The Korea Herald

GNP, Cabinet agree to form joint body on public welfare

Jul 21, 2011

The government and the ruling Grand National Party will form a joint consultative body to decide on welfare and financial support in next year’s budget.GNP chairman Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and Presidential Chief of Staff Yim Tae-hee reached the agreement at a large-scale government-ruling party conference at the National Assembly on Thursday, the party spokesperson said.“T
Hong’s privatization pitch stirs controversy

Jul 21, 2011

GNP leader proposes public offering of bailed out firms’ shares without premiumRecently elected Grand National Party leader Hong Joon-pyo has proposed privatizing government bailed-out companies through a public offering of discounted shares with no management premium, prompting further populist controversy.If the so-called “citizen shares” are sold to low-income earners, some 6 million people are
Lee names new vice ministers for agriculture, environment

Jul 21, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak named technocrats as the new vice ministers for agriculture and environment Thursday in a minor reshuffle that also affected three other vice ministerial posts.Lee also named actor-turned-former culture minister Yu In-chon as his special adviser.Lee Sang-kil, a senior agriculture ministry official, was tapped as the ministry’s first vice minister, while Yoon Jong-soo of the
Lee to hold summit with Indian president next week

Jul 20, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak will hold a summit with Indian President Pratibha Patil early next week to discuss ways to further ties between the two countries, Korea's presidential office said on Wednesday.The talks scheduled for Monday in Seoul will focus on ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in all fields, including diplomacy, security, economy, trade and culture, Cheong Wa Dae said.Shortly after
Lee discusses nuclear ties with Malaysian king

Jul 20, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday discussed with visiting Malaysian King Mizan Zainal Abidin bilateral cooperation on nuclear energy development and cultural exchanges, Lee’s office said.Malaysia plans to build two atomic power plants by 2021 in a bid to reduce its dependence on natural gas and petroleum. Japanese companies recently decided to give up their bid for the nuclear power plant proje
Seoul plans women-only subway cars

Jul 20, 2011

Female commuters may soon have a safe haven from sex offenders when riding the subway, as the capital plans to introduce women-only cars, city officials said Wednesday.In order to protect women from sexual assault, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to gather public opinion on the measure by next month, and implement a trial run by September.　According to officials, the trial run will be held
Park says will run in her constituency next year

Jul 19, 2011

Park Geun-hye, a leading presidential hopeful of the ruling Grand National Party, said Tuesday that she will run in the general election next year in her constituency in Dalseong in the southeastern city of Daegu. “I made a promise to voters (that I will not abandon my constituency) and I intend to keep that,” she told a group of reporters in the city. She was visiting a sports stadium where an in
DP outlines demands for changes to Korea-U.S. free trade accord

Jul 19, 2011

The main opposition Democratic Party on Tuesday outlined 10 areas for renegotiation of the free trade agreement with the United States, ratcheting up its opposition to ratification of the pact. “We demand the government redo the negotiation and restore a balance of interests, which was tilted in favor of the U.S. in last year’s renegotiation,” Rep. Kim Jin-pyo, floor leader of the DP, said. The pa
Lee champions national unity, PyeongChang’s development

Jul 19, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak stressed that PyeongChang should be developed into a tourist attraction after the 2018 Winter Olympic Games during his luncheon meeting Tuesday with the five representatives of the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the nation’s election watchdog and the Cabinet. “We (Koreans) were less united in our first and second bids, but we were really uni
Nominees face uphill battle for confirmation

Jul 18, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak’s nominees for chief prosecutor and justice minister look set to face an uphill battle to win the parliamentary and public confirmation, with opposition politicians gearing up to thwart their confirmation. Suspicions of wrongdoings started to surface on Monday, even before Lee’s office sends a formal letter to the National Assembly, asking it to confirm the appointment of K
Lee to underscore national harmony in Aug. 15 speech

Jul 18, 2011

Buoyed by sucessful PyeongChang’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, President Lee Myung-bak is likely to highlight national harmony in his Liberation Day speech on Aug. 15, Cheong Wa Dae officials said.The president has customarily used the Liberation Day speech to sound out public opinion on new policy plans or present areas of focus. Last year he suggested introducing a “unification tax
Eyes on Koreas at regional security forum

Jul 18, 2011

Official says Seoul will not highlight N. Korea’s attacks in chairman’s statementAn unofficial meeting between top diplomats of the two Koreas during a regional security forum this week may pave the way for the resumption of long-stalled official dialogue between the countries, officials and analysts said Monday. South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan will visit Indonesia from Thursday to att
Lee calls for efforts to curb consumer prices

Jul 18, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak called Monday for concerted efforts to curb rising consumer prices, instructing aides to set up a prices-monitoring team and to make the issue a fixture on the agenda for weekly meetings of senior secretaries, his spokesman said.“The most important thing for our government is the issues of prices and jobs. We have to tighten the rein on prices,” Lee told a meeting of senior
Taiwan candidates ‘like’ SNS campaigning

Jul 18, 2011

Taiwan’s 2012 presidential campaign candidates have been actively interacting with supporters online, and they are taking advantage of social networking websites differently, research reveals. Results from research recently done by the Internet Buzz Research Center (iBuzz) on President Ma Ying-jeou and Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s Facebook pages indicated that
DP slams GNP over savings banks probe

Jul 17, 2011

Opposition demands more figures summoned, including Park Geun-hye’s brotherAs the parliament’s August provisional session draws near, parties are attacking each other over the parliamentary investigation into alleged illegal lobbying and bribery by failed savings banks. The planned inquiry by lawmakers is seen as part of a larger battle over more controversial subjects such as the Korea-U.S. Free