Ex-labor minister wins PPP primary, grabs presidential nomination

Former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo clinched the ruling People Power Party’s presidential nomination for the June 3 presidential election on Saturday. Kim clinched the nomination with 56.5 percent of a cumulative 402,481 votes nationwide against his opponent, former People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon. Han received 43.5 percent of the total votes. The results were announced during the People Power Party convention held at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province in the afternoon. Votes from the par

May 3, 2025

Han Duck-soo resigns ‘to take on bigger responsibility’

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo resigned Thursday citing his need “to take on bigger responsibility,” amid expectations that he would soon announce his intention to run in the presidential election on June 3. “Respected citizens, I stand here to deliver my decision on an issue that I’ve been deeply deliberating. I have decided to step down from my roles as acting president and prime minister,” Han said in a televised public speech aired in the afternoon. Though Han did not direc

May 1, 2025

Kim Moon-soo, Han Dong-hoon to compete in final round of PPP primary

The conservative People Power Party on Tuesday named former Chair Han Dong-hoon and ex-Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo as the two finalists who will compete in the final round of its primary to be the party's candidate in the June 3 presidential election. Of the four contenders that competed throughout the second round, People Power Party Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo and former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo failed to make the cut. There were originally eight contenders at the start of the primary. The results for

April 29, 2025

Lee vows tax benefits, special law for chip industry

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea, said Monday he seeks to expand tax benefits and push the National Assembly to pass the “semiconductor special bill” to bolster the nation’s chip industry. But he likely referred to the latest version of the bill drafted by the Democratic Party, which does not include the most debated section, which would exempt the chip industry from the country's legally mandated maximum workweek of 40 hours plus 12 hours of overtime.

April 28, 2025

Policy watch: Han Dong-hoon pledges to launch control towers for maritime defense, arms exports

People Power Party presidential contender Han Dong-hoon pledged Monday to establish new control towers to bolster maritime defense and arms exports. A senior presidential secretary position would be created to boost South Korea’s arms exports if he is elected as president, Han said. He also vowed to help South Korea achieve a state of nuclear latency matching the level of its neighbor Japan. Nuclear latency refers to a condition in which a country possesses all the necessary technology and exper

April 28, 2025

Policy Watch: Kim Moon-soo vows to seek economic ‘package deal’ with Trump

People Power Party presidential contender Kim Moon-soo said Monday he plans to “immediately propose” a summit with US President Donald Trump and pursue a “package deal” on economic and industrial cooperation. Unveiling his policy plan to help South Korea climb into the ranks of the top 5 global exporters, the broad agreements would touch on bolstering bilateral trades tied to shipbuilding, liquefied natural gas, arms exports, semiconductor and nuclear energy. Kim also said that he plans to launc

April 28, 2025

Debate between conservative presidential hopefuls dissolves into mudslinging, blame game

The debate between two presidential hopefuls vying for the ruling People Power Party’s nomination held Friday transformed into a mudslinging match, as both brushed off accusations against each other as “lies.” Tensions escalated during a televised one-on-one debate between former People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon and ex-Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, part of the second round of the conservative party’s primary. Hong, during the debate, claimed that former President Yoon Suk Yeol had planned to

April 25, 2025

Ex-President Moon criticizes indictment against him as ‘unjust’

Former President Moon Jae-in on Friday called the indictment on bribery charges against him “unjust,” while accusing the prosecutors of abuse of power and being “political.” The remarks came during his meeting with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik ahead of attending a celebratory event marking seven years of the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration, which was an outcome of the April 2018 inter-Korean summit between then-president Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. “The indictment itself w

April 25, 2025

Han urges swift passage of extra budget proposal

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo delivered a rare budget speech at the National Assembly on Thursday, urging the Democratic Party of Korea-controlled parliament to swiftly pass the government’s 12.2 trillion won ($8.51 billion) extra budget proposal. “For crisis response, the timing of pursuing (policies) is as important as the content of the policies,” Han said in the first budget speech delivered to the Assembly by an acting leader in 46 years. “For the people who lost their ho

April 24, 2025

Burden of Yoon’s martial law looms over PPP primary race

The lingering risks stemming from former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law decree became a thorny issue among presidential hopefuls running in the People Power Party’s primary for the June 3 presidential election. A moment of tension was observed on Wednesday between former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo and ex-People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon during a second press event held for the four contenders who advanced to the next round of the race. Besides Kim and Han, People Power Party Rep. A

April 23, 2025