Most Popular
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[AtoZ into Korean mind] Humor in Korea: Navigating the line between what's funny and not
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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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Yoon seeks rebound, taps 5-term lawmaker as chief of staff
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Medical standoff deepens as doctors reject new med school plan, talks
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[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent
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[Herald Interview] Why Toss invited hackers to penetrate its system
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Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
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S. Korean envoys convene to navigate strategy amid Middle East tensions
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North Korea fires several short-range ballistic missiles into sea: JCS
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Samsung, SK hynix investors dump shares on Nvidia crash
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Park vows reconciliation, unity
President-elect Park Geun-hye pledged Thursday to create national reconciliation and grand social unity on the path to sharing the fruits of economic growth and ushering in a new era for the Korean peninsula through diplomacy of confidence, or what she calls “trustpolitik.”Park, who clinched a majority win in the Wednesday election to become Korea’s first woman president, vowed to utilize fairness to sever the chain of extreme division and conflict that has lasted for the past half century.“It i
Dec. 20, 2012
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Obama, Ban and other leaders congratulate Park
U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders congratulated Park Geun-hye on her election as the next president on Wednesday.“I look forward to working closely with the Park administration to further enhance our extensive cooperation with the Republic of Korea on a wide range of important bilateral, regional and global issues,” recently reelected U.S. leader said in a statement. “The U.S.-ROK alliance serves as a lynchpin of peace and security in the Asia Pacific, and our two nations share
Dec. 20, 2012
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Park’s task on N.K. conundrum
Following is the first in a series of articles on President-elect Park Geun-hye’s key policies ― Ed.One of the most daunting tasks awaiting President-elect Park Geun-hye is enhancing strained ties with North Korea through a national strategy for peninsular peace and reunification that can gain both domestic and international support.Experts say Park should first strive to address national division over how to handle the communist state and forge national consensus over it while seeking to streng
Dec. 20, 2012
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Election law violations decrease
The number of election-related offenses in the run-up to the Dec. 19 presidential polls fell considerably from five years ago, law enforcement agencies said Thursday.Park Geun-hye, the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, defeated liberal opposition candidate Moon Jae-in to become the country’s first woman president. The country’s election law stipulates 22 days of official campaigning, which ended midnight Tuesday.According to the data compiled by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the nu
Dec. 20, 2012
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Ex-ruling party chief takes over governor’s seat
CHANGWON (Yonhap) ― The former chief of the conservative ruling party made a comeback to the political scene by clinching a landslide victory in a by-election for the governor of South Gyeongsang Province, the state election watchdog said Thursday.Hong Joon-pyo of the ruling Saenuri Party received 62.9 percent, or 1.1 million votes, followed by Kwon Young-gil, a liberal-leaning candidate with no party affiliation, with 26.8 percent, the National Election Commission said after the vote counting e
Dec. 20, 2012
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President-elect to get top security service
For a smooth power takeover, President-elect Park Geun-hye is entitled to a set of administrative rights, as well as a security detail matching that of the incumbent state leader.Based on a special law, Park of the ruling Saenuri Party is to be recognized as the incoming president and may “practice all rights which are necessary for the transition of the presidential post” until her inauguration.For this purpose, she may name the Cabinet, secretaries and spokespeople in advance, so that the nomi
Dec. 20, 2012
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Transition panel to shape next government
The administration and the ruling Saenuri Party launched the power transition process Thursday, the day after former party leader Park Geun-hye was elected the next president. President Lee Myung-bak instructed his aides to ensure a seamless handover of authority to his successor, who will be inaugurated on Feb. 25. “The president ordered the government to actively cooperate to ensure the next government’s success by providing accurate information, especially in economy and security,” presidenti
Dec. 20, 2012
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Ahn Cheol-soo goes on hiatus in U.S. after vote
Former presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo arrived in San Francisco on Wednesday, saying he will spend time thinking about his next political step after his once conservative rival was elected South Korea‘s first female president.Shortly after casting his ballot in Seoul for Wednesday’s vote, Ahn left South Korea along with his family, leaving a congratulatory message for the president-elect without knowing the result of the tight race.The 50-year-old founder of South Korea‘s largest anti-virus
Dec. 20, 2012
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S. Korea's 1st woman leader vows new N. Korea effort
Park Geun-hye, daughter of a divisive military strongman from South Korea's authoritarian era, has been elected the country's first female president, a landmark win that could mean a new drive to start talks with rival North Korea.After five years of high tension under unpopular incumbent Lee Myung-bak (Lee Myuhng Bahk), Park has vowed to pursue engagement and step up aid to North Korea, despite the latter's widely condemned long-range rocket launch last week.On Thursday, Park mentioned the Nort
Dec. 20, 2012
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Moon's defeat raises questions about opposition's future
A key figure in the reform process is likely to be former independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, who dropped out of the race last month after negotiations to merge candidacies with Moon fell through.Ahn, the 50-year-old founder of South Korea's largest anti-virus software firm, AhnLab, had advocated political reform and a break away from the old-style party-centered politics that had lost the confidence of many South Korean voters.He resisted the DUP's calls to join the party and instead ran as an
Dec. 20, 2012
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U.N. chief seeks Park role in U.N. agenda
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed hope Wednesday that South Korea's incoming Park Geun-hye administration will take a role in the U.N.'s initiative to address global challenges."The Republic of Korea is a highly valued and steadfast partner of the United Nations in the work for international peace and security, development and human rights," Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson, using South Korea's formal name.Ban, formerly South Korea's foreign minister, said he hopes f
Dec. 20, 2012
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Obama vows to work closely with Park Geun-hye
U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he would work closely with President-elect Park Geun-hye of South Korea on issues of mutual concern."I look forward to working closely with the Park administration to further enhance our extensive cooperation with the Republic of Korea on a wide range of important bilateral, regional and global issues," Obama said in his congratulatory message.Hours earlier, Park of the conservative ruling party was declared the winner of South Korea's presidential
Dec. 20, 2012
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Challenges waiting for president-elect
President-elect Park Geun-hye faces tough challenges in the push for sweeping political and economic reforms amid a slowing economy and deepening partisan divide. Her pledge to engage North Korea also faces hurdles as the belligerent neighbor shows no signs of easing tension following its recent rocket launch. The 18th presidential election heightened Koreans’ expectations for a fix to confrontational politics, the chaebol-dominated economy and a fragile social security system. “The presidential
Dec. 20, 2012
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Conservatives sweep major by-elections
Conservatives won a landslide victory in two by-elections held in Seoul and South Gyeongsang Province on Wednesday.Former Education Minister Moon Yong-lin became the new superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, defeating left-leaning Lee Soo-ho, the former chief of the Korea Teachers and Education Workers’ Union.Moon, 65, emeritus professor at Seoul National University, had captured 53 percent of the votes followed by his liberal rival Lee with 37 percent as of midnight, acc
Dec. 20, 2012
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Obama in hurry for consultations with Park on N. Korea: experts
U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to hasten consultations with South Korea's incoming leader, Park Geun-hye, on a variety of important issues, including North Korea and alliance issues, experts here said Wednesday.The U.S. government has not issued any formal response to Park's victory in Wednesday's tight South Korean presidential election. She is the first woman president in South Korean history.The White House is expected to release a congratulatory message later in the day, followed by
Dec. 20, 2012
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Park’s enigmatic leadership leads to victory
Validating her perseverance through years of solitude and integrity demonstrated throughout her 15-year political career, Park Geun-hye won her presidency on the platform of unity.Park, strong enough to save her party from multiple crises, overcame her chronic drawback of being the daughter of late President Park Chung-hee as the public chose over change.Her win shows that while the public is aware of her rather old-fashioned decision-making manner, it would still prefer her to lead them through
Dec. 20, 2012
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Tight two-way race leads to highest turnout in 15 years
Voter turnout for the 18th presidential election exceeded 75 percent Wednesday as the neck-and-neck race pushed people to the polling stations to tip the scales in favor of their preferred candidate, despite freezing weather.The participation rate was tentatively tallied at 75.8 percent, up from 63 percent in the 2007 presidential election. Voter participation had been on constant decline since 1987 when the direct presidential election system was reinstated after a pro-democracy uprising that y
Dec. 20, 2012
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Lee congratulates Park on victory
President Lee Myung-bak congratulated ruling party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye on her certain victory in the tightly contested South Korean election Wednesday, his office said."Congratulations on your victory. You went through a lot of trouble," presidential spokesman Park Jung-ha quoted Lee as saying in a two-minute phone conversation with the candidate.Lee called the 60-year-old candidate of the conservative Saenuri Party at around 9:40 p.m. as the official vote count showed Park woul
Dec. 20, 2012
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Dictator father looms over S. Korea's new president
When Park Geun-hye last lived in the presidential Blue House more than 30 years ago, she was a young, stand-in first lady, serving after the assassination of her mother and before the killing of her dictator father.After defeating Moon Jae-in in elections Wednesday, she will return to her childhood home as the first female president of a country where women continue to face widespread sexism, huge income gaps with men doing the same work and few opportunities to rise to the top in business, poli
Dec. 20, 2012
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Park Geun-hye a woman of principle and trust
Park Geun-hye, the eldest daughter of the late former president, Park Chung-hee, will return to Cheong Wa Dae 33 years after she left the presidential office, this time as South Korea's first woman president. Park, who turns 61 in February, fought long and hard for her victory following her defeat to outgoing President Lee Myung-bak in a party primary ahead of the 2007 presidential election and an unexpected challenge from her liberal rivals in the last months of the race. Her reputation
Dec. 20, 2012