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GNP, Cabinet agree to form joint body on public welfare

PoliticsJul 21, 2011

The government and the ruling Grand National Party will form a joint consultative body to decide on welfare and financial support in next year’s budget.GNP chairman Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and Presidential Chief of Staff Yim Tae-hee reached the agreement at a large-scale government-ruling party conference at the National Assembly on Thursday, the party spokesperson said.“T
DP slams GNP over savings banks probe

PoliticsJul 17, 2011

Opposition demands more figures summoned, including Park Geun-hye’s brotherAs the parliament’s August provisional session draws near, parties are attacking each other over the parliamentary investigation into alleged illegal lobbying and bribery by failed savings banks. The planned inquiry by lawmakers is seen as part of a larger battle over more controversial subjects such as the Korea-U.S. Free
Sex scandal rumors fly at Assembly

PoliticsJul 15, 2011

The National Assembly was recently shaken by a series of sex scandals, most of them involving members of the Grand National Party.Earlier this month, a major daily newspaper reported that a married ruling party lawmaker sexually harassed a drunken woman in a taxi and handed over money to the driver who threatened to upload the recorded file on the Internet.The subject of the article was the illici
Hong says main aim is private investment

PoliticsJul 14, 2011

GNP leader says will ensure smooth nomination of presidential candidateThe Grand National Party Chairman Rep. Hong Joon-pyo pledged to act as a “windbreak” for other frontrunners in the race for presidential candidacy next year.“I have no intention to enter candidacy, nor am I entitled to do so, according to our party constitution,” said the ruling party leader.“My role is to act as a connecting b
Lee says will consult GNP on appointments

PoliticsJul 13, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak told the newly-elected leadership of the ruling Grand National Party over lunch on Wednesday that he will discuss with them before nominating the new justice minister and the prosecutor-general amid backlash from both ruling and opposition lawmakers against the president’s top candidate.During his first official meeting with the new GNP leader Hong Joon-pyo and other member
GNP leader picks close aide as new secretary-general

PoliticsJul 12, 2011

A close aide to the newly-elected chairman of the Grand National Party Hong Joon-pyo was appointed secretary-general on Tuesday, despite backlash from pro-Lee Myung-bak and pro-Park Geun-hye groups.Floor leader Hwang Woo-yea and policy chairman Lee Ju-young, together with council members Reps. Nam Kyung-pil and Na Kyung-won, supported the chairman’s selection and approved Rep. Kim Chung-kwon as ne
Parties target tough constituencies

PoliticsJul 12, 2011

DP lawmakers eye GNP home turf; ruling party mulls replacing veteransParties are seeking to turn the table in next year’s general elections with a bold lineup of possible candidates as some veteran lawmakers gave up their candidacy or pledged to run in strategically important areas other than their home-turf constituencies.Rep. Kim Hyo-seuk, a third-term lawmaker of the main opposition Democratic
CJ to pay 1.85 tln won for Korea Express

IndustryJul 11, 2011

A consortium led by CJ Group, a South Korean food and entertainment conglomerate, said Monday that it has signed a contract to purchase a controlling 37.62 percent stake in Korea Express for 1.85 trillion won (US$1.75 billion).CJ Cheiljedang Corp. and CJ GLS Inc. will each pay 922.5 billion won to take over South Korea's largest logistics firm from two subsidiaries of cash-strapped Kumho Asiana Gr
Coach for military football club arrested for blackmail

SportsJul 11, 2011

The head coach for a local military football team has been arrested for allegedly taking cash from parents of a player involved in match fixing, the defense ministry said Monday.The bench boss for Sangju Sangmu Phoenix in the first-division K-League, named Lee, was arrested on charges of blackmail. The Sangju team is made up of professional players who have been conscripted to serve the mandatory
Koreas to discuss troubled resort

North KoreaJul 11, 2011

SEOUL (AFP) -- North Korea has agreed to hold talks with South Korea to settle a dispute over Seoul-owned buildings at a jointly run resort which have been seized by the communist country, officials said Monday.The communist North had set a deadline of Wednesday for final discussions about the properties at the Mount Kumgang resort, which is in North Korea and was supposed to have been a symbol of
GNP chiefs to cancel tax cuts, reduce tuition

PoliticsJul 11, 2011

The ruling Grand National Party, led by newly elected chairman Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, has announced a reformative, “people-friendly” stance.In the party workshop at the National Assembly on Sunday, the Supreme Council and the policy committee agreed almost unanimously to slash university tuition fees and reinforce regulations over conglomerates.The plan also included overturning additional corporate
Ex-politician seeks master’s in English

PeopleJul 7, 2011

Kwon Roh-gapKwon Roh-gap, close aide to the late President Kim Dae-jung and senior advisor of the main opposition Democratic Party, is to enter the graduate school of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies to earn a master’s degree in English literature.“To learn the unknown is my greatest pleasure,” said the Kwon, 81. “This will be my first campus experience in 50 years and I hope that my healt
New GNP head says SME help shouldn’t punish large firms

PoliticsJul 6, 2011

The newly-elected chairperson of the ruling Grand National Party Rep. Hong Joon-pyo expressed concerns over the party’s recent outspoken comments on conglomerate policies.“The key point in backing small- and medium-sized businesses is to come up with active measures to help them, not to extort from large businesses,” Hong said in a radio interview on Wednesday.By this, he referred the party’s poli
Opposition leader to make China visit

PoliticsJul 3, 2011

Leader of the main opposition Democratic Party Sohn Hak―kyu is to set off for China on Monday to promote economic cooperation and ease political tensions in Northeast Asia, party officials said.The trip is Sohn’s second since he took over the party’s chairmanship last October, closely following his visit to Japan late last month.After meeting with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Mo
GNP holds vote to elect new leader

PoliticsJul 3, 2011

Attention focused on whether party will have young chairpersonThe ruling Grand National Party kicked off its leadership vote on Sunday, with the result to be announced in Monday’s national convention.The vote was open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at a total of 251 voting stations across the country, according to officials.The new chairperson is to be selected based upon the voting results combined with o