Articles by Son Ji-hyoung
Son Ji-hyoung
consnow@heraldcorp.com-
S. Korean president opens up about first lady's Dior bag scandal
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday opened up about a scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee that has shaken up South Korean politics, about two months after a video of Kim receiving a purse by luxury brand Christian Dior worth 3 million won ($2,260) on a hidden camera was released. "(The visitor who gifted the pouch) attached a hidden camera to a wristwatch, so we can say the scheme was deliberately arranged," Yoon said, referring to Korean-American pastor Choi Jae-young as the vi
Politics Feb. 8, 2024
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Yoon pardons tycoons, ex-President Park's aides
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday approved pardons for former President Park Geun-hye's aides, including former chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and former national security adviser Kim Kwan-jin, ahead of Seollal, or South Korea's Lunar New Year holiday. The special pardon announcement came less than a week after both aides' prison terms were finalized by the courts. The ex-chief of staff's two-year imprisonment was confirmed on Feb. 1 for his involvement in the blacklisting of n
Politics Feb. 6, 2024
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Schools to extend extracurricular classes until 8 p.m. for first graders
South Korea on Monday unveiled plans to extend hours for primary schools' extracurricular classes and make the classes available at all schools to make commuting parents' life routines more logistically and financially sustainable. The government has allocated a budget of 1.17 trillion won ($879 million) for this year, more than double the amount earmarked for last year, to allow any first grader to register for the extracurricular program later this year, dubbed Neulbom School. Up to
Politics Feb. 5, 2024
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Govt. to buy more surplus rice for international food aid program
The South Korean government and the ruling People Power Party on Friday reached an agreement over the Ministry of Agriculture's plan to buy 50,000 tons of surplus rice to use for the international food aid program and to keep the domestic grain price afloat. The newly purchased rice will be sent to African and Asian countries as food aid through the World Food Program, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung told reporters at the National Assembly on Friday. She did not disclose further details. This
Politics Feb. 2, 2024
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Yoon's pre-recorded interview could be aired on Feb. 7: report
President Yoon Suk Yeol is considering holding a pre-recorded interview with public broadcaster KBS as pressure builds to address the alleged graft scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee, according to news reports on Friday. KBS is reportedly considering airing the interview next Wednesday, shortly before the Seollal holiday, or Korea's Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 10. The presidential office declined to confirm the reports as of Friday morning. KBS is currently led by Park Min, who th
Politics Feb. 2, 2024
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Yoon touts doctors' immunity to salvage shortage sectors
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday said the government would pursue legislation to alleviate the legal risks from medical accidents for medical staff. The conservative administration said that doctors' immunity from prosecution in relation to medical accidents could help doctors and other medical staff focus on their duty to take care of their patients. South Korea is suffering a chronic shortage of medical staff, including doctors. While restricting lawsuits seeking criminal punishment for med
Politics Feb. 1, 2024
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Yoon warns of NK election meddling
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday said that South Korean armed forces should brace themselves for any potential interference by North Korea in the general election, which is less than three months away. Yoon told an audience of some 170 people that the North Korean regime might intensify cyber warfare or spread misinformation in hopes of meddling in April's election, posing challenges to Seoul's democracy. "North Korea has constantly sought to instigate freedom and democracy in
Politics Jan. 31, 2024
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Yoon sends Itaewon probe legislation back to Assembly
President Yoon Suk Yeol shot down a bill that would have given the National Assembly the authority to initiate a new probe into the deadly crowd crush incident in Seoul during the Halloween weekend in October 2022, his office announced Tuesday. The decision came hours after the Cabinet passed a motion on Tuesday morning demanding the parliament reconsider a special bill and giving Yoon grounds to veto it, at the Government Complex Seoul. The conservative bloc has sought to reject the bill aimed
Politics Jan. 30, 2024
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Yoon's office mulls action against JTBC for subtitle error
President Yoon Suk Yeol's office is considering taking action against broadcaster JTBC for a subtitled video it aired that the office says misrepresented his remarks. A JTBC news clip showed Yoon on Thursday telling vendors at a traditional market that he would put forward "effort to make the napa cabbage (price) go higher" in the subtitle, while Yoon's office contends the president had actually emphasized "effort to make their sales go higher." "There are many
Politics Jan. 29, 2024
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Pressure mounting on Yoon to address first lady's bag scandal
President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing mounting pressure to clarify his stance regarding the revelation of an alleged graft case involving first lady Kim Keon Hee. A Gallup Korea's poll on Friday showed that 63 percent of South Korean people disapproved of Yoon's performance in the fourth week of January, up 5 percentage points from the week before. Yoon's disapproval rating has hit its highest point in nine months since April 2023, when his remarks suggested that the past during Japan's colonial occ
Politics Jan. 28, 2024
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Presidential office names new senior science secretary in R&D push
President Yoon Suk Yeol's office announced on Thursday it has created a new senior secretary post for science and technology to embolden the administration's push for research and development. Park Sang-ook, associate professor of science policy at Seoul National University, will take the new role, according to Yoon's office. Park, under Sung Tae-yoon, presidential chief of staff for policy, will supervise four presidential secretaries -- each dedicated to R&D-related policy,
Politics Jan. 25, 2024
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Korea unveils W134tr rail plan to cut Seoul commutes to 30 minutes
South Korea on Thursday unveiled a spending package worth 134 trillion won ($100.4 billion) to achieve a 30-minute commute for residents in the Greater Seoul area, mainly through a new suburban rail network called the GTX. The plan encompasses spending 38.6 trillion won to build GTX routes aimed at shrinking daily commute times to a quarter of what they are currently. The GTX, or Great Train Express, will comprise six lines covering the Greater Seoul area, as well as potentially parts of Gangwon
Politics Jan. 25, 2024
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Yoon-Han meeting at fire-torn market signals mending ties
President Yoon Suk Yeol and the People Power Party's interim leader Han Dong-hoon met on Tuesday at a traditional market in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province, signaling their efforts to mend the political rift that stemmed from differing views toward allegations of graft involving first lady Kim Keon Hee and questions about Han's fairness in the candidate nomination process. Han told reporters at Seoul Station, as he returned to the capital city after the surprise trip, his "deep respect
Politics Jan. 23, 2024
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Yoon's ex-boss named justice minister nominee
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday picked his former boss Park Sung-jae, who led the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, as the nominee for the minister of justice. The Justice Ministry oversees legal affairs, correctional services, the prosecution service and immigration. The nominee must go through a confirmation hearing in the National Assembly before receiving Yoon's final approval. Presidential Chief of Staff Lee Kwan-sup said Park would be a good fit for the Yoon administration'
Politics Jan. 23, 2024
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Parties recruit ex-presidents of Samsung, Hyundai Motor
The ruling People Power Party on Monday recruited Koh Dong-jin, a former president of Samsung Electronics who was considered to be the driving force behind the launch of the Galaxy range of mobile devices. On the same day, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea brought in Kong Young-woon, a former president of Hyundai Motor dedicated to the company's strategy planning and communications. Both figures, who formerly represented South Korea's largest business conglomerates, are lik
Politics Jan. 22, 2024
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