Defense Ministry building in Yongsan emerges as strong candidate

President-elect Yoon travels to east coast cities hit by wildfire for encouragement

Democratic Party pushes to pass a bill and start special probe before Yoon takes power

Two will have candid private conversation; pardon for former President Lee to be discussed

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol plans to benchmark the US personnel vetting system, and have the justice ministry and police take over the roles after abolishing the office of senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, his spokesperson said Tuesday. "The office of the president will only have the role to recommend candidates. With regard to vetting senior officials, Cabinet members and others, we will have the justice ministry and police do it," spokesperson Kim Eun-hye told report

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and agreed to deepen cooperation between the two countries, including efforts to denuclearize North Korea, both sides said Tuesday. During the 15-minute call Monday night, Yoon and Johnson shared concern about North Korea's recent missile tests and a need to cooperate with the United States and the UN Security Council for the North's denuclearization, Yoon's spokesperson Kim Eun-hye said in a statement. The tw

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol said Monday that he will abolish the post of senior secretary for civil affairs at his presidential office, ridding it of its inspection and intelligence functions. Explaining how the office has played a role in illegal inspections on society, Yoon said he will “clear away the remnant” in his government, in a meeting with the leadership of his presidential transition committee. “In the past, the senior secretary for civil affairs at the presiden

President-elect expected to request Lee’s pardon

Liberal party figures wrestle to take power ahead of June elections

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday named two veteran politicians as chiefs of special transition committee panels on national unity and balanced regional development. Kim Han-gil, former head of the Democratic Party, will lead the national unity committee, while Kim Byong-joon, former interim head of the Liberty Korea Party, a predecessor of the People Power Party (PPP), will head the committee on balanced development. Both worked for Yoon's campaign. "Kim Han-gil is a person who

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition committee aims to hold a signboard hanging ceremony as early as this week to mark its official launch, Yoon's spokesperson said Monday. Past transition committees have hung their signboards within seven to 10 days of the election and in the final stages of their composition, the spokesperson, Rep. Kim Eun-hye of the main opposition People Power Party, said during a press briefing. "We are aiming to hold a signboard hanging ceremony as early as late

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is expected to appoint a special inspector charged with preventing corruption involving top officials and presidential relatives after the position was left vacant in the current Moon Jae-in administration. The position was first introduced in 2014 under the Park Geun-hye administration, but it has been vacant since May 2015. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has been demanding the Moon government to name a special inspector. "It is the president-ele

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will visit a traditional market Monday to meet with pandemic-hit small merchants in his first public outreach since his election, his spokesperson said. Yoon will return to the market he visited last November during the presidential campaign to keep his promise to the merchants there to visit them again after his election, the spokesperson, Rep. Kim Eun-hye of the main opposition People Power Party, said during a press briefing. "During the visit, (Yoon) will l

More than half of South Koreans expect President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol to do well on state affairs, a survey showed Monday. According to the survey of 1,018 adults conducted by Realmeter last Thursday and Friday, 52.7 percent of respondents expect Yoon to do a good job on state affairs. In contrast, 41.2 percent say they do not expect Yoon to do well on state affairs, the survey showed. The remaining 6.1 percent say they do not know. Yoon won a tight election last week by a razor-thin margin of 0.

A spokesperson for President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol denied a news report Monday that Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is being considered for retention in the incoming government. The Chosun Ilbo newspaper carried the report earlier in the day, saying retaining Kim would avoid political wrangling during the parliamentary confirmation process for a new prime minister and demonstrate a commitment to working together with the opposition party. "Prime Minister Kim is a person of virtue and is respect