News

DISCREPANCY IN TACKLING TRUMP TARIFFS

2025/05/27 17:30

Welcome to Press Perspective for this Tuesday May 27th here in Seoul. I'm Min Sunhee. Consultation or confrontation? These are the two main choices that countries have to approaching U.S. tariffs. And here in this part of the world South Korea and Japan look to be opting for different strategies despite hopes for the same result that is lower U.S. import duties. For more I have Lee Ji-hoon with Reuters here in the studio. Ji-hoon welcome back. I also have Andrew Salmon with The Washington Times joining this session virtually. Andrew it's great to have you on. 1) Andrew, let's begin with an article that you wrote against the backdrop of the APEC trade ministers' meeting that took place in Korea about a fortnight ago. You compared Seoul and Tokyo's respective responses to Mr. Trump's tariffs, claiming Seoul is talking "quietly" and Japan is talking "tough". Let's begin with your thoughts regarding Seoul's response. 2) Andrew, with regard to Tokyo's response to U.S. tariffs, you underscored Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato's remarks about "Japanese holdings of 1.3 TRILLION U.S. dollars worth of U.S. Treasuries." Do explain the relevance of this reality, and do see Mr. Trump caving in? 3) Meanwhile Ji-hoon, back here in Korea, there has been talk about the need for more time by the liberal party candidate to allow for a productive tariff deal. Do tell us more. 4) Andrew, allegedly angered by the pace of tariff talks with the EU, Trump last week announced a 50-percent tariff on the EU starting June First, which he, then, pushed to July 9th. Do you expect a similar threat against South Korea if talks are prolonged, and if so, are we well positioned to navigate such a potential escalation in trade tensions? 5) Ji-hoon, the conservative party candidate has suggested he is open to defense cost-sharing talks with the U.S. Do fill us in. 6) Andrew, some critics have cautioned against linking the tariff campaign to regional defense, citing the potential negative impact on America's image as a reliable security partner. What have you been hearing? 7) Ji-hoon, let's focus a bit on the latest impact of U.S. tariffs on the South Korean economy. I hear exports during the first three weeks of May were down. What more can you tell us, and what support measures by the government are in place? 8) Andrew, what do you believe is Mr. Trump's endgame with regard to tariffs? I mean, what do you suppose is he seeking to achieve? 9) Ji-hoon, we have some time left, so let's touch upon the tariff threats facing smartphones. Trump wants a bite out of Apple and Samsung is facing a similar scenario. How does this reality look to affect the two smartphone makers? 10) Andrew, aside from bombarding these two businesses, Mr. Trump's Oval Office receptions of foreign leaders are raising international eyebrows following his earlier exchange with Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelenksyy and his most recent interaction with South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa. What potential ambush might a South Korean leader face keeping in mind the status quo as we speak? All right.

Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine as U.S. steps back

2025/05/27 19:00

Welcome to Within The Frame, where we bring the most pressing issues across the globe into focus. I'm Kim Mok-yeon. The war in Ukraine is entering a deeper, more dangerous phase. In the same week that Russia and Ukraine completed their largest prisoner exchange since the invasion began, Moscow launched its most intense aerial assault yet — unleashing over 300 drones and 70 missiles on 30 cities. While President Putin has ordered the creation of a so-called "security buffer zone" along the Russian border, his forces continue to target civilian centers deep inside Ukraine. Kyiv has responded with counterstrikes that now reach the heart of Moscow, signaling that the war's frontlines are no longer fixed. U.S. President Donald Trump, while criticizing both Putin and Zelensky, called the Russian leader "absolutely crazy" and walked back threats of sanctions, raising new questions about Washington's strategic consistency. For a closer look at the situation, we are joined by Lim Eun-jung, a professor of International Studies at Kongju National University. Welcome. Also joining us is Dr. Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Great to see you. 1. (DAVIS) So, as we've heard Dr. Davis, shortly after the largest prisoner exchange of the war, Russia launched its heaviest aerial assault yet. Is this a tactical ploy or a deliberate negotiation strategy by Moscow? 2. (LIM) What about you Prof.Lim? How does the timing of these airstrikes affect the credibility of any future diplomatic overtures from Moscow? 3. (LIM) As for the cause, President Zelensky has repeatedly criticized what he calls "American silence." Professor, what kind of political vacuum does this perceived inaction from Washington create on the international stage? 4. (DAVIS) But following the air strikes, President Trump called Putin "absolutely crazy" this week, despite their long-standing rapport. Dr.Davis, do you interpret this as a genuine shift in tone — or a tactical repositioning as Trump tries to balance criticism of Biden while asserting his own relevance in global diplomacy? 5. (LIM) Meanwhile, President Putin has announced the creation of a "security buffer zone" along Russia's border with Ukraine. Professor, what are the strategic implications of this move for future peace negotiations? 6. (DAVIS) Does the establishment of this buffer zone signal a shift from an offensive war to territorial consolidation? 7. (DAVIS) As for its weapons capabilities, Ukraine's drone strikes have now reached Moscow itself. Dr.Davis, How does this shift — where even Russia's capital isn't immune — reshape the strategic and psychological landscape of the war? 8. (LIM) President Trump stated that this war "would never have started" under his leadership and insists it's "not his war." Prof.Lim, is this rhetorical distance contributing to the stalemate or complicating diplomacy? 9. (DAVIS) In addition to this, President Trump briefly floated the idea of additional sanctions on Russia — only to walk it back days later. Dr.Davis, what message does this kind of ambiguity send to the Kremlin? 10. (LIM) At this point, how realistic is a conditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the near term?

DP's Lee scales back campaign ahead of final debate; PPP's Kim meets with fmr. Pres. Lee

2025/05/27 17:00

Welcome to The Daily Report. Korea's presidential hopefuls have been spending this Tuesday mostly preparing for their final TV debate scheduled to be aired live three hours later that would be at eight this evening. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young starts us off. With one week to go until the election, presidential hopefuls scaled back their campaigns ahead of their final televised debate on Tuesday evening. Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung did not hold any rallies on Tuesday, choosing instead to focus on preparing for the debate. Meanwhile, the DP encouraged people to participate in early voting, which begins on Thursday. Highlighting the record-high turnout in overseas voting, the party said this reflects public sentiment against what it calls insurrection forces. It added that it plans to maintain this momentum through early voting. The party also continued its criticism of People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo. "Every time he speaks, it's all false propaganda and misleading agitation. He's a dangerous person. To him, honesty is just a mask, and morality is nothing more than a prop." The PPP's Kim Moon-soo has been putting in efforts to rally as much support as possible from across the political spectrum, including undecided voters, ahead of early voting. Kim met with former President Lee Myung-bak over lunch on Tuesday, in what was seen as an effort to consolidate support among conservative voters. A PPP spokesperson told reporters that Lee encouraged Kim, and advised him to make a sincere effort to pursue a merger with the Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok. This comes a day after Kim met with former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon. Following the meeting, Lee a former chief of the DP voiced his support for Kim on Tuesday, saying that he would join efforts to prevent what he called a "monster dictatorship" if Lee Jae-myung were to win the election. With two days to go until early voting, the PPP expressed confidence in a major comeback. "Kim Moon-soo's character and abilities stand in sharp contrast to Lee Jae-myung's, leaving a strong impression on voters. A major turnaround is coming." Meanwhile, Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok reaffirmed his determination to stay in the presidential race, rejecting a merger with the PPP. During a press conference on Tuesday, he said he would not join forces with those responsible for the declaration of martial law, and that he would fight to the end and win. The third debate between the candidates will take place from 8 PM this evening and last for two hours. They will discuss political polarization, political reform, and possible constitutional amendments. Other topics will include foreign affairs and national security. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

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

2025/05/27 17:00

North Korea's Mount Kumgang may be added to UNESCO's World Heritage list. The regime handed in a related application back in 2021 but the global COVID-19 pandemic postponed the review process. Evaluation is taking place this year and a decision will be declared during the 47th World Heritage Committee meeting in Paris this July. If Mount Kumgang makes this list it will be North Korea's third World Heritage site. Standing at just over 1-thousand-6-hundred meters it is considered one of the Korean peninsula's most scenic mountains.

Trump threatens to redistribute Harvard grants to trade schools

2025/05/27 17:00

In a fresh threat against Harvard University U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested taking away grant money for the university and giving it to trade schools instead. Ahn Sung-jin has the latest. The feud between the Trump administration and Harvard University continues to escalate. Trump posted on his social media Truth Social on Monday that he is "considering taking three billion dollars of grant money from a very antisemitic Harvard." He said he would redirect the three billion dollars in federal grants to trade schools instead. Trump had previously cited concerns over antisemitism on campus for freezing 2-point-2 billion dollars in grants. How Trump is to redistribute the funds and whether the grants come from the funding that he already froze is unclear. His latest remark comes after he demanded Harvard to release the name and nationalities of its international students, and comes and less than a week since a judge halted the Trump administration from barring international students enrolling at Harvard. The Ivy League School had previously argued that the administration's actions were a "blatant violation of the First Amendment" and comes as the university opposes "the government's demands to control Harvard's governance, curriculum and the ideology of its faculty and students." Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

Israeli strikes kill 52 in Gaza, including 36 in school-turned shelter

2025/05/27 17:00

In the Middle East. There have been dozens of more deaths following an Israeli air strike on a school in Gaza. Israeli forces claim the school served as a Hamas hideout. Palestinian authorities say it was a shelter for displaced women and children. Choi Chi-hee reports. On Monday, a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City's Daraj neighborhood was one of the two targets hit by an Israeli airstrike. Hundreds of people, mostly women and children, were sheltering there at the time. "This isn't normal. What kind of missiles are they dropping? What are they doing? I don't understand. All of them were children -the three children were burned, along with their mother." According to Gaza's Civil Defense, the attack, which reportedly occurred while occupants were sleeping, killed at least 36 individuals and injured dozens of others. The Israel Defense Forces said the strikes targeted a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command and control center, believed to be operating within the school premises. They asserted that the facility was being used for planning attacks against Israeli civilians and troops. However, local witnesses and Palestinian officials have denied the presence of militants at the site. "There is no military in it, there is not even a piece of a weapon in it." In a separate strike, 16 people were killed when the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza was hit. The attacks have drawn international condemnation, including from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who cautioned against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu taking excessive military actions. Merz said he no longer "understands what Israel is trying to achieve." Ireland's deputy prime minister said legislation for a potential ban on imports from Israeli settlements would be unveiled on Tuesday. Also on Monday, a new aid system in Gaza, backed by the U.S., opened its first distribution hubs following months of being blockaded by Israel. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has taken over the handling of aid, and truckloads of food delivered to its hubs have begun to be distributed to Palestinians on the same day. Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.

Germany scraps range limits on arms sent to Kyiv

2025/05/27 17:00

Germany is removing range restrictions placed on weapons provided to Ukraine amid an alarming escalation in the size and scope of Russia's aerial assaults in recent days. Lee Seung-jae tells us what this means. 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.

Foreign policy: What South Korea’s presidential hopefuls are promising

2025/05/27 17:00

Indeed the candidates will be sharing their thoughts on defense and diplomatic strategies during their debate tonight but ahead of that four-way discussion my colleague Kim Jung-sil took the liberty of preparing for us a quick rundown of the foreign policies of the top three presidential contenders. Do take a listen. In the final stretch of the presidential race, foreign policy may not be driving the race at home, but outside South Korea, eyes are on how the next president will navigate the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung favors a pragmatic, multi-layered strategy. His foreign policy centers on a strong ROK-U.S. alliance, while expanding diplomatic engagement with China, Japan, and Russia. "With a strong ROK-U.S. alliance, I'll lead a pragmatic, national-interest-based diplomacy to expand South Korea's global role and secure lasting peace." He also backs the return of wartime operational control from the current U.S.-led command structure to South Korea, and phased nuclear talks with the North. By contrast, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo takes a tougher line. He argues that in a region surrounded by constant threats, diplomacy must be backed by credible deterrence. "If the U.S. forces were gone, how would we deal with China? With North Korea? How would a divided nation like ours, surrounded by Japan and Russia, and facing the worst geopolitical conditions ever, handle the North's nuclear threat?" Kim also supports reviewing tactical nuclear deployments if North Korea's threats escalate. At the same time, he backs developing nuclear-powered submarines to counter North Korea's SLBM-capable subs, citing India and Australia as precedents. Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok has yet to lay out a full foreign policy platform. But his defense proposals focus on internal reform: expanding officer recruitment through conscript performance, and linking military service to academic support. With global uncertainty mounting, South Korea's next president will be expected to act swiftly, whether through alliances, deterrence, or reform. And with just a week left before the vote, the country's foreign policy future remains wide open. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.

Israeli strikes kill 52 in Gaza, including 36 in school-turned shelter

2025/05/27 10:00

Starting in the Middle East, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed at least 52 people, including 36 in a school being used as a shelter. On Monday, a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City's Daraj neighborhood was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Hundreds of people were sheltering there at the time. According to Gaza's Civil Defense, the attack killed at least 36 individuals and injured dozens of others. The Israeli military stated that the strike aimed at a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command center, believed to be operating within the school premises. They asserted that the facility was being used for planning attacks against Israeli civilians and troops. A separate strike hit a home in northern Gaza, killing at least 16 others. The recent strikes have drawn international condemnation, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's caution against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding excessive military actions, and a discussion in Ireland regarding a potential ban on Israeli imports. On the same day, a new aid system in Gaza opened its first distribution hubs following months of blockade by Israel.

Trump threatens to redistribute Harvard grants to trade schools

2025/05/27 10:00

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to redirect Harvard University grants to U.S. trade schools instead. Though when and how such a plan will be implemented is unclear. Ahn Sung-jin reports. The feud between the Trump administration and Harvard University continues to escalate. Trump posted on his social media Truth Social on Monday that he is "considering taking three billion dollars of grant money from a very antisemitic Harvard." He said he would redirect the three billion dollars in federal grants to trade schools instead. Trump had previously cited concerns over antisemitism on campus for freezing 2-point-2 billion dollars in grants. How Trump is to redistribute the funds and whether the grants come from the funding that he already froze is unclear. His latest remark comes after he demanded Harvard to release the name and nationalities of its international students, and comes and less than a week since a judge halted the Trump administration from barring international students enrolling at Harvard. The Ivy League School had previously argued that the administration's actions were a "blatant violation of the First Amendment" and comes as the university opposes "the government's demands to control Harvard's governance, curriculum and the ideology of its faculty and students." Meanwhile, in a message to mark Memorial Day, Trump denounced what he called "USA-hating judges" for hampering his immigration policies. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

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

2025/05/27 10:00

Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok has once again 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.