News
Russia’s top court lifts terror group designation on Afghanistan’s Taliban
2025/04/18 10:00
Over in Russia, the Supreme Court has officially removed Afghanistan's ruling Taliban from its list of banned terrorist organizations, a designation that had been in place since 2003. While the Taliban remains unrecognized as Afghanistan's official government, the ruling on Thursday, local time, reflects Moscow's intent to normalize ties. It also reflects efforts to collaborate with the Taliban to counter threats posed by Islamic State Khorasan, which has been responsible for deadly attacks in both Russia and Afghanistan. Russia's attitude toward the Taliban has changed over the past two decades. It was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban's takeover, seeing the group as a strategic partner to advance its political and economic interests.
Government returns medical student quota to pre-increase level of 3,058
2025/04/17 20:00
In other news. The government is reversing its earlier expansion of medical school seats in a bid to resolve its protracted standoff with current students and junior doctors. Byeon Ye-young explains. The government announced on Thursday that the 2026 medical school enrollment quota will be returned to the 2024 level of 3,058 students. "We will push for a legal amendment to allow universities to adjust their 2026 medical school enrollment quotas to 2024 levels." Last year, the government raised the quota by 2,000 to 5,058, but doctors and medical students strongly opposed the move, alleging it would hurt training conditions. This led to a wave of leaves of absence among medical students, resulting in a significant gap in their medical education. Presidents of 40 medical schools proposed that the government restore the original quota for 2026 admissions if all first-year students returned to class. The government accepted the proposal on March 7th but only if a sufficient number of students to ensure classes could proceed without disruption returned by the end of March. A surge in last-minute enrollments at the so-called "Big 5" medical schools led to that number being achieved. While many former students returned, a number opted to "register but not attend." So even after reversing the quota increase, the government still has more to do to get these students back to classes and resolve the healthcare workforce shortage. This raises questions about the future of medical education. "We need to predict how the healthcare landscape will change 10 to 20 years from now, and based on that vision, we should determine how many medical professionals we need and what kind of education they should receive." Universities are now required to submit revised admissions plans that reflect the updated quota to the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) by the end of this month. The proposed changes will then be reviewed and finalized following KCUE approval, expected around May. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang news.
Bills aimed at special probes into fmr. Pres. Yoon fail to pass parliamentary revote
2025/04/17 20:00
The National Assembly today voted down contentious bills that had been vetoed by the acting president. These include a special investigation bill related to former president Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. The political standoff between rival parties over contentious bills continues in the National Assembly ahead of the early presidential election. The National Assembly on Thursday voted down a Democratic Party-led bill calling for a special investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law last December and the related insurrection charges. In an anonymous vote, of the total 299 votes cast, 197 voted for the bill and 102 voted against. The bill was vetoed in January by then-Acting President Choi Sang-mok and sent back to the parliament for a revote. For a bill already vetoed to pass, it requires approval from two-thirds or more of the lawmakers present in addition to a majority attendance. During Thursday's plenary session, the Assembly also voted down a bill that had been sent back for a revote, which called for a special probe into a political broker called Myung Tae-kyun. The DP in February unilaterally passed the bill seeking to investigate allegations of election fraud involving former President Yoon, former First Lady Kim Keon Hee , and Myung. Ahead of the session, the rival parties issued sharp messages over the bills up for a revote. "It's time for the PPP to break ties with Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office. If they oppose the special investigation again, it will clearly show they're siding with insurrection and acting against the Constitution." "These are populist and unjust bills that the DP pushed through without sufficient public consensus or regard for national interests and people's livelihoods, just to strengthen its political position." The parliament also rejected a Commercial Act amendment, which was vetoed by Acting President Han Duck-soo earlier this month. The bill sought to revise the Commercial Act to add the word "shareholders" to the director's duties from just "company," in efforts to tackle the so-called "Korea Discount." Meanwhile, driven by the DP, the Assembly passed a motion to fast-track a bill introducing a special act aimed at boosting the domestic semiconductor industry. The People Power Party wants to introduce a special act that would provide chip companies an exemption from the current labor law so that employees in the sector can work for more than the current limit of 52 hours per week. On the other hand, the DP wants to exclude this special exemption and instead lay out other means to support the industry. At maximum, fast-tracked bills can take up to 330 days to pass, including going through reviews by the standing and judiciary committees, followed by a final vote at a plenary session. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.
DP to move top office from Seoul to Sejong; PPP kicks off primaries with media day
2025/04/17 20:00
Thank you for joining us. I'm Bae Eun-ji, filling in for Yoon Jung-min. The Democratic Party of Korea's primaries are being held by region and their first stop is Chungcheong-do, a place considered a key battleground in presidential elections. Meanwhile, eight contestants of the People Power Party are now getting ready for debates set for this weekend. Our National Assembly correspondent Kim Do-yeon starts us off. Preliminary presidential candidates from the Democratic Party of Korea unveiled their strategies to boost growth in the Chungcheong-do provinces on Thursday, coinciding with the start of online voting by DP electors the day before. All three candidates shared a common pledge to fully establish Sejong City, located within Chungcheong-do, as South Korea's administrative capital, proposing to relocate the presidential office there. This pledge also follows a move by impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who previously relocated the presidential office from the Blue House to Yongsan—a decision heavily criticized by the DP as an unnecessary budget expenditure, and notably, the site of his martial law declaration. Chungcheong-do remains a crucial battleground for presidential candidates; notably, the winner of this region has also secured victory in the last seven presidential elections. Meanwhile, the People Power Party held a media day for its primary contestants on Thursday. With eight contestants, they broke the first round debates into two groups by topic. Future for the young generations and social unity. The future for the young generations debate will be held by Yoo Jeong-bok, Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Moon-soo, and Yang Hyang-ja on Saturday. Social unity by Lee Cheol-woo, Na Kyung-won, Han Dong-hoon, and Hong Joon-pyo on Sunday. The People Power Party also launched its preparatory committee for the presidential election. Chaired by lawmaker Yun Jae-ok, the committee is set to prepare for the PPP presidential election campaign once the party's candidate is chosen. Yun said it's long overdue as the prep should've started before but said, "the tortoise beat the hare." Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.
S. Korea, U.S. kick off joint two-week Freedom Flag air drills
2025/04/17 20:00
In other news. South Korea and the U.S. on Thursday kicked off their two-week combined air drill. Some 1-thousand-100 personnel and 90 aircraft from both countries have been mobilized for the semi-annual Freedom Flag. Their missions include air interdiction counter-air operations and wartime defense rehearsal. Freedom Flag combines two existing exercises: the annual Combined Air Force Composite Training and Vigilant Defense.
S. Korean gov't holds preparatory meeting for APEC 2025
2025/04/17 20:00
Organizers of the 2025 APEC Summit, which will be held in South Korea's ancient southern city of Gyeongju this coming November, are now looking to move from the planning phase to the execution stage. Speaking at a related meeting this Thursday, acting President Han Duck-soo highlighted the significance of this latest annual summit as it comes amid much uncertainty over global trade given the changes it currently faces. He further pointed to prospects of new investment in South Korea, as corporate leaders look to attend the gathering as well.
U.S., Japan begin first official trade talks in test case for Trump's tariff negotiations
2025/04/17 20:00
Over in the U.S. Japanese trade officials and their American counterparts met for talks on tariffs as Tokyo seeks exemptions from the levies slapped by Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the meeting, saying "big progress" was made. Park Jun-han has the details. The United States and Japan agreed to finalize a trade agreement as soon as possible during their Wednesday meeting in Washington. Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa said that while the U.S. was seeking to conclude the agreement within the 90-day suspension period for "reciprocal tariffs," Tokyo was approaching the talks with caution, and the future course of the negotiations remained uncertain. During the talks, Akazawa expressed deep regret over President Donald Trump's tariff measures, noting that Washington had already imposed 25% tariffs on steel and automobiles and is set to apply a 24% reciprocal tariff on Japanese goods. "For my part, I said that the United States' tariff measures are deeply regrettable, I explained Japan's position regarding the impact on Japanese investment and hiring, both in Japan and in the United States, and strongly requested that the U.S. review its series of tariff measures." After meeting the Japanese trade delegation, President Trump noted on his social media that it was a "great honor" and added "big progress." According to Kyodo News, Washington is believed to have demanded higher defense spending by Tokyo, or a larger share of the costs associated with maintaining U.S. military forces in Japan, as part of any tariff reduction agreement, even though the two parties did not reveal the specifics of their conversation. Akazawa explained that the two countries had agreed to reschedule the next round of talks to be held within April and to continue discussions at both the working and ministerial levels. Meanwhile, the U.S.-Japan talks were viewed as a reference point for South Korea ahead of Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok's visit to Washington next week. Park Jun-han, Arirang News
S. Korea launches large, more efficient tariff response system
2025/04/17 20:00
The government launched a larger, more efficient new tariff response system on Thursday. The Ministry of Economy and Finance announced in a meeting headed by First Vice Minister Kim Beom-seok that its original task force supporting orders and exports has been rededicated as the "One-Stop Tariff Response Support Headquarters" to deal with trade uncertainty. Earlier in the day, Trade Minister Jeong In-kyo pledged swift and coordinated action with relevant agencies as he forecast that U.S. tariffs would begin impacting exports in the second quarter. The meeting comes ahead of next week's visit to the U.S. by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, who are both set to carry out trade negotiations in Washington.
U.S.-CHINA CHICKEN GAME HAS REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS
2025/04/17 17:00
Hello. You're watching Thursday's edition of Press Perspective for April 17th here in Seoul. I'm Min Sun-hee. The Trump administration's tariff policy is looking to bleed beyond trade and into diplomacy and security especially for its allies including South Korea. For more on this reality I have Thomas Maresca with American news agency UPI. Thomas welcome. I also have Yang Chien-Hao a freelance journalist from Taiwan based here in Seoul. Chien-Hao it's good to have you back. 1) Thomas, quite a number of media outlets are calling the tariff war between the U.S. and China a dangerous game of chicken. 2) Chien-Hao, there has also been quite a bit of coverage about who will blink first in this latest game of chicken. 3) Thomas, let's now touch upon the broader implications of this trade war between the U.S. and China on its partners including South Korea. 4) And Chien-Hao, what does South Korea look to gain and lose should it shift its foreign policy to expand its embrace of China? 5) Thomas, how does the U.S.'s confrontational approach towards China look to affect efforts to denuclearize North Korea? 6) Chien-Hao, do you fear that the trade war between the U.S. and China may play out in the form of an actual war in Taiwan? 7) Thomas, Mr. Trump's "America First" policy appears to leave the U.S. less willing to compromise in global security matters. 8) Chien-Hao, what proactive steps should the incoming South Korean administration take to ensure its security and stability going forward? 9) Thomas, the U.S. Energy Department's designation of South Korea as a "sensitive" nation went into effect this past Tuesday. All right.
World News: UK Supreme Court says legal definition of 'woman' means biological female and excludes transgender people
2025/04/17 17:00
This is the World Now, bringing you the latest stories from around the globe. In the UK, the Supreme Court has made a landmark decision regarding the legal definition of a woman. According to the ruling, under the Equality Act 2010, woman refers exclusively to biological sex, excluding transgender people. The unanimous ruling on Wednesday, local time, stems from a legal challenge by the feminist advocacy group For Women Scotland against the Scottish government's inclusion of transgender women in a 2018 law that mandated 50% female representation on public boards. The Court ruled that the definition of woman should only include biological females. It said that interpreting the definition to include individuals based on gender identity would make the Equality Act inconsistent. However, the decision does not revoke existing protections against discrimination for transgender individuals. Women's rights groups lauded the ruling as a reaffirmation of sex-based rights while LGBTQ+ organizations expressed concern and disappointment. The French government has announced the expulsion of 12 Algerian diplomatic staff, following Algeria's decision to expel 12 French diplomats. Thus comes after France arrested an Algerian consular official suspected of links to a kidnapping. On Wednesday local time, France's foreign affairs minister said France will expel 12 Algerian diplomatic and consular officials in France, and recalled its ambassador from Algiers for consultations. This move comes after Algeria decided to expel 12 French diplomats after France detained an Algerian consular agent linked to a kidnapping case. In 2024, an activist and influencer known as "Amir DZ," a critic of the Algerian government, was abducted near Paris and released the following day. French prosecutors have charged three Algerian nationals, including the consular official, with kidnapping and terrorist conspiracy. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday met with three former hostages held by Hamas, who were released in late 2023 and February of this year. Speaking to Alexander Trufanov, who had been held by Hamas in Gaza for 498 days, Putin pledged to continue efforts to secure the release of remaining hostages. Putin also acknowledged "years of stable relations" with Palestinian representatives as pivotal in facilitating the release of the hostages, and extended gratitude to Hamas for what he termed a "humanitarian act." Trufanov, whose father was killed during the October 2023 Hamas attack, appealed to Putin to persist in efforts to free others still in captivity. Finally, astronomers have identified a new planet, located approximately 120 light-years from Earth, that resembles Tatooine, the home planet of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movie. The planet appears to orbit a pair of brown dwarfs, or what experts call "failed stars" that are too small to shine like the Sun. What makes this planet special is that it moves in a completely different direction from how the two stars orbit each other, referred to as a "polar orbit." Although the planet was not directly seen, scientists spotted its presence by watching the movement of the stars. The author of the study, an astronomer from the University of Birmingham, said, "There aren't many very young planetary systems like this." This research was published in the journal Science Advances on April 16. Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.
Bills aimed at special probes into fmr. Pres. Yoon fail to pass parliamentary revote
2025/04/17 17:00
The National Assembly today voted down Democratic Party-led bills that had been vetoed by the acting president. These include a special investigation bill related to former president Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young is standing by live on the line. So Ha-young do fill us in. Sunny, just a few minutes ago, the National Assembly voted down a Democratic Party-led bill calling for a special investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law last December and the related insurrection charges. In an anonymous vote, of the total 299 votes cast, 197 voted for the bill and 102 voted against. The bill was vetoed in January by then-Acting President Choi Sang-mok and sent back to the parliament for a revote. For a bill already vetoed to pass, it requires approval from two-thirds or more of the lawmakers present in addition to a majority attendance. During Thursday's plenary session, the Assembly also voted down a bill that had been sent back for a revote, which called for a special probe into a political broker called Myung Tae-kyun. The DP in February unilaterally passed the bill seeking to investigate allegations of election fraud involving former President Yoon, first lady Kim Keon Hee, and Myung. Ahead of the session, the rival parties issued sharp messages over the bills up for a revote. Take a listen. "It's time for the PPP to break ties with Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office. If they oppose the special investigation again, it will clearly show they're siding with insurrection and acting against the Constitution." "These are populist and unjust bills that the DP pushed through without sufficient public consensus or regard for national interests and people's livelihoods, just to strengthen its political position." And also, Ha-young tell us about the revote on the Commercial Act revisions. The parliament also rejected a Commercial Act amendment, which was vetoed by Acting President Han Duck-soo earlier this month. The bill sought to revise the Commercial Act to add the word "shareholders" to the director's duties from just "company," in efforts to tackle the so-called "Korea Discount." The PPP has been against the bill, arguing that it could lead to lawsuits and make it difficult for companies to make decisions. It claims that small investors are not contractually bound to the companies, with different types of investors aiming for different results. That's all I have for this hour. Back to you, Sunny. All right Ha-young, thank you for that coverage. That was our political correspondent Shin Ha-young with the latest at the parliament.
S. Korea, U.S. kick off joint two-week Freedom Flag air drills
2025/04/17 17:00
South Korea and the U.S. earlier on this Thursday began their two-week combined air drill. According to the Air Force here some 1-thousand-100 personnel and 90 aircraft from both countries have been mobilized for the semiannual Freedom Flag. Missions include air interdiction counter-air operations and wartime defense rehearsal. Freedom Flag combines two existing exercises the annual Combined Air Force Composite Training and Vigilant Defense.
S. Korean gov't holds preparatory meeting for APEC 2025
2025/04/17 17:00
Organizers of the 2025 APEC Summit to be held in Korea's ancient southern city of Gyeongju this coming November are now looking to move from the planning phase to the execution stage. Speaking at a related meeting earlier on this Thursday acting President Han Duck-soo also highlighted the significance of this latest annual summit as it comes amid much uncertainty over global trade given the changes it currently faces. He further pointed to prospects of new investment in South Korea as corporate leaders look to attend the gathering as well.
DP to move top office from Seoul to Sejong; PPP kicks off primaries with media day
2025/04/17 17:00
In other news. Presidential hopefuls of the Democratic Party have proposed relocating the top office to Sejong City as they begin their partisan campaign while the candidates of the People Power Party prepare to hold a series of debates this weekend on issues of national interest. Our correspondent Kim Do-yeon has the latest. Preliminary presidential candidates from the Democratic Party of Korea unveiled their strategies to boost growth in the Chungcheong-do provinces on Thursday, coinciding with the start of online voting by DP electors the day before. All three candidates shared a common pledge to fully establish Sejong City, located within Chungcheong-do, as South Korea's administrative capital, proposing to relocate the presidential office there. This pledge also follows a move by impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who previously relocated the presidential office from the Blue House to Yongsan—a decision heavily criticized by the DP as an unnecessary budget expenditure, and notably, the site of his martial law declaration. Chungcheong-do remains a crucial battleground for presidential candidates; notably, the winner of this region has also secured victory in the last seven presidential elections. Meanwhile, the People Power Party held a media day for its primary contestants on Thursday. With eight contestants, they broke the first round debates into two groups by topic. Future for the young generations and social unity. The future for the young generations debate will be held by Yoo Jeong-bok, Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Moon-soo, and Yang Hyang-ja on Saturday. Social unity by Lee Cheol-woo, Na Kyung-won, Han Dong-hoon, and Hong Joon-pyo on Sunday. The People Power Party also launched its preparatory committee for the presidential election. Chaired by lawmaker Yun Jae-ok, the committee is set to prepare for the PPP presidential election campaign once the party's candidate is chosen. Yun said it's long overdue as the prep should've started before but said, "the tortoise beat the hare." Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.
Government returns medical student quota to pre-increase level of 3,058
2025/04/17 17:00
The government is reversing its earlier expansion of medical school seats in a bid to resolve its protracted standoff with current students and junior doctors. Byeon Ye-young explains. The government announced on Thursday that the 2026 medical school enrollment quota will be returned to the 2024 level of 3,058 students. "We will push for a legal amendment to allow universities to adjust their 2026 medical school enrollment quotas to 2024 levels." Last year, the government raised the quota by 2,000 to 5,058, but doctors and medical students strongly opposed the move, alleging it would hurt training conditions. This led to a wave of leaves of absence among medical students, resulting in a significant gap in their medical education. Presidents of 40 medical schools proposed that the government restore the original quota for 2026 admissions if all first-year students returned to class. The government accepted the proposal on March 7th but only if a sufficient number of students to ensure classes could proceed without disruption returned by the end of March. A surge in last-minute enrollments at the so-called "Big 5" medical schools led to that number being achieved. While many former students returned, a number opted to "register but not attend." So even after reversing the quota increase, the government still has more to do to get these students back to classes and resolve the healthcare workforce shortage. This raises questions about the future of medical education. "We need to predict how the healthcare landscape will change 10 to 20 years from now, and based on that vision, we should determine how many medical professionals we need and what kind of education they should receive." Universities are now required to submit revised admissions plans that reflect the updated quota to the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) by the end of this month. The proposed changes will then be reviewed and finalized following KCUE approval, expected around May. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang news.
U.S., Japan begin first official trade talks in test case for Trump's tariff negotiations
2025/04/17 17:00
Also in the U.S. this past Wednesday. Japanese trade delegates and their American counterparts met for talks on tariffs during which President Donald Trump made a surprise appearance. Park Jun-han covers these talks. The United States and Japan agreed to finalize a trade agreement as soon as possible during their Wednesday meeting in Washington. Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa said that while the U.S. was seeking to conclude the agreement within the 90-day suspension period for "reciprocal tariffs," Tokyo was approaching the talks with caution, and the future course of the negotiations remained uncertain. During the talks, Akazawa expressed deep regret over President Donald Trump's tariff measures, noting that Washington had already imposed 25% tariffs on steel and automobiles and is set to apply a 24% reciprocal tariff on Japanese goods. "For my part, I said that the United States' tariff measures are deeply regrettable, I explained Japan's position regarding the impact on Japanese investment and hiring, both in Japan and in the United States, and strongly requested that the U.S. review its series of tariff measures." After meeting the Japanese trade delegation, President Trump noted on his social media that it was a "great honor" and added "big progress." According to Kyodo News, Washington is believed to have demanded higher defense spending by Tokyo, or a larger share of the costs associated with maintaining U.S. military forces in Japan, as part of any tariff reduction agreement, even though the two parties did not reveal the specifics of their conversation. Akazawa explained that the two countries had agreed to reschedule the next round of talks to be held within April and to continue discussions at both the working and ministerial levels. Meanwhile, the U.S.-Japan talks were viewed as a reference point for South Korea ahead of Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok's visit to Washington next week. Park Jun-han, Arirang News
France to expel 12 Algerian diplomats
2025/04/17 10:00
The French government has announced the expulsion of 12 Algerian diplomatic staff, following Algeria's decision to expel 12 French diplomats. Thus comes after France arrested an Algerian consular official suspected of links to a kidnapping. On Wednesday local time, France's foreign affairs minister said France will expel 12 Algerian diplomatic and consular officials in France, and recalled its ambassador from Algiers for consultations. This move comes after Algeria decided to expel 12 French diplomats after France detained an Algerian consular agent linked to a kidnapping case. In 2024, an activist and influencer known as "Amir DZ," a critic of the Algerian government, was abducted near Paris and released the following day. French prosecutors have charged three Algerian nationals, including the consular official, with kidnapping and terrorist conspiracy.
UK Supreme Court says legal definition of 'woman' means biological female and excludes transgender people
2025/04/17 10:00
In the UK, the Supreme Court has made a landmark decision regarding the legal definition of a woman. According to the ruling, under the Equality Act 2010, woman refers exclusively to biological sex, excluding transgender people. The unanimous ruling on Wednesday, local time, stems from a legal challenge by the feminist advocacy group For Women Scotland against the Scottish government's inclusion of transgender women in a 2018 law that mandated 50% female representation on public boards. The Court ruled that the definition of woman should only include biological females. It said that interpreting the definition to include individuals based on gender identity would make the Equality Act inconsistent. However, the decision does not revoke existing protections against discrimination for transgender individuals. Women's rights groups lauded the ruling as a reaffirmation of sex-based rights while LGBTQ+ organizations expressed concern and disappointment.
Eight in for PPP's presidential nomination amid impeachment fallout; Seoul mayor becomes popular
2025/04/17 10:00
The contender list for the People Power Party has now been narrowed down to 8 from the initial 11. The PPP's race will be quite a competitive one, as only 4 of the 8 will make it to the second round. Our Kim Do-yeon has the details. After closing the registration for the presidential primary the People Power Party on Wednesday named eight contestants after cutting three of the registered but not well-known names for not being up to the public's expectations and standards. As expected the eight are Kim Moon-soo, the latest labor minister, five-term lawmaker Na Kyung-won, four-term lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, former lawmaker Yang Hyang-ja, Incheon mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, former PPP chair Han Dong-hoon, the latest Daegu mayor Hong Joon-pyo. The Chair of PPP's election committee emphasized that it'll manage a fair election. "As election committee chair, I will work with my team to ensure each candidate can freely present their vision in an open, energetic atmosphere. Through honest debate, we aim to select a candidate the people can truly trust to lead the nation." Without a clear front-runner, a fierce competition awaits the contestants but some touch of fun awaits as well to garner support from the young generations. This includes heart monitoring during debates, speed round questions, and self-introductions based on MBTIs. All in all, Hwang emphasized party unity amid what could be seen as an uphill battle an election after its former president was impeached. Harmony and unity are our core values. To win the public's trust, every candidate must unite, work together, and move forward as one team. Meanwhile, the eight contestants released their pledges and were doing media interviews on Wednesday. However, an unexpected key figure was in the spotlight. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon who pulled out from the primaries became a popular person to meet. Starting with dinner with Hong Joon-pyo on Tuesday night, the Seoul Mayor met with Kim Moon-soo on Wednesday for breakfast, Na Kyung-won in the morning, and Ahn Cheol-soo for lunch. The candidates emphasized their visions aligned with the Mayor's which was focused on growth and helping "the weak" initially when he launched his campaign. This is largely seen as a message to Oh's supporters as he's not in the race anymore. Meanwhile, Han Dong-hoon visited Daegu on Wednesday. Daegu is a conservative stronghold with many eligible electors that account for 50 percent of the final votes. Meanwhile after a media day for the candidates on Thursday series of debates will be held through the weekend. Based on the debates, four will survive the cut-off for the next round starting April 22nd. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.
DP preliminary candidates pledge fair competition as party primary kicks off in Chungcheong-do Provinces
2025/04/17 10:00
The sprint to the liberal party ticket to the top office is officially in full swing now with the three contenders from the Democratic Party vowing to run a fair race in their first gathering on Wednesday. Our Shin Ha-young reports. As the Democratic Party kicks off its primary race for the 21st presidential election, its three preliminary candidates pledged to compete fairly and come together after the race. On Wednesday, former party leader Lee Jae-myung; Kim Kyung-soo, former Gyeongsangnam-do Province Governor; and Kim Dong-yeon, current Gyeonggi-do Province Governor, made their first joint appearance since registering for the primary. "For a better life for the people and a hopeful future, the DP and our candidate whoever that may be must win this election." "I hope this primary will be a chance to fully showcase the DP's experience and capabilities." "I will give my best through fierce competition and come together to bring real change, beyond just a change in government." Starting Wednesday, the party will run four primaries through April 27th: Chungcheong-do, Gyeongsang-do, Jeolla-do provinces, and the Seoul Metropolitan Area alongside Gangwon-do Province and Jeju. During the regional primaries, dues-paying party members and party delegates will cast their votes, which will account for 50 percent of the total in selecting the presidential candidate. On the last day in each region, the voting results will be announced. Public polls will be conducted for two days sometime between April 21st and 27th, and these will account for the remaining 50 percent. The final candidate will be confirmed on April 27th. All three candidates are focusing their policy visions on the economy. Lee Jae-myung's think tank officially launched on Wednesday, outlining a national vision that aims for 3 percent potential growth, becoming one of the world’s top four exporters, and creating a gross national income per capita of 50-thousand U.S. dollars by 2030. Kim Kyung-soo announced his economic policy focused on boosting the AI industry and promoting balanced regional growth, promising 100 trillion Korean won, around 70 billion dollars, in public-private investment over the next five years to secure AI leadership and drive industrial change. Kim Dong-yeon, meanwhile, has been emphasizing the so-called "Five Big Deals" to differentiate his economic policies, which includes focusing on balanced regional growth, climate change, and tax reform. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.