Policy Watch: Hong Joon-pyo maps out vision for welfare transformation
Hong Joon-pyo, the recently resigned Daegu mayor and a presidential contender for the conservative People Power Party's nomination, has unveiled a welfare reform plan titled 'Welfare Transformation 100+1.' Framing it as a shift from cash handouts to future generation empowerment, Hong emphasized opportunity over cash benefits, particularly for the vulnerable.
Central to Hong's plan is keeping welfare costs in line with economic growth. 'We'll set an appropriate welfare-to-GDP ratio so future generations aren't burdened and people can achieve economic independence,' he said.
Key pledges include expanding child subsidies from age 8 to 15 and creating 2 million public jobs for seniors. The basic pension will be restructured around income security, alongside a 'half-price hospital' system for the aged and a 'one-on-one senior care' initiative for 1 million older people living alone.
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Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Where do Korean celebrities stand in politics?
In politically charged Korea, celebrities walk tightrope of neutrality Following South Korea's presidential election on June 3, a seemingly innocuous act by one of the nation's most celebrated actresses ignited a storm. Actress Song Hye-kyo pressed 'like' on now President-elect Lee Jae-myung's then-election campaign video on his HR policy. The simple gesture came under fire, drawing fierce backlash from those accusing her of breaking an unspoken rule: Celebrities in South Korea must remain politically neutral — or even near-total political abstinence. The controversy underscores a long-standing tension in Korean pop culture, where public figures in the fields of entertainment and culture are expected to suppress even the slightest hint of political affiliation. During the June election, numerous celebrities, from K-pop idols to comedians, were compelled to apologize or explain their actions for reasons as mundane as wearing red or blue, the symbolic colors of the rival People Power Party and Democratic Party of Korea, respectively. In one widely discussed case, League of Legends esports team Gen.G abstained from their usual 'V for victory' gesture after setting a historic win streak, fearing it could be mistaken as a political statement for candidate No. 2, Kim Moon-soo. Similarly, popular figures like Karina of aespa, entertainer Hong Jin-kyung and rapper Beenzino faced criticism for wearing red clothing, widely associated with Kim's People Power Party during the campaign period. Others, like comedian Park Sung-kwang and actress Ahn So-hee, were accused of showing political bias simply by posting images with blue rooftops or red roses. This hyper-vigilant policing of neutrality has left many wondering: Why are Korean celebrities held to such extreme standards? Idol as 'cultural blank slate' 'Korean celebrities, particularly idols, are not merely entertainers. They are seen as projections of fan ideals — cultural blank slates,' said cultural critic Kim Heon-sik. 'This makes any personal expression — political or otherwise — subject to public interpretation and judgment.' The term "idol" in Korea has come to denote more than admiration. As The Independent put it, idols are expected to embody fan fantasies while remaining void of personal beliefs that may challenge that image. In this framework, political neutrality is not just preferred, it is mandatory. 'Fans don't see idols as individuals with agency. They are shaped, controlled and even owned — emotionally — by their followers. A 'like' on a campaign post can be perceived as betrayal if it's not in line with what the fan thinks,' Kim added. This leads to K-pop idols often avoiding using primary colors, hand gestures or even certain numbers during election periods. Some go so far as to post black-and-white photos to preempt controversy, a trend that was lauded as 'socially aware' during the most recent campaign. South Korea's hypersensitivity to political expression has deep historical roots. As a country marked by ideological division and rapid democratic transition, political affiliations have long carried career-altering consequences. Even now, expressing support for one party or another can result in social ostracism, economic repercussions or online attacks. Bae Sang-hoon, a sociology professor at Chungbuk University, explained, 'South Korea's political environment is emotionally charged, and people project these tensions onto public figures.' "The issue is compounded by the country's deepening culture of fan attachment. The emotional investment that fans place in idols, often described as 'parasocial relationships,' can blur the lines between admiration and control. That emotional ownership has only intensified as fans use celebrities as a proxy to process their own social anxieties," Bae added. Some observers suggest that intense attachment to celebrities serves, in part, as an emotional coping mechanism. 'In a highly competitive society, where people feel disconnected and under pressure, celebrities serve as emotional anchors,' Bae added. 'This can turn into a toxic dynamic when fans begin to expect moral purity and political conformity from people who are essentially strangers.' Calls are growing for a more mature fan culture — one that allows room for artists to engage as citizens without fear of professional ruin. But such a change will require a fundamental reevaluation of the role celebrities play in society and the emotional needs they are often expected to fulfill. 'If we want to continue celebrating the rise of K-pop and Korean soft power, we must also ask whether we are granting our stars the same freedoms we expect in a democratic society," said a 31-year-old surnamed Kim who is active in fandom activities.
Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Main opposition calls for Lee to proceed with election law retrial
The main opposition People Power Party on Tuesday urged President Lee Jae-myung to proceed with his retrial on election law violation charges, which has been postponed indefinitely by a Seoul court. On Monday, the Seoul High Court said that the first hearing in Lee's trial, which was initially scheduled for June 18, was indefinitely postponed as per Article 84 of the Constitution. Article 84 of the Constitution claims that a sitting president shall not be prosecuted for criminal offenses during his tenure in office except in cases of insurrection or treason. 'I request President Lee Jae-myung to declare that he will accept the proceeding of the trial with confidence, if he is not guilty and all indictments are fabricated, just as he claimed during the election run,' People Power Party floor leader Rep. Kweon Seong-dong said during an intra-party strategy meeting in the morning. 'This would be a path towards protecting the reputation of the president and towards earning the trust of the people,' he added. Kweon criticized the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's plans to railroad a contentious bill aimed at revising the Criminal Procedure Act to halt criminal trials for an elected president. 'The Democratic Party of Korea said that it plans to forcefully pass the legislation on halting trails for a president -- this is an act that rattles the judicial system by creating a law for only one man, President Lee Jae-myung, a criminal defendant undergoing five trials, and this this unprecedented in South Korea's history,' said Kweon. Echoing Kweon's sentiment, People Power Party deputy floor leader Rep. Park Hyeung-soo expressed concerns that the passage of the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act would effectively 'halt' all five of Lee's trials. 'The Democratic Party of Korea has moved beyond threatening the court to halt the trial, but has forcefully pushed to pass the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, which would halt all of President Lee's trials,' Park said during the same intra-party meeting. 'If the bill passes, then all cases, including the one involving subornation of perjury under trials at Seoul High Court, Seoul Central District Court and Suwon District Court, would be halted. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party on Tuesday decided to postpone its plan to convene a plenary session of the National Assembly on Thursday to pass several contentious bills, including the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act. Democratic Party spokesperson Noh Jong-myeon told reporters at the National Assembly that the momentum in pursuing the passage of the bills will be revived after the members of 'the new leadership are decided.' The party is scheduled to elect its new floor leader on Friday. Lee's postponed retrial came after the Supreme Court returned the case to the Seoul High Court in May, overturning the lower court's decision to acquit Lee of a suspended prison term for violating the Public Official Election Act. Lee has been accused of making false statements ahead of the 2022 presidential election, including lying in a 2021 media interview about a land development corruption scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, that took place when he was the mayor of the city. Lee's four other trials involve charges of corruption related to the Seongnam land development scandal, embezzlement of provincial funds during his tenure as Gyeonggi governor, the illegal remittance of funds to North Korea, and subornation of perjury.
Korea Herald
18 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Can President Lee stay out of court?
President Lee Jae-myung's term will likely be unaffected by his ongoing criminal trials, with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea set to push for a Criminal Procedure Act amendment that would postpone any criminal trials involving sitting presidents until they leave office. A total of five different criminal trials presented major challenges for Lee during his presidential campaign, allowing other candidates to question whether Lee was truly qualified to lead the country. Some in the legal community expected that the trials would remain hurdles for Lee even after the election as Article 84 of the Constitution -- which stipulates that the president cannot be criminally prosecuted while in office except in cases of insurrection or treason -- does not clarify whether this immunity extends to ongoing trials that began before the president took office. But the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, led by the Democratic Party, approved a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act in early May to prevent legal ambiguity. The ruling party is reportedly considering proposing the amendment in a National Assembly plenary session on Thursday. 'The Constitution guarantees the president immunity from prosecution in order to ensure stable governance. The Criminal Procedure Act also states that criminal trials fall under the definition of prosecution,' said Democratic Party Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui during the ruling party's Supreme Council meeting on Monday, claiming that the entire case needs to be suspended regardless of when it began. The Democratic Party added that the amendment is a legislative clarification introduced to avoid any conflict between constitutional immunity and the actual judicial process. The main opposition People Power Party condemned the liberal party's legal revision, calling the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Act a 'bulletproof law,' a self-interested measure aimed at granting immunity to the president. 'All are equal before the law. The presidency is not a position to escape trials that began before taking office,' said People Power Party interim leader Kim Yong-tae in a press conference held Sunday, asking whether President Lee is willing to attend a hearing in his trial for alleged election law violations scheduled on June 18. Kim criticized the proposed bills -- the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Act and a proposed expansion of the Supreme Court -- which he said the ruling party is attempting to ram through only for the benefit of the current president. In early May, the Supreme Court's Court Administration Office stated that the judges of each court will have to decide whether to stop or proceed with the trials by applying Article 84 of the Constitution to a criminal defendant who has been elected president. Meanwhile, the Seoul High Court announced Monday that the hearing in Lee's retrial on charges of election law violations, which was set to be held on June 18, will be postponed. 'The court has rescheduled the hearing date and will set a new date later. The decision was made after considering Article 84 of the Constitution,' the Seoul High Court said, without giving a new date for the hearing. At a general meeting of the main opposition party, People Power Party Rep. Kweon Seong-dong said the judges chose to "abandon judicial independence," and the court's decision will be remembered as the judiciary's embarrassing past. "I hope the judges who are tasked to hear Lee's other criminal trials do not make foolish mistakes. I urge the Seoul High Court to withdraw its arbitrary interpretation of Article 84 of the Constitution and appeal to the Supreme Court of Korea for legal clarification," Kweon said. Decisions about Lee's remaining criminal trials, in which the president is accused of subornation of perjury, corruption, illegal money transfers to North Korea and misappropriating public funds, are yet to be announced.
