AJU PRESS ASIA FIRST NEWS AGENCY

Journalist

SONG SEUNG HYUN
  • South Korea’s Democrats Reject U.S. House GOP Letter Urging End to Coupang ‘Discrimination’
    South Korea’s Democrats Reject U.S. House GOP Letter Urging End to Coupang ‘Discrimination’ South Korea’s Democratic Party said U.S. House Republicans were wrong to urge Seoul to stop what they called discrimination against Coupang, arguing that investigating companies suspected of breaking Korean law is a sovereign right. Han Jeong-ae, the party’s policy chief, said at a party meeting at the National Assembly on April 28 that the letter’s argument effectively implies U.S. companies should face looser standards abroad than in the United States. “They invoke the rule of law and sovereignty, yet at the same time make demands that directly violate those principles. It is logically inconsistent,” Han said. She added that protecting citizens’ personal information and investigating and probing alleged legal violations are “the legitimate right of a sovereign state.” Rep. Lee Yong-woo said authorities are considering sanctions against Coupang over alleged violations of multiple Korean laws, including the Personal Information Protection Act, the Fair Trade Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. “If they argue Coupang should be exempt from legal sanctions simply because it is a U.S. company, that is not fair and amounts to demanding preferential treatment,” Lee said. He also said the group letter from Republican lawmakers “undermines mutual trust and respect between allies,” adding that he “strongly regrets” it. The Democratic Party said it plans to send its own protest letter to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, led by Rep. Park Hong-bae. “I don’t know what kind of falsehoods Coupang is telling in the United States that leads to interference in another country’s judicial matters,” Park said. “What happens in the Republic of Korea must be resolved under Korea’s laws and procedures.” He said lawmakers came together across factions and parties to defend the rule of law and sovereignty. Park warned that if U.S. political demands are accepted, it could set a precedent for multinational companies to use diplomatic pressure to intervene in domestic judicial procedures. “Korea’s judicial sovereignty is not a subject for negotiation,” he said, adding that he and 90 lawmakers “will not back down” from what he called an unjust demand.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 10:48:46
  • Democratic Party’s Cheon Jun-ho Vows to Pursue Probe Into Alleged Prosecutorial Abuse
    Democratic Party’s Cheon Jun-ho Vows to Pursue Probe Into Alleged Prosecutorial Abuse Cheon Jun-ho, acting floor leader of South Korea’s Democratic Party, said April 28 that his party will “dig to the end” into what it calls state violence uncovered through a National Assembly special committee investigating allegations of politically motivated, fabricated indictments under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. He also criticized the People Power Party’s decision to nominate Rep. Choo Kyung-ho as its Daegu mayoral candidate as a “Yoon-again nomination.” Speaking at a Democratic Party floor leadership meeting at the National Assembly, Cheon said the committee’s work was nearing its final stage and that the probe had revealed “the reality of state violence” by what he called the “Yoon Suk Yeol prosecution-led administration.” He said signs of fabrication were found without exception in cases including the Ssangbangwool remittances to North Korea, Daejang-dong, the Wirye new town development, the killing of a South Korean public official in the West Sea, and alleged statistics manipulation. Cheon said “fabricated indictments, sentence deals and manipulated recordings” were used for media campaigns that affected even the last presidential election. He said the Democratic Party would pursue accountability for what he described as abuses of state power to eliminate political opponents, adding that such acts trampled the Constitution and human rights. Cheon also pointed to the People Power Party’s April 26 nomination of Choo for the June 3 local elections, calling it “a clear Yoon-again nomination.” He said Choo is a defendant on trial on charges of playing an important role in an insurrection and is accused of obstructing a vote to lift martial law at the time. Cheon said the nomination made the People Power Party’s character clear and urged it to stop what he called “Yoon-again nominations.” He added that South Korea would overcome insurrection and move forward.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 10:15:18
  • Democratic Party Picks Lee Kwang-jae, Kim Yong-nam and Kim Nam-kuk for Gyeonggi By-elections
    Democratic Party Picks Lee Kwang-jae, Kim Yong-nam and Kim Nam-kuk for Gyeonggi By-elections The Democratic Party said it has decided to make strategic nominations for upcoming by-elections in Gyeonggi province, naming Lee Kwang-jae, a former Gangwon governor, for Hanam Gap; Kim Yong-nam, a former lawmaker, for Pyeongtaek Eul; and Kim Nam-kuk, a former lawmaker, for Ansan Gap. Kang Jun-hyeon, the party’s chief spokesperson, told reporters after a meeting of the Strategic Nomination Management Committee at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 27th that the committee approved the three nominations. Kang said Lee was chosen in part because he has put the party ahead of personal interests when it faced difficulties. He described Lee as a heavyweight candidate who has served three terms in the National Assembly and led a provincial government, and said he is suited to push forward national projects such as the GTX rail plan. Kang also highlighted Lee’s past election win in conservative-leaning Gangwon and said Lee has a strong grasp of issues affecting the Seoul metropolitan area. Explaining Kim Yong-nam’s nomination, Kang said the party aimed to field a “reasonable and reform-minded” conservative figure in Pyeongtaek Eul, an area with strong conservative tendencies. He said Kim contributed significantly to broadening support and winning the last presidential election, and that the party believes Kim can draw backing across political lines and remain competitive even in a difficult district. Kang said Kim Nam-kuk was nominated because he has, until recently, shared President Lee Jae-myung’s governing philosophy and previously served as a lawmaker representing the Ansan area. “Former lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk understands President Lee Jae-myung’s governing philosophy most deeply,” Kang said, adding that Kim’s understanding of local issues, built during his time representing Ansan, would help lead the party to victory. The party, however, ruled out nominating Kim Yong, a former deputy head of the Democratic Research Institute, who had consistently expressed interest in running in the Gyeonggi area. Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae said some inside and outside the party argued Kim deserved an opportunity, describing him as a victim of what he called a “prosecutorial fabricated indictment” and someone who contributed to the party and President Lee. But Cho said the party decided not to nominate him because it could affect the by-elections. Cho added that it would also be difficult to consider Kim for nomination in another district and said he explained the circumstances to Kim on the 27th. Cho also said the party would continue its recruitment process for Ha Jung-woo, the presidential office’s senior secretary for artificial intelligence, who is widely expected to run in Busan’s Buk-gu Gap district. Cho said he met Ha personally on the 6th, and that party leader Jung Cheong-rae also spoke with Ha on the 26th about a potential run. Cho said Ha had expressed his intention to resign, and that if it is approved soon, the party plans to proceed with steps to bring him in as a candidate.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 18:38:24
  • National Assembly Speaker Woo urges vote on constitutional amendment, warns PPP of blame if it fails
    National Assembly Speaker Woo urges vote on constitutional amendment, warns PPP of blame if it fails National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik on April 27 urged lawmakers to pass a proposed constitutional amendment that is set for a vote May 7, the first such vote in 39 years, calling it an effort to “fix an outdated Constitution and move toward the future.” He also warned the People Power Party, which has adopted opposition to the amendment as its party line, that it would bear responsibility if the measure fails. Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly, Woo said provisions in the proposal have broad public support, including language to carry on the spirit of the Bu-Ma Democratic Protests and the May 18 democratization movement, stronger National Assembly control over martial law, and a clause specifying balanced regional development. “This amendment is about fixing an outdated Constitution and opening the door to reform for the country’s future,” Woo said. “If it fails this time, we don’t know when it will succeed again,” he added, urging lawmakers to participate. Woo criticized the People Power Party for deciding as a party to oppose the amendment and for not attending a joint meeting. The party, led by Chairman Jang Dong-hyeok, has maintained its stance and has signaled it may boycott the vote. “If the People Power Party blocks the amendment as a party line and it is defeated, then the People Power Party must also take all responsibility,” Woo said. He added that joining the effort would be a way for the party to “move beyond insurrection and be reborn as a healthy conservative party,” and urged it to show courage, saying he believed it would serve the public. Woo said he plans to request meetings with Jang and floor leader Song Eon-seok to seek the party’s participation, while arguing that support for the amendment is growing within the party. “I am willing to meet the People Power Party leadership at any time. I plan to request talks with Chairman Jang and Floor Leader Song,” Woo said. He also claimed that several lawmakers, including Rep. Kim Yong-tae, have expressed support for the need for constitutional reform. Woo has repeatedly signaled his determination to complete the amendment. At a New Year’s news conference in February, he said passing it during his remaining term would be a key priority and announced a goal of handling it alongside the upcoming 6·3 local elections. Six parties, including negotiating and non-negotiating blocs, have jointly introduced the amendment with Woo. The People Power Party, however, has publicly declared opposition, saying an amendment pushed through while “trampling” the opposition would be “dictatorship.” With no clear shift in its position, the outlook for passage remains uncertain. 2026-04-27 12:42:17
  • Democratic Party Says Kim Yong Nomination Has Mixed Views, Defers to Committee
    Democratic Party Says Kim Yong Nomination Has Mixed Views, Defers to Committee The Democratic Party said Monday that opinions inside the party are divided as more members call for nominating Kim Yong, a former deputy head of the party-affiliated Democracy Research Institute, and urged the public to trust the party’s Strategic Nominations Committee. Senior spokesperson Kang Jun-hyeon told reporters at the National Assembly that “it is true there are various opinions within the party,” but said the committee should be allowed to make its decision. Kang also addressed comments by Secretary-General Jo Seung-rae, who had said there were many negative views within the party about nominating Kim. Kang said Jo’s remark “was not the party’s official stance,” calling it a reference to internal sentiment. “Please understand it only as meaning there are various opinions within the party,” he said. Kang said the party has continued efforts to recruit Ha Jung-woo, the presidential office’s senior secretary for artificial intelligence, who is widely seen as a likely candidate in Busan’s Buk-gu Gap district. Kang said it was not confirmed whether Jo and the committee had direct contact with Ha, but added that “there was a process in which the party earnestly requested” that Ha run. “With not much time left until the by-election, the most important thing is Ha’s firm determination,” Kang said. Kang said the Strategic Nominations Committee would meet as needed to handle strategic nominations for the by-elections. He noted that the deadline for public officials seeking to run to resign is May 4, adding that the party’s plan is to wrap up strategic nominations by early May. The committee, he said, is moving “urgently and swiftly.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 10:23:14
  • Democratic Party Faces Growing Calls to Nominate Kim Yong as Leader Chung Cheong-rae Stays Quiet
    Democratic Party Faces Growing Calls to Nominate Kim Yong as Leader Chung Cheong-rae Stays Quiet Calls inside the Democratic Party to nominate Kim Yong, former deputy head of the Democratic Research Institute, for a parliamentary by-election being held alongside the June 3 local elections are growing, but party leader Chung Cheong-rae has maintained a cautious stance, citing “public standards.” Chung visited Daegu on Saturday and attended the opening of the campaign office for Daegu mayoral candidate Kim Boo-kyum, continuing election-related field events. He did not address Kim Yong’s nomination. At a party leadership meeting on April 22, Chung said, in remarks seen as aimed at Kim, “The core strategy of every election is the public’s standards and the perspective of winning.” On the same day, Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae told CBS Radio’s “Park Sung-tae’s News Show” that the party was “reviewing it comprehensively,” while indicating there were many negative views within the party. Cho said there were competing arguments: that political consideration was needed for what some describe as a victim of a “fabricated indictment” by “political prosecutors,” and that the nomination would not be appropriate in the eyes of the public. Since then, party leaders have largely avoided commenting on the issue. As the leadership stays cautious, more lawmakers have publicly urged Kim’s nomination. Rep. Ahn Ho-young wrote on Facebook on Saturday that “Kim must run” to secure victory in the by-election. Kim, described as a close aide to President Lee Jae-myung, has openly sought the party’s nomination in Gyeonggi Province’s Ansan Gap district. He posted on Facebook a day earlier, “I’ve had a run of luck with TV appearances lately, so maybe nomination luck will come, too.” Kim’s side claims about 60 Democratic Party lawmakers want him to run. Supreme Council members including Reps. Lee Eon-ju, Kang Deuk-gu and Hwang Myung-sun, as well as senior lawmakers including Reps. Cho Jung-sik, Kim Tae-nyeon and Park Jie-won, are said to agree on the need to nominate him. The party leadership, which has remained silent, is expected to decide by late this month or early next month. The party plans to finalize strategic nominations for by-elections, including Ansan Gap, by early next month. 2026-04-26 16:57:17
  • Reform Party floor leader vows to stop complaints driving school soccer bans in Busan
    Reform Party floor leader vows to stop complaints driving school soccer bans in Busan Cheon Ha-ram, floor leader of the Reform Party, visited Yeonje Futsal Stadium in Busan’s Yeonje District on April 26 and said, “A city where children don’t run and play has no future. We will fix, through institutions, the reality of education being damaged by malicious complaints.” Cheon made the remarks while visiting the venue with Busan mayoral candidate Jeong Yi-han, pointing to what he said was a widespread practice of elementary schools banning soccer during lunch breaks. “When I first heard that elementary schools were banning soccer at lunchtime, I thought it would be extremely rare,” Cheon said. “But after looking into it, it amounts to 312 schools nationwide.” He claimed Busan was the worst case, saying 105 schools — 34.6% of the city’s 303 elementary schools — prohibit soccer. Cheon said the bans reflect a lack of systems to deal with malicious complaints, calling it a “failure of politics” to prevent a loud minority from disrupting schools. “We will correct the reality in which the education of the majority is harmed by malicious complaints,” he said. “Schoolyards should not be sterile rooms where only the dust of complaints piles up; they should be a ‘huge growth plate’ where children grow.” Jeong proposed overhauling complaint-handling so teachers do not have to shoulder it directly. He also pledged stronger institutional support to protect teachers from disputes or lawsuits arising during educational activities. Jeong said he would work with the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education to create conditions that guarantee children’s physical activity and experiential learning. “We will answer not with politics that waits, but with politics that solves problems on the ground,” he said. “We will return Busan’s education to normal.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-26 15:13:07
  • Democratic Party’s Seo Young-kyo Says She Won’t Run for Floor Leader, Will Focus on Committee Roles
    Democratic Party’s Seo Young-kyo Says She Won’t Run for Floor Leader, Will Focus on Committee Roles Seo Young-kyo, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, said April 26 that she will not run in the party’s upcoming election for floor leader, saying she will focus on her duties as chair of a parliamentary investigation panel and as head of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee. In a Facebook post, Seo noted that the party has begun formal procedures for the floor leader race, including forming an election management committee. She said she had considered running as someone who sought the post in 2025. “But this time, I will concentrate and do my best” in her current roles, she wrote, referring to her chairmanship of a special parliamentary committee investigating allegations involving what the panel calls politically motivated, fabricated indictments by prosecutors under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, and her post as chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Seo said her work has focused on uncovering what she described as the reality behind alleged fabrication by the Yoon administration, while also pursuing prosecutorial reform and legislation related to people’s livelihoods. “As chair of the parliamentary investigation, many of the wrongdoings committed by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration to eliminate political opponents, including President Lee Jae-myung, have come to light,” Seo wrote. She added that as judiciary committee chair she is carrying out “important tasks” including prosecutorial and judicial reform and legislation on livelihoods and the economy. Seo ran in the Democratic Party’s 2025 floor leader election, competing against Rep. Kim Byung-kee, but lost. With Seo opting out of the next race, Reps. Park Jeong and Baek Hye-ryeon are expected to compete for the post against Rep. Han Byung-do, who has already declared his candidacy.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-26 14:58:52
  • Democratic Party Names Song Young-gil, Kim Nam-jun as Incheon Strategic Candidates
    Democratic Party Names Song Young-gil, Kim Nam-jun as Incheon Strategic Candidates The Democratic Party said it will make strategic nominations in Incheon for the by-elections being held alongside the June 3 local elections, naming Song Young-gil for Yeonsu A and Kim Nam-jun for Gyeyang B. The party’s Strategic Nomination Management Committee made the decision at a meeting held Thursday afternoon at the National Assembly. Senior spokesperson Kang Jun-hyeon told reporters after the meeting, “The committee decided to strategically nominate former party leader Song Young-gil in Incheon’s Yeonsu A and former presidential office spokesperson Kim Nam-jun in Gyeyang B.” Kang underscored the importance of Yeonsu A, calling it “a difficult district for our party and a core strategic area we must defend.” He said Song was placed there strategically, citing his political weight as “a valuable asset” who has served as a five-term lawmaker, Incheon mayor and party leader. Kang added that Song “had to endure an unjust sacrifice due to excessive targeted investigations by the Yoon Suk Yeol prosecution government,” but left the party temporarily, proved his innocence and returned. “We judged him to be the most competitive candidate in Yeonsu A,” Kang said. On Kim, Kang said he “deeply understands President Lee Jae-myung’s governing philosophy,” and has strong knowledge of the district after assisting Lee since Lee’s time as a lawmaker for Gyeyang B. Kang also cited Kim’s communication skills as a former journalist and spokesperson. Kang said Kim is a candidate who can “accurately grasp the president’s intentions” and address local issues quickly, calling him the right person to help the district move forward and to advance the party’s goals of winning the local elections and ensuring the success of the Lee Jae-myung government. The party also explained why it did not select former Incheon Mayor Park Nam-chun, who had sought the Yeonsu A nomination. Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae said Park is “a valuable asset” and “a regrettable loss” from the party’s perspective, but said that after considering the overall situation, the party concluded Song was the more appropriate choice. Cho said the committee plans to meet nearly every day to wrap up strategic nominations quickly. “We have to finish by the first week of May,” he said, adding that the party will narrow down the remaining districts through frequent meetings.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 18:18:51
  • Democratic Party’s Han Byung-do declares bid to seek second term as floor leader
    Democratic Party’s Han Byung-do declares bid to seek second term as floor leader Han Byung-do, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party who stepped down as floor leader to run in the party’s next floor leader election set for May 6, formally declared his candidacy on Wednesday, seeking a second term. Speaking at the National Assembly’s press briefing room, Han pointed to what he called achievements over the past 100 days, saying he had handled bills related to people’s livelihoods and passed a supplementary budget and a special law on investment in the United States. Han said that within five days of taking office he pushed through a second comprehensive special counsel bill, followed by three judicial reform bills and legislation to establish the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Office. He also said bills tied to government policy tasks were processed under what he described as a solid cooperation system among the party, government and presidential office. Han urged support, saying the next floor leader should swiftly pass livelihood-related legislation to firmly support state affairs and lead the party to a landslide victory in local elections. “The top priority is winning the local elections, the first test for the Lee Jae-myung government,” Han said, pledging to turn regional pledges into legislation, policy and budgets and carry them out quickly. Referring to his past work with Lee, Han said he would help ensure the government’s success through broad legislative efforts and cooperation with the opposition. Han said he served as strategy planning committee chair when Lee was party leader and as chief of the campaign situation room when Lee was a presidential candidate, adding that he would apply that experience after victories in both the general election and the presidential election. He said he would move “like lightning” to process legislation after a local election win, remain open to cooperation with the opposition, but respond firmly to what he called irresponsible obstruction. After the news conference, Han told reporters that the distribution of standing committee posts in the second half of the year would be discussed with the newly elected National Assembly speaker and the opposition, and that the floor leadership team would be formed after reviewing legislative progress by committee. Han had hinted at a run in a meeting with reporters on April 21 and resigned as floor leader. At that time, he said his 100 days in the post felt like a year, describing the responsibility of quickly addressing internal party turmoil while simultaneously pursuing what he called an end to “insurrection,” recovery of livelihoods and broad social reform. He also said there was still much to do, including fully uncovering what he called fabricated indictments by “Yoon Suk Yeol’s political prosecution,” swiftly passing livelihood legislation and achieving constitutional revision. Han was elected floor leader in a by-election on Jan. 11 after the previous floor leader, Kim Byung-kee, resigned amid controversies. In his acceptance speech after that win, Han said the time allowed to the floor leader was short but the responsibility was heavy, and pledged urgent action on what he called ending “insurrection,” prosecutorial reform, judicial reform and improving livelihoods.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 11:28:15