Articles by Son Ji-hyoung
Son Ji-hyoung
consnow@heraldcorp.com-
Yoon vows more incentives for foreign-invested companies
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday expressed his intention to ease regulations and extend more incentives to further foster an investor-friendly environment. The government will "offer policies and regulatory environments favoring (foreign-invested enterprises) to the extent of the global standard, or even more favorable than the global standard," Yoon told participants comprising foreign-invested company representatives at a luncheon meeting held Wednesday. "We should spare no
Politics Feb. 14, 2024
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Despite failed Expo bid, Yoon pushes for Busan upgrade
South Korea on Tuesday announced a set of measures to boost Busan's economic growth, bolster job creation and improve access to key urban infrastructure, about three months after the city lost its bid to host the 2030 World Expo. Along with the announcement, President Yoon Suk Yeol held a public debate the same day at Busan City Hall, where he said the concentration of the population, companies and talent in the Greater Seoul area, coupled with the excessive competition in society, has &quo
Politics Feb. 13, 2024
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Yoon's 'irrational force' remark signals inter-Korean turbulence
President Yoon Suk Yeol's public characterization of the nuclear-armed North Korean regime as an "irrational force," coupled with his emphasis on the imperative of bolstering defense readiness against threats posed by the regime, signals a further tumultuous path for inter-Korean relations. The conservative president's prerecorded interview with the state-run Korea Broadcasting System aired Wednesday night amid simmering tensions on the Korean Peninsula, in the face of North
Politics Feb. 8, 2024
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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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