The Korea Herald

Yoon picks former university head as nominee for Education Minister

Apr 13, 2022

Yoon picks former university head as nominee for Education Minister By Im Eun-byel President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday nominated Kim In-chul, former president of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education. Kim had been the head of HUFS since 2014 until earlier this year. Born in 1957 in Masan, South Gyeongsang Province, Kim studied public administration at HUFS, where he also earned his master’s degree. He earned his doctorate at Del
Hardline umbrella union holds banned rally, protests against president-elect’s labor policies

Apr 13, 2022

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of two major umbrella labor groups in South Korea, on Wednesday pushed ahead with a rally of some 10,000 members at Jongmyo Park in central Seoul, calling on President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol to communicate with the labor community. Since the presidential election last month, the two major umbrella labor unions – the KCTU and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions -- have asked President-elect Yoon to come to the negotiating table with the labor c
Interior minister nominee a seasoned legal, administrative expert

Apr 13, 2022

Lee Sang-min, who was tapped to serve as the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s first minister of interior and safety, is a certified lawyer with years of experience serving in local courts and in state-run agencies. The current head of local law firm Kim Chang Lee was chosen to serve due to his ample experience in administrative works despite serving most of his career in the judiciary branch, Yoon said in announcing his pick. Lee joined the legal sector by graduating the Judicial Research
Yoon picks Park Jin as foreign minister in second round of Cabinet choices

Apr 13, 2022

Kim Dae-ki appointed as first chief of staff
Presidential transition team opposes Democratic Party’s prosecution reform push

Apr 13, 2022

Liberal party called to stop “destroying the Constitution”
Transition team seeks to modify carbon neutrality plans, discard nuclear phase-out policy

Apr 13, 2022

The transition team's push to modify carbon neutrality plans of the current Moon Jae-in government will likely include reversal of its nuclear phase-out policy and changes in energy mix, officials said Wednesday. The transition committee called Tuesday for overhauling the country's carbon neutrality scheme, claiming that policies from the Moon administration actually increased greenhouse gas emissions and sticking to its plans will prompt electricity rate hikes and even lower the country's gross
Transition team considers legalizing tattooing by nonmedical professionals

Apr 13, 2022

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition team has been considering legalizing tattooing by nonmedical professionals, an official at the team said Wednesday, as tattoos are increasingly popular among young people. In South Korea, tattoo artists operate illegally because tattooing is currently governed by the Medical Service Act that only allows those with a medical license to provide tattoo services. "Under the current law, not only tattooists, but also people receiving treatment from them
Yoon to announce additional Cabinet nominations

Apr 13, 2022

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will announce a second round of Cabinet nominations Wednesday, his spokesperson said, a list that is expected to include at least seven minister nominees and his chief of staff. The nominations will be for the remaining 10 positions -- ministers of education, foreign affairs, unification, justice, interior and safety, labor, small and medium-sized enterprises, maritime affairs, agriculture and the environment. Yoon will announce the nominees at a press conference
[Newsmaker] Clashing ideas on military exemption for BTS

Apr 12, 2022

Supporters say K-pop artists should be granted exemptions; men in 20s unhappy about special treatment
Seoul Mayor pledges city’s alliance with new government in housing policy

Apr 12, 2022

Oh vows to increase home supply; suppress real estate prices
[Reporter's Notebook] Lawmakers' Zelenskyy snub stains South Korea's image

Apr 12, 2022

Empty seats, tepid response fail to match Korea’s global status
US envoy for N. Korea to visit Seoul next week

Apr 12, 2022

US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim will visit South Korea next week to coordinate policy ahead of the launch of the new administration of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, sources said Tuesday. Kim is expected to arrive in Seoul around Monday and stay for four days to hold talks with his South Korean counterpart, Noh Kyu-duk, and other officials of the outgoing and incoming administrations. Kim's deputy, Jung Pak, is also expected to visit Seoul during the same period. Kim's visit c
Assembly speaker asks Sweden to help N. Korea return to dialogue

Apr 11, 2022

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug held talks with the speaker of Sweden's parliament, Andreas Norlen, on Monday, during which Park asked Sweden to help North Korea return to dialogue. Park told the visiting Norlen that Sweden "plays a role" for North Korea to return to dialogue, according to Park's office. In response, Norlen said Sweden will continue to support the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has ratcheted up tensions by conducting an intercont
Yoon’s inauguration slogan is ‘New nation for people’; BTS not included

Apr 11, 2022

The slogan of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration ceremony on May 10 is “Again, Korea! A new nation of people,” the presidential inauguration preparation committee said Monday. It also confirmed that boy band BTS will not perform at the ceremony. “The ceremony was planned considering the nation, which is taking a leap forward and where the people are the owners,” said Park Joo-sun, chairman of the presidential preparation committee. Regarding reports th
Chief prosecutor willing to risk job to protect investigative powers

Apr 11, 2022

A bill to strip investigative power from prosecution faces fierce opposition