NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

The head of the main opposition People Power Party announced a plan to install a body tasked with verifying its presidential hopefuls’ credentials and protecting them from political attacks. Lee Jun-seok said Monday that the measure is to safeguard the party and its candidates from intensifying negative campaigning by rival parties. The PPP leader added he had intended to set up the body through discussions with the party’s election committee. But election committee chairman Chung Hong-won rejected the request and asked the party leadership to take charge of the task, citing his heavy workload.
The Federation of Korean Industries says South Korean businesses’ sales in China decreased over the last four years. According to the business organization’s study, the nation’ top 30 companies saw their sales in China dwindle nearly seven percent from 125.8 trillion won in 2016 to some 117 trillion last year. Therefore, China’s representation in the total sales the businesses earned overseas also dropped 3.5 percent during the same period. The FKI explained the reduction is due to a decreasing market share Korea’s key export items hold in China.