Most Popular
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Korea enters full election mode
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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Lee Jong-sup resigns as envoy to Australia
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Yellow dust engulfs S. Korea, advisory alert issued
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S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families
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Court upholds jail term for man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend
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Kia EV9 wins world car of year
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Korea misses out on global bond index boost
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Park concerned by vetting system’s focus on ethics
Concerns are rising that the vetting process for nominees for high-level government posts may be veering off course without agreed upon ethical standards and procedures.President-elect Park Geun-hye’s pick of the prime minister, Kim Yong-joon, withdrew from the nomination Tuesday in the face of allegations about his real estate investments and his two sons’ exemption of military service. While the developments initially led to criticism of the president-elect’s secretive vetting process, the ske
Jan. 31, 2013
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Parties agree to open Assembly session
The two main political parties on Thursday agreed to open the extraordinary session of the National Assembly next Monday, after they resolved differences on a labor dispute at Ssangyong Motor Co.The agreement came after a meeting between the floor leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic United Party. The DUP has backed down from its demand for a parliamentary investigation into the carmaker. As an alternative, the DUP suggested a multi-party negotiation group inclu
Jan. 31, 2013
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Park in hot water for criticizing confirmation hearing process
President-elect Park Geun-hye’s criticism of the confirmation hearing process following her prime minister-nominee’s resignation stirred controversy Thursday, with opponents slamming Park for bypassing the calls to sharpen her personnel vetting style.With time running out until Park’s Feb. 25 inauguration, prominent figures with verified backgrounds were being discussed as the likely candidate to be named prime minister.A day after Kim Yong-joon, Parks’ transition committee chairman, withdrew fr
Jan. 31, 2013
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NIS official wrote posts related to presidential poll: police
A National Intelligence Service official who is suspected of meddling in last year’s presidential poll had posted related writings during the election period, police said Thursday.The 29-year-old official -- identified only by her surname Kim -- allegedly posted at least 120 writings from Aug. 28 to Dec. 11 about politically sensitive issues, including on presidential candidates, according to Suseo Police Station in southern Seoul.Most of the postings were favorable to the government and the rul
Jan. 31, 2013
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Park stung by nomination blunder
President-elect Park Geun-hye is pressed for time in filling her Cabinet lineup following an unprecedented nomination withdrawal by the prime minister-designate Tuesday, which dealt a blow to her leadership already suffering a decline in public approval.With her secluded decision-making style drawing fire for being off-target, Park faces growing pressure to adopt a systematic personnel screening process to verify her choices. Park must now start from scratch in naming an alternative figure to be
Jan. 30, 2013
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Parties seek to curtail presidential pardon power
The governing party and opposition are rushing to curtail the power of the president to grant pardons following President Lee Myung-bak’s controversial amnesty on Tuesday of 55 convicted criminals including close allies and former Cabinet members serving time for corruption. “President Lee Myung-bak’s special pardoning stomps on law and order and represents a shameless, dumbfounding act that utterly ignores the public opinion,” said Moon Hee-sang, the Democratic United Party’s interim leader, du
Jan. 30, 2013
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Lee hails Naro's success as first step toward era of space science
President Lee Myung-bak hailed South Korea's first successful launch of a space rocket on Wednesday as the first step toward opening an "era of space science" for the country, his spokesman said. The launch of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1, better known as "Naro," marked Seoul's third attempt to join the global space club after its two earlier attempts in 2009 and 2010 ended in failures.The rocket blasted off at 4 p.m., reached its target altitude and put a science satellite into orbit. "
Jan. 30, 2013
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Gwangju uprising foundation decries distortion attempts
The May 18 Memorial Foundation -- which commemorates the Gwangju uprising otherwise known as the May 18 Democratization Movement -- vowed Tuesday to take actions against attempts to distort the historical facts about the movement.“We are mulling legal action in light of grave defamation and degrading of the Gwangju Democratization Movement by some netizens,” said Kim Chan-ho, secretary-general of the foundation. “We will take appropriate action to protect the dignity of the Gwangju uprising.”The
Jan. 30, 2013
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DUP offers cooperation to Saenuri Party on bills
The main opposition Democratic United Party signaled Tuesday that it would be willing to work with the governing Saenuri Party in passing more than 90 welfare and economic reform bills mutually pledged by both parties during the presidential election last year. “There are some 90 pledges over which there is no disagreement (between our parties) or the disagreement can be minimized,” said DUP Rep. Kim Jin-pyo, who heads the party’s campaign pledge realization committee, in a radio appearance Tues
Jan. 29, 2013
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Lee and Park end short-lived truce
Roller-coaster relations between outgoing and incoming presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye reentered the chilly phase upon Lee’s special pardon of his close associates carried out Tuesday despite Park’s strong opposition.“President-elect Park Geun-hye expressed deep regret over how those convicted of corruption and irregularities were included in the special pardon,” said Park’s spokeswoman Cho Yun-sun.Lee’s issuance of special pardons that included his key associates drew heavy denouncem
Jan. 29, 2013
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Prime minister-designate steps down
Prime Minister-designate Kim Yong-joon withdrew himself from nomination late Tuesday amid spiraling allegations surrounding real estate speculation and the exemption of his sons from military service.“I have decided to resign as prime minister-nominee as I have caused concerns among the people and brought trouble to President-elect Park Geun-hye due to my lack of discretion,” Kim said in a statement relayed by transition committee spokesman Yoon Chang-jung.Kim will follow Park’s decision as to w
Jan. 29, 2013
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Lee pardons corrupt friends, associates; draws heavy criticism
Outgoing President Lee Myung-bak issued special pardons to 55 convicted criminals including some of his closest associates on Tuesday, inciting heavy criticism from his successor Park Geun-hye’s transition team and all political parties.Those granted pardons include former Korea Communications Commission chief Choi See-joong and businessman Chun Shin-il of Sejoong Namo Tour. The longtime confidants of Lee were serving prison terms for bribery. Other beneficiaries were former National Assembly Sp
Jan. 29, 2013
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U.S. House delegation to meet President-elect Park in Seoul
A U.S. congressional delegation will travel to South Korea this week for a meeting with President-elect Park Geun-hye, sources here said Monday.Headed by Ed Royce (R-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the group is on a weeklong trip to Asia."Chairman Royce is currently leading a congressional delegation to Asia," an aide to Royce said.The delegation arrived in Taiwan and will also visit the Philippines, China and South Korea before it returns to the U.S. on Feb. 2, according t
Jan. 29, 2013
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S. Korea to send observers to U.S.-led anti-proliferation drill
South Korea will send a delegation of foreign and defense ministry officials to observe a U.S.-led anti-proliferation drill that is under way in Abu Dhabi, an official said Monday.Code-named "Leading Edge 2013," the two-week drill that started Sunday is aimed at improving international cooperation to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.The South Korean delegation, which will also include maritime police and customs officers, will head for Abu Dhabi later this week, the forei
Jan. 28, 2013
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Park clashes with Lee over pardon plans
President-elect Park Geun-hye and the Lee Myung-bak administration have clashed head-on over Lee’s plans to issue special pardons.On Monday, the transition team stepped up its opposition to the pardon plans citing Park’s disapproval. “The president-elect is negative about (issuing) pardons at the end of the administration,” Cho Yoon-sun, a spokesperson for Park, said Monday. She added that the president-elect was showing “particularly strong concerns” for pardoning those imprisoned for corruptio
Jan. 28, 2013
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Clash looms in P.M.-designate hearing
A collision looms over Prime Minister-designate Kim Yong-joon’s confirmation hearing scheduled for next month as the opposition prepares to highlight escalating allegations of ethical lapses and questions over his administrative capacity.The main opposition Democratic United Party on Monday named lawmakers to lead the hearing session including sharp-tongued members like Reps. Jun Byung-hun and Hong Jong-haak.“The allegations raised against Kim (show he is) far from what President-elect Park Geun
Jan. 28, 2013
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Political parties seek compromise over Ssangyong layoff dispute
Rival parties began talks Monday to resolve the ongoing labor dispute at Ssangyong Motor Co. after the main opposition party backed away from its demand for a parliamentary investigation. The issue is a key stumbling block to the resumption of the parliamentary session in February that would deal with President-elect Park Geun-hye’s government restructuring plans, Cabinet appointments and pending political and welfare bills. The deputy floor leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party and the opposition
Jan. 28, 2013
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Myamar's Suu Kyi arrives in South Korea
Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in South Korea Monday for a four-day visit including meetings with politicians and a soap-opera star and the collection of a human rights award.The democracy leader and Nobel peace laureate will also be guest of honour at the opening on Tuesday of the Special Winter Olympics in the northeastern mountain resort of Pyeongchang -- site of the full 2018 Winter Games.Before leaving for Pyeongchang, she will hold talks with outgoing President Lee My
Jan. 28, 2013
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Lee to go ahead with pardon despite warning
President Lee Myung-bak is expected to go ahead with issuing his last special pardon this week despite open opposition from his successor, President-elect Park Geun-hye.“The justice ministry has recently completed its review of a special pardon proposal and the issue is likely to be tabled at a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday,” a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Sunday.“What is left is a final decision by President Lee.”Over the weekend, Park’s transition committee expressed concern over
Jan. 27, 2013
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[Newsmaker] PM-designate mired in familiar territory
Putting aside the concerns over his administrative capacity, President-elect Park Geun-hye’s choice of presidential transition team leader, Kim Yong-joon, as her first prime minister looks to be heading into all-too-familiar territory.Lest her appointee get caught up in the political scrutiny by the opposition bloc, Park emphasized Thursday that her choice was based on Kim’s judicial integrity as a former Constitutional Court chief.But, as admirable as his career has been ― becoming the country’
Jan. 27, 2013