The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world and it has prompted calls for sweeping changes across society. While its impact on South Korea has been relatively small compared to other advanced economies, the pandemic has set in motion changes that will have far reaching consequences for Korea both within and outside the country. Larger role in international community For South Korea, the pandemic has brought unexpected changes in the field of diplomacy. Aided by the c

Social Affairs Aug. 15, 2020

The ruling Democratic Party’s support rating has fallen behind that of the conservative opposition United Future Party for the first time in nearly three years, a survey showed Thursday. In the survey conducted by Realmeter, the ruling party’s support rating came to 33.4 percent, down 1.7 percentage points from the previous week, while that of the United Future Party rose 1.9 percentage points to 36.5 percent. The gap remains relatively small, but this is the first time the Demo

Politics Aug. 13, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday named new senior secretaries for public relations, and social policy, continuing the reshuffle that began last month. For the post of social policy senior secretary, Moon named Yoon Chang-yul, who currently heads the planning and coordination office under the Prime Minister’s Office. The current senior social policy secretary Kim Yeon-myung is not among the six senior aides who offered their resignation on Friday, and speculations have risen that Moo

Politics Aug. 12, 2020

President Moon Jae-in on Monday named three new senior secretaries, three days after six of his top aides including his chief of staff offered their resignations. The three posts replaced are that for political affairs, civil affairs and justice, and civic and social agenda, and the new secretaries will be appointed on Tuesday, Cheong Wa Dae said. For the post of political affairs secretary, Moon chose former ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Jae-sung, and Board of Audit and Inspection

Politics Aug. 10, 2020

Recent offers to resign by top presidential aides have presented another major hurdle for the Moon Jae-in administration, resulting in ridicule from the public and harsher attacks from the opposition bloc. On Friday, six of President Moon’s top aides offered to resign, including chief of staff Noh Young-min, over the growing controversy surrounding the government’s real estate policies. The other senior officials who offered to resign are Yoon Do-han, in charge of public communi

Politics Aug. 9, 2020

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae on Thursday said the religious sect Shincheonji Church of Jesus was attacking her over her prosecutorial reform drive. “As the media and the United Future Party’s groundless attacks against me grow fiercer, it has come to Shincheonji attacking me,” Choo wrote on her social media account Thursday, saying conservative media and the main opposition were using family and personal issues to attack her. As evidence that Shincheonji had joined the a

Social Affairs July 31, 2020

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday pushed through two controversial bills on tenants’ rights, amid strong resistance from opposition lawmakers, landlords and some experts who worry about a sudden spike in residential property rents. Revisions to the Housing Lease Protection Act and the Commercial Lease Protection Act, which passed through the National Assembly during its full-floor session, are two of the three legislative proposals introduced by the Democratic Party perta

Politics July 30, 2020

The South Korean government will take steps to extend visas for foreign laborers as part of measures to address issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Wednesday. Speaking at a disaster management meeting, Chung said that such measures will be introduced to alleviate labor shortages in rural areas. “Measures to extend the duration of stay for foreign laborers, and temporarily providing opportunities to work in areas such as agricultural communities w

Social Affairs July 29, 2020

Seoul’s presidential office on Wednesday denied the existence of a secret agreement with North Korea to provide $3 billion in return for holding an inter-Korean summit Seoul’s presidential office on Wednesday denied the existence of a secret agreement with North Korea to provide $3 billion in return for holding an inter-Korean summit in 2000. “Having verified the information with concerned organizations including the Ministry of Unification and the National Intelligence Serv

Politics July 29, 2020

South Korean government, military and private organizations are now able to develop solid-fuel launch vehicles following the latest revision to South Korea-US missile guidelines, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. According to Kim Hyun-chong, national security adviser to the president, the revised missile guidelines take effect immediately. “As of July 28, 2020, limits on the use of solid fuel in space launch vehicles are completely removed,” Kim said. He said the revision allows all S

Politics July 28, 2020

National Intelligence Service Director nominee Park Jie-won on Monday pledged to be “reborn” as a civil servant, while drawing heavy fire from the main opposition party over his involvement in illegal transfer of funds to North Korea in 2000. Park is a former lawmaker who served four terms in the National Assembly between 1992 and 2020. Park has also served as a culture minister and was chief of staff to the president during the 1998 to 2003 Kim Dae-jung administration. At Park&

Politics July 27, 2020

The long process of opening to the public the site of the US Forces Korea’s Seoul base, known as Yongsan Garrison and which stretches from the foot of Namsan nearly down to the Han River, seems to finally be coming to its end.  The area occupied by the US military base has been off-limits for Koreans for 116 years, having been occupied by the Japanese and US militaries since 1904.  On Aug. 1, part of the area, which will ultimately amount to some 3.3 million square meters of

Social Affairs July 25, 2020

The government will revise regulations to prevent foreign nationals abusing South Korea’s medical system to be treated for COVID-19 at no cost, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Friday. Speaking at the National Assembly’s interpellation session, Chung said that he is aware of concerns that the government providing free treatment for COVID-19 to foreigners and that related regulations will be revised. “The state treating patients with infectious diseases regardless of nati

Social Affairs July 24, 2020

The ruling Democratic Party on Friday adopted the confirmed hearing report on Rep. Lee In-young, the unification minister nominee. The report was adopted by the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee in the absence of lawmakers of the main opposition United Future Party. The main opposition had demanded Lee to provide documents regarding his son’s health and other items regarding is son, but Lee declined, prompting the United Future Party lawmakers to exit the committe

Politics July 24, 2020

A civil servant working at the central government complex in Seoul was confirmed to have COVID-19 for the first time on Friday. According to the government, the civil servant with the personal information protection committee was confirmed to have the novel coronavirus on Friday, after the individual’s mother tested positive for the virus. The individual, however, was not at the complex on Friday, having been on sick leave since Thursday. Following the positive result, about 50 civil

Social Affairs July 24, 2020