Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday expressed regret over what it called "indiscriminate" speculation that first lady Kim Jung-sook might have used taxpayer money to buy her clothes during President Moon Jae-in's five-year term. Park Soo-hyun, senior secretary for public communication, made the remarks a day after the presidential office denied the speculation that Kim might have used off-the-record expenses for her clothes. "We express regret over indiscriminate speculation raised by polit

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will visit the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) on Thursday and encourage young trade specialists, his spokesperson said. Yoon is scheduled to attend the graduation ceremony of KITA's Global Trade Experts Incubating Program (GTEP) and meet with the graduates of the program, according to Kim Eun-hye. It will mark Yoon's first visit to a business organization since his election. "Through the meeting with 'the national team of young exporters,' he will

President Moon Jae-in has recently sold his private home in the southern rural city of Yangsan for 2.6 billion won ($2.1 million), 1.7 billion won higher than the price he bought it 13 years ago, government data showed Thursday. The gains were spent on the construction of a new home in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, which Moon plans to move into after leaving office on May 9, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Moon bought the old home in 2009 for 900 million won and lived there before his 2017 ele

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is strongly considering nominating former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as his first prime minister, sources said Thursday. Han, 72, has held a number of high positions in government, including finance minister, prime minister under former President Roh Moo-hyun, and ambassador to the United States. In those capacities, he played a key role in negotiating a free trade agreement with the US Han is considered a trade specialist with expertise in foreign affairs, making

More than eight in 10 lawmakers saw their personal assets grow in value last year amid the pandemic, data showed Thursday. As of December 2021, 240 lawmakers, or 83 percent of the 289 legislators who disclosed their assets, said their assets expanded compared with a year earlier, according to the National Assembly data. Of them, 147 reported that their assets increased by between 100 million won ($82,610) and 500 million won. Six lawmakers said their assets jumped by 1 billion won over a one-yea

More than eight in 10 ranking public officials mandated by an ethics law to annually disclose their personal wealth reported an asset increase last year, the government gazette showed Thursday. A total of 1,978 senior government and public officials had declared an average of 1.62 billion won ($1.34 million) in personal assets as of the end of last year, marking a rise of 166.3 million won from a year earlier, the gazette said. It found that 83 percent, or 1,641, of the officials reported an inc

Cheong Wa Dae’s response adds fuel to calls to reveal expense reports

Ahn not to run local elections in June nor contend for People Power Party leadership

Liberal party faces tough challenge of competing against Oh Se-hoon

The White House in February announced its Indo-Pacific strategy in what seems to be its most inclusive and comprehensive report yet. The report makes no doubt that China’s presence is of utmost importance when it comes to the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy, which was initiated in the Trump administration. In the report, the US looks to seek ways to contain China’s rise, but also maintain a somewhat amicable and cooperative relationship with Beijing. The Indo-Pacific strategy i

Nearly 60 percent of South Koreans oppose granting pardons to former President Lee Myung-bak and former South Gyeongsang Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo, a survey showed Wednesday. According to the poll conducted by Data Research on 1,000 adults on Monday, 58.7 percent said they are against granting clemency to Lee and Kim, while 32.1 percent said they support pardoning the two. The issue of their pardons surfaced ahead of a meeting Monday between President Moon Jae-in and President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, wit

Transition Committee Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo has withdrawn from consideration for prime minister in the incoming government, political sources said Wednesday. Ahn has been considered a top candidate for the No. 2 political office after he dropped out of the presidential race to support the campaign of now President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol. On Tuesday, he met with Yoon and expressed his intent not to serve as prime minister, saying he would like to focus on the transition team, according to the source

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol proposed a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at an early date after the Ukraine-Russia war ends, his spokesperson said Wednesday. Yoon made the proposal during a phone call with Zelenskyy on Tuesday, Kim Eun-hye said during a press briefing when asked if she could disclose details of the conversation. Kim initially said Tuesday that details would not be revealed "as Ukraine is currently in a state of war." "Fruitful cooperation h

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday evening spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia. “President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol held a phone call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at 5 p.m. on Tuesday,” Yoon’s spokesperson said in a written statement. “As Ukraine is currently in a war situation, please understand that it is difficult to disclose the details of the call,” the s

Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday denied recent rumors regarding the first lady’s expenses over clothes and fashion items, saying that no state funds had been used. “The groundless assertions related to first lady Kim Jung-sook using special activity expenses for costumes to wear at official events are completely false,” Shin Hye-hyeon, deputy spokesperson for Cheong Wa Dae, said at a briefing Tuesday. “National budget, including special activity expenses, have not been drawn