President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for the National Assembly’s cooperation on next year’s budget, stressing the need to inject funds to promote innovation and peace, and to create a fairer society. In his policy speech at the National Assembly, Moon also urged the parliament to pass bills concerning prosecutorial reform, saying they would help create a fairer and more transparent society. “Public finances must lead the way to resolve structural problems of our society such

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday ordered the interim chief of the Ministry of Justice to complete processes related to prosecutorial reform within the ministry’s authority within the month. In a meeting with Vice Justice Minister Kim O-su, Moon urged the vice minister to ensure that the absence of the minister is not felt, saying that it would take some time to appoint the new minister. Kim is currently heading the Justice Ministry following Cho Kuk’s resignation Monday, after anno

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday stressed the importance of the role the public played in the country’s democracy and promised the government’s support in achieving “better democracy.”  Speaking at a ceremony in Busan to commemorate the Busan-Masan Democratic Protests of 1979, Moon also stressed the need for the government’s “power organizations” not to lose sight of democracy, an apparent barb aimed at the prosecutors’ office. “Our de

The government on Tuesday approved partial restructuring of the prosecutors’ office proposed as part of prosecutorial reform plans. The approval, given at the Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, comes a day after Cho Kuk resigned as justice minister, hours after announcing his prosecutorial reform plans. At the Cabinet meeting, the revision of the regulation on the administrative bodies of the prosecutors’ office was approved. As a result, four of the se

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s upcoming trip to Japan is raising hopes for a way out of the impasse in South Korea-Tokyo relations, but Seoul appears cautious on the outlook. On Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Lee will be traveling to Japan on a three-day schedule to attend the enthronement ceremony of Japanese Emperor Naruhito.  Lee will attend the ceremony on Oct. 22 and a banquet hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the following day. Although Lee&rsq

The US Department of State warned North Korea to end provocations and resume denuclearization talks, Radio Free Asia reported Friday. According to RFA, the US State Department urged the North to “refrain from provocations and to uphold their responsibilities according to the UN Security Council resolutions.”  The State Department was also quoted as urging North Korea to play a “practical role” in achieving denuclearization and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Accor

Veteran lawmaker Rep. Park Jie-won on Friday claimed that Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl does not appear nor is mentioned in any of the video or audio files he has related to the sex scandal revolving around former Deputy Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui.  Park is a four-term lawmaker with close ties to the liberal icon and late President Kim Dae-jung. Hankyoreh 21, a local weekly publication, on Friday reported that Yoon may be connected to the scandal, and that the prosecution had buried r

The conservative bloc on Friday accused those supporting Minister of Justice Cho Kuk of attempting to cloud the issue through the report on Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. “The watering down (of issues) must be stopped and all matters should be put to an independent counsel investigation,” said Rep. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party. A number of members of Cho’s family and acquaintances are under investigation on a range of suspicions

The floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party on Friday said that allegations raised against Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl must be looked into. While declining to comment directly on the allegations raised in a report by Hankyoreh 21, Floor Leader Rep. Lee In-young said the matter should be dealt with. “It cannot be left uninspected,” Lee said, when asked whether the party has plans to look into the matter Friday. Lee, however, declined to comment on the issues raised in t

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office on Friday denied reports that Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl is linked to the sex-bribery scandal involving a former deputy justice minister. Hankyoreh 21, a weekly magazine affiliated to the left-wing daily Hankyoreh, reported Friday that Yoon was entertained by construction business operator Yoon Joong-cheon. Yoon Joong-cheon is accused of bribing and providing sexual services to a number of influential figures, including former Deputy Justice Mini

A North Korean ship seized and auctioned off by the US had operated under the South Korean flag in the past, Voice of America reported Thursday. According to the report, the Wise Honest was owned by South Korean entities between 2004 and 2015 and sailed under the name “Eny.”Based on International Maritime Organization data, the report showed that the ship began operations as a Panama-registered vessel in 1989, and came to be owned by the South Korean entities in 2004, after operating

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday urged for speeding up plans to strengthen the country’s industrial structure, and called for the swift passage of economy-related bills in the National Assembly. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Moon emphasized that related measures must be executed quickly, saying that while the government and the private sector have responded well to Japan’s recent export control measures, more needs to be done. “If it becomes a turning point to fundamental

President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged the National Assembly to process bills concerning the reform of the public prosecutors’ office. Speaking at a weekly meeting with his top aides, Moon said the public is calling for prosecution reform, despite holding differing views on related issues. “Even among the various opinions, the will of the people that comes together is that the need for prosecution reform is as urgent as guaranteeing the prosecution’s political neutrality,&r

Preparations for the Korea-ASEAN Commemorative Summit are being made with the possibility of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s attendance in mind, a former aide to President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday. Tak Hyun-min, a former official with the presidential protocol office who currently serves as an adviser for the planning of presidential events, said in a radio interview that Kim’s possible attendance is being factored into the preparations.  Tak also said that if Kim attends th

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday stressed the need for strong defense capabilities at the 71st Armed Forces Day celebrations.“Peace is not something that is defended, but created. Our military’s iron-clad security supports dialogue and cooperation, and enabled (the country) to boldly walk toward permanent peace,” Moon said. He went on to list achievements such as the removal of guard posts from the Demilitarized Zone, the recovery of the remains of Korean War dead and the inter

South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in on Monday stressed the need for prosecution reform again, calling on the Ministry of Justice and the prosecutors’ office to cooperate with each other.  Speaking at an official briefing, Moon said that the two organizations must cooperate and fulfill the people’s expectations. At the briefing session, attended by Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, the president also asked Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl to quickly draw up reform plans. Moon s

President Moon Jae-in on Friday stressed the importance of reforming the prosecution, Cheong Wa Dae said. According to spokesperson Ko Min-jung, Moon emphasized that whether Cho is responsible for any wrongdoings will be determined according to the law and that he should be allowed to conduct his official duties regardless of the investigation in the meantime. “The duties of the prosecution should be left to the prosecution, and state affairs should be allowed to continue,” Moon

NEW YORK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday met with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, requesting his support for the plans to jointly host the mega sports competition with North Korea. At the start of the meeting, Moon credited the IOC for playing a critical role in last year’s PyeongChang Winter Olympics with North Korean participation, requesting Bach’s support in hosting the Summer Olympics in 2032 jointly with North Korea. “We will active

NEW YORK – The idea of designating an International Day for Blue Sky is aimed at facilitating international cooperation on air pollution, and bringing forward a low-carbon era, Seoul’s Environment Minister Cho Myung-rae said Tuesday. The proposal for the International Day for Blue Sky was made by President Moon Jae-in at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York on Monday. Saying international cooperation was critical to fighting climate change and air pollution, Cho said that Moon&rs

NEW YORK – South Korea’s national security office chief Chung Eui-yong met Robert O’Brien, the recently appointed US national security adviser, on Tuesday, Seoul’s presidential office said. According to Cheong Wa Dae, the two met in New York and agreed to continue working closely together on various issues. “(Chung and O’Brien) said that the close communication and cooperation between the two sides’ national security councils will be continued, and that