Culture Minister Yu In-chon to head delegation to pope inauguration Sunday
Yu will attend the ceremony alongside South Korea's ambassador to the Holy See, Oh Hyun-joo, joining representatives and religious leaders from some 200 countries. Notable attendees include US Vice President JD Vance, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Britain's Prince Edward.
Separately, prominent Korean Catholic leaders will be in attendance. They are Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, former archbishop of Seoul; Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea; and Seoul Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick. They will be joined by Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, the Vatican's prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.
Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from the United States, presided over his first Mass on Friday, pledging to lead a humble church open to 'ordinary people.' His emphasis on advocating for the poor, migrants and women deacons — principles embraced by the late Pope Francis — signaling the potential for continuing tension with conservative traditionalists during his papacy.
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Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Constitutional reform set as top agenda for Lee administration
Committee proposes disbandment of Supreme Prosecutors' Office by 2030, sets AI as future growth engine The State Affairs Planning Committee, acting as a de facto transition team for President Lee Jae Myung, announced Wednesday that amending the Constitution will be the top priority among 123 agenda items in his policy blueprint. The committee added that the proposed reform aims to reinforce the constitutional principle of popular sovereignty. Also outlined in the Lee administration's blueprint were a reform of the prosecution, as well as ways to increase South Korea's potential economic growth rate to 3 percent, in large part through a wider adoption of artificial intelligence. This would be achieved by leveraging the country's human talent, along with more than 50,000 graphics processing units, a next-generation power grid and a transition to renewable energy. Some 210 trillion won ($151.8 billion) in fiscal spending will be directed over the next five years to achieving the 123 policy goals. "Ending the 1987 Constitution, (the Lee administration) will push to amend the Constitution based on citizen participation to open a new era," Rep. Lee Hae-sik of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the committee, told a briefing to the nation held at Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential compound in Seoul. The committee did not elaborate on the direction or a timeframe of the amendment, but Lee has previously hinted at allowing South Korean presidents to serve two four-year terms instead of the current, single five-year term. During the presidential campaign, Lee and his Democratic Party of Korea suggested introducing a new presidential system through constitutional reform that the party said would curtail the power of the South Korean president. Under the proposal, presidents would be allowed to serve two four-year terms, with the re-election contest after the first term serving as a referendum on the sitting president's performance. In addition to the change in the presidential term limit, Lee, during his presidential campaign, floated a new system of stronger constitutional checks on presidential power: Parliament would recommend candidates for prime minister, and the president's exercise of veto power would be restrained. Following his inauguration in June, Lee expressed an intent to carry out constitutional reform as South Korea marked the 77th Constitution Day in July. Lee also wrote on Facebook that the newly amended Constitution would uphold the spirit of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising in May 1980 and encompass the greater fundamental rights of each citizen and the greater local autonomy. If implemented as planned, the constitutional amendment would be the first since the current Constitution was ratified in 1987, which introduced a single five-year presidential term. Many of Lee's predecessors -- Moon Jae-in, Park Geun-hye, Lee Myung-bak and the late Roh Moo-hyun -- have floated constitutional reform, but none of their proposals bore fruit. Disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol also expressed a willingness to entrust his presidential powers to the then-ruling People Power Party in December, after his sudden imposition of martial law threw South Korea into political turmoil. Prosecutorial reform Also among the 123 policy goals of the Lee administration is its widely-anticipated push for a major reform to curb the power of South Korean law enforcement institutions such as the prosecution and police. By 2030, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office will be disbanded, and the organization will be split into two. One will be dedicated to investigating serious crimes while the other will be dedicated to filing indictments of criminal suspects. This is largely in line with the liberal bloc's claim that the prosecution's power to both investigate criminal cases and bring suspects to court has often led to politically motivated persecutions. The police will also strive for political neutrality in part by abolishing the police bureau at the Ministry of Interior and Safety, which was established in 2022 during former President Yoon's term, according to the committee. Also by 2030, South Korea will champion the mass adoption of AI, with the goal of becoming a "top-three AI powerhouse," according to the committee. Furthermore, an "electricity highway" will be built along the western coast of the Korean Peninsula, so that industrial complexes powered by renewable energy, aligned with initiatives such as RE100, can thrive along the new power grid infrastructure. A leap forward through such technological advancements, coupled with blueprints for inclusive economic growth and market fairness, will allow South Korea to break away from the low-growth trap and achieve a potential economic growth rate of 3 percent during Lee's term. The State Affairs Planning Committee, currently led by Lee Han-joo, a longtime aide to Lee, will wrap up its two-month run on Thursday. According to the committee, the policy accomplishment will be managed jointly through the presidential office, the Office of the Government Policy Coordination and a newly established presidential committee on national futuristic strategy.
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
With Kim Keon Hee in custody, special probe gains momentum
Kim detained in 6.6-square-meter solitary cell, scheduled to appear for questioning Thursday The special counsel investigating multiple allegations against former first lady Kim Keon Hee is expected to accelerate its work after a court approved her arrest Tuesday evening. Within hours of the court's decision, the team led by Special Counsel Min Joong-ki carried out search and seizure operations at 21 Gram. The local interior design firm is at the center of controversy over the presidential office's relocation from Cheong Wa Dae to Yongsan. Investigators are examining claims that unqualified companies, including 21 Gram, received preferential treatment during the relocation and expansion of the presidential office and residence under former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The company had previously sponsored Covana Contents, an exhibition agency run by Kim, and designed its office — links that critics say point to possible personal favoritism. In 2022, the civic group People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy petitioned the Board of Audit and Inspection, alleging that the relocation wasted public funds and that the government improperly favored certain firms. The Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea announced that 21 Gram violated the Framework Act on the Construction Industry as the company began its work before signing an official contract and outsourced tasks to 15 unqualified subcontractors in September 2024. The Interior Ministry filed a complaint with the police against 21 Gram a month after the BAI's report was released. The National Assembly had requested then-President Yoon to approve the special counsel bill to investigate his wife's alleged preferential treatment in the construction project of the presidential office and residence since March 2023. Yoon, however, continued to exercise veto power on the bill regarding the special counsel probe until November last year. A month later, he declared martial law and allegedly ordered the military to enter the National Assembly and the National Election Commission. For the first time in South Korean history, a former president and first lady are both behind bars. Kim faces 16 charges, including violations of capital market, financial investment and political funds laws. Her arrest marks a dramatic fall for the ex-first couple following Yoon's failed martial law declaration. Yoon has been held at the Seoul Detention Center since July 10. Kim, 53, is also the first former first lady in the nation's history to be placed under arrest. The court said the warrant was issued late Tuesday over 'concerns that Kim might tamper with evidence' in connection with allegations of stock price manipulation involving imported car dealer Deutsch Motors, bribery, and influence-peddling in the 2022 by-elections. She awaited the court's decision at the Seoul Southern Detention Center in Guro-gu, western Seoul, before receiving her inmate number, undergoing a medical check, and having her fingerprints and photograph taken. Given her status as the former president's wife, Kim was assigned a roughly 6.6-square-meter solitary cell, furnished with a cabinet, television, sink, bathroom, foldable table and mattress. Under the Criminal Procedure Act, the prosecutors have up to 20 days to conduct their investigation and decide whether to indict the suspect on the respective charges. If the special counsel indicts Kim over her alleged roles in the criminal offenses, the former first lady could remain in custody for a maximum of 18 months, as each of the three tiers of district, appellate and Supreme Court permits up to six months of detention. Presidential security personnel who were previously assigned to Kim have also been withdrawn. The Former President Special Treatment Act allows security and protection for a former president and their spouse for a limited time. However, since Kim has been taken into custody and handed over to correctional authorities, these privileges no longer apply. Kim is scheduled to appear for questioning by the special counsel at 10 a.m. Thursday. She is expected to travel without security personnel, accompanied instead by correctional officers and transported in a convoy.
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Gov't unveils 5-year strategy for global cultural leadership, media innovation
The Lee Jae Myung administration on Wednesday unveiled a series of plans to cement the country's position as a global cultural powerhouse and to build a sustainable digital and media ecosystem. The five-year plan outlines bold growth targets for the K-culture industry while reinforcing the foundations of artistic creation and public participation. Under the first pillar of strengthening the country's position as a global cultural powerhouse, the government aims to grow the K-culture market to 300 trillion won ($216 billion) by 2030, up from an estimated 206 trillion won in 2023. It also seeks to boost related industry exports to 50 trillion won and increase annual inbound tourism to 30 million visitors, compared with 16.37 million in 2024. To achieve these goals, the government will facilitate industrial growth with policy financing of 10 trillion won, tax benefits and securing arenas for performances. Key sectors such as video, music and gaming will receive targeted support, while K-art, including literature, musicals and fine arts, Korean language and traditional culture will be promoted. The plan also emphasizes expanding exports of culture-related industries, from food and beauty to tourism, and enhancing the infrastructure for both domestic and international visitors. As the second pillar, the government aims to raise the national cultural arts attendance rate from 63 percent in 2024 to 70 percent by 2030, and the participation rate in daily sports from 60.7 percent in 2024 to 65 percent by 2030. Measures will include creating more creative spaces and improving welfare for artists, developing arts and humanities programs for children and youth, and expanding cultural and sports facilities accessible to all age groups. A new Cultural Powerhouse Committee will oversee policy, while increased cultural funding will support long-term growth. The government's vision extends to building a forward-looking digital and media ecosystem. The first goal is to restore public service values in broadcasting through improved governance of public broadcasters, ensuring independence, and supporting educational and disaster-response content. Accessibility for disabled viewers will also be strengthened. To ensure sustainable growth, a proposed Media Development Committee will coordinate legal reforms, and initiatives will connect small and medium-sized enterprises with broadcasting and pay-TV advertising opportunities. Support will be provided for the overseas expansion of K-platforms and the introduction of artificial intelligence into broadcast media. Finally, the strategy prioritizes a user-centered digital environment, with stricter measures to combat misinformation, safeguard platform users from harm and strengthen regulations against illegal spam.
