The spouses of the two leading presidential candidates have been more visible on the campaign trail in recent weeks compared to previous election cycles. At the same time, they have avoided moves that could overshadow the candidates themselves, despite a political atmosphere fueling their rivalry. On Wednesday, Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of liberal Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung, visited the port of Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, where the hull of the Sewol ferry remains docked. K

The debate over abolishing the Gender Ministry has been reignited in this year’s presidential campaign in the pledges of top candidates. Last week, Lee Jun-seok, candidate for the minor conservative New Reform Party, revived his earlier pledge from the 2022 presidential election campaign to shutter the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family for good. He included the goal as part of his top policy pledges, saying the ministry’s responsibilities would be redistributed between the Ministry of Inter

With Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung maintaining his strong lead in opinion polls, People Power Party's presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo appears to be courting the endorsement of his minor conservative rival. New Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, meanwhile, has continued to rule out the possibility of a merger. "(Lee and I) share the same thoughts and same policies, but are currently separated because (the People Power Party) has made a wrong move," Kim told reporters fol

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol's departure from the People Power Party on Saturday is expected to boost the party's chances with moderate voters and win back longtime supporters who opposed the failed martial law bid. While some painted a rosy outlook for the party, critics expressed skepticism towards the move carried out less than three weeks before the June 3 presidential election, saying that the timing of the departure was "too late." People Power Party's chief spokesperson Shin Dong-wook l

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo unveiled plans to launch a government agency dedicated to promoting and achieving regulatory reform. In his latest economic policy pledge, Kim said the agency would be responsible for unifying regulatory reform functions scattered across different government agencies. One percent of the annual government budget for research and development would be allocated for projects tied to regulatory reform. He also pledged to push for passage of a bil

Calls within the conservative bloc for former President Yoon Suk Yeol to leave the People Power Party have resurfaced in recent days, with critics saying that such a move would appeal to voters ahead of the June 3 presidential election. People Power Party Rep. Kim Yong-tae, who was named the new interim leader of the main conservative party on Thursday, suggested that Yoon leave the party in an afternoon press briefing held at the National Assembly in Seoul. "I will meet with the (former) presid

South Korea’s three leading presidential candidates on Wednesday vowed to bring economic prosperity to the conservative South Gyeongsang region, in a bid to appeal to conservative and moderate voters. Rallies held in the country’s southeastern region by Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Rep. Lee Jae-myung, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party came as major cities in the area, including Busan, struggle with industrial decline and an exo

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo’s goal of forming a broad conservative coalition for the June 3 presidential election to challenge Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung, the front-runner, faced a gloomy outlook on Tuesday. Despite Kim’s repeated calls to lure politicians to what he calls an “anti-Lee Jae-myung big tent,” several politicians have either directly or indirectly refused to join forces with the former labor minister in his battle against the main li

The 22-day sprint for South Korea’s presidency launched Monday, with the seven candidates vying to redefine the nation’s political future amid concerns over the stability of its democracy. With rallies, stump speeches and televised debates on the schedule, the next three weeks are expected to be charged with ideological differences and personal rivalries before ending with voters heading to the polls on June 3. The early contours of the contest are emerging, with Lee Jae-myung of the main libera

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo on Monday pledged to create a more business-friendly environment and create more jobs amid the export-reliant economy’s growing exposure to risks posed by the US-China trade war. Unveiling his top 10 policy promises if elected as president, Kim said that his primary goal is to turn South Korea into “a country that is good for businesses and creates jobs.” “The number one pledge is a key pledge that reflects candidate Kim Moon-soo’s vision to

Former Prime Minister and acting President Han Duck-soo on Saturday registered as the People Power Party's candidate for the June 3 presidential election, following the party leadership’s decision to revoke ex-Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo’s nomination. The People Power Party announced around 5:50 a.m. that Han was the only person who registered during the party's candidate registration process, which was open from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. The party’s new presidential candidate will be officially announce

A Seoul court on Friday dismissed injunctions filed by People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo earlier this week to legally affirm his candidacy and to block the ruling party from convening a national convention to name its final nominee for the presidential election. Kim had sought court injunctions to block party efforts to replace or merge his candidacy with another contender, arguing that he was the rightful nominee after winning the PPP primary. However, the court dismissed t

An existing rift within the conservative bloc widened Thursday, with People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo resisting mounting pressure from party leadership to swiftly unify his candidacy with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Kim and Han clashed over coming together during a second, follow-up meeting held Thursday evening at a coffee shop in the National Assembly in western Seoul, exposing internal strains within the bloc. The talks, which began at 4:30 p.m., wrapped up an ho

Rep. Kim Sang-wook of the conservative People Power Party, who had dealt with fierce criticism from fellow party lawmakers for vocally supporting former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment in December, announced Thursday that he’s leaving the party. The first-term lawmaker cited his disappointment with the People Power Party’s failure to perform its role "for the country and the people as a genuine conservative political party,” behind his decision not to be affiliated with the party. “I have

Former ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon may have missed out on the party's presidential nomination, but he is still trying to eat his way into voters' hearts. “I love lamb skewers. Did you guys eat yet?” he asked, greeting viewers on a live YouTube broadcast Monday. Han then starts eating his food, in “mukbang” style, a Korean termfor people consuming a large quantity of food on livestreams, while donned in a casual gray T-shirt. “I love lamb skewers too,” one of the viewers replied