Category: Politics-Korea

With all the corruption investigations surrounding him, Lee Jae-myung pretty much needs to remain the opposition leader in order to claim the investigations are all politically motivated:

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) was set to hold a national convention to elect its new chief Sunday, with former Chairman Lee Jae-myung widely expected to win the race for a second term.

Lee, a former DP leader, has stayed overwhelmingly ahead of other candidates — former Interior Minister Kim Doo-gwan and Kim Ji-soo — winning nearly 90 percent of the combined ballots cast by registered party members in 17 rounds of primaries that concluded the previous day.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I wonder what the backroom deal was to get this pardon for one of President Moon’s good friends?:

President Yoon Suk Yeol granted a special pardon to former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, Tuesday, on the occasion of Aug. 15 Liberation Day, reinstating his eligibility to run for a public post.

The decision to pardon Kim, a prominent figure in the liberal bloc, was made despite opposition from some members of the ruling party. Critics argue that it is inappropriate to allow Kim, who was convicted and served a jail term for manipulating online opinions leading up to the 2017 presidential election, to run for public office again.

Yoon also pardoned several former senior presidential officials during the Park Geun-hye administration who were jailed in a massive corruption scandal involving the former president.

The Cabinet approved the pardon plan, which was endorsed by Yoon. In total, 1,219 people received a special pardon, including small business owners, self-employed individuals, and those convicted of crimes arising from financial difficulties.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link and I recommend reading my below post for more information about the Druking scandal that happened back in 2017. This is an example of why you have to be careful in trusting opinion polls.

The ongoing saga around the hangbag from hell political hit job continues for Korea’s First Lady:

First lady Kim Keon Hee was interrogated by prosecutors over allegations that she illegally accepted a luxury handbag from a Korean American pastor and was involved in a stock manipulation scheme, according to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Sunday,

Kim was summoned on Saturday for an investigation into graft and stock manipulation cases. She was questioned face-to-face at an undisclosed government building for about 12 hours.

Kim faces allegations that she illegally accepted a Christian Dior handbag valued at around 3 million won ($2,158) from pastor Choi Jae-young during their meeting in Seoul in September 2022, four months after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s inauguration.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Since the political opposition controls the National Assembly the Yoon administration is going to have to continue to deal with these types of shennanigans:

The presidential office said Monday it will not respond to an opposition-led parliamentary hearing addressing an online petition for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment.

The parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee voted last week to hold two hearings — on Friday and on July 26 — to deal with the petition, posted online on June 20, that calls for the National Assembly to propose an impeachment motion against Yoon over various allegations, including first lady Kim Keon Hee’s acceptance of a luxury handbag in 2022.

“We cannot respond to an unconstitutional and unlawful impeachment hearing,” a senior presidential official told Yonhap News Agency.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but this is the Korean lefts ultimate goal which is to impeach President Yoon.

Just as I suspected, the Yoon administration is trying to handle the Naver situation quietly while the Korean left is trying to turn it into an anti-Japanese bilateral political issue. It is all pretty predictable:

The government will respond firmly and strongly to any unfair overseas treatment of South Korean companies, the presidential office said Monday, as the Japanese government has appeared to pressure Naver to sell its stake in the operator of Line, the biggest messenger app in Japan.

LY, the operator of Line, is controlled by a joint venture between Naver — South Korea’s biggest internet portal operator — and SoftBank of Japan. Earlier this year, the Japanese government issued administrative guidance to LY to “review its capital relationship” with Naver, over a massive leak of user information last year, which was interpreted as pressure on the South Korean company to yield control of Line’s operator. (……)

Sung added the government has been checking the Japanese government’s position via diplomatic channels, including through the South Korean Embassy in Japan.

He also sought bipartisan cooperation from political circles, saying, “It is clear that the political frame of some encouraging anti-Japan sentiment damages national interest, and is unhelpful to protecting our businesses and reflecting our interests.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but it is pretty clear the Japanese government is simply putting pressure on Naver to fix the cybersecurity issues.

Former President Moon’s foreign policy advisor, Moon Chung-in has an interview in the Korea Times. Part of the interview focuses on what he thinks a President Trump presidency would mean for South Korea:

Q: If Trump were to be re-elected, what would his approach be toward North Korea? Would we witness another Trump-Kim bromance?

A: In a potential second term, Trump will prioritize solidifying his political legacy. His foreign policies would be greatly influenced by media attention and personal ego, as he values how history will remember him. Striking a “big deal” with Pyongyang and contributing to peace on the Korean Peninsula could serve as a pathway to fulfilling such an ambition, potentially earning him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. While resolving the war in Ukraine or the Gaza crisis could also enhance his Nobel Prize prospects, negotiations with North Korea are likely to be a key agenda for Trump.

In that sense, Trump will actively engage North Korea, potentially even considering a visit to Pyongyang for a summit with Kim Jong-un, where Trump could present surprising offers. However, the success of such endeavors ultimately depends on Kim’s response.

Q: What would Kim want from Trump? And considering that their previous attempts did not yield favorable results, does that mean they will have to start from square one? 

A: Kim has little to lose by fostering a close relationship with Trump, as showcasing friendship with a global leader sends a powerful message both domestically and internationally.

However, the problem is that Kim’s trust in Trump was shattered when the former president did not keep his promise made during the Panmunjeom summit in June 2019. To mend that fractured trust, Trump would need to extend significant overtures this time. This could include pledges on immediate sanctions relief that would visibly improve North Korea’s economy, followed by the normalization of bilateral relations between Pyongyang and Washington. Additionally, Trump might propose halting joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, or even reducing the number of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops. In exchange, he could seek commitments from North Korea to cease nuclear and missile activities, along with a gradual reduction of its nuclear arsenal.

Korea Times

You can read much more at the link.

President Yoon sorta of gives an apology for the handbag-gate political setup:

President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized Thursday for what he called the “unwise conduct” of first lady Kim Keon Hee, referring to allegations she illegally accepted a luxury bag in 2022.

It was his clearest expression of regret yet since video emerged online last year appearing to show the first lady accepting a Christian Dior handbag, valued at around 3 million won (US$2,200), from a Korean American pastor armed with a hidden camera.

“I apologize for causing concern to the people with the unwise conduct of my wife,” Yoon said during a press conference marking the second anniversary of his presidency, which falls on Friday.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but the First Lady early in the administration was still living in their private home without a staff that would normally vet and advise on visits like this. When Kim Keon-hee was given the bag she seemed surprised which demonstrates she was not expecting it and thought this was only going to be a meeting with a pastor her father supposedly knew. 

The fact this camera trap was executed early in Yoon’s presidency in 2022, but released shortly before the 2024 elections shows how this was a political setup to infleunce the parliamentary elections which it successfully did.

This whole hand bag-gate will probably be much to do about nothing, but at least President Yoon can say the issue has been investigated whenever the Korean left brings it up:

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok speaks to reporters in front of the Supreme Prosecutors Office on May 7, 2024. (Yonhap)

The top prosecutor on Tuesday pledged to speedily and strictly conduct an investigation into allegations that first lady Kim Keon Hee illegally received a luxury bag as a gift in 2022.

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok made the pledge after he ordered last week the creation of an investigation team dedicated to the allegations involving the first lady.

“The prosecution will conduct the investigation speedily and strictly only in accordance with evidence and the legal principles and take appropriate action accordingly,” Lee told reporters.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

How is $184 going to restore anyone’s “livelihood”?:

Rep. Park Chan-dae, the new floor leader of the Democratic Party, speaks at the National Assembly in western Seoul on May 3, 2024. (Yonhap)

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) plans to propose legislation providing cash handouts of 250,000 won (US$184) to the entire population as its first bill of the new National Assembly set to open later this month, its new floor leader said Monday.

Rep. Park Chan-dae unveiled the plan in a radio interview with local broadcaster MBC after DP leader Lee Jae-myung asked President Yoon Suk Yeol last Monday to accept his election pledge for the cash handouts as a way to help restore the people’s livelihoods.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The big thing with this agreed to bill is that the special investgation cannot issue warrants:

The ruling and main opposition parties agreed Wednesday to revise a special bill mandating a new investigation into the 2022 Itaewon tragedy that claimed 159 lives, both sides said.

The bill, which was initially railroaded by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in January but vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol, calls for the formation of an investigation committee to look into the root cause of the tragedy, which took place amid a crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district during Halloween weekend in 2022.

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the DPK agreed on the committee’s makeup, period of operation and method of investigation, and will reflect the agreements in a revised bill before passing it through a plenary parliamentary session Thursday, they said.

Under the deal, the committee will not have the authority to conduct investigations ex officio or seek warrants, operate for up to a year with the possibility of extending its term by up to three months, and comprise a chair who will be chosen following consultations between the rival parties and four members recommended by each party.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.