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☆ How a Dior bag shook South Korean politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is months out from a crucial election seen as a barometer of his mid-term popularity, but surveys show he has a big problem – the latest scandal surrounding his wife. “But with the Dior bag, there is this powerful visual evidence.”South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, attend an Independence Movement Day event in Seoul on March 1, 2023. The channel also provided Choi with the wristwatch and the Dior bag, according to the pastor. By appearing to not reject the bag, Kim gave ammunition to critics who have long accused her of using her position for personal gain. In a Gallup Korea survey last month, 56% of respondents said Kim should apologize for allegedly receiving the Dior bag.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee, Yoon, Kim, Dior, “, ”, Cho Hee, Jung Yeon, Choi Jae, Choi, Yoon Suk, ” Yoon, Shin Pyeong, ’, Cho, it’s, Hongik University Choi, Kim Yun, Park, hye, Patrick van Katwijk, Marie Antoinette, Han Dong, Han, he’d, Leon Neal, ” Kim, ” Kim Yun, Kyung Hee University “ She’s, Deutsch, Kim’s Organizations: South Korea CNN — South, CNN, Hongik University, “, Getty, of, KBS, Kyung Hee University . South, Gallup Korea, Gallup, Power Party, Democratic Party, PPP, South, Kyung Hee University, Kookmin University, Deutsch Motors, BMW Locations: Seoul, South Korea, American, of Seoul, North Korea, Pyongyang, Netherlands, Gallup Korea, Bali , Indonesia, Korea

☆ South Korea's Yoon Vows Clearer Rules After Wife's 'Dior Bag Scandal'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Heekyong Yang and Josh SmithSEOUL (Reuters) - The release of hidden camera footage showing South Korea's first lady accepting a Dior bag as a gift was a "political manoeuvre", President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday, but vowed to draw clearer lines to ensure such incidents do not happen again. The comments were his first public response to a controversy, dubbed the "Dior bag scandal" by local media, that has roiled his ruling party ahead of a key election in April. "What's important is to set clearer boundaries with others to prevent something like this from happening in the future." A Gallup Korea weekly poll on Friday showed that Yoon's approval ratings had fallen to 29%, the lowest in nine months. (Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Ju-min Park, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)

Persons: Heekyong Yang, Josh Smith SEOUL, Dior, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee, Yoon, it's, Kim's, Abraham Choi, Josh Smith, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: People Power Party, KBS, Reuters, Gallup Korea Locations: North Korea, April's

"With this (decision) Yoon is trying to make sure there is policy continuity in place ahead of election," said Park Sang-hyun, an economist at HI Investment & Securities. "Choi has been long-time finance ministry person and he basically spearheaded major economics policies of the Yoon administration from the very beginning so its a safe choice." Choi has a bachelor's degree from the Seoul National University law school, where Yoon also studied around the same time. Choi's career in government service has been mostly at the finance ministry, overseeing economic policy making, financial market policies, and external business relations. Yoon doesn’t need parliamentary approval to appoint a new finance minister, who also serves as deputy prime minister.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Choi Sang, mok, Choi, Choo, Yoon, Yoon's, Yoon doesn’t, Soo, hyang Choi, Ed Davies Organizations: HI Investment, Securities, Gallup, Bank of, Seoul National University, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Gallup Korea, Daegu

The time is now to put an end to the controversy around eating dog meat, party members have said, adding there was broad support from the opposition party, which currently controls parliament, and from the public. A Gallup Korea poll last year showed almost two-thirds of respondents opposed eating dog meat, with only 8% saying they had eaten dog within the past year, down from 27% in 2015. The farmers scuffled with police who outnumbered them and set up barricades to stop them from crossing the street to move closer to the presidential office. While the practice of eating dog meat has declined in popularity, the farmers and restaurant owners who serve the meat have been fighting to keep it legal. The farmers have accused First Lady Kim, a vocal critic of dog meat consumption, of exercising what they call improper pressure on the government and the ruling party to bring in the ban.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Kim Keon Hee, Ju, Lady Kim, Jimin Jung, Dogyun Kim, Hongji Kim, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Jamie Freed Organizations: Korean Association, Edible, Presidential, Gallup, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, SEOUL, Gallup Korea

HWASEONG, South Korea, Nov 24 (Reuters) - As South Korea moves to ban eating dog meat, many of those involved in the centuries-old controversial practice are fighting to keep it legal. A Gallup Korea poll last year showed almost two-thirds of respondents opposed eating dog meat, with only 8% saying they had eaten dog within the past year, down from 27% in 2015. Despite its declining popularity and opposition from animal rights activists, previous attempts to ban dog meat have failed because of industry protests. With the backing of the public, and bipartisan support in parliament, there are signs that the ban could soon become law. Nam Sung-gue who has run a restaurant selling dog meat boshintang, or "restoring" soup, for the past 30 years, said the ban was unfair, even though his business is fast declining.

Persons: Lee Kyeong, I've, Nam Sung, Kim Keon Hee, Yoon Suk Yeol, gil, Daewoung Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Jack Kim, Miral Organizations: Power Party, Gallup, Korean Association, Edible, Minwoo, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Korea, Seoul, Gallup Korea

☆ South Korea to Ban Eating Dogs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Ju-min ParkSEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea aims to ban eating dog meat and put an end to the controversy over the ancient custom amid growing awareness of animal rights, a ruling party policy chief said on Friday. The government and ruling party would introduce a bill this year to enforce a ban, Yu said, adding that with expected bipartisan support, the bill should sail through parliament. First lady Kim Keon Hee has been a vocal critic of dog meat consumption and, along with her husband, President Yoon Suk Yeol, has adopted stray dogs. Eating dog meat has been an age-old practice on the Korean peninsula and is seen as a way to beat the summer heat. A Gallup Korea poll last year showed 64% opposed dog meat consumption.

Persons: Yu, Chung Hwang, keun, Kim Keon Hee, Yoon Suk, Ed Davies, Robert Birsel Organizations: Power Party, Agriculture, Humane Society International, Gallup Locations: SEOUL, Korea, South Korea, Gallup Korea

☆ South Korea to ban eating dogs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Nov 17 (Reuters) - South Korea aims to ban eating dog meat and put an end to the controversy over the ancient custom amid growing awareness of animal rights, a ruling party policy chief said on Friday. The government and ruling party would introduce a bill this year to enforce a ban, Yu said, adding that with expected bipartisan support, the bill should sail through parliament. First lady Kim Keon Hee has been a vocal critic of dog meat consumption and, along with her husband, President Yoon Suk Yeol, has adopted stray dogs. Eating dog meat has been an age-old practice on the Korean peninsula and is seen as a way to beat the summer heat. A Gallup Korea poll last year showed 64% opposed dog meat consumption.

Persons: Yu, Chung Hwang, keun, Kim Keon Hee, Yoon Suk, Ed Davies, Robert Birsel Organizations: Power Party, Agriculture, Humane Society International, Gallup, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Korea, South Korea, Gallup Korea

☆ South Korea, U.S. mark alliance with rap song, fashion and beer
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A banner commemorating the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance hangs at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, October 24, 2023. The information campaign is intended to "heighten the public's understanding of the South Korea-US alliance", the culture ministry told Reuters. The South Korean embassy in the United States staged a fashion show last month marking the anniversary, with models in traditional Korean dresses featuring South Korean and U.S. flags. SOFT POWERSouth Korea's showcasing of its U.S. ties comes after rival North Korea has been making much of its relations with its old partner, Russia. Lee Gyu-tag, an associate professor of global affairs at George Mason University Korea, said South Korea was trying to tap into pop culture to bolster support for the alliance but it risked a backlash.

Persons: Kim Soo, Donald Trump, Yoon Suk Yeol, Joe Biden, Kim Jong Il, Vladimir Putin, Lee Gyu, Lee, Hyunsu Yim, Robert Birsel Organizations: ROK, U.S, Embassy, REUTERS, Rights, South, Reuters, Korean, . U.S, George Mason University Korea, Gallup, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, South Korean, United States, Korea, Russia, South, Ukraine, ., Gallup Korea

☆ South Koreans worry about Fukushima water; more disapprove of Yoon - poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

South Korean people chant slogans during a protest against Japan’s discharge of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, in Seoul, South Korea, August 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 1 (Reuters) - A majority of South Koreans are worried about Japan's discharge of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea despite efforts by their government to allay fears, a poll published on Friday showed. The South Korean government, however, has said it sees no scientific problem with the water release, though stressing it does not approve of it, and banning the import of seafood from waters off Fukushima, north of Tokyo. Despite such efforts, South Korean environmental groups and many members of the public are alarmed and Yoon's disapproval rating has risen to the highest in months, a Gallup Korea poll of 1,002 people showed. The Fukushima nuclear plant was wrecked by a tsunami triggered by an offshore earthquake in 2011.

Persons: Kim Hong, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, 1,321.1500, Hyunsu Yim, Jack Kim, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, Gallup, Gallup Korea, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, South, Japan, China, Fukushima, Tokyo, South Korean, Gallup Korea

☆ Fukushima wastewater: South Korean shoppers hoard salt, seafood ahead of Japan's release of treated radioactive water
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Jessie Yeung Yoonjung Seo Paula Hancocks | Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The government has said the wastewater release will begin this summer, though it has not specified a date. The shortages were so acute that the government was forced to release sea salt from its official reserves to stabilize salt prices, which have soared more than 40% since April, according to the country’s salt manufacturing association. After a thorough safety review, it concluded in a report last week that the wastewater release would have “negligible” impact on people or the environment. The South Korean government said last week it would respect the IAEA’s findings. Photos show protesters holding banners that lambasted the IAEA and the Japanese government and condemned the wastewater release.

Persons: There’s, Chung Sung, Jung Yeon, ”, Lee Gi, I’m, ” Lee, Rafael Grossi, “, Lee, I’ve, … I’ve Organizations: Seoul CNN —, United Nations, CNN, Shoppers, Ministry of, Fisheries, Reuters, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, Gallup, Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale, Getty, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, South Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Fukushima, Japan, United States, China, Gallup Korea

☆ South Korea lifts power prices by 5.3% in delayed move
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It is the second increase in power prices this year after a sharper 9.5% hike that took effect at the beginning of the year. The price adjustment had been due on April 1 but was delayed after a public outcry about the increased cost of living. Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO), the state-run electricity powerhouse, suffered an operating loss of 6.2 trillion won ($4.69 billion) for the first quarter after a huge 32.6 trillion won loss for the whole of last year. The ministry also announced a 5.3% increase in city gas prices for households. With parliamentary elections some 11 months away, the latest opinion poll by Gallup Korea showed last Friday the disapproval rating on President Yoon stood at 59%, far outpacing the approval rating of 35%.

☆ South Koreans sceptical as president offers olive branch to Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SEOUL, March 16 (Reuters) - As South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol landed in Tokyo on Thursday his plan to patch up relations with Japan faces lingering scepticism at home. Sixty-four percent of the respondents said South Korea did not need to rush to improve ties with Japan if there were no change in Tokyo's attitude, according to the poll. Yoon is the latest of many South Korean conservatives who embrace the argument that Seoul must heal divides with Japan to confront security challenges. Boycotts of Japanese products and vacations have largely faded in South Korea, and a growing number of South Koreans are travelling to Japan as COVID restrictions ease. Three Japanese animated films are among the top five at box office in South Korea.

☆ South Korea's Yoon arrives in Tokyo hours after North's missile launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee arrive at Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) in Tokyo, Japan March 16, 2023. Before Yoon's flight, North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile, which landed in the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan, emphasising both the urgency of regional security and the threat posed by North Korea. "There is an increasing need for (South) Korea and Japan to cooperate in this time," Yoon said in a written interview with international media on Wednesday, calling both North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and supply chain disruptions a "polycrisis". South Korea and Japan at the time agreed to exchange real-time intelligence on North Korea's missile launches, which experts say will help both countries better track potential threats. Tokyo worries that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has set a precedent that will encourage China to attack self-ruled Taiwan.

☆ Gen Z is more enthusiastic about iPhones than Android phones because of their cameras, screen layouts, and apps
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gen Z prefers Apple's iPhone to Android smartphones, a poll cited in the WSJ found. A 23-year-old told Insider that features like the iPhone Health app meant she was "Apple for life." Apple made up more than half of the US smartphone market last year, Counterpoint data showed. Apple was the top smartphone seller in Q4 last year in both the US and China, Counterpoint said. Despite Apple's popularity with Gen Z, Samsung is still the biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world by total shipments, according to International Data Corporation's research released in late January.

☆ South Korea's LGBTQ community confronts crushing headwinds in fight for equality
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Michael Mitsanas | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

NBC News spoke with South Korean lawmakers, human rights organizations and dozens of LGBTQ South Koreans in three of the country’s largest cities: Seoul, Daegu and Busan. Most say a bill that would outlaw discrimination against all minority groups — including the LGBTQ community — is the critical first step toward legal equality. The documentary filmmaker turned progressive lawmaker calls herself an advocate for this country’s LGBTQ community. This, he added, “includes South Korea.”While support for a comprehensive nondiscrimination bill is strong in South Korea, Jang concedes that the odds of one passing, at least in the near future, are slim. The country’s conservative president and People Power Party oppose a comprehensive nondiscrimination bill, while the left-leaning Democratic Party has expressed lukewarm support.

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