The Korea Herald

Lee readies PyeongChang bid presentation

Jul 4, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak on Monday rehearsed his presentation for PyeongChang’s 2018 Olympic bid to win over International Olympic Committee members in Durban, South Africa.Along with his aides and officials of the PyeongChang committee, Lee reviewed his presentation to be made on Wednesday, South Africa time, during the IOC session. It is the mountain resort town’s third bid for the Winter Olympic
GNP maverick Hong takes helm

Jul 4, 2011

Hong Joon-pyo waves after he was elected new GNP leader Monday. (Yonhap News)In the ruling Grand National Party’s national convention on Monday, former Supreme Council member Rep. Hong Joon-pyo was elected as the new chairperson to lead the party up to next year’s general and presidential elections.The fourth-term lawmaker was ranked atop not only in the delegate vote held in the Olympic Gymnastic
Opposition leader to make China visit

Jul 3, 2011

Leader of the main opposition Democratic Party Sohn Hak―kyu is to set off for China on Monday to promote economic cooperation and ease political tensions in Northeast Asia, party officials said.The trip is Sohn’s second since he took over the party’s chairmanship last October, closely following his visit to Japan late last month.After meeting with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Mo
GNP holds vote to elect new leader

Jul 3, 2011

Attention focused on whether party will have young chairpersonThe ruling Grand National Party kicked off its leadership vote on Sunday, with the result to be announced in Monday’s national convention.The vote was open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at a total of 251 voting stations across the country, according to officials.The new chairperson is to be selected based upon the voting results combined with o
Lee’s Africa trip to boost ties, Olympic bid

Jul 1, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday will depart for Durban, South Africa, the first leg of his weeklong tour of three African nations to support PyeongChang’s Olympic bid and strengthen economic ties. Lee will also visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia before returning home on July 11. Lee is scheduled to arrive in Durban Saturday evening where he will have four days to promote P
MSNBC suspends analyst for remark on Obama

Jul 1, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) _ MSNBC has suspended a political analyst for an off-color remark about President Barack Obama on the ``Morning Joe'' show on Thursday.Mark Halperin, a Time magazine editor at large, quickly apologized on the air and in a statement.Still, MSNBC suspended him indefinitely and Halperin said he believed the action was appropriate.Halperin made the comment while discussing Obama's perfor
Republican senators block key session on FTA with S. Korea

Jul 1, 2011

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- Republican U.S. senators on Thursday boycotted a crucial session to discuss free trade pacts with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, dealing a setback to President Barack Obama's strong push to get the long-pending deals ratified before early August.On Tuesday, the White House announced a breakthrough in efforts to move forward the free trade agreements (FTAs) with the n
Disputed bill on investigation passed

Jun 30, 2011

Lee urges prosecution to refrain from excessive response to reform billDespite strong protests from some prosecutors, the National Assembly on Thursday passed a disputed revised bill redefining the investigative rights of the prosecution and the police in a bid to meet public demands to reform the prosecution.The revised bill calls for the prosecution to maintain command over police investigations
DP leader Sohn set to visit China next week

Jun 30, 2011

The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party will visit China next week to help South Korea’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and discuss regional issues, including North Korea, his party said Thursday. Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu plans to embark a four-day trip on Monday to meet China’s Vice President Xi Jinping and other high-ranking politicians to ask for support for the eastern alpine city of
Would you follow ministers on Twitter?

Jun 30, 2011

Social networking tools become routine of government publicity officialsShortly after Labor Minister Lee Chae-pil met representatives of labor and management for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction amid the labor confrontation in mid-June, word of an imminent police crackdown on striking workers started spreading via Twitter.“That wasn’t what the minister truly meant. So we responded via Twitte
Gov't allows 10-percent hike in subway and bus fares

Jun 30, 2011

(Yonhap News)SEOUL (Yonhap) -- Subway and bus fares in Seoul and its adjacent cities will likely jump by 10 percent in the second half of the year, adding to the already heavy financial burden on households under inflationary pressure.The Ministry of Public Administration and Security announced a guideline for local governments' management of public service fares on Thursday, allowing them to marg
National Assembly passes Korea-Peru FTA bill

Jun 29, 2011

The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill on South Korea’s free trade agreement with Peru, paving the way for trades and investments between the countries to increase.South Korea and Peru signed the deal in March. The pact, which does not require an endorsement from the Peruvian parliament, calls for both countries to eliminate all tariffs within 10 years after it takes effect.The National
GNP leader election in disarray

Jun 29, 2011

Party to hold emergency meeting after court says voting rules invalidThe Grand National Party is in a state of confusion after a court unexpectedly invalidated its revised rule on its chairperson election scheduled for next Monday.The Seoul Southern District Court upheld the claim that the party’s revised internal constitution was unlawful and suspended its legal effect on Tuesday.The GNP revised
Obama clears hurdle to FTAs with Korea, Colombia, Panama

Jun 29, 2011

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- U.S. President Barack Obama has reached a deal with congressional Republicans on the terms of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, clearing a major obstacle to the ratification of bilateral trade pacts with Korea, Colombia and Panama, the White House announced Tuesday."As a result of extensive negotiations, we now have an agreement on the underlying terms for
DP blocks Assembly panel over TV fee bill

Jun 28, 2011

Opposition lawmakers occupy committee room to thwart bill’s passageAmid the elevating conflicts over the state-run broadcaster KBS’ fee hike, opposition lawmakers boycotted the parliamentary culture committee’s general meeting on Tuesday in order to stop the ruling party from passing the related bills.The meeting was to start at 2 p.m. but lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party took ove