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Fmr. PM Han declares presidential candidacy ahead of PPP convention; DP proposes bill following Lee's court ruling

2025/05/02 17:00

And as mentioned in that report Han Duck-soo has declared his intentions to join the presidential race on June 3rd. Our political correspondent Shin Ha-young covers this declaration as well as the latest on the election front. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo officially announced his run for president on Friday morning, just one day after stepping down as acting president and prime minister. "I just can't accept that even trade and diplomacy, which are vital to our national interest, are being used for political fights. I've decided to find a way to contribute for the future of the Republic of Korea I love, and for all of us." Han pledged immediate constitutional reform. He laid out a plan to draft an amendment in his first year in office, complete it in the second, hold general and presidential elections in the third year under the new Constitution, and then step down immediately. He also pledged to tackle trade issues including U.S. tariffs as well as to work for national unity and support the vulnerable. Han's entry into the race is expected to shake up the People Power Party's primary, now in its final stage, as he's expected to form a coalition with the PPP's final candidate. The PPP will wrap up its two-day voting on Friday to choose the party's presidential candidate, with results based 50 percent on party members and 50 percent on a public opinion poll. Ahead of the party convention on Saturday, where the final candidate will be announced, Kim Moon-soo and Han Dong-hoon on Friday visited different regions to gather support. Kim focused on the Seoul Metropolitan Area, while Han visited Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do Province. Meanwhile, despite the political fallout from the Supreme Court's decision on his election law violation case, Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung is sticking to his schedule. Lee visited Gangwon-do Province to listen to the voices of the people. The Supreme Court on Thursday sent Lee's election law violation case back to the high court with the intent of a guilty verdict. The DP's election committee on Friday criticized the ruling, calling it an unfair political decision. The National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee led by members of the DP decided on Friday to initiate the review of a DP-proposed amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, despite opposition from PPP members. The amendment aims to halt legal proceedings once a defendant is elected president. The DP plans to refer the bill to a plenary session next week. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

YOUTUBE, HALLYU AND TRAVEL

2025/05/02 17:00

Welcome to Press Perspective. It's Friday May 2nd and time for our talk.. on a host of headlines related to social and entertainment news. For this I have writer Colin Marshall here in the studio. Colin welcome back. I also have Marianna Baroli a journalist for the weekly Italian news magazine Panorama. Marianna it's a pleasure. 1) Colin, YouTube turned twenty this year, and Psy's Gangnam Style as well as Pinkfong's VERSION of Baby Shark were listed among the biggest moments of its history. Do tell us more. 2) And Marianna, what can you tell us about the role played by YouTube in promoting Hallyu or the Korean Wave on the global stage? 3) Colin, YouTube appears to have strengthened its status as THE platform for content creators. What are your thoughts regarding this reality? 4) Marianna, YouTube's "auto-translate" feature can translate captions into the language of your choice. What does this mean for non-English content including that from Korea? 5) Marianna, in recent times, there have tangible signs that China is slowly embracing Hallyu again. What more can you add? 6) Colin, moving forward. Starting tomorrow, we are looking ahead to a long weekend in celebration of Children's Day and Buddha's Birthday. Initially, there was talk about designating today, that is Friday, a temporary holiday to boost travel and leisure activities in hopes of bolstering domestic consumption. However, this idea was scrapped as findings showed Koreans opting for foreign destinations rather than domestic locations. What do you believe is discouraging Koreans from travel within borders? 7) And Marianna, while Koreans choose to venture overseas for their holidays, many foreign travelers from neighboring countries have made their way here. What appear to be their expectations about Korea prior to their trip here, and what accounts for a significant portion of their spending here?? 8) Colin, in contrast, what are the aspects that need to be addressed to better accommodate our foreign guests? All right.

K-wave AI News

2025/05/02 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. A variety of festivals and hands-on events for families will take place across Seoul marking the six-day "golden holiday." At Seoul City Hall and Seoul Plaza, visitors can enjoy a celebration marking the first anniversary of the new design for the city's official mascot, Haechi, with magic shows, opera performances, and cheerleading, among others. Over on Nodeul Island in the Hangang River, the eye-catching "Seoul Circus Festival" offers a unique experience. Seoul Grand Park will host various performances and interactive programs, and offer free admission for visitors under 13 and over 65 on Children’s Day. Detailed information on holiday programs is available on the Seoul city website, seoul.go.kr, and the Seoul Culture Portal, culture.seoul.go.kr. The city of Chuncheon in Gangwon-do Province has launched the "Chuncheon Tour Pass" to revamp local tourism and attract more family travelers. The pass is a QR-based digital ticket that offers access to major attractions, restaurants, and diverse experiences across the city. A 24-hour pass is available for 15,900 won and a 48-hour pass for 49,900 won. Purchases can be made through major online travel agencies. Chuncheon City plans to operate the pass program as a six-month pilot through October, intending to expand it after a review. A special exhibition “Mana Moana – Arts of the Great Ocean, Oceania” is now on display at the National Museum of Korea, offering an in-depth look at the rich cultures of the Oceania region. Highlighting the history, art, and traditions that flourished across the vast Pacific Ocean, the exhibition features over 170 artifacts from the 18th to 20th centuries, along with eight contemporary works. Divided into four thematic sections, the exhibition explores the region’s distinctive cultural expressions through a range of objects, including centuries-old navigation techniques, canoe craftsmanship, ornaments, and sculptures from islands scattered across the Pacific. This marks Korea’s first exhibition dedicated to the Oceania region, and will be on display until September 14. That’s all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.

Latest in K-Sports

2025/05/02 14:00

An exciting weekend is coming up for golf fans in Korea, with LIV Golf coming to the country for the first time ever. For this and other updates in the world of sports, we are now joined by our sportscaster Jason Lee in the studio. Welcome Jason! Q1. Starting off with the LPGA, Japan's Mao Saigo took the first LPGA major of the year, but there was a pretty crazy finish to the event which was an unprecedented five-way playoff, not to mention the performance of Korea's Kim Hyo-Joo . You might recall, I previously mentioned how Kim Hyo-Joo won the Ford Championship in Arizona at the end of March that was the 2nd win by a Korean on the LPGA tour this year. And yeah, Kim Hyo-Joo was trying to take an even bigger bite at the Chevron Championship in Texas. She was 1 of 5 players who finished 7-under over the 4-rounds. She would par the playoff hole, while Mao Saigo birdied it to take the event. Kim had the lowest score in the final round among the 5 players in the playoff so she came from behind on the last day. I will also note that among the 3 ladies tied for 6th place, 2 of them were Koreans. Former world number-1 Ko Jing-Young and Ryu Haeran were both 2 strokes off the pace and another Korean Choi Hye-Jin was another stroke back to tie for 9th. It's unfortunate that Kim Hyo-Joo wasn't able to close out the deal, but still a strong showing by the Korean ladies in the year's first major. Q2-1. Sticking with golf, we did give a preview last time you were here LIV Golf is in Korea for the first time this weekend. What do we need to know about the inaugural event? Let's first go over what is LIV golf what's all the fuss about? It's a pro tour that made headlines a couple of years ago after poaching a lot of the top PGA golfers with exorbitant signing bonuses often in the hundreds of millions of dollars. It was rumoured that Tiger Woods turned down a Billion dollar deal to defect to the dark side as they've sometimes been called. Q2-2. Tell us more about the 'dark side' or controversies surrounding the event. They're backed by Saudi Arabian oil money as they try to diversify their investments. The PGA obviously wasn't pleased about their growth and threat of becoming legitimate competition from a business standpoint so let's just say LIV golf received a lot of negative press from players and media loyal to the PGA. But they've grown and basically have a good chunk of the top 50 golfers in the world. Every golf fan would probably know most of the 48 players in their tour this year and even casual sports fans would have heard the names of a lot of their top guys and again, these are golfers that were often receiving 200-300 thousand dollar signing bonuses to make the switch and you just don't pay that kind of money to no-name athletes. Q2-3. What about the actual event? I've heard it's a bit different from a typical PGA Event There are a few differences but it's still golf where you play 18 holes and the best score wins. The biggest difference is that it's a shotgun start which means that Everyone starts at the same time on a different hole so there's less wasted time basically everyone should start and finish around the same time whereas in PGA events everyone starts on the first hole and ends at 18 so the last group will be the last ones on the course and the first group will start alone on the course. The other difference or maybe I should call it an addition is that it's not just 48 golfers. Each golfer is on a 4-man team and at the end of the year there is extra money to be earned for teams as well with the winning team splitting 16 million dollars 4 ways on top of any individual earnings as well. Basically they're just giving away a lot more money with the signing bonuses, the individual purses and then bonus money for the team events as well. I guess you can kinda think of it like F1 Racing where you're trying to win, but you also have a teammate racing out there as well and his success is good for you as well. Q3. Moving on to football Son Heung-Min is still unable to play because of a foot injury he suffered three weeks ago. What's the latest on his status at Tottenham Hotspur? Yeah, this has actually gone on a lot longer than I initially thought it would. Son Heung-Min has been out since April 11th in their Europa match against Frankfurt. Son was ruled out for the first leg of the Europa semi-final against Boda-Glimt. Hopefully he'll be ready for the 2nd leg of that on Friday, May 9th Korean time. Of course Korea's next game for World Cup qualifying is June 5th against Iraq and June 10th against Kuwait so hopefully he's healthy with a few games under his belt by then. Q4. Lee Jung-Hoo remains hot for the San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball. What's the latest on him? Q5. Onto domestic baseball Kia's Kim Do-Young has made his season debut after missing the first month with a thigh injury. How has he been since his return?

[K-wave] National treasure paintings featured at Kansong Art Museum Daegu exhibition

2025/05/02 14:00

Gyeomjae Jeong Seon is an artist of the 18th century who greatly impacted the history of art in Korea, leading the shift in art style to true landscape views of the Joseon kingdom. It is one of his paintings that adorns the back of the 1-thousand won bill. Our Lee Eun-jin gives us a glipse into an exhibition where visitors can now see his representative works. The Scene of Inwangsan Mountain After Rain. Considered a true landscape painting that used ink to show the rain-soaked mountainscape in 1751, the painting titled 'Inwangjesaekdo' is a masterpiece by Gyeomjae Jeong Seon, a painter of the late Joseon Dynasty. He drew the piece at the age of 76. A winter landscape of Mount Kumgang. This painting titled 'Geumgang jeondo' is another one of Gyeomjae Jeong Seon's masterpieces and it continues to receive the most praise among all his works. Each mountaintop is expressed as well to show an aerial view. He drew this piece at the age of 59. "On the top corner of the painting, there is a poem that says looking at this painting is more pleasant than going to the actual Mount Kumgang. With it, the painting as a whole encompasses the desires of the people at the time who could not visit Mount Kumgang." These two representative works of art by Gyeomjae Jeong Seon are not only considered by far the best among many landscape paintings of Korea, but are also designated as National Treasures -numbers 216 and 217. Also, it is his 'Geumgang jeondo' painting that adorns the back of South Korea's 1-thousand won bill. From the then-prevailing imitation paintings of Chinese art, the arrival of Gyeomjae Jeong Seon's new style of painting left a lasting impact on Korean art. A new era was opened as Gyeomjae Jeong Seon established original "true-view" paintings of Korea's mountains and streams to which he visited himself while traveling. "Paintings started to portray our land and our lives, expressing the pride of living on Joseon land." Now the representative works of Gyeomjae Jeong Seon have been gathered in one place on the largest scale ever. The two giants of ancient art exhibitors in Korea, Hoam and Kansong Art Museums, have collaborated to exhibit artwork from 18 institutions and private collections. This special exhibition titled 'The Sense of Beauty within Bird-and-Flower Paintings' features "Hwajohwa", meaning flower-and-bird painting, which has become a prominent genre in Korean traditional art, as it transitioned from the 16th to 19th centuries. But it also reveals things about Gyeomjae that we did not know, welcoming visitors to the Kansong Art Museum Daegu from April 30th through August 3rd. Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.

[K-enter] NCT DOYOUNG confirms additional show after sold-out concerts

2025/05/02 14:00

You've got some updates on NCT member DOYOUNG and his solo concert. Please fill us in. DOYOUNG is adding to his solo concerts after receiving an explosive response from the fans. The “2025 DOYOUNG CONCERT ,” scheduled to be held at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul on June 14th and 15th, sold out both days just with fan club pre-sales. So the artist has decided to hold an additional show on June 13th. The tickets for it will be available on May 12th for fan club pre-sales and May 13th for general sales. Since DOYOUNG’s first solo concert at Kyung Hee University Peace Hall in Seoul last year, he has been expanding the scale of his concerts every time. Meanwhile, DOYOUNG is set to release his second solo album on June 9th. One more chance for DOYOUNG’s fans to get their hands on the tickets. For our next story, we stay on the note of music, but this time it’s a rock festival. Which festival are we talking about? We are talking about the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival. It has revealed the first names on this year’s lineup that features a blend of legendary acts and rising stars from around the globe. First, the iconic Britpop band, Pulp, is headlining the festival. It’s Pulp’s first-ever concert in Korea. The band, formed in 1978, rose to prominence in the 90s with their hit songs like “Babies” and “Common People.” They recently announced the release of their new album, titled “More,” in June -a first release in 24 years. Some Korean artists featured in the line-up are singer-songwriter Chang Ki-ha, vocalist Song Sohee, and the band Hyukoh, who will team up with Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster. The 2025 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival will be held from August 1st to 3rd at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park in Incheon. This year, the festival celebrates its 20th anniversary and about 60 domestic and international artists are expected to perform. It's interesting to see Song Sohee in the lineup, as she used to be a popular traditional folk singer and now has transformed into a contemporary music singer-songwriter. Lastly, we are going to move onto Netflix. Korean Netflix series are doing amazing, so it’s exciting to hear about a new release, especially when it’s a first for Korea? The first Korean original animated film on Netflix, “Lost in Starlight,” is set to be released on May 30th. The film, taking place in Seoul in the year 2050, depicts a romance between astronaut Nan-young, who dreams of Mars exploration, and Jay, who has put aside his dream of becoming a musician. It is the work of director Han Ji-won, who rose to prominence in the Korean animation scene as a pioneer after winning the Grand Award at the Seoul Indie-Ani Fest with her debut work “Kopi Luwak.” Actors Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung lend their voices to Nan-young and Jay respectively. If you want to catch Korea’s first-ever original animated film on Netflix, make sure to check it out on May 30th. Excited to see how well a Korean animation will do on Netflix. Thank you Bella for today’s stories.

S. Korea-U.S. conclude working-level 'technical discussions' on tariffs

2025/05/02 10:00

South Korean industry ministry officials and their U.S. counterparts have wrapped up their first working-level "technical discussion," which follows the "two-plus-two" trade talks held last week. Our Lee Soo-jin tells us more. South Korean and U.S. trade officials concluded two days of "technical discussions" on bilateral trade issues on Thursday, local time. The discussions, which were held in Washington, marks the first working-level meeting between the South Korean delegation, led by Chang Sung-gil, the director-general for trade policy at the industry ministry, and their U.S. Trade Representative counterparts. While the details of the discussions were not disclosed, one source said the meeting aimed to outline a framework for future full-scale talks. The meeting comes on the heels of last week’s so-called "two-plus-two" trade negotiations between Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, and then-Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. During the high-level talks, the two sides agreed to create a trade package aimed at securing tariff exemptions by July 8, the day that a 90-day pause in tariffs set by U.S. President Donald Trump is set to expire. And South Korea is not the only Asian country that the U.S. is holding trade talks with. The second round of tariff negotiations between the U.S. and Japan kicked off on Thursday, local time, in Washington between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his Japanese counterpart,.. Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa. Bessent emphasized the Trump administration's focus on countries in Asia during an interview on Thursday. "I am concentrating on our Asian trading partners. So we're meeting with the Japanese delegation today. We've had some good meetings with Korea. So, you know, we we are moving quickly." He also said that trade deals with other Asians countries may take place before China. White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller maintained a firm stance on China during a briefing on Thursday, saying that the U.S. will not tolerate intellectual property theft or mounting trade deficits. He also said the trade deficit in auto trade between the U.S. and South Korea, Japan and the European Union, was "unsustainable" under fair trade conditions. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.

April consumer prices up 2.1% y/y, fourth straight month in 2% range

2025/05/02 10:00

Consumer prices here have been showing an increase in the two-percent range over the past four months. According to data from Statistics Korea on Friday, consumer prices in April increased 2.1 percent year-on-year. The depreciation of the Korean won triggered price increases in processed foods and the cost of dining out. Notably, prices of processed foods rose by 4.1 percent year-on-year, and prices of dining out went up by 3.2 percent. In the meantime, the prices of fresh produce fell by 1.9 percent, marking the largest drop since March 2022.

Education minister now leads S. Korea as finance minister resigns following DP's impeachment push

2025/05/02 10:00

South Korea is now led by Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Education Minister, Lee Ju-ho fourth in line to the presidency. This comes as Deputy Prime Minister for Finance Choi Sang-mok was initially set to take over again as caretaker but stepped down after the Democratic Party moved to impeach him. Let’s bring in Kim Do-yeon, live from the National Assembly. Do-yeon, walk us through what happened. Dami, tensions flared at the National Assembly last night as the Democratic Party pushed an impeachment motion against Choi Sang-mok — just hours before he was to assume caretaker duties. The DP abruptly changed the plenary agenda, bringing an idle bill to a vote right after Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s resignation. Choi, who had been present for a vote on the supplementary budget, walked out as the impeachment motion was read and submitted his resignation to then Acting President Han, who accepted effectively halting the vote. The DP accused Choi of being complicit in the alleged insurrection tied to former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration among other unconstitutional acts. In protest, People Power Party lawmakers walked out calling it political retaliation for the Supreme Court’s ruling on DP presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung earlier in the day. Now, for the first time in South Korean history, the Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs is serving as acting president. New Acting President Lee Ju-ho began Friday with an emergency National Security Council meeting vowing to keep security tight. Here’s also what he said upon entering office for the first time. "I feel a great sense of responsibility. With the election just a month away, my top priority is ensuring a fair process." Now, this all stems from former Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo resigning to run for the presidency earlier yesterday and I believe at the moment, he's at the National Assembly to declare his presidency. Catch us up with this. That's right Dami. The former Acting President and Prime Minister is currently giving his declaration speech for his candidacy for the presidency. This comes as at 4 PM yesterday then Acting President Han as anticipated said he will resign effective as of midnight. First, take a listen to what he had to say yesterday. To help overcome the crisis we face, I’ve decided to step down and do what I can, and must do. Following the impeachment and removal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Han Duck-soo has been the nation's interim leader. While he was impeached himself by the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court restored him to his duties just 39 days ago. But his move to run for president was widely expected with some People Power Party lawmakers calling for him to run and recent polling showing him ahead of other conservative leaders favored for the next presidency though still behind the DP's Lee Jae-myung. Dami. Do-yeon, do keep us posted please. Thank you.

[Weather] Windy day under bright skies, rainy long weekend

2025/05/02 10:00

We had some rain across the country yesterday, which helped to ease the dry conditions in many areas. However, the eastern parts of Gangwon-do and Gyeongsang-do provinces didn't see much rainfall. So the dry weather advisory remains in place for the east of Gangwon-do and there are wind advisories for the east coast. Please continue to be very careful to avoid accidentally causing any wildfires. It's a cooler start compared to yesterday under bright skies. By the afternoon, we'll see things warm up, with Seoul reaching 20 degrees, Daejeon and Gwangju at 21. More clouds could be rolling in over the upper regions this afternoon. Looking ahead to the long holiday weekend, we have frequent chances of rain. We're expecting rain across the country again tomorrow, Saturday, the amounts will be between 5 and 20 millimeters. Sorry to disappoint you, we also have rain in the forecast for various parts of the country on Children's Day and on Tuesday. Keep an umbrella handy during the holiday!

World's oldest person, Brazilian nun dies at 116

2025/05/02 10:00

In Brazil, Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, recognized as the world's oldest person, has died at the age of 116. Sister Inah passed away on April 30 in Porto Alegre due to natural causes. Born in 1908, Lucas became a Catholic nun in her early 20s and devoted her life to religious service and teaching. She joined the Teresian Sisters religious community in 1927 and spent decades educating students. Sister Inah was blessed by the late Pope Francis in 2018. She attributed her longevity to her faith, saying that "He is the secret of life." With her passing, 115-year-old Ethel Caterham in England now holds the title of oldest living person.

London sees hottest start to May in recorded history

2025/05/02 10:00

Parts of Northwest Europe are experiencing an unprecedented heatwave, with multiple countries recording their highest temperatures at the start of May. The United Kingdom saw its hottest start to May since records began on Thursday, with temperatures reaching 29.3 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens in London, according to the Met Office. This surpasses the previous record of 27.4 degrees Celsius set in 1990. Elsewhere in Europe, cities including Paris and Berlin have also experienced unseasonably warm weather, with temperatures reaching 29 and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively. The early onset of such high temperatures raises concerns about the frequency and intensity of future heatwaves in the region.

Next round of Iran-US nuclear talks postponed

2025/05/02 10:00

A fourth round of nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, initially scheduled for Saturday, May 3, in Rome, has been postponed, for logistical reasons. On Thursday, Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi announced the postponement of the planned talks on the social media platform X, stating the meeting would be rescheduled for logistical reasons. He emphasized that new dates would be announced once they are mutually agreed upon by all parties involved. Iranian officials, however, suggest that the delay reflects deeper issues. They indicated that the next round of talks depends on the U.S. approach, criticizing Washington's recent sanctions on seven entities involved in the trade of Iranian oil products, calling them unhelpful to diplomatic efforts. The U.S. maintains that it had not confirmed the initial Saturday meeting in Rome but expects further discussions "in the near future."

Waltz out as U.S. national security adviser and tapped for UN ambassador

2025/05/02 10:00

U.S. President Donald Trump has removed National Security Adviser Mike Waltz following a security breach and named Secretary of State Marco Rubio his interim replacement. As part of the reshuffle, Trump has nominated Waltz as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. President Trump's decision was announced on Thursday local time. This comes after Waltz mistakenly added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat of top officials discussing classified U.S. military operations in Yemen. While an internal review concluded the breach was accidental, the incident intensified tensions between Waltz and other officials over his hawkish foreign policy views. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been appointed as acting National Security Adviser, adding to his current roles as Secretary of State, acting administrator for the United States Agency for International Development, and U.S. Archivist. The Senate must now confirm Waltz's nomination as UN Ambassador.

Supreme Court overturns Lee Jae-myung's acquittal in election law violation, sends case back to high court

2025/05/02 10:00

The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a lower court's acquittal of Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on charges of election law violation, sending the case back to the appeals court, with just about a month left until the snap presidential election. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. The Supreme Court has sent the election law violation case of Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung back to the high court. The top court was split 10 to two. It had a full bench oversee the case and reviewed it at an unusually fast pace ahead of the upcoming presidential election. Thursday's ruling follows an appeal by prosecutors against a high court ruling in March that had overturned an initial guilty verdict by a local court. In the initial verdict by Seoul Central District Court in November, Lee was convicted of making false statements in 2021, leading up to the presidential campaign in the following year. The Supreme Court on Thursday also provided guidelines for determining which statements by candidates are considered false. Regarding the "meaning of expressions," the court emphasized that it should be interpreted from the perspective of the general voter, not the candidate or the court itself. When judging "false facts," it emphasized that it's important to consider whether the statement is minor and doesn't affect voters' judgment, or if it's significant enough to mislead them. In this regard, the court ruled that Lee's statements are considered as spreading false information under Public Official Election Act. Lee Jae-myung did not appear in court on Thursday, as defendants are not required to be present. He said the ruling is completely different from what he believed. "The ruling is completely different from what I thought. The law is an agreement by the people, and the will of the people is what matters most." The DP criticized the ruling, calling it clearly political and rushed, and accused the court of unfairly interfering in the presidential election. On the other hand, the People Power Party welcomed the ruling, called for Lee’s resignation, and urged the DP to nominate a new candidate. "The Supreme Court confirmed that Lee distorted public judgment by spreading false information. That alone disqualifies him as a presidential candidate. Stepping down is just common sense." Lee will now face a retrial at the Seoul High Court. Since the court must follow the Supreme Court’s decision, he's expected to be found guilty. The court is expected to hold a sentencing hearing to decide Lee's sentence. Thursday's ruling drew much attention, as it could have affected presidential front-runner Lee’s eligibility to run in the upcoming election. With the case sent back for a retrial, his candidacy remains unaffected, since a final ruling has yet to be made. However, if he is elected before the ruling, it could spark controversy over whether the trial should be paused during his term. If the ruling comes before the election, and if Lee receives a fine of one million Korean won, about 700 U.S. dollars, or more, he would be barred from running for elections for five years, including the June 3rd election. If sentenced to a prison term, the ban extends to ten years. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

Rival parties speed up candidate selection as S. Korea's snap election nears

2025/05/01 20:00

Welcome to Within The Frame, where we bring the most pressing issues across the globe into focus. I'm Kim Mok-yeon. With just over a month remaining until Korea's June 3rd snap presidential election, the political landscape has taken another dramatic turn. The Supreme Court has overturned the appellate acquittal of Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung in his election law violation case, with a new ruling that effectively signals a guilty outcome. While such a verdict could have disqualified his candidacy, the final judgment is not expected before election day, allowing Lee to remain in the race—for now. Meanwhile, former Acting President Han Duck-soo has officially resigned and is expected to declare his candidacy tomorrow. His entry could trigger a last-minute conservative realignment, especially as the People Power Party is set to confirm its nominee later this week. As parties gear up to finalize their candidates, we take a closer look at the prospects of the upcoming snap election. And for this, we are joined by Hans Schattle, Professor of Political Science at Yonsei University, in the studio with us. Welcome. Also joining us online is Choi Hyunsun, Professor of Public Administration at Myongji University. Great to have you. (SCHATTLE) 1. So let's begin with the latest update: the Supreme Court's full bench has overturned the second trial's "not guilty verdict" for DP presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, who was indicted on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act. The case has now been remanded for a new ruling with the implication of guilt. Could you walk us through what this means for his presidential candidacy moving forward—and what the legal and political consequences could he face if the appeals court now returns a guilty verdict? (CHOI) 2.Now to Prof.Choi, also today Former Acting President Han Duck-soo resigned from office and is expected to announce his candidacy tomorrow. It's widely expected that he'll align with the PPP, yet the party's nominee will only be finalized this Sunday. How do you interpret the timing—and what's the most likely scenario that could unfold around a conservative unity ticket? (SCHATTLE) 3. Prof.Schattle, PPP candidate Kim Moon-soo has expressed openness to a unification effort, while his rival Han Dong-hoon has dismissed speculation of merging with Han Duck-soo. If the push for unification fails before the May 11th final registration deadline, what impact could that have on the conservative bloc's competitiveness in this race? (CHOI) 4. Looking at the policy battlefield available so far, many of the leading promises, particularly around youth debt relief, AI education, and housing subsidies, are highly expansive. Prof.Choi, Are we seeing any credible fiscal roadmap from either side? (SCHATTLE) 5. Former Acting President Han Duck-soo is expected to formally propose a shortened presidential term as part of his constitutional reform plan. Prof.Schattle, What is the political logic behind the term reduction—and how might this differentiate him from DP candidate Lee Jae-myung, who has so far remained cautious on constitutional change? (CHOI) 6. Both major parties now endorse a version of the 4.5-day workweek. The DP envisions a long-term shift toward a 4-day model, while the PPP proposes redistributing working hours. From a public administration standpoint Prof.Choi, how realistic is it for the government to oversee such a rollout across sectors with vastly different labor structures? (SCHATTLE) 7. Meanwhile a recent survey by the Korea Manifesto Center on the top ten issues for voters in this election had been released. For the first time, "restoring fairness and trust in institutions" ranked higher than jobs or housing. Prof.Schattle, What does this shift tell us about the psychological and political mood of the electorate? (CHOI) 8. Younger voters—likely to be a decisive demographic—face competing visions: AI education, deregulated housing, debt relief, and even digital sovereignty. Based on what's been proposed so far, what should parties prioritize to win over this critical bloc Prof.Choi? (BOTH) 9.-10. Finally, what policies are voters ultimately looking for from both the former ruling party and the opposition, given the current political vacuum and the instability following the presidential impeachment?

Supreme Court overturns Lee Jae-myung's acquittal in election law violation, sends case back to high court

2025/05/01 20:00

Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. We start with a major ruling today ahead of the presidential election next month. The Supreme Court today returned to the high court an election law violation case against DP's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, with the intent of a guilty verdict. It set the rule by drawing a line between what amounts to freedom of expression and what constitutes false information, when it comes to statements by candidates that could affect voters. Our political correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. The Supreme Court has sent the election law violation case of Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung back to the high court. The top court was split 10 to two. It had a full bench oversee the case and reviewed it at an unusually fast pace ahead of the upcoming presidential election. Thursday's ruling follows an appeal by prosecutors against a high court ruling in March that had overturned an initial guilty verdict by a local court. In the initial verdict by Seoul Central District Court in November, Lee was convicted of making false statements in 2021, leading up to the presidential campaign in the following year. The Supreme Court on Thursday also provided guidelines for determining which statements by candidates are considered false. Regarding the "meaning of expressions," the court emphasized that it should be interpreted from the perspective of the general voter, not the candidate or the court itself. When judging "false facts," it emphasized that it's important to consider whether the statement is minor and doesn't affect voters' judgment, or if it's significant enough to mislead them. In this regard, the court ruled that Lee's statements are considered as spreading false information under Public Official Election Act. Lee Jae-myung did not appear in court on Thursday, as defendants are not required to be present. He said the ruling is completely different from what he believed. "The ruling is completely different from what I thought. The law is an agreement by the people, and the will of the people is what matters most. The DP criticized the ruling, calling it clearly political and rushed, and accused the court of unfairly interfering in the presidential election. On the other hand, the People Power Party welcomed the ruling, called for Lee's resignation, and urged the DP to nominate a new candidate. "The Supreme Court confirmed that Lee distorted public judgment by spreading false information. That alone disqualifies him as a presidential candidate. Stepping down is just common sense." Lee will now face a retrial at the Seoul High Court. Since the court must follow the Supreme Court's decision, he's expected to be found guilty. The court is expected to hold a sentencing hearing to decide Lee's sentence. Thursday's ruling drew much attention, as it could have affected presidential front-runner Lee's eligibility to run in the upcoming election. With the case sent back for a retrial, his candidacy remains unaffected, since a final ruling has yet to be made. However, if he is elected before the ruling, it could spark controversy over whether the trial should be paused during his term. If the ruling comes before the election, and if Lee receives a fine of one million Korean won, about 700 U.S. dollars, or more, he would be barred from running for elections for five years, including the June 3rd election. If sentenced to a prison term, the ban extends to ten years. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

[Weather] Rain until today, clear weather tomorrow

2025/05/01 20:00

Rain has been falling from the morning across the country. The rain had meant most of dry weather advisories have been lifted in inland areas, but dry weather warnings around the east coast are still in effect with relatively less rain. Please take precautions to avoid any fires. Rain is accompanied by gusty winds. Currently, strong winds of more than 20 meters per second have been blowing on the west coast, and a strong wind advisory has been issued. Also, wind wave advisories are in place around the West Sea and central parts of the East Sea. The wind is expected to be strong across the country. Tomorrow morning will start off at 8 degrees Celsius in Chuncheon and Daejeon, 11 degrees in Busan. Highs will move up to around 20 degrees all over the country. The weather will be clear again tomorrow but rain is forecast again on Saturday. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

Honoring 80 years of liberation: history lives through records

2025/05/01 20:00

A special exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation is now on display in central Seoul. Through pictures, poems and documents, it offers a glimpse into the lives and emotions of those who lived through Korea's turbulent past. Lee Eun-hee reports. This year marks the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, when Korea regained independence from Japan in 1945 after 35년 of colonial rule. To mark the anniversary, and to show the daily lives of people during the colonial rule and other moments of Korea's recent history, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History is holding a special exhibition called "Records, Memory of You." The displays, including official documents, diaries and literary works show more than just historical facts. They reveal the human emotions of the time-hope, sorrow and joy-so we can experience Korea's journey through the eyes of those who lived it. "This young soldier, unable to write to his illiterate father, asked a journalist to take his photo to let him know he was alive — tragically, he was killed in action the very next day. And this stack of letters was exchanged between a couple separated by the Vietnam War, offering a glimpse into their hope to be reunited." Korea's struggle and pride are reflected in key moments in sports history. From the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where a Korean athlete won gold in the marathon but had to stand under the Japanese flag-to the nation's first international sports victory after liberation and its Olympics debut under the name "KOREA" these milestones capture the resilience and determination of a country reclaiming its identity. "Even though it was a time we never lived through, seeing over 80 years since Korea's first Olympics appearance made me feel how far our country has come, and also gave me a strange, nostalgic feeling, like I had been part of it." "I wanted to come to South Korea, to the Republic of Korea and visit and learn more about the history and arts and culture of the country. So this is actually my first stop. I arrived this morning so I'm very happy to be here and I find the exhibit to be fascinating and very emotional actually because it talks about the history of what has happened in the recent past." Held in collaboration with the Cheongju National Museum and the National Archives of Korea, the exhibition reminds us of the meaning of "Gwangbok" in Korean, meaning the restoration of lost sovereignty-and the importance of never forgetting those historic struggles. Lee Eun-hee, Arirang News.

J-Hope's final world tour show will be available for live viewing worldwide

2025/05/01 20:00

J-Hope, a member of South Korea's leading boy group BTS, will have the final show of his current world tour available for live viewing across 70 countries. Bighit Music says "Hope on the Stage" will make its final stop in Osaka, Japan on May 31st, which will be available in a live cinema broadcast. Ticket purchases for the live viewing will begin on the 9th in Korea, and more than 90 movie theaters will be airing it. J-Hope's first solo world tour began in Seoul this February and is continuing its tour journey, which spans across 31 concerts in 15 regions in North America and Asia.