Speaker Park says Korea should take leading role in promoting world peaceFollowing Seoul’s hosting of the Group of 20 summit last year, the National Assembly speaker is set to lead a meeting of G20 parliamentary speakers next week.“We are now living in a global era and the parliament, as the state’s key legislative organ, should keep pace with the changing world,” Park Hee-tae told The Korea Heral

The Grand National Party will select a new leader on July 4 to take the helm for the general and presidential elections next year.The ruling party’s emergency panel held its first meeting on Thursday, where they scheduled hold a national convention for that date, officials said.The committee was launched after former party leader Ahn Sang-soo and other Supreme Council members stepped down on Sunda

The power struggle within the ruling Grand National Party escalated as the party secretariat decided that the vacant party leader seat is to be filled by the newly-elected floor leader, instead of the designated emergency panel chairman.“It is best to let the floor leader take over the party leader’s authority and the emergency panel chairman lead the panel,” said the party’s vice secretary-genera

New floor leader Hwang says party will reach out to the people with policiesThe newly elected floor leader of the ruling Grand National Party pledged to rid the party of its reputation as an affluent party remote from the realities of citizens.“Our party will focus on designing customized welfare policies for people of all ages,” said Rep. Hwang Woo-yea in a radio speech on Tuesday.“Our aim is to

The ruling Grand National Party was facing internal strife as junior lawmakers pushed on with their bold reform plans.Party leader Ahn Sang-soo, together with Supreme Council members, stepped down on Sunday, taking responsibility for the party’s defeat in last month’s by-elections and giving way to an emergency committee.However, disagreements occurred over the leadership and composition of the co

Conservative says his party needs changeLee Hoi-chang, leader of the conservative minority Liberty Forward Party, has turned in his resignation in the hope of overcoming the party’s prolonged political stagnation.“I am stepping down to give way to changes in our party,” Lee said in the Supreme Council meeting held on Monday morning.“Political circles are undergoing sweeping changes and the LFP nee

(Lee Hoi-chang offers to resign as minor conservative party chief. Yonhap News)Lee Hoi-chang, leader of the conservative minority Liberty Forward Party, offered his resignation on Monday, in an attempt to catalyze the party’s reform moves.“Our party is to face up to the ongoing changes within the political circles,” Lee said.Lee, who has held the LFP leader post since 2008, also suggested that the

Following the aftermath of the April by-elections and recent turmoil over the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement bill, political parties face a major leadership shift, including for the floor leader seats.The ruling Grand National Party held an in-party election on Friday, and the main opposition Democratic Party is scheduled to follow suit next Friday, according to officials.The last inter-party issue

Hwang not affiliated with any faction; Lee Ju-young picked as chief policymakerRep. Hwang Woo-yea was voted floor leader of the ruling Grand National Party in a party election Friday.In the initial vote held in the early afternoon, Hwang won 64 votes out of 159, closely beating his rival An Kyung-ryul, who won 55 votes.The two front runners were then put to a final vote, in which Hwang won 90 vote

Left wing criticizes DP leadership for deal with ruling partyOpposition parties face rough sailing to solidarity due to the conflict over the passage of the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement bill Wednesday night.The National Assembly began a belated plenary session at 10:03 p.m., in which lawmakers of the Grand National Party approved the disputed bill, after opposition lawmakers boycotted the vote.Ea

Parties once again faced turmoil over the controversial Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement bill, as the Democratic Party, despite its previous agreement, resolved not to pass the bill Wednesday.In an hours-long party meeting held before the parliamentary regular session in the afternoon, a majority of the main opposition party lawmakers voted against passing the bill, according to party officials.DP fl

Parties are embroiled in a heated debate over a revision bill submitted by Busan lawmakers to offer full compensation to depositors of suspended savings banks. Many say the bill is legally inappropriate, saying that full compensation may cause moral hazard.A dozen Busan lawmakers have submitted the revision bill which will obligate the government to fully compensate for deposits and subordinate bo

Parties will hold a provisional session where the disputed Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement is expected to pass, despite their failure to reach a consensus during the April plenary session.The ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party, together with government officials, met in a post-deadline debate on Monday and decided to pass the delayed bill during the special parliame

Parties to ratify Korea-EU FTA WednesdayParties will hold a provisional session on Wednesday to pass the disputed Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement bill, on which they failed to reach an agreement during the April plenary session.In a last-minute debate on Monday, parties agreed to ban the location of large supermarkets within the 1 kilometer radius of small traditional markets, instead of the previou

N. Korea rated worst in press freedomNorth Korea was rated the worst country in terms of press freedom, according to a report by Freedom House, a U.S.-based non-governmental human rights body, on Monday.Among the 196 countries studied last year, North Korea’s ranking was the lowest. South Korea’s was 70th, a slight fall from last year’s 67th, according to the report.The organization also lowered i

The ruling Grand National Party, in the aftermath of its defeat in last week’s by-elections, held an intra party debate in which opposing factions clashed over how to start over.More than 110 lawmakers participated and 19 volunteered to speak in the hours-long debate on Monday, according to party officials.“We are on the verge of a major crisis,” said the party floor leader Kim Moo-sung in his ope

Yonsei University is to expand its scholarship program for outstanding foreign students in Korea.The new scholarship system, revamped last September, took effect from this year’s spring semester to offer a full four-year scholarship to a maximum of 10 foreign students, according to school officials.“Unlike many other schools in Korea, we have refrained from giving out scholarship benefits just to

Prosecutors are investigating 22 people who may have improperly withdrawn their money from local savings banks shortly before their business suspensions, an official said Sunday.In February, operations of seven savings banks were suspended due to their capital shortages. Suspicions have erupted that employees of the banks told their family members and close friends to withdraw their deposits on th

The prosecution is focusing its probe of allegedly illicit withdrawal from suspended savings banks on a small group of major customers and their potential accomplices within the lenders.The Supreme Prosecutor’s Office drew up a list of 22 customers who withdrew massive deposits from their accounts just a day before the savings banks were suspended, officials said Sunday.These affluent customers fa

Big names mentioned as party chair, but all cautious about their plansIn the aftermath of its defeat in the April by-elections, the ruling Grand National Party is struggling to select a new head who may lead the party in the future, especially in next year’s general and presidential elections.The ruling party is scheduled to line up its top leader and supreme council anew within the month through