#SOUTHKOREA: Court Refuses To Issue Arrest Warrant For Frmr. Defense Min. Alleging "Political Meddling" In 2012 Election

[world politics news]

A Seoul court has denied prosecutors' request to issue an arrest warrant for former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, who is accused of interfering with a ministry investigation into the military's political intervention ahead of the 2012 presidential election. They say there was little risk of him fleeing the country. Kim, who headed the ministry from 2010-2014, is suspected of pressuring his ministry's officials into toning down and covering up an inquiry into a massive political maneuver carried out by the military's cyber command.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SOUTHKOREA: Liberals Return To Power After Scandal, Impeachment Of Pres. Park

[world politics news]

Moon Jae-in, a human rights lawyer-turned liberal politician, will take the South Korean presidency in a landslide. His win marks the return of a liberal administration after just under 10 years of conservative governments and seven months of a political turmoil set off by a scandal involving former conservative Pres. Park Geun-hye, leading to her impeachment.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SOUTHKOREA: Court Upholds Parliament's Impeachment Of Pres. Park

[world politics news]

South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Friday ruled unanimously to remove President Park Geun-hye from office, the capstone of a sweeping corruption scandal that has engulfed the country for months.
[FULL STORY HERE]

#SOUTHKOREA: Opposition Parties Threaten To Impeach Acting Leader PM Hwang Kyo-ahn

[world politics news]

South Korea’s main opposition parties threatened on Monday to impeach the country's acting leader after he refused to extend a special investigation into the huge corruption scandal that toppled conservative Pres. Park Geun-hye. If successful, the impeachment of Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn would rile an already tumultuous political landscape, putting another interim leader in power while the Constitutional Court decides the fate of both Hwang and Park, who's now on trial.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SOUTHKOREA: Impeached Pres. Park Calls Her Impeachment "Baseless"

[world politics news]

Pres. Park Geun-hye has said that no serious crime was committed to justify her Dec. 9th impeachment, calling all allegations in the National Assembly impeachment motion as "groundless." Stripped of power, she's now awaiting the Constitutional Court's deliberation on the impeachment, and is urging the court to wait for the results of a criminal trial of suspects in the corruption scandal involving her confidant Choi Soon-sil.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SOUTHKOREA: Impeachment Probe Uncovers "Secret" Doctor Visits To President

[world politics news]

The impeachment probe into corruption and influence-peddling charges against Pres. Park Geun-hye has uncovered not only secret visits to the presidential residence by a friend accused of influencing the president, but also of "shadowy" doctors. It's alleged that the doctors were visiting to perform a cosmetic procedures on the president. Opponents claim the visits distracted her during national emergencies.

#SOUTHKOREA: Opposition Parties Say They'll Impeach Pres. Park In Friday Vote

[world politics news]

Opposition parties say they will hold a parliamentary impeachment vote on scandal-tainted Pres. Park Geun-hye this Friday, while her own party remains undecided on whether to force her out of office. Park has offered to resign and has asked parliament to decide how and when she should step down over the influence peddling scandal but the opposition has rejected it as a delaying tactic to avoid impeachment.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SOUTHKOREA: Pres. Park Offers To Resign Over Influence-Peddling Scandal

[world politics news]

Embattled South Korean President Park Geun-hye says she will allow the National Assembly to determine her fate, and would resign over a corruption and influence-peddling scandal if lawmakers so demanded. Relinquishing her previously defiant tone, Park struck a chastened note in her third televised address to the nation over the scandal, which has angered South Koreans and created a political vacuum.

#SOUTHKOREA: Special Prosecutor To Investigate Pres. Park's Ties To "Manipulator"

[world politics news]

The National Assembly has voted to allow a special prosecutor to investigate a corruption scandal threatening the presidency of Park Geun-hye. She has 15 days to reject or accept the prosecutor's appointment. The opposition-controlled body also voted for a parliamentary investigation into allegations that Park allowed a secretive confidante to manipulate power from the shadows and amass an illicit fortune.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SOUTHKOREA: Oppo. Minjoo Pty Scores Big Upset Against Pres. Park's Saenuri Pty In Assembly Elections

[world politics news]

Against the backdrop of a sluggish economy, South Korea's ruling conservative party suffered an upset defeat in a parliamentary election Wednesday, a stinging blow to Pres. Park Geun-hye, whose Saenuri Party had been expected to regain a majority. Saenuri took 122 of the 300 seats in the single-chamber National Assembly, while the main opposition Minjoo Party won 123 seats and the People's Party grabbed 38.

#SOUTHKOREA: Pres. Park Geun-hye Concerned Over Pro-North Korea Lectures

[world politics news]

South Korean Pres. Park Guen-hye has expressed concern about "certain people" (notably a Korean-American woman lecturing throughout the country) praising the North Korean dictatorship. It's illegal in South Korea to praise, encourage or propagandize North Korean political ideals.

#SOUTHKOREA: Pres. Park Geun-hye: No Summit With Japan Until Japan "Sincerely" Addresses Comfort Women Issue

[world politics news]

South Korean Pres. Park Geun-hye said Japan must take a “sincere” attitude toward the issue of wartime “comfort women” before she could agree to a summit with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe.

#SOUTHKOREA: Pres. Park Geun-hye Calls for Passage of Ferry Disaster Investigation Bill

[world politics news]

#SOUTHKOREA

Japanese PM Abe's Shrine Visit Hurts Neighbors, Says Pres. Park Geun Hye [world politics news]

#SOUTHKOREA

Former Pres. Election Foes' Increasingly Bitter War of Words [world politics news]

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Pres. Park Criticizes Japan's Recent Handling of History of Occupation and War [world politics news]

S. KOREA: New Finance Minister Appointed; Hyun To Introduce Stimulus Pkg. [world politics news]

S. KOREA: Pres. Tells Military to React "Powerfully" Against Provocation from North [world politics news]