Most Popular
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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[Newsmaker] Visit by N.K. officials hogs limelight
The 17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 that ended on Saturday surprised the world ― not just for its spectacular K-pop performances or medals dominated by China, but because of an unprecedented visit by top officials from North Korea.The North Korean delegation consisted of the three confidants to North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un. They are known as the secretive state’s political and military heavyweights who buttress the leadership of the young ruler, who took over the reclusive regime in De
Oct. 5, 2014
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NPAD attacks proposed tax hikes
Opposition lawmakers on Sunday stepped up their offensive on President Park Geun-hye’s proposed tax hikes, foreshadowing further partisan wrangling over budget issues.“The tax raises are representative of the president’s policy that increases the burden on the poor while lowering taxes for the wealthiest,” said Rep. Kim Ki-sik of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy.Park’s plans to increase taxes on tobacco products and automobiles and to introduce a residential poll tax have
Oct. 5, 2014
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Top U.S. officials on Korea to visit Seoul this weekend
Senior U.S. government officials handling Korean affairs are to visit Seoul this weekend for meetings with their counterparts on ways to strengthen the alliance between the two countries and to discuss other pending issues, officials said Thursday. Assistant Deputy Secretary of Defense David Shear said he and Assistant Deputy Secretary of State Daniel Russel will make a joint trip to Seoul to talk about ways to further bolster the traditional alliance between the two countries. "I look forwa
Oct. 3, 2014
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Opposition floor leader resigns over ferry bill
Rep. Park Young-sun, the floor leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, stepped down Thursday following controversy over a bill aimed at determining the truth behind April's deadly ferry sinking. "I am laying down the burden of the post of floor leader," she said in an e-mailed letter to all NPAD lawmakers. "It has been a difficult time, abandoning all of my beliefs, honor and pride in the name of responsibility." Rep. Park Young-sun, the floor leader of the main oppo
Oct. 2, 2014
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Assembly back in business
The National Assembly began sailing forward Wednesday after the latest compromise between rival parties, but stormy weather could await according to analysts, as a slew of thorny issues have yet to be worked out.South Korea’s main opposition party ended its boycott of the national legislature on Tuesday, breaking a months-long parliamentary deadlock that had sparked fierce public criticism of legislators for neglecting their regular duties.The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy
Oct. 1, 2014
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Park urges N.K. to join trust-building efforts
President Park Geun-hye urged North Korea on Wednesday to join South Korea’s efforts to build trust and lay the groundwork for the potential unification of the divided Korean Peninsula.Park also pressed North Korea again to abandon its nuclear weapons program, calling it “the biggest stumbling block” to the development of inter-Korean ties.“North Korea’s nuclear program is an urgent issue that must be resolved,” Park said in a speech during an Armed Forces Day ceremony at the military headquarte
Oct. 1, 2014
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Assembly truce may be short-lived: experts
An agreement reached by the two rival parties on the Sewol probe puts an end to months of bipartisan fighting, but it remains unclear how long this interparty truce will last as it is expected to face fierce opposition from the victims’ families.“On Tuesday, the two sides may have created a breakthrough to a prolonged political stalemate,” said Lee Jeong-hee, a political science professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. “But there will be another round of political impasses in the cours
Oct. 1, 2014
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NPAD returns to legislature
South Korea’s main opposition party ended its boycott of the national legislature on Tuesday, breaking the months-long parliamentary deadlock that had sparked fierce public criticism for leaving regular legislative duties pending.The New Politics Alliance for Democracy has been sitting out all sessions of the National Assembly since August in protest of the governing Saenuri Party’s stance on the special Sewol bill.(Yonhap)With the compromise deal over the bill between floor leaders of the NPAD
Oct. 1, 2014
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Park regrets partisan fight
President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday expressed concern over a prolonged political deadlock at the parliament, stressing that it could impede the nation’s diplomatic relations with allies and hinder government efforts to expand bilateral trade and investment. “I was surprised to hear from (representatives of) Canada that they are signing the FTA deal after many difficulties but they are now concerned about the passage of the deal at the Korean parliament,” Park said during a Cabinet meeting at Cheo
Oct. 1, 2014
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Rival parties make compromise on controversial ferry bill
Ending months of bitter political confrontation, South Korea's rival parties on Tuesday reached a compromise on a controversial bill aimed at parsing the truth behind April's deadly ferry sinking.South Korea's parliament has been stuck in limbo as the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Political Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) remained locked in a bitter dispute over the terms of the proposed bill that, among other things, would set the boundaries of an independent counsel probe of t
Sept. 30, 2014
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Park calls for efforts to improve lives of N. Koreans
President Park Geun-hye called on officials Tuesday to make aggressive efforts to help improve the lives of North Koreans as she made clear that North Korea's human rights issue is a top priority in dealing with the communist country.The issue of the North's human rights had long been placed on the back burner in South Korea where many people, mostly liberals, have shied away from the issue out of fear that it could strain inter-Korean relations.The issue was also pushed back on the priority lis
Sept. 30, 2014
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Sewol families face arrest for driver assault
Police on Monday asked the court to issue arrest warrants for three relatives of those killed in the April 16 Sewol ferry accident on charges of physically assaulting several passersby and a driver near a bar in western Seoul earlier this month.At the time of the incident, the three were serving as the bereaved families’ representatives in ongoing talks over the special Sewol bill at the National Assembly.They stepped down from their posts immediately after the incident, but the investigative ag
Sept. 29, 2014
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President says constitutional justice key to social integration
President Park Geun-hye on Monday urged for constitutional justice to play a leading role in promoting social integration, narrowing the gap between the haves and have-nots and resolving escalating social conflicts over racial, cultural and political differences.“Social conflicts are escalating around the world due to a widening (economic) gap and the improper situation of power and self-interest being put ahead of law and principle,” Park said in her congratulatory speech at the opening ceremon
Sept. 29, 2014
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[Newsmaker] Faltering opposition pins hopes on Moon
Interim opposition leader Rep. Moon Hee-sang proposed high-level talks with the ruling Saenuri Party on Sunday, to end the ongoing political deadlock over the special Sewol bill.The ruling party refused, putting the opening of Tuesday’s plenary session as a precondition for any new negotiation with the New Politics Alliance for Democracy.The Saenuri Party’s rejection is likely to put the already-embattled NPAD in a catch-22.How well the party can escape its predicament will depend largely on Moo
Sept. 28, 2014
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S. Korea-Japan summit possible if Tokyo shows sincerity: senior official
South Korea and Japan could hold a summit if Tokyo shows sincerity about resolving the issue of the country's sexual enslavement of Korean women for its troops during World War II, a senior official said Friday.Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have been strained seriously in recent years due to history and territorial rows, including the sexual slavery issue. Amid frayed ties, the two neighbors have not held a one-on-one summit for more than two years. As a first step toward improving ties, Sou
Sept. 27, 2014
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Main opposition lawmaker sues 7 netizens for alleged defamation
A leading opposition lawmaker has filed a complaint with the prosecution against seven unidentified netizens for allegedly spreading false rumors about him, judicial sources said Friday.The seven are accused of posting an article on the Internet earlier this month that Rep. Moon Jae-in of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) attempted to launder some 20 trillion won ($19 billion) together with a former head of a public company who is a close aide to the late ex-Presiden
Sept. 26, 2014
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Full parliamentary session postponed amid bipartisan row over ferry bill
A plenary session of the National Assembly closed nine minutes after opening Friday as rival political parties failed to resolve the ongoing dispute over a controversial bill aimed at determining the truth behind April's deadly ferry sinking.The session, convened by National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa, had been aimed at passing some 90 bills and proposals that have been stuck in parliament amid wrangling between the rival parties. However, only 153 lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party attend
Sept. 26, 2014
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Park returns home after visit to Canada, U.N.
President Park Geun-hye returned home Friday from a high-profile visit to Canada and New York that was culminated in her address to the U.N. General Assembly.Park first made a state visit to Canada and held a summit with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on how to further boost their relations.A key accomplishment of her trip to Canada was the signing of a free trade deal that could boost trade and investment ties across the Pacific. South Korea is the first Asian country to sign a free trade deal w
Sept. 26, 2014
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Park presents vision of unified Koreas at U.N.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye returns from her seven-day trip to North America on Friday after making her debut speech at the United Nations and signing a long-awaited free trade deal with Canada. At the U.N., Park presented her vision of Korean unification to leaders from more than 140 countries gathered for the annual meeting, including North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong, and called for their support to convince Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons. She also pressed Japan by a
Sept. 25, 2014
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Resolution aims to curb inter-Korean slander
A South Korean opposition lawmaker filed a resolution Thursday calling for the implementation of past inter-Korean agreements to stop slander between the two sides.The resolution, submitted by Rep. Sim Jae-kwon of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, calls on the two Koreas to recognize that mutual recognition and respect are the basis for trust-building. It also urges the two sides to honor such agreements as the joint statement of July 1972, which bans cross-border slander.
Sept. 25, 2014