Journalist

Ko Hye-young
  • Democratic Party taps Park Ji-won, Lim Moon-young for likely by-election strategic nominations
    Democratic Party taps Park Ji-won, Lim Moon-young for likely by-election strategic nominations The Democratic Party on Tuesday named Supreme Council member Park Ji-won and Lim Moon-young, standing vice chair of its AI Strategy Committee, as internal talent picks, signaling strategic nominations for upcoming by-elections. Park is expected to be nominated in the North Jeolla Province district of Gunsan-Gimje-Buan, and Lim in Gwangju’s Gwangsan-eul district. At a welcome event at the National Assembly, party leader Jeong Cheong-rae said the core principles for strategic nominations in the parliamentary by-elections were recruiting outside talent and elevating internal talent. He called Park “a model” internal pick, noting Park rose from the rank-and-file and won election as a supreme council member after a 115-to-1 competition. Jeong said Park was elected last September through an all-member vote, becoming the first to move from an ordinary party member to the supreme council. He described Park as a symbol of the “one person, one vote” system and “a next-generation leader” who could reshape the party. Jeong also urged Lim to help support the Lee Jae-myung government’s AI policy at the National Assembly and within the party, asking Lim to play a major role in AI legislation alongside Ha Jeong-woo, who is running in Busan’s Buk-gap district. Lim previously served as an operator of Nowcom’s Nownuri service and as head of the iMBC media center, and worked as a policy aide when Lee was mayor of Seongnam and as an informatization policy official when Lee was governor of Gyeonggi Province. Both candidates highlighted ties to their expected districts. Lim said he decided to run in the Gwangju Gwangsan-eul by-election after accepting the party’s proposal and pledged to help transform Gwangju into a leading city in the AI era. Park said he would “build momentum for victory” starting in North Jeolla Province, where he said he was born and raised. Asked whether tapping presidential office figures who helped design national AI policy, including Ha and Lim, could disrupt policy work, Kim Young-jin, deputy chair of the party’s talent recruitment committee, said coordination among the party, government and presidential office would continue and could produce greater synergy. Kim said follow-up work would include legislative and policy support in the National Assembly, adding that having the two active in parliament would have a bigger impact in shaping a nationwide direction. 2026-05-06 13:51:16
  • Ruling, Opposition Parties Trade Attacks in Key Races Ahead of June 3 Local Elections
    Ruling, Opposition Parties Trade Attacks in Key Races Ahead of June 3 Local Elections The ruling and opposition parties are intensifying their fight over key battlegrounds ahead of the June 3 local elections. The Democratic Party has nominated Jung Won-oh, a former Seongdong District chief, for Seoul mayor and Jeon Jae-soo, a former oceans and fisheries minister, for Busan mayor, highlighting an image of candidates who “get things done.” The People Power Party, meanwhile, is leaning on incumbency advantages and the issue of a special counsel tied to canceling indictments to rally conservative voters. Democratic Party lawmaker Park Sung-joon, People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-seop, Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Shin Jang-sik and New Reform Party lawmaker Cheon Ha-ram appeared Tuesday on CBS Radio’s “Park Seong-tae’s News Show,” trading barbs over the June 3 local elections and by-elections in contested districts. Criticism focused first on Jung, the Democratic Party’s Seoul mayoral candidate. Kim said the narrowing gap in polls reflects Jung’s slipping support rather than a consolidation of conservative voters, calling Jung’s view of Seoul “inexperienced” and “amateurish.” He said Jung’s “competent” image is deflating under scrutiny and argued that, with the indictment-cancellation issue added, “the Democratic Party will have a very hard time in Seoul.” Cheon also said Jung’s numbers in Seoul have stalled despite high presidential approval ratings, adding that questions remain about Jung, including controversy over overseas trips. Park pushed back, saying the election should test who can do the job. He said Oh “has done nothing,” asking what Oh accomplished during four terms. The Busan mayoral race also drew sharp exchanges. Park said Jeon has competitiveness as a “new product,” describing the contest as a clash between Jeon as a symbolic figure and People Power Party candidate Park Hyung-joon as an “old-era” figure. Kim countered that Jeon’s “Cartier” legal risk and a special counsel on allegedly fabricated indictments have given conservative voters a reason to turn out, saying the Busan race has “shifted a lot” thanks to the indictment-cancellation issue. Cheon added that Jeon could face growing difficulty, citing a case in which Jeon’s aide became a defendant on allegations of destroying evidence. In Pyeongtaek-eul, Gyeonggi Province, where multiple candidates are competing, the lawmakers differed on whether consolidation would occur. Kim said conflict in Pyeongtaek-eul between candidate Kim Yong-nam of the “new Lee Jae-myung” camp and Cho Kuk’s camp aligned with Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in would erupt, predicting People Power Party candidate Yoo Eui-dong would win. Shin said Yoo, despite serving three terms, failed to secure what he promised with the government and has no achievements beyond being “a Pyeongtaek person,” predicting a two-way race between Kim and Cho. Cheon said support for the president would not transfer directly to Cho and predicted that, over time, votes would move to Kim. 2026-05-06 11:02:51
  • Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Won-oh visits Korea Exchange, urges support for market shift
    Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Won-oh visits Korea Exchange, urges support for market shift Jeong Won-oh, the Democratic Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, visited the Korea Exchange on May 4, as the benchmark KOSPI index topped 6,900, and said Seoul must raise its growth rate to sustain the “money move” into stocks and the market rally. Speaking at an event titled “Jeong Won-oh’s On-the-Ground Visit: Finance Edition” at the exchange in Seoul’s Yeouido district, Jeong said that as of 2024 the national economic growth rate was 2.0% while Seoul’s was 1.0%. He said Seoul should help ensure the KOSPI’s upward momentum continues. According to the Korea Exchange, the KOSPI closed at 6,936.99, a record high. Jeong said the Lee Jae-myung government and the Democratic Party were turning what critics said was impossible into reality, and urged the Seoul city government to keep supporting the market mood through measures such as regulatory reform and improved administrative services. Rep. Oh Ki-hyoung, who attended the meeting, also called for shifting the focus from real estate to capital markets. “Economic growth centered on real estate is no longer feasible,” Oh said, adding that resources should move toward innovative companies and capital markets. Rep. Kim Nam-geun said he joined the event to discuss investment opportunities across Seoul so money tied up in real estate can move into more productive sectors. Participants also raised concerns about a lack of startup space. Kim said the city would use idle spaces across Seoul to create places where venture and startup firms can operate without the burden of rent. Oh said that despite existing startup support spaces in Seoul, many companies start up elsewhere due to rent costs or to receive support from other local governments. He said there is a mismatch between demand and available space.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-04 17:52:41
  • Democratic Party Slams People Power Nominations as ‘Yoon Again’ Push Ahead of June 3 Local Elections
    Democratic Party Slams People Power Nominations as ‘Yoon Again’ Push Ahead of June 3 Local Elections The Democratic Party of Korea on May 4 stepped up its criticism of the People Power Party’s nominations for the June 3 local elections, with party leader Jung Cheong-rae calling them, in his words, a declaration of a return to a “Yoon Again party.” Speaking at an on-site Supreme Council meeting in Busan, Jung said the lineup of nominees was “shocking,” and asked whether the party was nominating “remnants” or the “main body” of an insurrection, and whether it was trying to “stage another insurrection” by nominating “insurrection collaborators.” He said he was angry that such figures were returning to the center of power “without remorse,” and demanded the party immediately withdraw the nominations of “insurrection collaborators.” On the possibility that the People Power Party could nominate Jeong Jin-seok, described in the article as a former presidential chief of staff, Jung pointed to comments by South Chungcheong Gov. Kim Tae-heum, saying Kim appeared to be signaling a decision to split from the party. Jung asked whether the party would press ahead with Jeong’s nomination. Kim said on May 2 that if Jeong’s nomination became reality, he would accept even leaving the party and running as an independent. Supreme Council member Hwang Myung-sun also criticized what he called “Yoon Again” nominations. He said the People Power Party was regrouping a “Yoon Suk Yeol-style Hanahoe” through its nominations for the June 3 local elections and by-elections, and said nominating Lee Jin-sook, Lee Yong and Kim Tae-gyu amounted to “clear support for an insurrection.” He said putting forward people who “should be standing in court” as candidates was an insult to the public and to democracy. The meeting was also attended by Jeon Jae-soo, the party’s Busan mayoral candidate, and Ha Jung-woo, a candidate for the Buk-gu Gap parliamentary seat in Busan, who pledged to win their races. Jeon, speaking about relocating HMM’s headquarters to Busan, said the move would not be the end, adding that more shipping, logistics, finance, legal, service and future-industry companies would move to the city. “From now on is the real start,” he said, adding that if the HMM move opened the way, the flow should spread across Busan’s economy. Ha said he would make Busan’s Buk-gu district the nation’s leading hub for AI education, and said he would be a strong growth engine for the district’s development.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-04 11:57:19
  • Choo Mi-ae Questions Jang Dong-hyuk’s Conduct as a Former Judge
    Choo Mi-ae Questions Jang Dong-hyuk’s Conduct as a Former Judge Choo Mi-ae, the Democratic Party candidate for Gyeonggi governor, criticized Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, on the 4th, saying it was “puzzling” that he is a former judge. Choo made the remarks during a morning appearance on the radio program “Kim Eo-jun’s Humility Is Hard, News Factory,” responding to a host’s question about how she views Jang. “Judges are used to hearing both sides. They don’t speak after making quick assumptions,” she said. Choo, who said she is also a former judge, recalled that when she first joined her party as a deputy spokesperson, she was told she was slow. “They told me, ‘Say our argument quickly,’ but shouldn’t you first listen to see whether our argument is right or not?” she said. She also accused Jang of “pouring out nonsense on his own,” adding that he “creates confusion both in the United States and here.” Asked about the possibility of a unified candidacy between her rivals — People Power Party candidate Yang Hyang-ja and Reform New Party candidate Cho Eung-cheon — Choo said it did not appear likely. She said that with a general election two years away, they would not “easily” unify if they are considering their political standing. Choo cited “a major transformation for Gyeonggi” as a key theme of the race. She said the Democratic Party should win in all 31 cities and counties in the province, calling it “a rare chance to change Gyeonggi dramatically.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-04 10:04:20
  • National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik urges People Power Party to back constitutional amendment vote
    National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik urges People Power Party to back constitutional amendment vote Woo Won-shik, the speaker of South Korea's National Assembly, said Saturday that a plenary vote on a constitutional amendment bill jointly introduced by 187 lawmakers was expected within days, and urged the People Power Party to take part in the vote. In a Facebook post, Woo said the bill's passage remained uncertain because the People Power Party opposes it as a party line. He again asked the party to lift its opposition and participate in the vote. Addressing the party, Woo said it was "deeply regrettable" that it opposed an amendment meant to ensure that an illegal imposition of martial law could not even be contemplated, despite what he described as an apology over martial law and efforts to sever ties with Yoon Suk Yeol. He urged the party to join what he called his proposal to "cross the river of insurrection" together by backing the amendment. Woo also stressed that the core of the amendment was preventing a "second Yoon Suk Yeol." He said it could not be guaranteed that there would never again be a second or third Yoon with "extreme thinking," and called for changing the National Assembly's constitutional power to lift martial law into a power to approve it, and for immediately suspending the effect of martial law once the Assembly votes, to prevent any attempt at illegal martial law. On April 3, floor leaders of six parties, excluding the People Power Party, submitted the amendment bill to the National Assembly under the names of 187 lawmakers. The People Power Party has opposed it, calling it a rushed, election-driven amendment.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-03 17:09:15
  • High-Profile By-Elections Ahead of June 3 Local Vote Seen as ‘Mini General Election’
    High-Profile By-Elections Ahead of June 3 Local Vote Seen as ‘Mini General Election’ With parties entering the final stretch of nominations ahead of the June 3 local elections, attention is intensifying on the by-elections and re-elections, which some observers say have grown into a “mini general election” as heavyweight figures enter the race. Political circles said May 3 that 14 constituencies have been confirmed for the contests. Re-elections will be held in two districts: Gyeonggi Province’s Pyeongtaek-eul and North Jeolla Province’s Gunsan-Gimje-Buan-gap. By-elections will be held in 12 districts: Busan Buk-gap, Daegu Dalseong, Incheon Yeonsu-gap, Incheon Gyeyang-eul, Gwangju Gwangsan-eul, Ulsan Nam-gap, Gyeonggi Ansan-gap, Gyeonggi Hanam-gap, South Chungcheong Gongju-Buyeo-Cheongyang, South Chungcheong Asan-eul, North Jeolla Gunsan-Gimje-Buan-eul, and Jeju Seogwipo. Several prominent politicians are seeking seats, adding to the stakes. They include Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the People Power Party, in Busan Buk-gap; Song Young-gil, former leader of the Democratic Party, in Incheon Yeonsu-gap; Lee Kwang-jae, former Gangwon governor, in Gyeonggi Hanam-gap; Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, in Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek-eul; and Lee Jin-sook, former chair of the Korea Communications Commission, in Daegu Dalseong. If Song wins, he would become a six-term lawmaker. Pyeongtaek-eul, where Cho is running, has emerged as the most closely watched battleground. The field is expected to be a five-way race including Kim Yong-nam of the Democratic Party, Yoo Eui-dong of the People Power Party, Kim Jae-yeon of the Progressive Party and Hwang Kyo-ahn of the Liberty and Solidarity Party. Cho wrote on social media that he would “trust only the public sentiment” and “fight with everything” to win “by three votes.” Some observers also warned that if Cho fails to return to the National Assembly, the party would face an unavoidable blow. Busan Buk-gap, where Han is running, is also drawing heavy attention. Han is campaigning as an independent, while the Democratic Party has countered with a strategic nomination of Ha Jung-woo, former senior presidential secretary for AI and future planning. Ha chose Gupo Market for his first campaign stop, saying it was right to meet residents of his hometown first and greet them as “the son of Buk-gu has returned.” The People Power Party is set to hold a primary between former Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Park Min-sik and former KBS reporter Lee Young-pung. With multi-candidate races taking shape in key districts, whether camps move toward candidate unification is expected to influence outcomes. In Busan Buk-gap, the race could shift to a three-way or a two-way contest depending on whether Han and the People Power Party nominee unify. In Pyeongtaek-eul, if one side consolidates behind a single candidate, the other side risks a split vote. Overall, the outlook remains unclear. Cho Won-bin, president of the Korean Association of Party Studies, told Ajunews by phone that it is “too early to pin down the direction of the race,” adding that depending on how competitive Cho and Han prove to be, discussions on unification could accelerate based on opinion polls. In other districts, analysts said party alignment may matter more than individual candidates. Cho said the opposition is struggling in some areas to field sufficiently competitive contenders, and that under the single-member district system, races are likely to converge around the two major parties. 2026-05-03 15:30:19
  • Reform Party’s Cho Eung-cheon calls Seoul-area candidates meeting over special counsel bill
    Reform Party’s Cho Eung-cheon calls Seoul-area candidates meeting over special counsel bill Cho Eung-cheon, the Reform Party’s candidate for Gyeonggi governor, on May 3 criticized a Democratic Party-backed bill to appoint a special counsel to probe alleged “fabricated indictments,” calling it “a special counsel bill to cancel indictments” and “a bill to erase crimes” aimed at covering up “all of President Lee Jae-myung’s offenses.” He proposed an emergency joint meeting of Seoul-area candidates for metropolitan government posts. Speaking at a morning news conference at the National Assembly, Cho said candidates who agree the country is in an emergency should meet at 3 p.m. to coordinate a response. The Democratic Party on April 30 introduced a special counsel bill to investigate allegations that prosecutors under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration fabricated indictments in cases including the Ssangbangwool remittances to North Korea case and the Daejang-dong case. Cho singled out Choo Mi-ae, the Democratic Party’s candidate for Gyeonggi governor, as the starting point of the controversy. “At the beginning of all this is candidate Choo, who is excited about her dream of becoming Gyeonggi governor,” he said, adding that as the previous chair of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee she pushed “all kinds of strange special counsel bills” and led what he called a “monstrous” bill. He also criticized Choo for, in his words, giving up her committee post to Rep. Seo Young-kyo after deciding to run for governor and then offering no explanation “as if she has nothing to do with it.” He urged her to “stop hiding” and state clearly, “as a lawyer,” whether the bill has problems. Cho encouraged participation by People Power Party Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon and Gyeonggi gubernatorial candidate Yang Hyang-ja. “I’m waiting for a response from Seoul-area candidates for metropolitan government posts, including candidate Oh Se-hoon, who is a lawyer,” he said, adding that it would carry weight if they gathered across party lines to speak with one voice. Asked whether the meeting had been coordinated in advance and whether it might fall through, Cho said there had been no prior coordination. If the meeting cannot be held due to time constraints, he said, he could ask to have his name included if a joint statement is issued.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-03 11:34:01
  • Rep. Lee Hoon-gi to Introduce Bill Naming K-Content a National Strategic Industry
    Rep. Lee Hoon-gi to Introduce Bill Naming K-Content a National Strategic Industry Rep. Lee Hoon-gi of the Democratic Party said April 29 he will introduce a bill next month to designate K-content as a national strategic industry. Lee made the remarks at a forum titled “Policies and Strategies to Strengthen the Global Competitiveness of the K-Media Content Industry,” co-hosted with the Korea Broadcasters Association at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building. He said the current governance structure is limited because responsibilities are split among the Korea Communications Commission, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The forum was organized to assess what participants called a structural disconnect in which K-content’s global success has not translated into growth for South Korea’s domestic media industry, and to explore policy directions. “We need to look back at what we were doing while the world was going wild over ‘K-pop Demon Hunters,’” Lee said, adding that laws and policies supporting K-content’s global competitiveness remain weak. Korea Broadcasters Association President Bang Moon-shin also said the belief that the K-culture boom is leading to industrial growth is “an illusion,” and argued that asymmetric regulation is constraining content production. The forum included a presentation by Kyung Hee University professor Lee Sang-won and drew experts from academia and industry. Participants shared concerns about a broader industry downturn, citing falling terrestrial broadcasters’ revenue, fewer drama slots and a loss-making structure for over-the-top streaming services. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 17:51:49
  • PPP Floor Leader Says Calling North Korea Joseon Is Unconstitutional, Urges Unification Minister’s Dismissal
    PPP Floor Leader Says Calling North Korea 'Joseon' Is Unconstitutional, Urges Unification Minister’s Dismissal Song Eon-seok, floor leader of the People Power Party, said on the 29th that Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young’s suggestion of calling North Korea “Joseon” is “clearly unconstitutional.” In a Facebook post that afternoon, Song wrote, “That’s one more reason Jeong should be dismissed.” Song said Jeong had previously used the North’s official name, the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” and that a Unification Ministry official has now issued an official position on whether to refer to North Korea as “Joseon,” saying it would be decided “after public discussion through various channels.” Song argued that calling North Korea “Joseon” would mean recognizing it as a separate, equal state under the North’s “two states” theory. He said that would violate Article 3 of the Constitution, which defines the nation’s territory, and Article 4, which states unification as a national goal. The People Power Party introduced a motion on April 24 urging Jeong’s dismissal and reported it to a plenary session the previous day. The motion was automatically discarded after it was not put to a vote before the deadline. In another Facebook post the previous day, Song criticized the ruling party, writing, “What is a 60-seat majority ruling party so afraid of that it can’t even vote on a dismissal motion?” He added, “If you want to reject it, then reject it—what are you worried about that you use this kind of trick to let it lapse?”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 16:18:02