Most Popular
-
1
Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
-
2
Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
-
3
S. Korean children, teens grow taller, mature faster than before: study
-
4
[Graphic News] Number of coffee franchises in S. Korea rises 13%
-
5
Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
-
6
Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
-
7
Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
-
8
[Robert J. Fouser] AI changes rationale for learning languages
-
9
Ador CEO's request for exclusive right to terminate NewJeans' contract with Hybe refused in February
-
10
Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket
-
NPAD struggles to select by-election candidates
The opposition struggled on Monday to finalize its slate for the July 30 by-elections amid intraparty discord over candidate selections in strategically vital districts.Aspiring candidates in the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy protested unilateral decisions by senior party officials to field particular candidates in Seoul and Gwangju. Last week, the NPAD selected Ki Dong-min, former vice mayor of Seoul, to run in Seoul’s Dongjak-B constituency, over Heo Dong-jun. Heo is a lo
July 7, 2014
-
Park brings focus on economy
President Park Geun-hye stressed Monday that she would concentrate her efforts on bolstering the country’s economic diplomacy with other nations.“I will visit anywhere to help the country’s economy to take a leap forward and put all my efforts into boosting the achievements of the country’s economic diplomacy,” Park said in a debate hosted by business leaders to review the economic accomplishments attained during her recent visit to three Central Asian nations. The president added that she would
July 7, 2014
-
Park vows full effort for economic diplomacy
President Park Geun-hye pledged Monday that she will spare no effort to help boost achievement in South Korea's economic diplomacy with other countries."I will visit anywhere for the sake of our economic takeoff,"Park said in a meeting with local business leaders meant to demonstrate her commitment to taking follow-up steps for her recent trip to Central Asia.The comments came weeks after she traveled to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to expand economic cooperation and win support for h
July 7, 2014
-
Political bickering looms over Assembly
The main parties are expected to clash this week at parliament, as confirmation hearings for controversial Cabinet nominees and investigations into the April ferry accident resume on Monday.Ruling Saenuri Party lawmakers are under political pressure to ensure nominees pass the hearings to complete President Park Geun-hye’s Cabinet reshuffle, after two prime ministerial candidates dropped out amid spiraling allegations and criticism.Opposition legislators, on the other hand, are looking to torped
July 6, 2014
-
President to meet party floor leaders this week
President Park Geun-hye will meet with the floor leaders of rival political parties this week to urge them to pass pending bills and settle unresolved issues, officials said Sunday.Park’s office agreed with the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy to hold the meeting at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae this week, with the exact date likely to be Wednesday or Thursday, the officials said.Saenuri floor leader Lee One-koo and his NPAD counterpart Par
July 6, 2014
-
Saenuri leadership race centers on Park
The new chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, who will be selected at the party convention on July 14, will need communication and leadership skills to balance the opposition and Cheong Wa Dae, experts say. Although there are several hopefuls, the race has essentially come down to Reps. Suh Chung-won and Kim Moo-sung. Suh is a seven-term lawmaker often referred to as the “original pro-Park Geun-hye” for his close and long-running ties to the president. Kim, on the other hand, has had a mixed rel
July 6, 2014
-
Gov't mulls reducing tax benefits amid shortfall woes
South Korea's finance ministry is reviewing cutting tax exemptions and other tax benefits allowed to companies and individuals to make up for an expected large tax shortfall this year and meet an increase in welfare spending, government officials said Sunday. The ministry last year had announced a tax code revision in which it said it would not raise tax rates but drew criticism by increasing the tax burden on millions of people by reducing benefits and exemptions starting this year. "Nothing
July 6, 2014
-
Park, Xi raise concerns over Abe’s defense policy shift
The leaders of South Korea and China on Friday voiced concerns about Japan’s recent moves to push the limits of its pacifist constitution and its denial of past wrongdoings.Senior secretary for foreign affairs Ju Chul-ki told reporters that Presidents Park Geun-hye and Xi Jinping shared views on growing concerns about Tokyo’s push to end a ban on collective self-defense by reinterpreting its constitution, despite opposition from many nations as well as its people.The leaders also expressed regre
July 4, 2014
-
Nomination row plagues NPAD
A dispute over candidate nominations is once again engulfing the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy ahead of the crucial July 30 parliamentary by-elections.Of the 15 constituencies that will be contested, the NPAD will name candidates for five including Seoul’s Dongjak-B and Gwangju’s Gwangsan-B.Only a day has passed since the decision was made, but the party is already experiencing trouble with one would-be lawmaker staging a sit-in protest while another openly defies the decis
July 4, 2014
-
Xi stresses Japan militarist past in Seoul
Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed on Friday that both China and South Korea have suffered hardship under Japanese militarism in a speech delivered in Seoul, amid growing concerns about Tokyo’s move to push the limits of its pacifist constitution.“In the first half of the 20th century, Japanese militarists barbarously invaded China and Korea, swallowing up Korea and occupying half of the Chinese mainland,” Xi said in his speech delivered to college students at Seoul National University.“When
July 4, 2014
-
S. Korean lawmakers adopt two anti-Japan resolutions
A South Korean parliamentary committee on Friday adopted resolutions denouncing Japan's review of its apology over sexual slavery during World War II and efforts to expand its military role.Japan announced last month that the wording of the so-called Kono statement had been coordinated between Seoul and Tokyo. The 1993 statement has been deemed an official apology for Japan's coercion of Asian, mostly Korean and Chinese, women into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers.On Tuesday, Tokyo adopted a
July 4, 2014
-
Park's approval ratings drop to record low of 40 pct
President Park Geun-hye's approval ratings fell to a record low of 40 percent amid controversy over her choice of personnel, a survey showed Friday.Only 40 percent of the 1,000 adults surveyed between Tuesday and Thursday approved of Park's performance, while 48 percent said they disapproved, according to the survey by polling agency Gallup Korea. The survey had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.Park's approval ratings have fallen for three consecutive w
July 4, 2014
-
NPAD steps up pressure over government reorganization plans
The New Politics Alliance for Democracy pressed its attack on the government reorganization plans Thursday in face of continued silence on the issue from the presidential office. Calling the government’s plans “haphazard,” the main opposition party once again called on the ruling Saenuri Party to consider alternatives. “The people should not be jeopardized by a haphazard government reorganization. The Saenuri Party should listen carefully to the NPAD’s alternative and engage (in discussion),” ch
July 3, 2014
-
Murder-for-hire councilor also implicated in bribery
Prosecutors will consider pressing bribery charges against a Seoul metropolitan councilor already under arrest on suspicion of arranging a contract killing, law enforcement officials said Thursday. Authorities found evidence suggesting Kim Hyung-sik, a municipal lawmaker elected in the recent June local elections, received “millions” of won from AVT, a railroad parts supplier. Officials did not give details about the evidence, but prosecutors are looking into his bank account records for illicit
July 3, 2014
-
Park, Xi boost security, business ties
Korean President Park Geun-hye and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed Thursday they will strongly oppose North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and work together to improve conditions in order to resume the long-stalled talks on ending Pyongyang’s related programs.In a joint statement at a summit held in Seoul, the leaders also said the two countries would strengthen cooperation on business and culture. “I had an in-depth discussion with President Xi to seek ways to resolve North Ko
July 3, 2014
-
Park, Xi set to bolster ties on security, business
The leaders of South Korea and China are to hold a summit on Thursday in Seoul to strengthen cooperation on security, business and culture amid Pyongyang’s persistent saber-rattling and Tokyo’s moves to push the limits of its war-renouncing constitution.Presidents Park Geun-hye and Xi Jinping will sign a set of agreements on key issues aimed at elevating their strategic partnership to a more comprehensive one, at a critical time when the two nations face increasingly volatile dynamics in Northea
July 2, 2014
-
Saenuri lawmakers to boycott Sewol hearings
Coast Guard chief Kim Seok-kyun testifies before the National Assembly’s Sewol investigation panel on Wednesday. (Lee Gil-dong/The Korea Herald)Parliament’s probe into the ferry disaster temporarily broke down on Wednesday, only three days after the government hearings had begun. Ruling Saenuri Party lawmakers threatened to boycott the remaining hearings, accusing New Politics Alliance for Democracy Rep. Kim Kwang-jin of inaccurately describing the president’s role during the botched operations
July 2, 2014
-
NPAD opposes Park’s safety-based government reorganization plans
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy suggested keeping the Coast Guard intact and establishing a full-fledged safety-related ministry on Wednesday, opposing the government’s plans head on. Following the April 16 ferry disaster that left more than 300 people dead or missing, the Park Geun-hye administration drew up government reorganization plans focused on social and safety issues. Under the plans, the Coast Guard and National Emergency Management Agency would be absorbed into
July 2, 2014
-
Park moves on from debacles
President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday visited Cheongju, some 130 kilometers south of Seoul, making her first contact with citizens outside of the capital after the April 16 Sewol tragedy.The move was seen as a fresh attempt by the president to put state affairs back on track after the ferry disaster and a series of nomination debacles severely impaired her state management.The president attended a ceremony to celebrate the integration of two cities in North Chungcheong Province ― Cheongju and Cheon
July 1, 2014
-
Young Saenuri official vows to innovate party
An entrepreneur-turned-politician vowed to change the Saenuri Party’s relationship with Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, as the ruling party faced growing criticism over the president’s nomination of unfit prime ministerial candidates ahead of next month’s by-elections.Lee Jun-seok, the newly appointed 29-year-old head of the ruling Saenuri Party’s innovation council, said President Park Geun-hye held some responsibility for the Saenuri Party’s falling approval ratings among young voters.“I think some
July 1, 2014