![[Reporter’s Notebook] How Yoon Suk Yeol turned Constitutional Court hearings into political theater](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2025/02/26/news-p.v1.20250226.798d7ecc626342da927ec3ebc39f3396_T1.jpg?type=h&h=640)
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Election in money: What it costs and spending limits running for president in South Korea
Before a single vote is cast in South Korea’s 2025 presidential election, the first battle is already underway: to raise campaign funding. However, that amount must not exceed certain limits set by South Korean law. According to the National Election Commission, each of the candidates for South Korea’s upcoming 21st presidential election will be allowed to spend up to 58.8 billion won ($41.3 million) on their campaign. The NEC said that in Article 121 of the Public Official Election Act, the cap
April 23, 2025
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Lee Jae-myung pledges new med school, state-funded hospitals
Democratic Party presidential front-runner Lee Jae-myung said Tuesday he would pursue broad social consensus on the medical school quota system, open a new medical school and set up more state-funded hospitals. “We must return to square one and begin discussions again — this time with the participation of all stakeholders. The future of health care demands not just numbers, but vision,” he wrote in a Facebook statement posted Monday. But among the health care policies announced in the post was t
April 22, 2025
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Policy Watch: Han Dong-hoon vows to create 5 megacities
People Power Party presidential contender Han Dong-hoon pledged to use deregulation and tax exemptions to create five megacities nationwide to reduce the concentration of infrastructure and capital in Seoul. He did not say where the cities would be. Unveiling his plan at the National Assembly, Han criticized past regional development efforts as ineffective, and proposed what he called a pragmatic approach. Key policies include industry-friendly “zero-regulation zones,” tax incentives, elite educ
April 22, 2025
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Policy Watch: Hong Joon-pyo maps out vision for welfare transformation
Hong Joon-pyo, the recently resigned Daegu mayor and a presidential contender for the conservative People Power Party's nomination, has unveiled a welfare reform plan titled “Welfare Transformation 100+1.” Framing it as a shift from cash handouts to future generation empowerment, Hong emphasized opportunity over cash benefits, particularly for the vulnerable. Central to Hong’s plan is keeping welfare costs in line with economic growth. “We’ll set an appropriate welfare-to-GDP ratio so future gen
April 21, 2025
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Policy Watch: Kim Moon-soo vows to expand GTX to four more regions nationwide
Kim Moon-soo, a former labor minister running for the presidential nomination of the conservative People Power Party, promised to extend the Great Train eXpress (GTX) railway network to four more metropolitan areas within his term as president, if elected. Currently, the only line in operation is the GTX-A, connecting Seoul Station to Paju, northwest of Seoul, and Suseo in Gangnam to Dongtan in Gyeonggi Province. The GTX B and C are under construction. Kim said he would construct new GTX railway
April 21, 2025
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PPP contenders clash over legality of Yoon's martial law
The second group of the conservative People Power Party’s eight candidates vying for the party’s presidential nomination continued a war of words over the legality of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law during a televised debate Sunday. Former party leader Han Dong-hoon argued that Yoon's declaration of martial law was "illegal," despite being a decision by "the president from our party." "I took the lead to block it and I put our people first," Han said. Former Daegu Mayor
April 20, 2025
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PPP contenders dismiss Lee Jae-myung’s AI promises as empty numbers
Four out of the eight candidates vying for the conservative People Power Party’s presidential nomination shared their vision and election pledges for South Korea's youth in a televised debate Saturday, where they also criticized the AI-related election pledges of the main opposition bloc leader, Lee Jae-myung. Rep. Yang Hyang-ja of the People Power Party, a former Samsung Electronics veteran, referred to the main opposition Democratic Party as a faction “weak on the economy and high-tech industr
April 20, 2025
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Anti-corruption watchdog engages foreign business leaders to boost investment climate
The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission of Korea held a policy roundtable on Thursday aimed at creating a more favorable environment for foreign investment and business operations in Korea. Chaired by Ryu Chul-whan, the commission has hosted 15 such roundtable events since 2008 with executives from foreign chambers of commerce in Korea. The sessions serve as a platform to hear directly from foreign companies about the challenges they face and to share the Korean government’s latest anti-
April 17, 2025
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Stylish escape with coffee in Gangnam
Gangnam, the Seoul district synonymous with luxury and modern charm, is also a hot spot for exceptional cafes. While it may lack the indie vibe of other neighborhoods in the capital like Hongdae, Gangnam boasts a unique blend of upscale and trendy spots, each offering distinct coffee and dessert experiences. Following is a curated selection of must-visit cafes in the area. Triode 649 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m Nestled in vibrant Gangnam, Triode is a hidden
April 17, 2025
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North Gyeongsang Province wildfire damage doubles to nearly 90,000 hectares
A joint government survey revealed Thursday that the scale of forest damage caused by recent wildfires in North Gyeongsang Province was nearly double the initial estimate released by the Korea Forest Service. According to the investigation by local governments and related authorities, including the Korea Forest Service, the wildfires that raged from March 21 for nearly 10 days across Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok in North Gyeongsang province scorched nearly 90,000 hectares
April 17, 2025
