Category: Politics-Korea

This is all blowback from the Sewol ferry disaster where former President Park Guen-hye was criticized for not immediately taking action when there was nothing she could have done to save the kids that died. Now every time there is a disaster the politicians don’t want to create any appearance of indifference which critics were able to successfully do with President Park:

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) is looking into criticism that Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo played golf over the weekend when the country was grappling with damage from heavy downpours, a spokesperson said Tuesday.

The investigation was ordered by party leader Kim Gi-hyeon and depending on the outcome, Hong could be referred to the party’s ethics committee for disciplinary measures if he is found to have violated the party regulations.

“The party is taking this issue very seriously,” Rep. Kang Min-kuk said after the party’s leadership meeting. “We should first determine what happened through the investigation, and then there are going to be discussions about follow-up measures.”

Later in the afternoon, the party’s ethics committee said it will convene Thursday to decide ex officio whether to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Hong. 

Hong played golf for one hour Saturday before play was suspended due to rain. Critics say it was inappropriate for a public servant to play golf at a time when the country was struggling with massive damage caused by the heavy rains.

The mayor claimed he did nothing wrong, saying there was no report of damage in Daegu at the time and he has the right to do whatever he wants during personal hours. 

“At a time like this, we need to be careful about what we say and do,” PPP leader Kim said during a party meeting. “Not only lawmakers of our party but also regional party officials, municipality heads and government officials should try to make sure not to cause trouble with inappropriate words and deeds.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

President Yoon should just call these subsidies what they are, political payoffs. What Yoon can’t do though is just end the subsidies to left wing groups and then give them to right wing groups. This just continues the same problem. None of these political groups should be receiving taxpayer money:

President Yoon Suk Yeol called Wednesday for abolishing “nonsense political subsidies” in an apparent reference to subsidies given to civil organizations under the previous administration.

Yoon made the remark while presiding over a national financial strategy meeting with government and ruling party officials ahead of full-fledged planning for next year’s government budget, according to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon.

“We must get rid of nonsense political subsidies, while keeping economic subsidies alive and making social subsidies more efficient and rational,” Yoon was quoted as saying during the meeting held at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae.

The instruction came after a recent audit of government subsidies given to about 12,000 civil organizations over the past three years found a total of 1,865 cases of irregularities involving about 31.4 billion won (US$24 million).

Earlier, Yoon ordered the implementation of a strict oversight system under which project leaders and the public servants responsible will be held to account in the event of irregularities in subsidized projects.

Yoon took direct aim at the previous Moon Jae-in administration, saying the national debt, which had been kept at 600 trillion won for 70 years, rose by 400 trillion won during its term, increasing the total to over 1,000 trillion won.

Yonhap

Here is the most important statement from President Yoon and I guess we will see in the coming years if he actually means it:

“If we are thinking truly of the nation and the people, and not of political ambition, then fiscal austerity and soundness is inevitable at the moment,” he said. “Our government, unlike the previous government, will maintain a principle of responsible and sustainable fiscal management.”

You can read more at the link.

Kim Gi-hyeon does make a good point and this proposal would encompass more than just Chinese nationals:

The leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Tuesday suggested scrapping the voting rights of Chinese nationals living in South Korea, saying that vice-versa is not the case.

Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon made the remark in an address at the National Assembly as leader of a parliamentary negotiating bloc, saying relations between South Korea and China should be based on the principle of reciprocity.

“At the time of the local elections in June last year, about 100,000 Chinese nationals residing here had the right to vote. However, no suffrage is guaranteed at all for our people in China,” Kim said during the address.

“Why should we be the only one opening the latch? What is fair would be not to give voting rights to foreigners from countries that do not give our people voting rights,” he said.

Since 2005, South Korea has given foreigners the right to vote in local elections if three years have passed since they gained permanent residency. Some critics have said the law gives Chinese too much say in local politics.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but it will be interesting to hear what the Chinese response to this will be.

I wonder if Lee even realizes his hypocrisy considering he is leading the party that led prosecutions against various conservative Korean politicians when the left held power:

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said Monday he will give up his immunity from arrest as a lawmaker, accusing the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol of unfair investigations of him and other political opponents.

Lee, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), made the pledge during an address at the National Assembly, claiming that the Yoon administration is bent on “raids, arrests and political strife” without taking care of the economy and diplomacy.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This has to be the shortest time as a committee member ever:

Lee Rae-kyung, the honorary chair of The Tommorrow, a left leaning civic group, is seen in this undated photo provided by the Democratic Party on June 5, 2023. (Yonhap)

The newly appointed head of a special innovation committee of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said Monday he is resigning following controversy over his past remarks, including a claim that North Korea’s 2010 sinking of the South Korean naval ship Cheonan was fabricated.

Lee Rae-kyung announced his resignation just nine hours after DP leader Lee Jae-myung said Lee was appointed to head the committee newly formed to help turn around the party’s image amid a slew of scandals.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but how much of a left wing ideologue do you have to be to believe the ROK sunk its own warship which is what some of these loons in the DP believe.

The nursing act that has caused huge protests in South Korea from the health care community against it, has been vetoed by President Yoon:

A Cabinet meeting led by President Yoon Suk Yeol is held at the presidential office in Seoul on May 16, 2023. (Yonhap)

President Yoon Suk Yeol rejected the opposition-led nursing act Tuesday amid strong protests from doctors and nursing assistants against it, exercising his veto power for the second time since taking office.

The act, which was railroaded by the main opposition Democratic Party last month, is aimed at stipulating the roles and responsibilities of nurses, and improving their working conditions.

“The people’s health cannot be exchanged for anything,” Yoon said during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office, before rejecting the legislation and asking the National Assembly to reconsider it.

Yoon said people’s health comes ahead of anything else, such as politics, foreign policy and economic policy, and can only be properly maintained through cooperation between various groups of medical professionals.

“The nursing act is creating excessive conflict between these related groups, and the move to separate nursing services from medical institutions is causing people to feel anxious about their health,” he said.

Yonhap

Here is why there has been much criticism of the bill:

Doctors and nursing assistants have opposed the bill, arguing the legislation would cause confusion in the medical sector because it could lead to nurses opening their own clinics without doctors’ supervision and that nursing assistants could be discriminated against.

You can read more at the link.

The Korean left has long hated Tae Yong-ho because he is a North Korean defector turned politician who has stood against their attempts to appease the Kim regime and often challenges their dogma in regards to historical issues. So anything with a sliver of truth they will use to discredit him or their ultimate goal to drive him out of office:

Rep. Tae Yong-ho of the People Power Party (PPP) on Wednesday flatly denied allegations that he received an illegal political donation around last year’s local elections amid several other looming controversies surrounding him.

According to a media report, the North Korean defector-turned-lawmaker allegedly accepted political funds from elected councilors of his constituency in Seoul’s Gangnam district, in return for backing their nomination. 

The donations were allegedly split up and given under the names of their families and acquaintances.

“I would like to clarify at this moment that I am confident that there is not a single stain regarding the issue of fundraising,” Tae said in a press conference held at the National Assembly.

Tae also denied media reports that senior presidential political affairs secretary Lee Jin-bok asked him to make remarks in support of Korea-Japan relations while talking about the issue of party nominations for next year’s general elections.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Who would have thought an idiot 21 year old National Guardsman trying to win Internet arguments in a Discord chatroom would cause a massive slide in President Yoon’s approval ratings?:

Kim Tae-hyo, deputy national security director, speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, Saturday, after returning from his Washington trip. Yonhap

Expectations were high among presidential aides and ruling party politicians only two weeks ago when it was announced that President Yoon Suk Yeol would address the U.S. Congress on April 27 during his trip to Washington. 

Many thought that his state visit to the United States ― the first by a Korean head of state in 12 years ― would help him recover his image as a trusted leader and put a stop to his declining approval ratings following his hasty and controversial push to improve relations with Japan.

Yet skepticism is now growing that his visit will do little to achieve those goals. A mix of U.S. surveillance allegations, Washington’s irresponsible response and ― most importantly ― the Yoon administration’s poor handling of the situation has put the president in another political bind.

On Saturday, nearly 20,000 protesters gathered in the streets of central Seoul, denouncing the administration for its “humiliating diplomacy.”

“Despite the thief who stole our secret safe before the U.S. trip, [the administration] claims that it was a good thief and had goodwill,” activist Kim Min-woong said during the protest. “Shouldn’t the U.S. apologize? This country (Korea) has become a global pushover, which does not complain even when its sovereignty is violated. Humiliating.” (……)

With the U.S. offering no public apologies or promises to stop spying on Korea, the public has been upset, and they’re taking it out on Yoon. According to a poll released by Gallup Korea Friday, the president’s approval rating dropped to 27 percent from 31 percent a week ago, with 28 percent of the respondents disapproving of his diplomatic activities as their main reason. It was the first time his approval rating fell below 30 percent since November 2022 following the Itaewon crowd disaster, which killed at least 158 people.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but it is no surprise that the Korean left is demagoguing this issue acting like the ROK doesn’t collect intelligence on the United States.