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Korea's 'pandemic hero' joins Lee Jae-myung's presidential campaign
Jung Eun-kyeong, former director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, joined the presidential campaign staff of the Democratic Party of Korea candidate Rep. Lee Jae-myung. Jung, 59, the former head of the KDCA garnered nationwide fame for the agency's response to the recent pandemic induced by the COVID-19. Time magazine in 2020 named her one of the 100 most influential people of the year, as then-President Moon Jae-in commended her contributions to the nation's antivirus efforts.
April 30, 2025 -
Trump Jr. arrives in Seoul for meeting with biz leaders amid tariff concerns
Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, arrived in Seoul on Tuesday for a meeting with around 20 business leaders from South Korean conglomerates, industry sources said. The two-day trip by Trump Jr., his first to South Korea since his father's inauguration in January, comes at the invitation of Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin. Per sources, Trump Jr. arrived at Gimpo International Airport, western Seoul, in his private jet at around 6:25 p.m. Tuesday. It had been s
April 29, 2025 -
Acting President Han vetoes bill limiting acting presidents' authority to nominate justices
Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday vetoed a bill that sought to limit an acting president’s authority over the composition of the Constitutional Court, including a ban on the direct nomination of three justices. During the Cabinet meeting, Han said he was sending back the bill that sought to amend the Constitutional Court Act, which had been pushed through the National Assembly by the Democratic Party of Korea on April 17. "The amendment contains elements that conflict w
April 29, 2025 -
People Power Party set to shortlist two contenders for presidential primary
The People Power Party on Tuesday was set to shortlist two contenders for the party's candidate for the June presidential election, as the party is expected to make the final pick later this week. Four contenders -- former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon and former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo -- are competing to win the nomination for the June 3 election, which will determine the successor of ousted President Yo
April 29, 2025 -
Interview: Intelligence sharing with US weakened under Yoon, says ex-NIS deputy director
South Korea's intelligence sharing with the US appears to have weakened during former President Yoon Suk Yeol's nearly three years in office, according to Rep. Park Sun-won, who served as the National Intelligence Service's deputy director. Speaking to The Korea Herald on Monday, Park said that the NIS' apparent failure to learn in advance that the US Department of Energy would place South Korea on a watchlist in January could be one indication of poor intelligence cooperation between the allies
April 28, 2025 -
DP presidential candidate Lee keeps wide lead in opinion polls
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, maintained a big lead among contenders for the June 3 election, a poll showed Monday. According to the survey conducted by Realmeter on 1,505 adults aged over 18 from Wednesday to Friday, Lee led the poll with 48.5 percent, down 1.7 percentage points from last week. Lee's support has "dipped slightly, falling below the 50 percent mark due to uncertainty over the outcome of the election law violation case, but he still remains the clea
April 28, 2025 -
Acting president says S. Korea-US issues can be solved in 'non-conflicting way': The Economist
Acting President Han Duck-soo has said South Korea's trade and security issues with the United States can be solved in a "rather non-conflicting way," according to British newspaper The Economist. In an interview with the outlet last week, Han spoke about the "one-stop shop" negotiations US President Donald Trump has pursued with South Korea to simultaneously address trade and security issues. "Through co-operative negotiations with the United States, we will be able to find some win-win solutio
April 28, 2025 -
PPP criticizes DP's 'unipolar' system, calls for swift court decision on Lee Jae-myung
The conservative People Power Party criticized the liberal Democratic Party on Sunday for remaining "a one-man system" after its former leader, Lee Jae-myung, was chosen as the party's presidential candidate, calling for a court ruling on Lee before the June election. The criticism came just hours after Lee secured the party's presidential nomination. He is currently the front-runner in opinion polls for the upcoming presidential election, which follows the ouster of PPP-affiliated former Presid
April 27, 2025 -
Minor opposition party vows full support for DP presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung
The minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party on Sunday officially declared its support for the liberal Democratic Party's presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung. The declaration by the minor party established by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk came after Lee won the DP's presidential nomination in the day by securing a whopping 89.77 percent of all votes cast in the party's primary. "We declare that Lee is not only the DP's candidate but also the candidate supported by our party. We will dedicate
April 27, 2025 -
Lee Jae-myung clinches presidential nomination
ILSAN, Gyeonggi Province — Rep. Lee Jae-myung clinched the Democratic Party of Korea's nomination on Sunday, after picking up wins in all four stages of the primary race. Lee finished atop the field, scooping up over 89.77 percent of a cumulative 1,141,827 votes nationwide against his two opponents, Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Dong-yeon and former South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyung-soo, who received 6.87 percent and 3.36 percent of the votes, respectively. Voting in the Democratic Party pri
April 27, 2025 -
Han faces candidacy deadline as his potential run roils conservative bloc
Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's potential candidacy in the upcoming presidential election has emerged as a key variable in the conservative bloc's race, with an announcement speculated to come as early as this week. Time is approaching for Han to make a decision. Under election law, he must resign from his current position by May 4 — 30 days before the early election on June 3 — to run for president. Presidential hopefuls from the People Power Party have expressed their willin
April 27, 2025 -
Lee Jae-myung likely on glide path to Democratic Party of Korea nomination
GWANGJU -- Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's former chair, on Saturday finished first in the second-to-last round of the party primary race for presidential nomination on the liberal home turf of Gwangju in South Jeolla Province. The fourth and the final round of the primary vote takes place Sunday, when the Democratic Party is set to finalize its nominee. Speaking to the crowd at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center, named after the late liberal President Kim Dae-jung, Lee said
April 26, 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 -
DP presidential nomination likely on Sunday; Lee Jae-myung maintains poll lead
The liberal Democratic Party of Korea could complete its presidential nomination as early as Sunday if any of the party's candidates wins a majority of votes, as the party's partially open primary is to end Sunday. Ahead of the race among Democratic Party candidates is former party chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung. He has maintained a wide lead in the presidential election predictions since former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment due to his martial law declaration in December. The vote count for th
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