News

PPP's Kim continues targeting capital region with industry-friendly track record while merger still open

2025/05/27 10:00

And on the same day, the People Power Party's Kim Moon-soo continued to invest much of his time and effort in the capital area, where he touted his economic accomplishments during his time as Gyeonggi-do Province governor. Our Kim Do-yeon has more. The capital region is yet again the People Power Party's candidate Kim Moon-soo's focus. The region consisting of half of the nation's population is always a battleground region and Kim could be seeing some hope of winning votes in Gyeonggi-do Province especially as he served two terms as governor with a track record of job-making. "During my eight years as Gyeonggi-do Governor, in total, I created 43-percent of all jobs in the nation. I created the most jobs and hosted Samsung's Pyeongtaek Chip complex, made Pangyo Technovalley, and LCD complexes for LG." He in fact visited the Pyeongtaek Samsung Electronics campus himself. The complex is known to be the largest in the world by land mass. There he spoke of how he supported industries and that it's worrisome for him that Samsung and other big companies recently are leaving for other nations, such as the U.S., because of tariffs. "Meanwhile, as he rallies around the province he's been trying to compare himself to his DP rival Lee Jae-myung, who was governor here more recently." He's been putting the focus on the legal risks that arose from Lee's time as the mayor of a city in the province and a former governor of the province, while Kim has no legal issues from his terms. As for the election landscape, the PPP believes that the DP's lead is narrowing compared to the beginning of the election campaign and in the next eight days, they are trying to make a comeback. One big move, course, is left for the party. The merger with the Reform Party. "I propose that the Reform Party present its conditions for a potential merger. We are prepared to do everything we can to make it happen. And let me be clear — we are fully ready to embrace the Reform Party’s policies for the younger generation, especially those in their 20s and 30s." Of course, the ballots are already being printed, and the Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok's name will be on it regardless of the merger who, of course, says it won't happen. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.

DP’s Lee promises pragmatic diplomacy, stronger trilateral ties with U.S. and Japan

2025/05/27 10:00

And the presidential candidates are pushing their final campaign stretch. The Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung is now wooing voters with his diplomacy pledges, including a solid South Korea-U.S. alliance. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on Monday pledged to strengthen South Korea's diplomacy and security amid a rapidly changing international order. He said he would pursue pragmatic diplomacy centered on the national interest, based on a strong South Korea-U.S. alliance. Lee added that he would work to rebuild trust in the alliance, which he says was damaged by a declaration of martial law. He also emphasized close trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan, while maintaining a firm stance toward Tokyo when it comes to historical issues. "We need to take a principled stance on historical and territorial issues. At the same time, areas like security, the economy, society, and culture shouldn't be overly restricted because of the historical and territorial issues. While it's not easy to separate these issues, we should approach other areas in a practical way that looks toward the future." On China, Lee described it as an "important trading partner" and highlighted the need for stable Seoul-Beijing relations. Regarding North Korea, Lee aims to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and achieve peace through denuclearization. He said Pyongyang's nuclear threats can no longer be ignored and vowed to work closely with the U.S. to resolve the issue. Lee also pledged to improve human rights for the North Korean people. Meanwhile, entering the final week of the official campaign period, Lee held rallies in the Seoul metropolitan area, focusing this time on southeastern Gyeonggi-do Province. "Lee Jae-myung has promised to make southeastern Gyeonggi-do Province a better place to live, with improved access to education, housing, and transportation." Earlier on Monday, Lee met with college students in Suwon to hear about the challenges they face with school and finding jobs. Lee said it's a serious problem that young people are worried about housing and stressed the need for more public dormitories. "It's a real problem that students have to worry about housing. The government should step up and use unused campus land to build more public dormitories." Lee also pointed out issues including high meal costs, and emphasized the need to expand programs like the one-thousand won meals. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

North Korea's Mt. Kumgang may be added as UNESCO World Heritage

2025/05/27 10:00

North Korea's Mount Kumgang could be set for inscription onto the UNESCO World Heritage list. According to UNESCO on Tuesday, the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, advisory bodies to the World Heritage Committee, have recommended the inclusion of Mount Kumgang. Pyongyang had submitted its application in 2021, but the review process was postponed due to COVID-19 before evaluation resumed this year. The decision will be made at the 47th World Heritage Committee meeting, at UNESCO headquarters in Paris from July 6th to the 16th. If Mount Kumgang becomes officially registered, it will become North Korea's third World Heritage site. Standing just over 1-thousand-6-hundred meters, it is considered one of the Korean peninsula's most scenic mountains along with Baekdusan Mountain.

Germany scraps range limits on arms sent to Kyiv

2025/05/27 10:00

Germany says it will scrap the range restrictions on weapons sent to Ukraine, joining the U.S., the UK and France who had earlier lifted the restrictions to allow Ukraine to better target Russian territory. Lee Seung-jae reports. Germany has joined other Western supporters of Ukraine in removing range restrictions on weapons being delivered to Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday announced that his country will be joining the likes of the United States, the UK, and France in lifting the restrictions, in order to allow Ukraine to be better able to hit military targets on Russian territory. Merz says while there will be opposition from some EU member nations, including Hungary and Slovakia, it won't stop Germany and other bloc members from their continuous support of Ukraine. The German Chancellor also said a small minority could not be allowed to "determine the decisions of the entire European Union" and that by removing restrictions on weapons, Ukraine can now defend itself by attacking military positions in Russia. In response, Russia called the decision "dangerous," saying it would be detrimental to any chance of a peace deal, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday, saying such decisions are "completely at odds" with any hopes for a political settlement. The Western allies of Ukraine had initially restricted the use of long-range missiles to targets only within Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation. However, after the dispatch of North Korean troops to the Kursk region, the U.S. and the UK began authorizing the use of long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Final TV debate for June 3 presidential election takes place Tues.

2025/05/27 10:00

South Korea will elect its new president a week from today. And the final televised debate between the four major presidential candidates will take place tonight. The third debate between Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, New Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, and the Democratic Labor Party's Kwon Young-kook will be held at MBC Studio in Seoul for two hours from 8 PM. The candidates will discuss political polarization and debate political reform and constitutional amendment. Other topics will include foreign affairs and security policy. The debate will also be televised here on Arirang TV.

[Weather] Afternoon warmth with strong UV rays, passing rain in east

2025/05/27 10:00

It's been quite warm during the day, but as soon as the sun dips, things cool down quickly. So managing your layers will be key to staying comfortable. That daytime warmth will continue today. As temperatures soar, the atmosphere will become unstable, meaning we could see sudden showers developing in the eastern regions this afternoon. These showers can be quite unpredictable, ranging from 5 to 20 millimeters. Meanwhile, expect mostly sunny skies in most parts with the UV index reaching "very high" levels. Most parts will see highs at 27 degrees Celsius this afternoon but 'feels like' temperatures will be a few degrees lower as the humidity won't be as high. Daytime temperatures are expected to keep climbing. By the end of the week, we could see highs nearing 30 degrees Celsius in the capital with a chance of sudden showers.

Thrill-seekers take a spin at England's wacky cheese rolling tradition

2025/05/27 10:00

Finally, in England's Gloucestershire region, thousands gathered for the annual cheese-rolling contest on Monday. Participants chased a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese, weighing approximately 3.5 kilograms, down the steep 180-meter slope of Cooper's Hill, continuing a tradition that dates back to at least 1826. German YouTuber Tom Kopke, 23, secured first place in the men's race for the second consecutive year. In the women's race, 20-year-old Ava Sender Logan from London, who was participating for a food charity group, claimed victory. The tradition is believed to have derived from customs celebrating the return of spring.

Former U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, veteran of Korean War dies at 94

2025/05/27 10:00

In the United States, Charles Rangel, a former U.S. Representative from New York and Korean War veteran, passed away on Monday local time, at the age of 94. Rangel, a gravelly-voiced Democrat congressman from Harlem, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After military service, Rangel pursued higher education, earning degrees from New York University and St. John's University School of Law. He began his political career in 1970 and served 23 terms in the House of Representatives, becoming the first African American to chair the House Ways and Means Committee. Rangel was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and ended his 46-year congressional career in 2017. He is survived by his two children and three grandsons.

Man arrested after car plows into pedestrians gathered for Liverpool Football Club’s victory parade

2025/05/27 10:00

Two people, including a child, were seriously injured and 25 others taken to hospital after a vehicle ploughed into a crowd of people celebrating Liverpool FC's Premier League championship victory on Monday. According to reports, a 53-year-old man who is believed to have been the driver was arrested at the scene. The vehicle drove into a crowd of fans on Water Street in Liverpool's city center just after 6 PM as hundreds of thousands of fans gathered to watch Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade. The vehicle struck several pedestrians before coming to a stop. Authorities are not treating the incident as terrorism but are investigating what led to the incident and have asked people to refrain from sharing "distressing content online." UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as "appalling" and said those injured and affected are in his thoughts.

Presidential Election D-7: Early voting this week, will conservative candidates merge?

2025/05/27 10:00

Just 7 days away from the June 3rd Presidential Election. We have our political correspondent, Oh Soo-young, in studio to discuss the latest developments. Soo-young, good to have you here again. 1. Election day is next Tuesday but voting has actually been underway for Koreans overseas. We've seen the highest turnout to date. That's right. Preliminary figures released on Monday show last week's overseas voting saw a record turnout of 79-point-five percent. Some 205-thousand people out of 258-thousand who registered to cast their ballots overseas, showed up at polling stations across 118 countries. It's the biggest turnout since 2012, when the country adopted absentee voting. The previous presidential election saw 71-point-six percent, and last year's general election 62-point-eight percent. This week, on-board voting began for four days starting Monday. And on Thursday, two days of early voting will begin domestically from 6 AM til 6 PM. 2. It seems the stakes are higher, as we're expecting overall turnout to be high. The race is getting that much tighter. That's right. We saw Korea's pollsters release their final official surveys before the race last week. While the Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung is still the clear front-runner, the gap between him and the People Power Party's Kim Moon-soo has shrunk considerably in Gallup's survey, from a 22-point margin to ten points in just a week. So what explains the shift in numbers? After a period of disillusionment caused by internal strife between Kim and PPP elders who pushed him to merge with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, it seems now the so-called "shy conservatives" are getting behind him, after almost 3 weeks of campaigning and his live TV debates. "If you look at the regional voter distribution released monthly by Gallup Korea, conservatives actually outnumber progressives. Given this numerical advantage, how actively conservatives are willing to vote in this election is, in my view, critically important." Another notable trend was the Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok seeing his support jump to 10 percent for the first time in this race. This comes after his televised debate with the top two contenders and the Democratic Labor Party's Kwon Young-kook. Lee set distinctive policies on pension reform, health care reform, and high-tech growth for the country largely appeal to moderates and young voters. 3. It seems people in their 20s and 30s are a major force among swing voters. Yes, what's interesting about the past few elections is that against the backdrop of strong regionalism seen over the decades, we're seeing distinct generational differences emerge as a major factor. Those in their forties and fifties tend to be left-leaning, while people in their 60s, 70s, and above are traditionally conservative. But 20 and 30-somethings are much less regional or ideological. "The 20s and 30s generations sort of Gen Z they grew up in an era of low growth and housing insecurity and also the digital automation. So they are very skeptical of grand ideological narratives and also they have a little trust in previous generations globalist optimism. So their politics is very fragmented and they are grounded in their identity politics and pragmatism and their personal utility rather than collective and forced ideals." Following the start of official campaigning and the first TV debate, support for Reform's Lee Jun-seok jumped to 26 percent, closely behind the DP's Lee Jae-myung's 30 percent, among those aged between 18 and 29. The PPP's Kim Moon-soo was significantly behind at 19 percent. Among independent voters, who don't affiliate themselves with any party, preference for the DP and Reform candidates was neck and neck, while the PPP contender fell to third place. 4. And last time you were in studio, you suggested that if Lee Jun-seok reaches 10 percent support, it's unlikely he would merge with the PPP candidate. Having met Lee last year,.. I'd say he feels he was treated very badly by the PPP. Lee's spokesperson said they offered him party leadership if he merges with Kim Moon-soo, but Lee's already been the chairman of PPP, he's left, and he's not the type of person to turn back, or simply play a so-called casting voter. He himself has noted that his popularity has reached 10 percent, saying it will be his name and his party's name on the voting ballots. On Monday, he added if the PPP wants to pressure anyone to resign, it should be their own candidate, not him. Polls show more than half of his supporters do not want him to merge with the PPP presumably because they are tired of bipartisan politics between the main right and left-leaning parties. Yes, he has a narrow chance of winning the race, but the forty-year-old leader seems he's building up a support base for the next presidential election. But again, never say never in politics. We might see the merger issue revisited in tonight's third TV debate focusing on politics. If Lee changes his mind, he'll have until Wednesday, before the early voting starts on Thursday. Plenty of room for twists and turns, even with just a week left until the election. The final TV debate tonight will definitely be interesting. Thanks for coming in today.

DP’s Lee promises pragmatic diplomacy, stronger trilateral ties with U.S. and Japan

2025/05/26 20:00

Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. Presidential hopefuls are now in their final week of the official campaign period. The liberal party's main contender today unveiled his diplomacy pledges, promising pragmatic diplomacy. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on Monday pledged to strengthen South Korea's diplomacy and security amid a rapidly changing international order. He said he would pursue pragmatic diplomacy centered on the national interest, based on a strong South Korea-U.S. alliance. Lee added that he would work to rebuild trust in the alliance, which he says was damaged by a declaration of martial law. He also emphasized close trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan, while maintaining a firm stance toward Tokyo when it comes to historical issues. "We need to take a principled stance on historical and territorial issues. At the same time, areas like security, the economy, society, and culture shouldn't be overly restricted because of the historical and territorial issues. While it's not easy to separate these issues, we should approach other areas in a practical way that looks toward the future." On China, Lee described it as an "important trading partner" and highlighted the need for stable Seoul-Beijing relations. Regarding North Korea, Lee aims to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and achieve peace through denuclearization. He said Pyongyang's nuclear threats can no longer be ignored and vowed to work closely with the U.S. to resolve the issue. Lee also pledged to improve human rights for the North Korean people. Meanwhile, entering the final week of the official campaign period, Lee held rallies in the Seoul metropolitan area, focusing this time on southeastern Gyeonggi-do Province. "Lee Jae-myung has promised to make southeastern Gyeonggi-do Province a better place to live, with improved access to education, housing, and transportation." Earlier on Monday, Lee met with college students in Suwon to hear about the challenges they face with school and finding jobs. Lee said it's a serious problem that young people are worried about housing and stressed the need for more public dormitories. "It's a real problem that students have to worry about housing. The government should step up and use unused campus land to build more public dormitories." Lee also pointed out issues including high meal costs, and emphasized the need to expand programs like the one-thousand won meals. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

[Weather] Summer heat came back again from the afternoon with high UV rays

2025/05/26 20:00

The last of the spring weather petered out over the weekend, and the summer heat has gradually returned from today. The daytime temperature in Seoul rose to 26 degrees Celsius today, which is 3 degrees higher than yesterday. Temperatures will rise day by day throughout the week, reaching as high as around 30 degrees in the latter half. Strong ultraviolet rays were detected in most areas today due to the strong sunshine. In particular, the UV index was reported as "very high" in the Seoul metropolitan area and Gangwon-do provinces where there was less cloud cover. It is expected to reach very high across the country tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow morning, Seoul and Busan will start at 15 degrees Celsius, with Chuncheon and Gyeongju at 12 degrees. Daily highs will move up to 26 degrees in Seoul, and 23 degrees in Busan and Jeju. However, heavy showers are expected in eastern areas tomorrow and Wednesday. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

Prehistoric Ulsan rock art set to become UNESCO World Heritage Site

2025/05/26 20:00

The prehistoric rock art along the Bangucheon Stream in Korea's Ulsan is set to become a UNESCO World Heritage site. The rock art, or petroglyphs, include the Bangudae rock art, which depicts various animals, as well as humans hunting and cutting up whales. Meanwhile, the Cheonjeon-ri rock art stands out for its geometric symbols. The Korea Heritage Service announced on Monday that ICOMOS, an organization which evaluates cultural properties for UNESCO, has recommended the site for listing. Inclusion on the list is expected in July, making it South Korea's 17th World Heritage site.

S. Korea watching closely as COVID-19 cases rise in Asia

2025/05/26 20:00

Korea is closely watching a recent rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Asia. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency says it is monitoring the spread, especially in China and Hong Kong. The agency stated that the current situation in Korea is still under control, but it's not time to relax yet. It added that like last year, there could be another COVID-19 wave this summer. The agency stressed that people should follow hygiene rules and advised high-risk groups to get vaccinated.

Trump demands list of names of Harvard’s foreign students

2025/05/26 20:00

Over in the U.S. President Trump demands that Harvard University reveal the names of its international students, following his attempt to ban the school's foreign student enrollment amid a standoff over Harvard's campus policies. Lee Seung-jae has the latest. U.S. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to demand that Harvard University provide his administration with the names and nationalities of all its international students. In the late-night post, Trump noted that 31 percent of Harvard's students are from "FOREIGN LANDS," some of which are not "friendly to the United States." Trump added that his administration wants to know who those foreign students are, stressing that the demand is "a reasonable request" as the government gives the Ivy League school "BILLIONS OF DOLLARS." Harvard University says there would be over 6-thousand-700 names on the list. According to the New York Times on Sunday, the Trump administration's decision to block international students from enrolling at Harvard is raising concerns among other U.S. universities and colleges. The report notes that while Harvard is the administration's target now, it could spread to other schools in the country. In a Fox News interview last week, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem raised the possibility that other schools,.. including Columbia University, could face a similar fate. The President of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sally Kornbluth, slammed the Trump administration's ban on Harvard's international student enrollment, calling it a "fatal blow to American excellence, openness, and creativity." The Trump administration has been demanding changes to campus policies, citing the need to eradicate anti-Semitism at universities. Harvard has refused to implement those changes, claiming they infringe on academic freedom. A court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's plan. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Israeli strikes kill children in Gaza amid aid blockade and rising global pressure

2025/05/26 20:00

The plight of people in Gaza persists as children fall victim to Israeli airstrikes too often, with the recent one killing nine children in one family, while others suffer from the lack of access to food. Lee Eun-hee reports. Hamdi Al-Najjar, a Palestinian doctor, is in critical condition following an Israeli airstrike that killed nine of his 10 children. His wife, also a doctor at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, had to see her burned children in the ruins of their home. "So she (Hamdi's wife) told me her children have died, she went to her house and saw her children burned, may God help her." According to Gaza's Government Media Office, the children killed ranged in age from seven months to 12 years old. The only survivor, an 11-year-old, is severely injured. Israel's military confirmed it carried out the strike on Khan Younis on Friday, saying that it targeted suspected militants operating from a structure near Israeli troops in an area that had been told to evacuate. The IDF added that the "claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review." Meanwhile, Hamas accused Israel of deliberately targeting medical staff and their families and civilians. On Saturday, a four-year-old child died due to severe malnutrition, raising the hunger-related death toll to over 58 in the besieged enclave over the past 80 days. Also, more than 240 people, mostly children and the elderly, have died from a lack of food and medical care. "My message to the world, besiege the embassies, speak up, break this siege, stop this genocide on the Gaza Strip, on our hungry, besieged people." Amid growing global outrage, Spain hosted a high-level meeting in Madrid on Sunday with over 20 European and Arab countries to pressure Israel for a ceasefire and lift its humanitarian aid blockade into Gaza. The meeting included EU countries that were once considered close allies of Israel, now joining the international call for restraint as Israel expands its military operations in Gaza. The U.S. urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay plans for a full-scale ground offensive in Gaza. That's according to the Jerusalem Post on Sunday, which said the request was made in order to allow ceasefire negotiations and a hostage deal "proceed in parallel with military operations." With the ceasefire negotiations deadlocked, Israel has intensified its bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza, with reports saying that its forces now control over 77-percent of the Gaza Strip. Lee Eun-hee, Arirang News.

Trump calls Putin 'absolutely crazy' over escalating violence in Ukraine

2025/05/26 20:00

Russia launched aerial assaults on Ukraine on a massive scale over the weekend, which killed at least 12 people. It has drawn strong condemnation from European leaders, as well as from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has sharply criticized the Russian leader, calling him "absolutely crazy." Our Kim Jung-sil has the latest. Russia launched its largest aerial assault of the war, with at least 12 killed and 60 wounded across several Ukrainian regions after a series of airstrikes late Saturday night. Among the victims were three children from the same family in the Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, according to Ukraine's Internal Affairs Minister. "Let the world wake up and see. How long can they bomb children? We go to bed and do not know what awaits us in the morning." Ukrainian President Zelenskyy reported that nearly 300 attack drones and almost 70 missiles were fired during the assault. In a social media post on Sunday, he denounced the attacks, claiming they were "deliberate strikes on ordinary cities." Zelenskyy reiterated his call for stronger sanctions to halt Russia's brutality. Later in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump also weighed in on the escalating conflict. "I don't know what the hell happened to Putin. I've known him a long time. Always gotten along with him. But he's sending rockets into cities and killing people." Trump also responded to questions about the possibility of further sanctions on Russia. "Absolutely. He's killing a lot of people. I don't know what's wrong with him. What the hell happened to him, right? He's killing a lot people. I'm not happy about that." Later, in a social media post on Truth Social, Trump said Putin has gone "absolutely CRAZY!" and warned that if he takes all of Ukraine, it will result in the "downfall of Russia." European leaders also condemned Russia's actions, warning of additional sanctions. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Putin's disregard for peace cannot be tolerated, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for the strongest international pressure to end the war. The massive airstrike came as Ukraine and Russia completed a three-day, 1,000-prisoner swap, with 303 Ukrainian soldiers returned on Sunday as part of the exchange. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.

S. Korea's June 3rd presidential election sees record-high overseas voter turnout

2025/05/26 20:00

Overseas voter turnout for the June 3rd presidential election has hit a record high of almost 80-percent. The National Election Commission announced on Monday that a little over 205-thousand South Korean nationals living abroad cast their ballots which is around 79-point-5 percent of eligible overseas voters. Ballots will be shipped back to Korea, and will be checked at Incheon International Airport, watched by observers recommended by the National Assembly. They will then be mailed to regional election commissions, and remain sealed before they're counted on voting day. The overseas voting, which ran for six days starting May 20th, closed on Sunday at 223 polling stations in 118 countries.

Political mudslinging takes over policy talk during 2nd live debate between presidential candidates

2025/05/26 20:00

Last Friday, four presidential contenders appeared on the stage for their second debate to address social division among others, by the end of which they seemed to stand further apart. Oh Soo-young has the highlights. While promising social unity, presidential candidates clashed ferociously over politics and policy in their second televised debate. Focusing on social affairs, Friday's topics were social division, social safety nets, and sustainability. The Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung said he would overcome social division and inequality with technology such as AI,.. and continue to improve the current national pension system. As the former labor minister, the People Power Party's Kim Moon-soo promised to build wider income safety nets for small businesses, with improved pension schemes. Reform candidate Lee Jun-seok proposed a major pension overhaul, pointing out the two major parties' legislative revision last year, benefits the older generation while adding a 37-thousand-dollar burden on every young Korean. He also called for cuts to unnecessary, high-tech scans that ramp up health insurance premiums. Democratic Labor's Kwon Young-kook suggested doubling the basic pension to over 500 U.S. dollars, and building scores of state-run hospitals. Candidates also clashed over climate and energy policies. Left-leaning candidates continued pushing for renewable energy sources over nuclear power. Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok argued that nuclear power is much more efficient, affordable, and essential to support future industries like AI. But politics overrode policy throughout the two-hour debate. Lee Jae-myung said Kim Moon-soo was part of the impeached Yoon Suk Yeol administration that declared martial law last year. "The most extreme form of social conflict is an insurrection by martial law. Weren't they trying to completely wipe out the opposition?" Kim Moon-soo accused Lee's party of insurrection, for handing radical left-wing groups seats in parliament, and underscored Lee's five criminal trials. "In corruption cases like Baekhyeon-dong and Daejang-dong, just look at how many people close to him are in prison, or have died under suspicious circumstances? Uprooting lies and corruption is the first step toward national unity." Lee Jun-seok blasted both the leading parties. He said that while the conservatives are tarnished with Yoon's martial law, the majority Democratic Party is just as guilty of creating a broken society. "You should be ashamed. Those who are jointly responsible for wrecking the country show up in red and blue only different in color fighting over power, in a shameless world." The third and final live debate takes place on Tuesday, focusing on politics. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

Reform Party candidate says People Power Party should force own candidate to resign, not him

2025/05/26 20:00

Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok has reaffirmed his resolve to remain in the presidential race, rejecting the People Power Party's push for a merger. The resolve was shared on Monday, with Lee adding that his party is determined to run and win the race and that the PPP should pressure its own candidate to resign, not him. The 40-year-old contender recently saw his approval rating reach 10-percent amid growing support from those in their 20s as well as 30s and from moderate voters.