Most Popular
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Trump wins US election, foreshadows policy shift
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Changing K-pop stars: idols begin to speak out
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North Korean leader may seek another summit with Trump, but chances for deal seen as slimmer
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Yoon congratulates Trump
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South Korean won tumbles after Trump wins US presidential election
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As Suneung nears, 'magic pills' lure test takers, but experts warn of risks
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From Bush to Biden: How North Korea sees US elections
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[Graphic News] Cancer leads causes of death in S. Korea
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Harris, Trump secure expected wins in reliable states as vote counting proceeds
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[LLG] Typical Korean weddings were too boring. So they made their own
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Prosecutors demand 2-year prison term for DP leader Lee Jae-myung
Prosecutors on Friday sought a two-year prison sentence for Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, around two years after he was indicted for making false statements during the 2022 presidential election campaign. The court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on Nov. 15. In the final hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, prosecutors urged the court to impose the sentence, accusing Lee of violating the Public Official Election Act. "The defendant repeatedly lie
Sept. 20, 2024
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Ex-President Moon accuses Yoon govt. of creating 'most dangerous' state since Korean War
Former President Moon Jae-in lambasted the North Korea policies of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration on Friday, saying they have led to the "most dangerous" state on the Korean Peninsula since the 1950-53 Korean War. Moon, a liberal whose North Korea policies centered on bringing lasting peace through diplomacy, attacked the policies of his conservative successor at a conference held in the southwestern county of Yeongam to mark the sixth anniversary of the Pyongyang Joint Declaration h
Sept. 20, 2024
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Unification minister urges N. Korea to immediately return detained S. Koreans home
Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho on Friday called on North Korea to "immediately and unconditionally" send a detained South Korean missionary and five other nationals back home, condemning the North's yearslong arbitrary detention as grave human rights violations. South Korea's top point man on North Korea issued a rare statement marking 4,000 days after missionary Kim Jung-wook was arrested in Pyongyang in 2013. He was sentenced to hard labor for life on charges of spying fo
Sept. 20, 2024
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Yoon's office rejects ex-president's call for reconsidering unification policy
The presidential office on Thursday rejected former President Moon Jae-in's call for reviewing its approach to unification with North Korea, saying the previous government's dialogue-focused peace initiative is "unrealistic." A senior presidential official who accompanied President Yoon Suk Yeol on a trip to the Czech Republic made the remark after Moon criticized the Yoon administration's hard-line policy on North Korea and called for efforts to ease inter-Korean tensio
Sept. 20, 2024
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Seoul chastises predatory pricing claims over Czech nuclear export deal
PRAGUE -- The presidential office denounced claims by opposition parties that the South Korean consortium, which became a preferred bidder to build at least two nuclear power units in the Czech Republic in July, had proposed an extremely low bidding price that could waste taxpayers' money following a rise in construction costs. The administration instead claimed that the pricing of the South Korean consortium, led by the state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, was made at a reasonable level. It
Sept. 20, 2024
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Presidential office rejects liberal agenda of peaceful existence of two Koreas
PRAGUE -- President Yoon Suk Yeol's office on Thursday denounced liberal politicians' emphasis on the peaceful coexistence of two Koreas, reiterating the conservative administration's goal of achieving ultimate peace through reunification as enshrined in the "Unification Doctrine" in August. Contrasting reunification of the separated nations with coexistence, an official of the South Korean presidential office said in Prague on condition of anonymity that the peaceful reunification of
Sept. 20, 2024
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Leaders of S. Korea, Czech Republic agree to discuss nuclear energy push
PRAGUE -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and Czech President Petr Pavel agreed to strengthen diplomatic, economic and security ties between the two countries, at a time when South Korea is working to finalize the contract with Czech authorities over its 24 trillion won ($18 billion) nuclear export deal. "(To jointly counter global crisis and threats of authoritarianism), our two countries have decided to bolster cooperation in key areas including politics, economy, culture, technology, diplomacy a
Sept. 20, 2024
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Parliamentary subcommittee passes bill to toughen punishment for digital sex crimes against teens
A parliamentary subcommittee passed a bill Thursday that calls for tougher punishment for digital sex crimes using deepfake technologies against children and teenagers. During a subcommittee legislative review session, the National Assembly's gender equality and family committee made the bipartisan decision to pass the revision of the act on the protection of children against sex crimes. The proposed bill calls for sentencing of at least three years imprisonment for blackmailing young people usi
Sept. 19, 2024
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Assembly passes special counsel bill to probe first lady
South Korea's National Assembly on Thursday passed three contentious bills pushed ahead by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, including one that mandates a special counsel probe into multiple allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee. The special counsel probe bill passed 167-0 by the opposition-led parliament during Thursday's plenary meeting is an updated version of the one vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol in January. The previous version focused on appointing a specia
Sept. 19, 2024
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Bill proposes stricter limits on work hours for child idols, actors
A bill has been introduced to lower the weekly working hours for underage entertainers, as related concerns such as young entertainers' health issues remain unaddressed. On Sept. 11, Rep. Kim Jun-hyuk of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea proposed a revision to the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act to reduce the working hours of juveniles working in cultural industries, and apply different working hour caps for different ages. The revision would cap weekly working
Sept. 19, 2024
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Yoon to meet Han after Czech trip to discuss medical reform
President Yoon Suk Yeol will meet the ruling People Power Party leadership next week to seek a breakthrough in the ongoing stalemate with the medical circle over the expansion plan, his office said Thursday. The meeting, set for Tuesday, will be an "occasion for broad communication" where the presidential office and the party's leadership will come together "to review the public sentiment" during the Chuseok holiday and discuss reform agendas, including medical reforms
Sept. 19, 2024
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Yoon leaves for Prague to cement nuclear energy push
President Yoon Suk Yeol departed for the Czech Republic Thursday to attend summits with Czech leaders taking place at a time when South Korea is working to finalize its 24 trillion won ($18 billion) nuclear export deal with the country. Yoon told Reuters in a written interview Thursday that the Czech project holds "paramount importance," adding that his trip was partly meant to solidify Prague's commitment to the signing of the deal planned for March 2025. Yoon is also ex
Sept. 19, 2024
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PM calls for continued vigilance for smooth health care operations
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo called on the government Thursday to remain alert to ensure the smooth operation of emergency health care systems even after the five-day Chuseok holiday passed without major disruptions. Han issued the call during a Cabinet meeting held a day after the Korean fall harvest holiday ended without the emergency health care crisis some had feared due to staff shortages caused by an ongoing doctors' walkout. "Very fortunately, there was no emergency room crisis a
Sept. 19, 2024
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[Bills in Focus] Streamlining construction, promoting ESG compliance
Proposed Bill: Act on Special Cases Concerning the Promotion of Reconstruction and Redevelopment Projects Proposed by Rep. Kim Eun-hye (People Power Party) ● Rising construction costs and complex authorization procedures have caused delays in housing provision. To accelerate the completion of reconstruction and redevelopment projects and accommodate the growing demand for housing in city centers, this bill streamlines approval procedures, offers mediation support for construction cost disputes,
Sept. 18, 2024
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Main opposition to railroad multiple contentious bills after Chuseok
South Korea’s political climate post-Chuseok is likely to revert to a familiarly confrontational one, with the powerful opposition party poised to railroad several contentious bills, including those targeting President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee with special counsel investigations. At the National Assembly’s plenary session scheduled for Thursday, the liberal opposition Democratic Party of Korea plans to present three high-profile bills, Rep. Yoon Jong-kun, the party&r
Sept. 18, 2024
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Yoon to visit Czech Republic with focus on nuclear energy cooperation
President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to visit the Czech Republic this week to solidify South Korea's bid to win a major nuclear energy project and deepen economic ties with the European nation. Yoon will embark on a four-day trip on Thursday for talks with Czech President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Petr Fiala to expand cooperation in nuclear energy, trade, investment, technology and other areas. The visit comes two months after a consortium led by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power was selected a
Sept. 18, 2024
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[Bills in Focus] Breaking app market monopoly, strengthening AI content rules
Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act Proposed by Rep. Lee Jeong-heon (Democratic Party of Korea) ● To regulate app market monopolization and ensure the consumers’ right to choice, this amendment requires market-dominant app store operators, such as Google and Apple, to permit third-party payment options outside their app stores, such as via web browsers. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Restriction of Special Taxation Act Proposed by Rep. Ki
Sept. 17, 2024
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Yoon's approval rating hits new low: poll
The approval rating for President Yoon Suk Yeol has dropped to its lowest level since he took office in May 2022, a poll showed Monday. The survey, conducted by Realmeter and commissioned by a local news outlet, showed Yoon's positive rating at 27 percent, down by 2.9 percentage points from the previous week. The previous record low was 29.3 percent in the first week of August 2022. It marked the third consecutive week that Yoon's approval rating has fallen below 30 percent. The survey attribute
Sept. 16, 2024
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Yoon encourages police officers, firefighters on duty during Chuseok holiday
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday visited police and fire stations to encourage police officers and firefighters who are working for public safety during the Chuseok fall harvest holiday, his office said. Yoon visited Gwanak Police Station and Gangseo Fire Station in Seoul, where he was briefed on the situation on officers on duty during the holiday and expressed his thanks for their hard work, according to presidential spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon. Yoon said since he took office, he has stressed
Sept. 16, 2024
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Yoon says issue of separated families is 'most pressing task'
President Yoon Suk Yeol said Sunday that addressing the issue of family members separated by the 1950-53 Korean War is "the most pressing task." Yoon made the remark in a speech read on his behalf by Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho at a ceremony marking the second Separated Families Day. "The issue of separated families is the most pressing task we must resolve," Yoon said, noting that around 3,000 of the 130,000 applicants for government-arranged reunions die every year wit
Sept. 15, 2024