Latest news with #Yoon
The Star
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
New S. Korean President's call for public to suggest Cabinet members ‘more than a populist move'
SEOUL: K-pop singer IU for Cultural Minister? How about Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho of the Parasite movie fame or even popular show host Yoo Jae-suk? A crowdsourcing exercise by the administration of the new South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, seeking public inputs towards the forming of its new Cabinet, has yielded these amusing results, along with more considered suggestions. Lee, who took office on June 4, had mooted the crowdsourcing idea as a 'meaningful first step towards the people becoming the main actors in running the state'. The 62-year-old former human rights lawyer was elected on June 3 in a snap election after the ouster of former president Yoon Suk-yeol over the botched martial law attempt of Dec 3, 2024. Given the lack of a transition period unlike usual elections, Lee has been working with the old Cabinet of his predecessor Yoon, while taking steps to form his own Cabinet. While the unusual crowdsourcing exercise is widely seen as a populist move, observers say that it is a shrewd decision by Lee in more ways than one. 'Through this public nomination system, Lee is able to not only cater to his supporters by giving them a voice, but also buy time to vet nominations thoroughly before formalising his Cabinet,' said Kyonggi University political science and law lecturer Hahm Sung-deuk. In his social media post on June 10 promoting the initiative, President Lee said that the process marks the beginning of a 'national sovereign government' and pledged transparency and fairness in ensuring that only 'truly qualified people' are selected. The public nominations were open from June 10 to 16, allowing South Koreans to submit their choice of Cabinet ministers, vice-ministers or heads of public institutions along with supporting reasons, via a dedicated website, a dedicated e-mail account and even through direct messages to Lee's social media accounts. Self-nominations were accepted. By the closing date of the public nomination exercise, some 74,000 suggestions had been received, with the posts of health minister, justice minister and prosecutor-general receiving the most number of nominations. South Korean media reported that while there were throwaway nominations like suggestions that ex-president Yoon, a former prosecutor-general, return to the top prosecutor job, there were more considered nominations too. These included one for former director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Jeong Eun-kyeong, who had led the nation through the Covid-19 pandemic, to be considered for the health minister position. The tight-knit medical community, in particular, had called for doctors to actively nominate medical field experts with good understanding of medical issues for the health minister position, in order to resolve the fall-out from the mass doctors' walk-out in February 2024 when the previous Yoon administration tried to unilaterally increase medical school admissions. This would be an example of political figures or influential people in various sectors of South Korean society mobilising their support bases to influence the outcome, said Sogang University's Associate Professor Hannah Kim. She also pointed out that there would inevitably be concerns that the selection process 'prioritises popularity over competence' although the public nomination process may appeal to voters 'frustrated by elite-driven decision-making and the revolving-door of establishment politics'. Such a nomination process many also deepen existing divisions, given the country's political polarisation driven in part by extreme fandom in both the opposing conservative and liberal camps, said Prof Kim. 'Moreover, President Lee is likely to face backlash regardless of which decision he makes – whether he goes with popular suggestions or ignores them and appoints allies or controversial figures. And with the latter, this could increase cynicism about democratic participation itself,' she added. At a press briefing on June 16, a presidential spokesperson gave the assurance that the public nomination system is 'not a popularity contest', so the recommendations would only be for reference. The presidential office has said that the received nominations will be put through rigorous vetting first, with final nominations to be released later at an unspecified date. Prof Hahm says such a time-buying tactic is a smart political move by Lee, who has already faced roadblocks in the formation of his government in his first week of office. 'It allows him to further scrutinise his future nominations, to make sure there are no more controversies to trip them up,' he said. A senior presidential aide was forced to resign four days after his appointment, after allegations surfaced of his undisclosed real estate holdings and a hefty 1.5 billion won (S$1.4 million) loan he allegedly took out using a friend's name. Lee's pick for the prime ministerial position, Kim Min-seok, has also come under intense scrutiny over his past conviction for accepting illegal political funds and his significant increase in assets over the last five years. Kim, a seasoned lawmaker from Lee's ruling Democractic Party (DP) who had warned about Yoon's possible martial law attempt as early as August 2024 and was a key strategist in Lee's presidential campaign, has refuted the allegations and called them politically motivated attacks by the erstwhile ruling People Power Party (PPP). The PPP, now the main opposition party, had staged a rally in Seoul on June 20 calling for the withdrawal of Kim's nomination. Referring to Lee's legal woes that have been temporarily put on hold because of his presidency, a PPP spokesperson said: 'If both the president and the prime minister have moral issues and a history of criminal offences, we cannot expect proper appointments of public officials below them!' Kim, who met the foreign press corps in Seoul on June 17, said that he understands the reasons behind the attacks and is optimistic that he will win the opposition over with his patience. 'However, even if I understand their opposition, that doesn't mean that the legal allegations that are untrue, are true. I would definitely address all of the issues and do my best to clear the nomination hearing,' said Kim, whose parliamentary confirmation hearings will take place on June 24-25. Lee himself has expressed confidence that Kim would be able to 'explain himself sufficiently'. Pointing out Kim's contributions during the martial law crisis and the ruling Democratic Party's majority in the Parliament, Prof Hahm said it was unlikely that Kim's nomination would fail. He said: 'Do not forget that this is still the 'honeymoon' period for the president. His popularity is running high and people would not want anything to obstruct his presidency at this moment.' - The Straits Times/ANN
Yomiuri Shimbun
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan-S. Korea Leaders Meeting: Prevent Bilateral Cooperative Relations from Going Backward
The security environment in Northeast Asia is becoming ever more severe. The free trade regime is also at a crossroads due to the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy. It likely can be said that Japan and South Korea share common challenges in terms of security and economic policy. If relations between the two countries deteriorate again, they will not be able to overcome their predicament. The need to deepen cooperation between the neighboring countries has grown significantly. In Canada, where the summit of the Group of Seven advanced nations was held, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who took office this month, met for about 30 minutes. It was their first in-person meeting. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between Japan and South Korea. Based on that, the two leaders reached an agreement on deepening communication toward the stable development of Japan-South Korea relations. They also agreed on a policy of continuing reciprocal visits by the leaders. Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol had significantly improved relations between the two countries. The solution Yoon worked out to the issue of lawsuits regarding former wartime requisitioned workers from the Korean Peninsula has been accepted by many parties involved. In addition, in defense cooperation between Japan, the United States and South Korea, as well as between Japan and South Korea, a mechanism for the immediate sharing of information on North Korean missiles has been established among the three countries. Many have highly praised the diplomatic skills of Yoon, who had looked squarely at the security environment. Lee, however, has criticized such responses by Yoon as being a 'diplomacy of humiliation toward Japan.' In the past, he also has called Japan a 'hostile state.' During his recent presidential election campaign, Lee did not communicate such messages. However, the Japanese side was wary that he might rehash historical issues between the two countries at the meeting with Ishiba. In the end, Lee expressed his desire for 'better relations in a future-oriented manner' at the meeting. In the face of the worsening security environment, Lee may have judged it better to maintain relations with Japan for the time being. In the past, there have been many South Korean presidents who have initially taken a conciliatory stance toward Japan when they took office but then touted their 'anti-Japanese' stance when their approval ratings declined. It remains to be seen whether Lee will be able to maintain his position on Japan. North Korea has sent soldiers to Russia, which is engaged in aggression against Ukraine, and in return has received assistance in missile technology and other areas. Expanded military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to Japan and South Korea. Japan and South Korea are also similar in that they are vulnerable to Trump's tariff measures due to their large auto exports to the United States. There may be approaches in which the two countries, as allies of the United States, can cooperate through their measures against U.S. tariffs. People traveling between the two countries reached a record high of over 12 million last year. It is hoped that mutual understanding between the people of the two countries will be deepened through continued exchanges. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 20, 2025)
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Visitors rush to see South Korea's Blue House before presidential return
People take a look around inside the Blue House's main building in Seoul, South Korea, June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji Women take a selfie in front of the presidential residence of the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji An employee leads people waiting in a line to get into the Blue House's main building in Seoul, South Korea, June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji People take a look around inside the Blue House's main building in Seoul, South Korea, June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji An employee leads people waiting in a line to get into the Blue House's main building in Seoul, South Korea, June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji SEOUL - Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans have thronged the Blue House in central Seoul in recent months to get their last glimpse of the historic compound before it is returned to official use as the home and office of the country's president. Lee Jae Myung, who won a snap election on June 3, plans to move into the Blue House soon and access to some buildings will be restricted from mid-July, the presidential office announced last week. Former leader Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office in April after briefly declaring martial law, broke with decades of tradition by shifting his office and residence out of the compound and opening it to the public. "I heard this place will likely be closed soon. So I wanted to come at least once before that happened," said An Hyun, 62, an office worker from Wonju in northeastern Gangwon Province who was visiting the Blue House this week. "Now that I've seen it, it's really neat and tidy. I don't understand why they moved out of here," said An. Soon after taking office in 2022, Yoon moved the presidential office to a cluster of former defence ministry buildings in another area of central Seoul. The move whipped up a fierce debate among experts on feng shui, a practice that originated in ancient China to ensure harmony between people and their environment, after some political rivals accused Yoon of being influenced by those who said the Blue House location was inauspicious. The Blue House, or "Cheong Wa Dae" in Korean, is named after the blue tiles that cover the top of the main building and is nestled in a scenic spot in front of the Bugaksan mountain. The Blue House Foundation that organises visits said tours to see the ornate state rooms and manicured lawns were fully booked until mid-July. More than 8 million people had taken the chance to visit the Blue House by mid-June, data from the foundation showed. After an initial surge of interest when the complex first opened to the public in 2022, the number of monthly visitors had drifted down to average about 160,000 last year, but after Yoon's impeachment visitor numbers hit 260,000 in April and 430,000 in May. Another visitor this week, Jin Kyung-soo, a 35-year-old middle-school teacher, had also made a reservation to visit after hearing that the new administration planned to move in again. "We waited in line for about an hour, but it was truly exciting and joyful. I looked around with great hope for what the Lee Jae Myung government will do going forward," said Jin. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Eximbank opens Warsaw office to aid Korean firms in Europe
The state-run Export-Import Bank of Korea has opened a representative office in the Polish capital of Warsaw to strengthen financial support for Korean companies operating across Central and Eastern Europe, the policy lender said Thursday. Launched at a ceremony Wednesday, the Warsaw office will serve as a regional base covering Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Ukraine — markets that have become key production and export hubs for Korean firms in batteries, autos and electronics. The bank also aims to position the office as a frontline base for postwar reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. Eximbank Chairman Yoon Hee-sung led the launch event, joined by Korean Ambassador to Poland Tae Jun-youl and senior figures from Poland's state-run energy group Orlen, nuclear firm PEJ, development lender BGK and global banks including HSBC, ANZ and Citi. Yoon held separate meetings with Orlen to discuss financing for a large-scale plant project involving Korean contractors, and with BGK to explore joint export and investment support. 'Through the Warsaw office, we will respond more swiftly to local business needs and reinforce ties with major project owners,' Yoon said. Poland has recently become the most active buyer of South Korean defense equipment in the region, making it a key market for Korean arms makers. In sectors like defense and nuclear energy, often conducted as government-to-government deals, policy lender involvement is seen as a core competitive edge. Warsaw already hosts local units of Korean defense firms Hanwha Aerospace, Hyundai Rotem and Korea Aerospace Industries, along with tech and automotive conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor and Kia.
![[단독] 이종석 국정원장 후보자, '서해피격·강제북송' 입장 묻자 "취임 시 살펴볼 것"](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F18%2Fnews-p.v1.20250618.d960f377159049d992118eb4cf3f17c5_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
[단독] 이종석 국정원장 후보자, '서해피격·강제북송' 입장 묻자 "취임 시 살펴볼 것"
"친북적이란 평가 절대 동의 못해" [코리아헤럴드=김아린 기자] 이종석 국가정보원장 후보자가 '서해 공무원 피살 사건'과 '탈북 어민 강제북송 사건'을 검토할 의사를 나타낸 것으로 알려졌다. 18일 코리아헤럴드가 확인한 인사청문 자료에서 이 후보자는 피살 공무원과 탈북 어민 사건 관련한 입장을 묻는 질의에 "세종연구소 연구원으로 재직하던 시기에 발생한 사건으로 정확한 사실관계를 알지 못한다"면서, "국정원장으로 취임하게 된다면 관련 내용을 살펴보겠다"고 짧게 답했다. 2020년 9월 서해에서 북한군의 총격에 숨진 해양수산부 공무원 이대준 씨 사건과 관련한 재판은 2023년 3월 첫 공판 후 지금까지 이어지고 있다. 2019년 11월 귀순 의사를 밝힌 북한 어민들이 북송된 사건 관련한 2심 재판은 지난 6월 시작했다. 인사청문 자료를 보면 이 후보자는 자신의 대북관과 관련해 일각에서 제기한 의혹을 전면 부인했다. 그는 "북한과 한반도를 심층 연구했다는 이유로 친북적이라고 하는 평가에는 절대 동의할 수 없다"고 밝혔다. 이어 "한반도 비핵화를 통한 평화 체계를 구축하기 위해서는 북한·남북관계·동북아정세 등에 대한 깊은 이해와 통찰이 필요하다고 생각한다"고 설명했다. 김정은 북한 국무위원장의 통치 스타일에 대해 이 후보자는 김 국무위원장의 할아버지인 김일성 주석의 방식과 유사하다는 평가를 했다. 그는 "김정은은 주민 접촉과 현장 지휘 및 공개 회의를 선호한다는 점에서 김일성의 통치 스타일과 일맥상통하는 측면이 있다"며, "김정일이 밀실 통치를 선호하고 대중과의 스킨십을 자제하며 가족 등 사적 영역 공개를 꺼렸던 것과는 큰 차이가 있다"고 했다. 이 후보자는 윤석열 정부 때 효력이 정지된 9·19 남북군사합의가 다시 복원돼야 한다고 봤다. 그는 "9.19 군사합의의 복원이 가장 바람직하다고 생각한다"면서 "다만, 복원이 어려울 경우 그에 준하는 남북한 간의 군사적 긴장완화를 위한 합의 조치가 필요하다고 생각한다"고 했다. 이 후보자는 윤 정부의 대중외교에 대해서도 비판적인 입장을 보였다. 그는 "지난 정부는 이념과 가치의 관점으로만 중국을 바라보면서 불필요한 갈등을 빚는 등 한중관계의 안정적 관리에 미흡한 측면이 있었다"고 지적했다. 그러면서 "대중관계에 있어 양국 간 공통이익 분야를 중심으로 교류와 협력을 심화하되, 우리 국익 침해에 대해서는 원칙을 갖고 대처해야 한다"고 했다. 이 후보자의 인사청문회는 19일에 열린다. (arin@ [Exclusive] Moon-era inter-Korean military pact needs to be restored: spy chief nominee South Korea's spy chief nominee Lee Jong-seok said he believes the now-suspended inter-Korean military pact, reached between former President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018, should be restored. According to his response to the National Assembly's questions submitted Wednesday, a day ahead of his confirmation hearing, Lee said that reinstating the pact, which was suspended by North Korea in 2023 and by the Yoon administration the next year, was "most desirable." "It is my opinion that restoring the Sept. 19 military agreement is most desirable," he said, in a written response, accessed by The Korea Herald. "But if it is not possible to restore the agreement, I think it is necessary to take commensurate measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas." Lee was also critical of Yoon's China diplomacy. Lee said the previous administration "did not adequately manage the relations between South Korea and China, viewing China only through the lens of ideology and causing unnecessary conflicts." Lee said that when it comes to South Korea's relations with China, a key trade partner, the two countries "pursue areas of common interest." But he added that when South Korea's "national interests are infringed upon," the country needed to "take measures based on principles." Lee denied allegations, raised by some within the opposition People Power Party, of his having "pro-North Korea views." "I absolutely cannot agree with the claims that I am pro-North Korea only because I have studied North Korea and the Korean Peninsula in depth," he said. "I believe that in order to achieve denuclearization and build a lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula, one must have a deep understanding of, and insight into North Korea and the surrounding region." On North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's governing style, Lee said he took after his grandfather, Kim Il-sung. "Kim Jong-un's governing style is more in line with Kim Il-sung's in that he favors more contact with the people, on-the-ground leadership, and public meetings," Lee said. "This is different from his father Kim Jong-il who preferred to rule behind closed doors and refrained from interacting with the public." When asked about where he stands on the 2020 shooting murder of a South Korean government official by North Korean troops, Lee said he was "not aware of all the facts" as he was at the time a scholar at a policy institute. "If I am appointed as the director of the National Intelligence Service, I will look into the matter," Lee said. In 2022, the NIS filed a criminal complaint against its former director Park Jie-won, who is now a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, for allegedly destroying the spy agency's confidential materials related to the South Korean official's death. The criminal trial for Park and other high-level officials at the time is still underway. Lee awaits a confirmation hearing by the National Assembly, slated for Thursday.
