The Korea Herald

Junior lawmakers vow cooperation on FTA

Apr 18, 2011

Cross-party group aims to have free-trade deal ratified during current sessionA dozen junior lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties met Monday and agreed to pass the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement in the National Assembly within the present plenary session.“Parties shall come up with supplementary means to protect the local agriculture industry from the impact of the FTA and do their best to have the agreement passed,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.They also pledged to refrain f
By-election candidates stress personal touch

Apr 17, 2011

Candidates for the April 27 by-elections emphasized their personal qualities over the first weekend since the official campaign kicked off last Thursday.Though candidates have been holding public campaigns during weekday commuting hours, all seized the weekend as a chance to attract the full attention of the voters.In the Bundang-B constituency, the former head of the ruling Grand National Party K
Lee confident of river project's success despite backlash

Apr 17, 2011

SANGJU, (Yonhap) - President Lee Myung-bak expressed confidence Saturday that his controversial river restoration project will gain broader support once it is completed later this year. The push for cleaning and refurbishing South Korea's four major rivers is one of Lee's main projects, the results of which will apparently affect the assessment of his presidency. "All (of the people) will accept (
Lawmaker proposes bill to make Dokdo an inhabited area

Apr 16, 2011

A local lawmaker on Saturday forwarded a bill to transform the Dokdo islets into an inhabited area to silence Japan's sovereignty claims against the South Korean territory.Rep. Park Sun-young of the conservative Liberty Forward Party said the bill supports enhancing overall living conditions on the rocky islets in the East Sea. It outlines expanding the pier facility to accommodate larger vessels
S. Korea, U.S. conduct joint study on missile defense system

Apr 15, 2011

(Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States are conducting a joint study on Seoul's own missile defense system amid high tensions following North Korea's two deadly attacks last year, sources said Friday. South Korea is aiming to complete the building its own missile defense system by 2015 that is designed to intercept ballistic missiles from North Korea. South Korea, which has ruled out joi
Assembly panel fails to pass EU FTA

Apr 15, 2011

A South Korean parliamentary subpanel failed to pass the country’s free trade pact with the European Union on Friday, discouraging the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration’s hopes of expanding exchanges with the world’s biggest economic bloc at an early date. The European Parliament ratified the bilateral trade pact by an overwhelming majority in February, leaving the Seoul government impatient to have the deal take effect by July 1 as previously agreed by the two governments.Minister of Tr
Lee expected to change some ministers in May

Apr 14, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak is expected to carry out a minor Cabinet reshuffle early next month that could affect at least four ministers, which likely includes the agriculture minister, who was in charge of handling the recent foot-and-mouth disease crisis, an official said Thursday.The reorganization is expected to take place about one to two weeks after the April 27 by-elections, the official said.
Lee names Park Geun-hye as special envoy to Europe

Apr 14, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak will send his political archrival Rep. Park Geun-hye as his special envoy to the Netherlands, Portugal and Greece later this month, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.Park, a factional leader of the ruling Grand National Party who had competed against Lee for the party’s presidential ticket in the 2007 elections, is so far the GNP’s strongest contender for the presidential race ne
By-election campaigning begins

Apr 14, 2011

Outcome likely to be used as barometer of next year’s key electionsWith the official campaign for the April 27 by-elections kicking off Thursday, parties are scurrying to survive what may be the prelude to next year’s parliamentary and presidential elections.The ruling Grand National Party stresses its capacity as the ruling party to realize its pledges, whereas the main opposition Democratic Part
Uncorrected Korea-EU FTA put to vote

Apr 13, 2011

A partisan clash is expected over the ratification of the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement in which more than 200 mistranslations were found recently.The parliamentary foreign affairs committee Wednesday opened a two-day session, during which the ruling and opposition parties were sharply divided on whether to ratify the agreement.The ruling Grand National Party is determined to ratify the agreement
Koreas agree to conduct field survey on Mt. Baekdu

Apr 12, 2011

South and North Korea Tuesday reached an agreement to make an on-site survey of Mt. Baekdu in mid-June after holding expert-led talks on the risk of a potential volcanic eruption at the mountain in May in Pyongyang or a convenient location, officials said.Earlier in the day, experts from South and North Korea held the second round of volcano talks in Gaesong, the North's industrial city near the i
KAIST head admits faults, won’t resign

Apr 12, 2011

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology president Suh Nam-pyo has refused to step down but he pledged to abolish its incentive system applying different fees based on grades.Suh made public his stance while attending the parliamentary education committee convened Tuesday to deal with issues involving his school, including the suicides of four students and a professor since January.Suh w
PPP candidate gets liberal nod to run in Gimhae

Apr 12, 2011

A candidate from the minority People’s Participation Party was selected Tuesday as the unified runner of opposition parties in the upcoming by-election in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.Lee Bong-soo, who beat contenders from the Democratic Party and the Democratic Labor Party in a two-day public survey, is to compete against Kim Tae-ho of the ruling Grand National Party for the legislative seat
Cabinet OKs bill on compliance counsel

Apr 12, 2011

Listed firms of certain size obligated to hire legal professionalsListed companies of a certain size will be required by law from next year to hire lawyers or law professors to monitor potential legal problems in addition to the counsels they already have to deal with legal disputes post factum.The Cabinet approved a revised commercial bill that includes the article on legal compliance in a weekly
Korean confirmed dead

Apr 12, 2011

A South Korean citizen has been confirmed dead in the powerful earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan’s northeastern coastal region last Friday, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. It is the first confirmed South Korean fatality.The 40-year-old construction worker, only identified by his surname Lee, fell to the ground last Friday at a site in the Japanese prefecture of Ibaraki where a thermal po