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South Korea rules out Lee reelection as constitutional debate flares
SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung is only in the second year of his five-year term, but speculation over whether a constitutional amendment could allow him to seek reelection briefly emerged as a political flashpoint before senior ruling-party figures moved quickly to rule out the possibility. The controversy erupted Tuesday after National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik said whether an incumbent president could run again under a revised Constitution was ultimately a m
July 29, 2026
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Ex-President Yoon's 2022 campaign statements ruled false SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - A South Korean court on Monday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, after finding him guilty of making false statements during the campaign that carried him to the presidency in 2022. The first-instance verdict could also deliver a heavy financial blow to the conservative People Power Party. If the sentence survives the appeals process, the party would be required to return 39.7 billion won, or about $27 July 27, 2026 -
Shincheonji allegations engulf ruling party leadership race as probe widens SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - Allegations that members of the Shincheonji religious group joined South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party en masse have intensified an already bitter leadership contest, prompting calls for a sweeping investigation into possible organized religious interference in party politics. A joint investigation team comprising prosecutors and police has reportedly found signs that Shincheonji members collectively joined the Democratic Party in parts of the Seoul July 27, 2026 -
Lee seeks broad consensus on housing to avoid Japan-style property bust SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) -Normalizing property prices distorted by "abnormal" demand and supply is the purpose of housing policy, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday, calling for a broad social consensus on how to balance housing supply, lending restrictions and taxation to prevent the country from following Japan's decades-long property bust. "Real estate is one of the biggest challenges facing the Republic of Korea," Lee said in opening remarks July 23, 2026 -
Lawmaker Kim Gunn seeks legal mandate to shield companies abroad SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - A former diplomat turned lawmaker introduced legislation Tuesday that would give South Korean embassies and consulates an explicit legal mandate to help Korean companies navigate sudden regulatory changes and other obstacles overseas. Rep. Kim Gunn of the main opposition People Power Party proposed the bill, tentatively titled the Act on Support for Overseas-Expanding Companies by Diplomatic Missions, aiming to turn South Korea's overseas missions into m July 21, 2026 -
PPP leader turns to hardline conservatives amid loosening grip within party SEOUL, July 9 (AJP) - Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has taken his fight over a ballot shortage in last month's local elections out of Parliament and onto the streets, alarming lawmakers in his own party who fear that the campaign could pull conservatives back toward election fraud conspiracy theories. Jang began a nationwide tour on Wednesday to demand a re-run of the June 3 local elections along with an investigation into the ballot July 9, 2026 -
Korea's ruling party dominance wanes as young voters lose faith SEOUL, July 07 (AJP) - On June 16, a woman in her 20s with an American flag wrapped around her waist chained herself to a tape-bound gate at Seoul's Olympic Handball Gymnasium, preventing police from reopening the venue after it had been sealed over a ballot-shortage controversy in the June 3 local elections. Some protesters hailed her as the "Joan of Arc of Olympic Park." The scene is no longer unusual. Increasingly, it is young people—not the elderly—ta July 7, 2026 -
Korea's Lee to head to NATO summit as Seoul courts defense partners SEOUL, July 3 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will travel to Türkiye and Mongolia next week for a five-day diplomatic swing aimed at expanding Seoul's security, defense industry and supply chain partnerships, the presidential office said Friday. Lee will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara from July 7 to 8 before making a state visit to Mongolia from July 9 to 11, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said at a briefing at Cheon July 3, 2026 -
President Lee to go live with cabinet H2 briefings SEOUL, July 01 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will once again receive live televised briefings on the government's second-half policy agenda, pressing ahead with the format despite criticism that it has become more of a public spectacle than a working policy review. The presidential office said Wednesday that Lee will receive reports from government ministries and agencies from July 15 to July 21 in nine sessions, reviewing progress on tasks assigned during the ad July 1, 2026 -
Korea's new PM Han Seong-sook vows AI focus and faster policy delivery SEOUL, July 01 (AJP) - South Korea's new Prime Minister Han Seong-sook pledged Wednesday bolder policy commitment in artificial intelligence and advanced industries while ensuring the benefits of economic growth reach ordinary citizens. Speaking to reporters as she arrived for her first day at the Government Complex Seoul, Han said she accepted "with great humility" the responsibility entrusted to her by the people and the National Assembly. Referring to the gove July 1, 2026