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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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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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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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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Infighting grips NPAD again
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy once again became engulfed in infighting in seeking to appoint two cochairmen to lead its emergency committee.Of the two candidates, conservative academic Lee Sang-don has issued a conditional acceptance while Seoul National University professor emeritus Ahn Kyung-hwan, a progressive, is said to have accepted the offer. The infighting, which threatens to further endanger the struggling party, broke out over Lee. Immediately after related re
Sept. 12, 2014
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Seoul’s district councils pressured to disclose spending records
Local news reports on Thursday heaped criticism on Seoul’s district councils for being slow to disclose parts of their spending records, upping the political ante against officials apparently using public funds in a nontransparent manner.Of the 25 district legislatures in Seoul, only the Dobong district council has announced plans to publicize heretofore undisclosed parts of their expenditure records, reports said.Critics charged that the remaining 24 councils expressed no intention of following
Sept. 11, 2014
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NPAD seeks new interim chief
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy will find a new interim leader from outside the party in the wake of the ongoing parliamentary deadlock over the special Sewol bill.At a press conference on the party’s policies on “livelihood bills,” current emergency committee chief and floor leader Rep. Park Young-sun said that an external figure will be chosen to take the helm of the committee. “The reason for recruiting from the outside is to contribute to the advancement of Korea’s po
Sept. 11, 2014
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Rival parties to meet on ferry bill
The floor leaders of the rival political parties plan to meet Thursday in their latest attempt to work out differences over a bill meant to uncover the truth behind April's ferry disaster, officials said.Lee One-koo, floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, was to meet with his opposition counterpart, Park Young-sun, at the National Assembly, officials said, though it remains clear whether they can make progress.The meeting comes weeks after the rival parties' two successive deals on the bill w
Sept. 11, 2014
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Parties confront growing discontent over Sewol row
The two main political parties’ prolonged standoff over the special Sewol bill is inciting widespread criticism of the parliament, lawmakers say. The aim of the Sewol bill is to uncover issues surrounding the April 16 ferry accident that left more than 300 people dead or missing. Although both the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy agree on the need for the bill, the two have locked horns over issues including whether to give the power to investigate
Sept. 10, 2014
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Ruling party vows to regulate politicians’ publishing events
The ruling Saenuri Party vowed on Wednesday to amend lobby laws as part of efforts to rein in lawmakers holding book publishing events ― which have been known as thinly veiled forms of political contribution.In principle, lawmakers hold the publishing events to sell and advertise books they have recently authored. But lobbyists and junior politicians often abuse the gatherings as a way to gain favors from senior politicians by donating large sums of money under the pretense of buying one of the
Sept. 10, 2014
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Threatening parcel sent to defense minister
A parcel containing a knife, suspicious powder and a threatening letter has been sent to South Korea’s defense chief, prompting authorities to launch a probe, the ministry said Friday.The package addressed to Defense Minister Han Min-koo contained a 32.8-centimeter kitchen knife and some 20 grams of white powder with a two-page letter, according to the ministry, noting that the suspicious powder was later found to be flour.The letter sent by the “International Peace Action Corps”reads, “Why are
Sept. 5, 2014
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Korea quarantines Nigerian national with high fever
South Korean health authorities said Friday they have quarantined a Nigerian national with high fever as a precautionary move as they check to see whether the person has been infected with the Ebola virus.The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they are conducting detailed tests on the man, but judging by clinical specimens and his symptoms, it seems unlikely that he has contracted the deadly hemorrhagic fever. The highly contagious illness is sweeping across some parts of West
Sept. 5, 2014
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Parties turn on charm for Chuseok
Leaders of rival parties made separate visits to welfare centers, train stations and fire stations on the eve of the Chuseok Thanksgiving holiday, as part of efforts to win back public trust that seems to have been lost due to the protracted political standoff over the special Sewol bill. Since May, not a single bill has been put to a vote during the parliament’s plenary session. The National Assembly’s regular session kicked off on Sept. 1, but the outlook for the 100-day session remains bleak
Sept. 5, 2014
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Assembly veto of arrest motion sparks backlash
The parliamentary veto of an arrest motion for a ruling party lawmaker accused of graft triggered waves of fiery criticism Thursday.The Constitution gives lawmakers immunity from arrest while the National Assembly is in session, unless a parliamentary majority accepts a warrant from the Justice Ministry.But critics have charged lawmakers with abusing the privilege, as legislators have rejected a majority of arrest motions for fellow lawmakers accused of criminal violations. About 70 percent of a
Sept. 4, 2014
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Park urges lifting barriers to electricity market
President Park Geun-hye called Thursday for a drastic easing of regulations to ensure private companies can produce and sell energy as the country seeks to better cope with challenges posed by climate change.Currently, private companies are restricted from participating in the electricity market virtually monopolized by state-run power provider Korea Electric Power Corp. "There is a need to lift barriers to entry for private companies," Park said in a debate on the energy industry. "We should dr
Sept. 4, 2014
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Assembly rejects arrest motion for lawmaker
Lawmakers on Wednesday voted down a government request to arrest a veteran lawmaker accused of receiving bribes from train parts makers. The rejection of the Justice Ministry’s application to arrest Rep. Song Kwang-ho of the ruling Saenuri Party comes amid rising public criticism that legislators too often abuse a legal privilege exempting them from detainment by law enforcement. Song Kwang-hoWednesday’s decision added fire to this criticism, with more than 50 percent of lawmakers present voting
Sept. 3, 2014
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Park reignites campaign for deregulation
President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday urged officials to speed up efforts to eradicate old and unnecessary regulations to resolve inconveniences for the public, lure investment and create high-quality jobs. During a meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae, the president stressed that Korea does not have much time left to decide how to achieve future growth and that regulatory reforms would help the country achieve economic success. The president also urged officials to use creative thinking rather than sim
Sept. 3, 2014
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Opposition party takes issue with ‘divisive’ bills
The main opposition’s interim leader on Wednesday pointed her finger at ruling party lawmakers for sponsoring a range of divisive bills under “the pretense of raising living standards.”Rep. Park Young-sun, interim leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, made the comment as the ruling Saenuri Party continued to blame the NPAD for the current political deadlock over the “special Sewol bill.”“The Saenuri Party and President Park Geun-hye are claiming the opposition is blocking the legisl
Sept. 3, 2014
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Parliament vetoes arrest of ruling party lawmaker
The National Assembly on Wednesday vetoed the arrest of a ruling party legislator accused of graft despite earlier pledges to strip lawmakers of their immunity from detention.Rep. Song Kwang-ho of the ruling Saenuri Party is suspected of taking 55 million won ($54,000) in bribes from local railway parts supplier AVT in exchange for business favors.His arrest was subject to parliamentary consent as lawmakers in South Korea are immune from detention while the National Assembly is in session. Rep.
Sept. 3, 2014
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Park to ask SAP to increase investment in Korea
President Park Geun-hye asked the chairman of German software giant SAP Wednesday to increase investment in South Korea, her office said.Park met with Hasso Plattner, co-founder and chairman of the supervisory board of SAP, though no details of the meeting were immediately available.She also called on the German company to help South Korean software developers and promising startups make inroads into global markets.The German company plans to announce its plan to set up an innovation center in P
Sept. 3, 2014
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Trade minister expects conclusion of FTA talks with China soon
South Korea's trade minister said Wednesday that he expected to see the conclusion of negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement with China in the near future, possibly before the end of November."We may see significant progress in FTA talks with China in the near future," Yoon Sang-jick said while meeting with reporters here. "Actually, the Chinese side says it wants the FTA negotiations concluded before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in November."The APEC
Sept. 3, 2014
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Park orders integrated underground maps
President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday directed her government to draw up an integrated map of the country’s underground structures amid growing concerns over the occurrence of sinkholes in Seoul and other parts of the country.Presiding over a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Park also ordered officials to make continued efforts to ensure the safety of ferry operations, reiterating her push to improve the overall public safety. “As sinkholes have repeatedly occurred in metropolises, people’s concer
Sept. 2, 2014
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Mistrust darkens outlook for Sewol bill
The country’s political arena appears set for a drawn-out standstill with the mistrust over the Sewol ferry accident issues deepening. On Tuesday, the spokesman for the families of those who died in the April 16 ferry accident accused the ruling Saenuri Party of lacking the will to resolve related issues and of ignoring their demands. “The impression we got was that the ruling party considers (the latest Sewol bill draft) to be optimal within the boundaries of its interpretation of the law, not
Sept. 2, 2014
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Civic group urges Park to push Sewol law
A local civic group called on President Park Geun-hye Tuesday to help enact a special bill aimed at uncovering the truth behind April’s ferry disaster that claimed more than 300 lives.Rival parties have been deadlocked over the bill that grants investigative powers to a parliamentary committee tasked with determining the cause of one of the country’s worst maritime disasters.The ruling Saenuri Party and main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy have so far struck two successive deals o
Sept. 2, 2014