Parties wrangle over review materials

Moon says proposed changes moving in right direction

The confirmation hearing for Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo got off to a rough start Monday after lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the minor progressive Justice Party boycotted the hearing, accusing Han of failing to provide requested data. The hearing was adjourned less than an hour after it started with only members of the People Power Party in attendance. Before its adjournment, Rep. Kang Byung-won of the DP expressed his deep regret over Han's inadequate presentation

The chief of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) said Sunday his party will reconsider a bipartisan proposal on prosecution reform to review flaws in the bills aimed at scrapping the prosecution's investigative powers. The ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the PPP on Friday agreed to pass the compromise legislation within this month, prompting Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo and other several senior prosecutors to offer to resign in protest. PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok said he shared d

Openings hint possible return of heavyweights to main stage

Democratic Party to wage extensive attacks on “problematic” picks

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol expected to commute to the new presidential office in central Seoul from his private home for about a month after his inauguration while his official residence is renovated, officials said Sunday. Yoon has decided to remodel what is now the foreign minister's residence into his official residence in line with his plan to move the presidential office and residence out of Cheong Wa Dae in an effort to connect better with the people. Renovation work on the foreign mi

South Korea’s President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday commemorated the work of a late U.S. Korean War veteran for his service to both South Korea and the U.S. and to their alliance. Yoon also expressed his “deepest respect” to Col. William Weber, who died on April 9 at the age of 96. “He devoted his life to ensuring the world not to forget the significance of the Korean War and promoting humanity of Korean War veterans as president of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Fo

Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo, his deputy and the chiefs of all six high prosecutors' offices across the nation offered to resign en masse Friday after the ruling and opposition parties agreed on legislation that would reduce and eventually scrap the prosecution's investigative powers. The unprecedented move came after the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition People Power Party reached agreement on prosecution reform legislation in a breakthrough compromise that defused tensions over

Lee Jun-seok is facing possible penalties from his own People Power Party over allegations he accepted sexual favors as bribes on two instances in 2013. At a meeting on Thursday evening, the party voted unanimously in favor of convening an ethics committee to decide whether a disciplinary action against Lee is warranted.  When the allegations first surfaced in December last year, the party decided not to consider the matter through its ethics committee process, with the preside

Eating inside movie theaters, indoor gyms and religious facilities will be permitted starting next week, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday, following the government's lifting of social distancing restrictions earlier this week. Eating on trains and express buses will also be allowed as the government further eased COVID-19 curbs comes as part of efforts to return to normal life. "The average daily number of virus cases has declined about 40 percent from a week ago, while the downward

BUSAN/SEOUL -- President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday asked South Korean business leaders to work together to ensure the country's port city of Busan can win the bid to host the 2030 World Expo. Yoon made the call in a meeting with senior executives of major South Korean conglomerates, including Samsung, Hyundai and SK, at the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Yoon asked the business sector to play an "active role" in helping Busan win the bid. The participants agreed to work to

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition team called Friday for "peace and prosperity through denuclearization" after revelations that President Moon Jae-in exchanged letters with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "I believe it is a great cause of people to achieve peace and prosperity through denuclearization," a transition team official said, commenting on the exchange of letters between Moon and Kim. According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim

The office of President Moon Jae-in on Friday confirmed an exchange of letters between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said Cheong Wa Dae plans to brief the media on the letters. According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim received a letter from Moon on Wednesday and sent a reply letter the next day. The KCNA said Moon and Kim held the same view that inter-Korean relations would "improve and develop" if the

Foreign minister’s official residence is more than just a home, serves as venue for diplomatic affairs