fiction. It’s not because the society has become more caring and does not produce them anymore. “It is more that serial of murders are prevented from the beginning. A murderer would be caught before they killed again,” said Kwon Il-yong, the nation’s first criminal profiler who recently retired. But South Korea has in the past had some notorious serial killers. Kwon explained that these “monsters” are born from suppressed anger. “Everybody
Social Affairs May 26, 2017
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Lawmaker keeps cool for viral 'No Look Pass' video
A South Korean politician said Wednesday that he feels no need to explain his behavior after a video-clip of him handing his luggage to his aide at Gimpo Airport went viral.“I just saw my aide and gave (my luggage) to him. Why should I explain? I do not really care,” said six-term lawmaker Kim Moo-sung on Wednesday. To the reporters who asked, he said: “You guys should work.”Rep. Kim Moo-sung a six-term lawmaker in South Korea (Yonhap)In the video clip, the politician from splinter conservative
Politics May 24, 2017
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Deputy PM nominee donated W88m last year: parliament
Kim Dong-yeon, the nominee for deputy prime minister for the economy and finance minister, donated half of his yearly income last year, parliamentary data revealed Wednesday. According to data submitted by Kim for his confirmation hearing, the nominee returned to society 88 million won ($78,000) of the 186 million won he earned as a university president in 2016.Kim Dong-yeon, the nominee for deputy prime minister for the economy and finance minister (Yonhap)He received a tax refund of 27 million
Politics May 24, 2017
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Moon’s approval rating tops 80% for 1st week in office
More than 80 percent of South Koreans approved of the job President Moon Jae-in is doing, a local poll revealed Monday. The Realmeter survey, conducted from May 15-19, put Moon’s presidential approval rating at 81.6 percent. Some 10.1 percent of respondents disapproved, while 8.3 percent were unsure. It was the first survey on public support for the new leader, who was elected May 9 with 41.4 percent of votes and was sworn in the following day.President Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)Former President Park
Politics May 22, 2017
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Moon names liberal lawmakers as special envoy to Ecuador
President Moon Jae-in has named two ruling party lawmakers as his special envoys to Ecuador to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Lenin Moreno, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.The envoys, Rep. Park Young-sun and Rep. Jo Seoung-lae of the ruling Democratic Party, were set to take off Monday and are scheduled to return Friday.Rep. Park Young-sun of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party. The four-term lawmaker was named the head of South Korea's delegation to the inauguration ceremony of Ecuad
Politics May 22, 2017
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Moon reaffirms intention for constitutional revision
President Moon Jae-in on Friday vowed to complete the revision of the Constitution by June 2018, at a meeting with floor leaders of the country’s five political parties. The meeting, a two-hour long luncheon at Cheong Wa Dae, was Moon’s first with the parties leaders since he took office 10 days ago.At the meeting, the president and the leaders of the five parties discussed a range of issues including revising the Constitution and improving communications among the parties, Cheong Wa Dae spokesm
Politics May 19, 2017
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