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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
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S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
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Yoon’s jailed mother-in-law excluded from latest parole list
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Hybe and Min Hee-jin, CEO of Hybe sublabel Ador, lock horns
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[Pressure points] Leggings in public: Fashion statement or social faux pas?
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Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
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[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'
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Nicaragua shuts down Seoul embassy
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Rocket engine expert, ex-NASA exec to lead Korea's new space agency
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Voters share thoughts
The hallways of Seoul Gyeongun School, a polling station in central Seoul, was packed with voters Wednesday afternoon. The majority were senior citizens in their 60s and 70s, some in wheelchairs, as well as young women in their 20s.Among the voters were mothers with their young children, young couples holding hands and a restaurant worker wearing an apron, having just left work. Benches were provided for voters to sit on while waiting. Many fanned themselves with papers, trying to keep cool in t
June 4, 2014
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Local elections turning point for president
President Park Geun-hye appears to have escaped the worst-case scenario as her Saenuri Party averted a crushing defeat in the local elections Wednesday. The June 4 local elections were seen as a referendum on her government, which has been sharply criticized for its poor handling of the Sewol ferry disaster on April 16 that left more than 300 dead or missing. With deepening voter apathy in the wake of the ferry debacle, the elections were expected to deal a serious blow to the president and weak
June 4, 2014
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(Photo News) Local Election
Ballot counting takes place at Cheongju Olympic Commemorative Gymnasium in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. (Yonhap)Seoul mayor candidate Chung Mong-joon of the Saenuri Party and former lawmaker Na Kyung-won watch the election results on television, Wednesday night. (Yonhap) Yoon Jang-hyun of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracyshakes hands with a supporter at his campaign office in Gwangju onWednesday as an exit poll result shows him far ahead of his nearest r
June 4, 2014
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Saenuri reformist wins Jeju race
Won Hee-ryong of the ruling Saenuri Party has been elected governor of Jeju Province, where he was born in 1964, beating out the contender from the main opposition party with a large margin.Won has continued to far surpass Shin Koo-bum of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy in approval ratings according to a variety of polls over the past few weeks. Pundits share the view that he could eventually target the 2017 or 2022 presidential elections.The Jeju governor-elect has attained public recog
June 4, 2014
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Hong wins 2nd term in South Gyeongsang
Hong Joon-pyo won reelection in the South Gyeongsang Province gubernatorial election Wednesday, defeating Kim Kyoung-soo of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy. He had a grueling campaign as his opponents bombarded him with criticism over his push to close a debt-ridden public hospital in Jinju and failure to address residents’ health concerns over the construction of electricity transmission lines in Miryang. Hong Joon-pyoHe has also taken much flak for his remarks in a medi
June 4, 2014
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‘Little Roh’ Ahn reelected in South Chungcheong
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy’s Ahn Hee-jung defeated ruling Saenuri Party competitor Chung Jin-suk in the South Chuncheong Province gubernatorial election Wednesday, adding another chapter to a political comeback story.The incumbent Ahn is set for a second term ending in 2018. Turnout was 55.7 percent in a province of 1.6 million voters, according to the National Election Commission.Results failed to contradict election forecasts, disappointing conservatives who had ho
June 4, 2014
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Voters get active on social media
Voters were more active than ever on social media during this year’s local elections season, generating hilarious parodies and comments about the candidates and anticipated results. Some 11 million tweets about the June 4 local elections were posted from Jan. 1 to June 3, according to Twitter Korea. South Korea is one of the most wired countries in the world. More than 67 percent of local mobile consumers had smartphones in 2012, far exceeding the global average of 14.8.The nation first allowed
June 4, 2014
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Advance voting system beset with problems
Introduced to boost voter turnout for the first time this year, the advance voting system had received rave reviews for its convenience. Yet, its credibility was tarnished Wednesday due mainly to the election watchdog’s mistakes in the voter identification process.Experts said that the National Election Commission should tighten its oversight of the advance voting system and strengthen education for its staff to prevent voters casting their ballots twice and other irregularities in the early vot
June 4, 2014
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Seoul voters share their thoughts
The hallways of Seoul Gyeongun School, a polling station in central Seoul, was packed with voters Wednesday afternoon. The majority were senior citizens in their 60s and 70s, some in wheelchairs, as well as young women in their 20s.Among the voters were mothers with their young children, young couples holding hands and a restaurant worker wearing an apron, having just left work. Benches were provided for voters to sit on while waiting. Many fanned themselves with papers, trying to keep cool in t
June 4, 2014
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Ruling, opposition parties in tight race in local elections
SEOUL (Yonhap) – The ruling and main opposition parties were running neck-and-neck in Wednesday's local elections, with the results of four key battlegrounds appearing likely to determine the winner.As the first nationwide elections under President Park Geun-hye, the polls were seen as a crucial test of public support for the conservative administration that has drawn fire for its botched handling of a deadly ferry sinking in April. Park took office in February 2013.The elections for a total of
June 4, 2014
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Seoul Mayor Park wins reelection
Early results indicated Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon would score a resounding win against his conservative rival Chung Mong-joon as the ruling Saenuri Party and main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy battled it out in the local elections with seven of the 17 major mayoral and gubernatorial races being contested tightly.Buoyed by the highest-ever early voting rate, this year’s local elections are to see the highest voter participation since the first local elections were held in 1995. A
June 4, 2014
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Exit poll shows South Korean elections tight
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – An exit poll showed President Park Geun-hye's conservative party and its main liberal opposition dividing some key mayoral and provincial races in elections Wednesday being seen as a test of public sentiment over the handling of the ferry disaster that left 300 people dead or missing.The poll predicted Park's Saenuri Party and the main opposition party would each win five of 17 important mayoral and provincial governor posts. The poll, jointly conducted by the SBS, KBS
June 4, 2014
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Preliminary voter turnout hits record high in 16 years
Voter turnout in Wednesday's local elections reached a provisional 56.8 percent, the highest in 16 years, the nation's election watchdog said.More than 23.4 million out of over 41.2 million eligible voters went to polling stations across the country to pick a total of 3,952 officials, including the mayor of Seoul, according to the National Election Commission.The preliminary voter turnout is the highest since 1998, when 52.3 percent was recorded, and the second-highest ever. The highest voter tu
June 4, 2014
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Vote count for local elections begins
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- Vote counting began for Wednesday's local elections, with exit polls showing the ruling and main opposition parties each winning five of the 17 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial posts up for grabs, while running neck-and-neck in the other races.Voting took place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 13,665 polling stations nationwide, drawing 56.8 percent of eligible voters, according to a preliminary count by the National Election Commission (NEC). The turnout was the highest for nati
June 4, 2014
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Local elections create tough test for Park
The June 4 local elections have created a tough test for President Park Geun-hye as the polling day was being seen as an early interim assessment of her leadership and a referendum on her government’s handling of the ferry disaster that left more than 300 dead or missing in April.Traditionally, the elections have not led to an upheaval of the central government and the presidency, as they were held to pick regional administrators and councilors.But as the current elections came at a critical jun
June 4, 2014
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Vote count for local elections begins
Vote counting began for Wednesday's local elections, with exit polls showing the ruling and main opposition parties each winning five of the 17 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial posts up for grabs, while running neck-and-neck in the other races.Voting took place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 13,665 polling stations nationwide, drawing more than 50 percent of eligible voters, according to the National Election Commission.Ballot boxes were sealed as soon as voting closed and taken to 252 counting
June 4, 2014
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Exit polls show close race between ruling, opposition parties
South Korea's ruling and main opposition parties were expected to each win at least five of the17 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial posts contested in Wednesday's local elections, according to joint exit polls by local TV stations.The ruling Saenuri Party was forecast to prevail in mayoral races in Daegu and Ulsan, and gubernatorial races in Jeju Island and its traditional power bases in South Gyeongsang and North Gyeongsang provinces, the exit polls revealed.They also showed that the main
June 4, 2014
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Main opposition takes Seoul, seven regions in close-race; exit polls
The ruling Saenuri Party and main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy battled it out in the local elections Wednesday with seven of the 17 major mayoral and gubernatorial races being contested tightly.Buoyed by the highest-ever early voting rate, this year’s local elections are to see the highest voter participation since the first local elections held in 1995. As of 7 p.m., the National Election Commission placed the voting rate at 56.8 percent, the highest since 1998. Voting took pl
June 4, 2014
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Seoul voters share their thoughts
The hallway of Seoul Gyeongun School, a polling station in central Seoul, was packed with voters Wednesday afternoon. The majority were senior citizens in their 60s and 70s, some in wheelchairs, as well as young women in their 20s.Among the voters were mothers with their young children, young couples holding hands, and a restaurant worker wearing an apron, having just left work. Benches were provided for voters to sit on while waiting. Many fanned themselves with papers, trying to keep cool in t
June 4, 2014
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Voters cast ballots for critical local elections
Voters took to polling stations nationwide Wednesday for the crucial local elections that will bring potentially decisive effects for the Park Geun-hye administration and political parties.The elections were seen as a referendum for the administration in the wake of the April 16 ferry disaster that left more than 300 people dead or missing. The government has been sharply criticized for its poor handling of the accident. Voters line up to vote for the local elections in Seoul, Wednesday. (Yonhap
June 4, 2014