Most Popular
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
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Ador CEO's request for exclusive right to terminate NewJeans' contract with Hybe refused in February
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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Naver will consider company benefits in deciding on selling Line shares: CEO
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Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket
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Hankook Tire takes over control of Hanon Systems
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Park urges Japan to honor past apologies
South Korean President Park Geun-hye urged Japanese leaders to make clear they honor the country's past apologies for its colonial rule of Korea and not to engage in any acts that put their intentions into question.Park made the remarks during an interview Monday with CNN, saying the past apologies, known as the "Kono statement" and the "Murayama statement" named after former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono and former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, have been the basis of relations between
Jan. 14, 2014
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Opposition shifts N.K. rights policy
Democratic Party chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil vowed Monday to take the lead in changes needed for the progressive bloc, and to lead the party to victory in the June 4 provincial elections through “change and innovation.” Kim also declared that the DP would resist medical and railway privatization, and repeated the party’s year-old demand for a special counsel investigation into the National Intelligence Service’s alleged role in the 2012 presidential election. Kim, however, left room for interpreta
Jan. 13, 2014
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DP slams USFK cost deal
The new accord on sharing the costs of keeping U.S. troops in Korea faces a rough ride in the National Assembly, with opposition lawmakers churning out criticism over a sharp rise in Seoul’s burden and its failure to achieve further administrative improvement. After grueling six-month negotiations, the two countries reached a deal on Saturday to renew the Special Measures Agreement, under which South Korea will pay 920 billion won ($871 million) this year to support the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces
Jan. 13, 2014
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S. Korea ups 2014 overseas development aid by 11 percent
South Korea said Monday that it will increase this year's aid for developing countries by 11 percent as part of efforts to return what it received from the international community to rebuild its war-torn economy decades ago.A total of 2.27 trillion won ($2.14 billion), or some 0.16 percent of the country's gross national income, has been earmarked for this year's official development aid, according to the Prime Minister's Secretariat.It is up from last year's 2.04 trillion won, or 0.15 percent o
Jan. 13, 2014
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Park to focus on 'sales diplomacy' in visits to India, Switzerland
President Park Geun-hye plans to use the upcoming state visits to India and Switzerland to open the world's second-most populous nation wider to Korean businesses, learn the Swiss know-how in fostering skilled labor and appeal to global CEOs about investing in Korea, officials said Monday.The weeklong trip starting Jan. 15 to the Indian capital of New Delhi and the Swiss capital of Bern, as well as the resort town of Davos, is Park's first overseas trip in her second calender year in office. It
Jan. 13, 2014
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Park extols Korea bonanza with a unified South-North economy
President Park Geun Hye, who became South Korea’s first woman leader by promising a more “creative economy,” begins her second year vowing to pursue the unprecedented prosperity she said will result from unification with North Korea amid flagging interest from many citizens more than six decades after the peninsula’s war. To persuade voters captivated by Samsung Electronics Co.’s electronic gadgets and the latest “K-pop” music stars as the aging workforce threatens the nation’s productivity, Par
Jan. 13, 2014
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Opposition leader vows to create N.K. policy centered on national unity
The chief of the main opposition Democratic Party vowed Monday to establish a policy on North Korea that centers on national unity.Kim Han-gil made the pledge in a New Year's press conference as he cited President Park Geun-hye's recently announced goal of laying the groundwork for reunification."Reunification without preparation will bring great chaos to the Korean Peninsula," Kim said during the news conference at the National Assembly. "Therefore, the government should present the people with
Jan. 13, 2014
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Seoul eyes monument for Japan-forced draft victims in Papua New Guinea
The government plans to set up a monument in Papua New Guinea to commemorate South Korean victims forced into battle by imperial Japan during World War II, officials said Monday.The cenotaph, under construction on New Britain island of the Oceania country, aims to pay tribute to those killed after being forced into war there by colonial Japan, according to Seoul's forced labor investigation commission under the Prime Minister's Secretariat. The Korean Peninsula was under Japan's brutal colonial
Jan. 13, 2014
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Opposition divided over Seoul mayorship
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo’s anticipated political party is expected to present an independent candidate in the 2014 Seoul mayoral race, escalating concerns over a divided opposition bloc.With the independent lawmaker and the main opposition Democratic Party likely to support different candidates in the June local elections, a split between Rep. Ahn and the DP seems increasingly inevitable, according to analysts.The expected split, sources said, would weaken the opposition bloc in the political landscap
Jan. 12, 2014
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Ex-president's office threatens legal action against weekly for libel
The office of former President Lee Myung-bak threatened to take legal action Sunday against a weekly over an article that alleged Lee laundered prize money he received from the United Arab Emirates.The office expressed deep regret and demanded Weekly Hankook take "appropriate steps" over its report uploaded on its website Saturday that said Lee laundered $500,000 through Nonghyup Bank, a local banking unit of state-run Nonghyup Financial Inc."We have no choice but to take legal action unless rea
Jan. 12, 2014
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DP vows to block medical commercialization
The gloves came off between the two rival political parties on Friday in a tussle over the government’s plan to deregulate the medical sector, which the opposition claims would be a step toward privatizing health services.The political debate is likely to escalate over the weekend as the Korea Medical Association, the nation’s largest group of doctors, aims to finalize its walkout plan on Sunday in protest of the government’s push to deregulate the sector.The main opposition Democratic Party vow
Jan. 10, 2014
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Education Ministry draws more fire over history text
The main opposition Democratic Party intensified its attack on the government over a controversial history textbook on Friday, riled by Minister of Education Seo Nam-soo’s plans to involve the ministry in editing school books.On Thursday, Seo announced that the ministry’s capabilities in editing textbooks will be “significantly bolstered” as part of the efforts to avoid controversies regarding textbooks, further fueling the controversy over its direct involvement.While the ministry’s plan is an
Jan. 10, 2014
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Park calls for ceaseless efforts for technological innovation
President Park Geun-hye urged scientists and information-communication technology experts Friday to work harder to develop new technologies and innovate, saying South Korea can’t afford any stalling in such efforts in a fast-moving global economy.“New technologies and industries are now moving forward at a dazzling pace in many parts of the world,” Park said in a speech at a New Year’s meeting with leaders of the science-technology and ICT sectors. “We don’t have any time to hesitate.”The scienc
Jan. 10, 2014
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Gov't to invest big in alpine Olympics city of PyeongChang
The government said Friday it will designate the 2018 Winter Games host city of PyeongChang as a special district and launch a large-scale development project for the successful international event and for sustainable regional growth. During a meeting of the commission in charge of supporting the 2018 Olympics in South Korea's alpine city of PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, the government unveiled a comprehensive plan to develop the city and the surrounding areas in Gangwon Provin
Jan. 10, 2014
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Rival parties spar over medical sector deregulation
Rival political parties wrangled Friday over the government's push to deregulate the medical industry amid growing opposition criticism that the move is a scheme to privatize health services.The criticism has grown following President Park Geun-hye's press conference on Monday, in which she stressed her resolve to revive the economy by deregulating the medical industry and other services sectors, among other measures.The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) has vowed to block the move, claiming
Jan. 10, 2014
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Lawyer accuses spy agency of psychologically torturing suspect
The National Intelligence Service on Thursday was accused of psychological torture, adding a human rights violation to the growing list of its alleged wrongdoings.Since December, the NIS has been under fire from the opposition bloc, which accused it of meddling in the 2012 presidential election to bolster President Park Geun-hye’s campaign. According to lawyer Oh Young-joong, NIS officials honed in on the fact that his client has a disabled son when he refused to answer questions on Dec. 30.Oh c
Jan. 9, 2014
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Prime minister’s move to reshuffle officials causes confusion
Concerns over a massive reshuffle are spreading among the country’s 1-million-strong civil service following Wednesday’s reshuffle of top officials at the Prime Minister’s Office. Five of the 10 Grade-I civil servants at the PMO who submitted their resignations eight days ago have had to step aside to help accelerate the government’s operations. The remaining five officials were either promoted or transferred to other sectors. While the move is not unusual in its scale, its timing appears to hav
Jan. 9, 2014
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Koreans become more conservative
The number of Koreans describing themselves as politically liberal has decreased in the past three years, according to data released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on Wednesday. The study also found that the number identifying as conservative or moderate had increased since 2010. Of the 597 people who responded to the survey in 2010, 29 percent said they were political liberals. In 2013, the tally shrank to 24 percent, while moderates and conservatives had risen from 34 per
Jan. 8, 2014
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Prime Minister’s Office sacks senior officials
The Prime Minister’s Office carried out a major reshuffle on Wednesday that saw five of its top officials removed from office. “The reshuffle was carried out based on the strict assessment of their performances, and by applying a personnel selection (method based on) professionalism and capability while maintaining the stability of the organization,” the PMO said. The measure, which takes effect on Thursday, follows less than two weeks after 10 top officials submitted their resignations on Dec.
Jan. 8, 2014
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DP figures test waters ahead of local elections
The two main political parties began the year with a war cry for the June 4 local elections, but their members approached the issue with different attitudes.The ruling Saenuri Party has already seen a number of its lawmakers and members declare their intentions to run in the upcoming elections, including three for Incheon mayor. In addition, Rep. Park Min-shik declared that he will run for Busan mayor, while Saenuri Party supreme council member Lee Hye-hoon is so far the only one to announce int
Jan. 8, 2014