National integration committee launched at Yoon’s first Cabinet meeting

Gangwon Province has been underdeveloped, limited by heavy regulations, says Lee Kwang-jae, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea’s Gangwon Province candidate for governor. Lee, who held the post of Gangwon Province governor for a short period in 2010 before he was removed due to involvement in a large political scandal, believes a new future awaits the province. According to Lee, the new Special Act on the Establishment of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, likely to pa

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against the peak wage system introduced by a large number of local companies to gradually cut the salaries of senior workers several years before retirement. The top court said the peak wage system is an illegal discrimination against workers on the basis of age, making the first ruling of its kind in a lawsuit filed by a former employee of a local research institute. The plaintiff who joined the institute in 1991 retired honorably in 2014. The institute intro

With the local elections less than a week away, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) has found itself battering with an internal feud amid concerns the infighting may hinder its chances in the elections. The turmoil began earlier this week when the DP's co-interim chief Park Ji-hyun promised self-reflection and called for a sweeping reform of the party in a press conference aimed at drumming up support ahead of the local elections. The 26-year-old upped the ante Wednesday after she cal

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday named his nominees for education and welfare ministers, picking women for both positions following criticism that his Cabinet is male-dominated. Park Soon-ae, a professor of the Graduate School of Public Administration at Seoul National University, was named education minister, while Kim Seung-hee, a former lawmaker, was named welfare minister. Earlier in the day, a senior presidential official said Yoon had planned to pick women as his nominees for education

  Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Wednesday defended a reported nominee for the head of government policy coordination, citing his rich experience as an economic bureaucrat. President Yoon Suk-yeol has been reportedly considering nominating Yoon Jong-won, chief executive of the state-run Industrial Bank of Korea, as the minister for the Office for Government Policy Coordination, which is in charge of assisting the prime minister. The ruling People Power Party voiced opposition to his nom

With just a few days left until the June 1 local elections, 26-year-old rookie politician Park Ji-hyun dropped a bombshell on the liberal opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Wednesday, openly calling on the party’s old guard to retire. Park, who is only four months into partisan politics yet leads the main opposition party’s interim leadership as its co-head, said the party is in need of drastic reforms, attributing its failure to win over voters to a culture of tolerance tow

Last available poll results hint landslide win for People Power Party

Ex-party chief on mending ties with North Korea, China in ways the conservative president can’t

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Tuesday he would try to create “bold opportunities” for women when appointing public officials, amid growing criticism over a lack of women serving in his government. “I will work hard to give bold opportunities to women when it comes to public personnel appointments,” Yoon was quoted as saying during a meeting with outgoing leaders of the National Assembly at his office in Seoul, according to presidential spokesperson Kang In-sun. The remar

The nominee to head the country's spy agency vowed Wednesday to significantly bolster the agency's intelligence capabilities on North Korea amid rising tensions in the wake of Pyongyang's missile launches. "If I can serve as the director of the National Intelligence Service, I will sharply reinforce intelligence capabilities on North Korea, such as early detection of provocation signs," Kim Kyou-hyun said during his confirmation hearing. "I will reform and reform ag

The office of President Yoon Suk-yeol strongly condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launches as a grave provocation Wednesday as Yoon ordered measures to ensure the US "extended deterrence" commitment to South Korea. The presidential office released the statement shortly after Yoon presided over a National Security Council meeting to discuss North Korea's launch of three ballistic missiles, including a presumed intercontinental ballistic missile, earlier in the day. "The pa

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Tuesday that in the process of appointing public officials, he will work to give "bold opportunities" to women, amid calls for his administration to enhance gender equality.    Yoon made the remarks during his meeting with outgoing leaders of the National Assembly at his office in Seoul, according to presidential spokesperson Kang In-sun.    "I will work hard to give bold opportunities to women when it comes to public personnel a

President Yoon Suk-yeol said it is necessary for Korea’s future energy sources to be a “rational” mix of nuclear power, renewable energy and natural gas to achieve carbon neutrality amid global supply chain instability and rising energy prices. Yoon attended the 28th World Gas Conference held at Exco in Daegu on Tuesday, his first public attendance at an international event since taking office. The World Gas Conference is the world’s largest international event in the

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday met with Rep. Yun Ho-jung, a co-chair of the Democratic Party of Korea’s interim leadership committee, in a gesture seeking cooperation from the country’s main opposition party. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Han visited Yun first before he met with leaders of the ruling People Power Party. This move showed his enthusiasm to cooperate with the opposition party, at least on the surface. Overall, Han’s first encounter with the main opposition