ARIRANG NEWS
ARIRANG NEWS 20:00
Title: Main opposition party struggles to manage itself
Korea′s political standoff continues as bereaved families of the victims of April′s ferry disaster are rejecting the Sewol-ho bill... long negotiated and agreed on by rival parties.
They are not happy with the selection process of panel members in a probe that will get to the bottom of the ferry sinking.
And now... the main opposition party′s interim chief is finding herself in a sticky position.
Ji Myung-kil tells us more.
The acting chair Park Young-sun of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy failed to persuade fellow party members and relatives of the Sewol-ho ferry victims to accept the compromised ferry bill that was produced with the ruling Saenuri Party on Tuesday.
The interim chief has not been able to win the backing of her own party, and some lawmakers have even distanced themselves after news broke that the families were dissatisfied with the agreement.
The ruling party has kept a firm stance saying further negotiations are out of question, and the opposition party′s hardliners have sided with the victims′ families, who oppose the bill saying it lacks investigative and prosecutorial powers.
The interim chief Park, also in line with the ruling party, made it clear on Wednesday that renegotiations are not an option.
Lawmakers from within the main opposition are divided on how to resolve the current crisis.
The acting chair faces the prospect of intense backlash from within her own party, and it is feared that the opposition could be hurt more if the party fails to win any concessions from both the ruling party and family members of the ferry accident victims.
Left with no choice, interim leader Park has asked President Park Geun-hye to meet one of the victim′s fathers, who has been staging a hunger strike for over a month to help break the deadlock.
However, the presidential office has distanced itself from the bill saying the special law on the Sewol-ho ferry incident is a matter that needs bipartisan agreement within parliament and is not an issue President Park can help resolve.
Ji Myung-kil, Arirang News.
Title: President Park visits Ulchi military training site
President Park Geun-hye has emphasized the need for the allies to prepare for any type of security threat or natural disaster.
This during her visit today to a site of the ongoing Seoul-Washington joint military exercise....
Some 80-thousand South Korean and U.S. troops are participating in this year′s Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills.
The South says they are strictly defensive in nature, while North Korea considers it a war game.
She also visited the Capital Defense Command today, a first for a Korean president in 23 years.
Title: U.S. to expand deployed ship presence in Asia-Pacific
The U.S. Navy has unveiled plans to expand its number of ships deployed in the Asian region... over the next five years.
The so-called "Navigation Plan" calls for a