Most Popular
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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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 to more than double military drones by 2026 to counter NK threats
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Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Over 60% of S. Koreans support W100m childbirth incentive: survey
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‘Inside Out 2’ adds four new emotions, explores teenage life
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Questions raised over fair promotion of RM, NewJeans
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Park returns home from European trip
South Korean President Park Geun-hye arrived home from a weeklong trip to Europe on Saturday, bagging agreements with France, Britain and Belgium to bolster economic cooperation, especially in pursuing new growth engines. It was the last overseas trip of Park's first year in office, and rounded off a series of visits to important countries, including the United States, China, Russia and rising Southeast Asian economies Vietnam and Indonesia. In France, Park and French President Francois H
Nov. 9, 2013
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Korea, EU vow to fully implement FTA
President Park Geun-hye and European Union leaders agreed Friday to fully implement the free trade agreement and urged for North Korea to abandon all of its nuclear programs.The leaders signed a joint statement in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the European Union.The statement was sealed after Park held talks with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy on her third and final leg of the th
Nov. 8, 2013
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Parties attack government stance on Japanese defense policy
Rival parties expressed concern Friday over what they called the government’s reluctance to lodge a stronger response to Japan’s pursuit of collective self-defense, as the Foreign Ministry explained the matter required patience.The members of the Special Committee on the Prevention of the Distortion of Northeast Asian History grilled First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Kyou-Hyun who was attending in place of Minister Yun Byung-se to explain the government’s policy toward Japan’s increasin
Nov. 8, 2013
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Park protestors will ‘pay price’: Saenuri lawmaker
Rep. Kim Jin-tae of the ruling Saenuri Party on Friday berated the South Korean protestors who recently held a demonstration in Paris, France, to condemn the alleged wrongdoing by the authorities during 2012 presidential election.“I will make the people who held demonstrations in Paris pay the price in full. I will have the Justice Ministry submit the photos (of the protest) as evidence to the Constitutional Court,” Kim wrote on his Facebook page. “Anyone whose ‘blood does not boil’ after seeing
Nov. 8, 2013
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Prosecution to summon Saenuri lawmakers over transcript leak
Prosecutors plan to question three ruling party lawmakers from next week as part of the high-profile probe into allegations that the transcript of the 2007 inter-Korean summit was illegally leaked last year for electioneering.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said Friday that they would summon Saenuri Reps. Kim Moo-sung, Chung Moo-hun and Suh Sang-kee, who have been accused of illegally gaining access to a copy of the transcript.The main opposition Democratic Party berated the prose
Nov. 8, 2013
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Korea, Belgium to bolster development cooperation
President Park Geun-hye held summit talks with Belgium Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo on Thursday and agreed to bolster cooperation on wider development projects.Park and Di Rupo discussed ways to fortify cooperation on the international stage, and shared views on the situation on the Korean peninsula and Europe. The two leaders also exchanged views on how to share Belgium’s experience in establishing a regional community, Cheong Wa Dae said.Upon the summit talks, the two countries signed a memoran
Nov. 8, 2013
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Court readies for UPP dissolution case
The Constitutional Court on Thursday began preparations for the review of the government’s petition to dissolve the Unified Progressive Party accused of pro-North activities, as debate escalated over the legal basis of the unprecedented motion. The court on Wednesday designated judge Lee Jung-mi to head the review in a random electronic draw and began discussing the procedure at the regular consultation session the next day. A separate four to five-member research team was also formed to review
Nov. 7, 2013
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Seoul mayor denies interest in presidential bid
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said Thursday he has no interest in running in the next presidential election, denying reports he could be a leading opposition contender.Park, who became mayor in the October 2011 by-election, has often been cited in political and media circles as a potential candidate for the 2017 presidential poll. Former President Lee Myung-bak, whose term ended in February, also served as mayor of Seoul before being elected president.“I have no plans to run in the next presidential
Nov. 7, 2013
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Park’s campaign aides questioned over alleged leaking of 2007 summit transcript
The Saenuri Party’s Rep. Kim Moo-sung and Ambassador to China Kwon Young-se have been questioned by the prosecution investigating the alleged leaking of 2007 inter-Korean summit transcript, it was revealed Thursday.According to the prosecution, Kwon provided answers in writing to questions sent to his location in China. Kim is also reported to be compiling his answers in writing. Kim and Kwon, who held high-level posts in Park’s campaign, have been accused by the main opposition Democratic Part
Nov. 7, 2013
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Korea, Britain agree to double trade, investment by 2020
President Park Geun-hye of South Korea and Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain held summit talks on Wednesday and agreed on extensive financial cooperation among state-run and private institutions, along with broader exchanges in science and energy.Park and Cameron agreed to try to double their countries’ bilateral trade and investment volume by 2020 and to regularly hold the government-level Joint Economic and Trade Committee as well as a private-level global CEO forum that were held on the
Nov. 6, 2013
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Korea, Japan on collision course over compensation
Three major Japanese economic organizations on Wednesday expressed “deep concerns” over Korean courts’ recent rulings on compensation for wartime forced labor, arguing they could hurt investment and trade between the two countries.Japan’s Federation of Economic Organizations, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Committee for Economic Development issued a statement, entitled “Toward maintaining and developing amicable Japan-Korea economic ties.”The statement unnerved Korean victims as it entail
Nov. 6, 2013
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Korea to tighten visa rules for marriage immigrants
In an effort to root out illegal international matchmaking agencies, South Korea will tighten its visa issuance procedures for foreigners coming to live in the country after marrying locals, the Ministry of Justice said Wednesday.The move is a follow-up to the revision in August last year of a marriage broker law requiring the marriage brokers to have more than 100 million won ($94,000) in paid-in capital.The revision, which effectively came into force a year later after a one-year grace period,
Nov. 6, 2013
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Moon defends his late boss, attacks prosecution probe
Rep. Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic Party on Wednesday appeared for questioning in the probe into irregularities surrounding the transcript of the 2007 inter-Korean summit. “President Roh Moo-hyun and the Participation Administration clearly defended the NLL. The real issue in the case is illegally using the transcript stored at the National Intelligence Service in the election,” Moon said as he entered the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. “The prosecution’s investigati
Nov. 6, 2013
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Park arrives in Britain seeking creative economy, finance boost
President Park Geun-hye began her first day in Britain on Tuesday with the aim of bolstering cooperation with a country that has stood in the vanguard of creative economy and finance.Park’s four-day trip is the second state visit by a South Korean president to Britain, the first being former President Roh Moo-hyun’s visit in 2004.Cheong Wa Dae said Park’s arrival represented the special amity between the two countries, considering that Britain extends only two invitations for state visits a year
Nov. 5, 2013
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S. Korea demands explanation for U.S. eavesdropping
South Korea has requested an explanation from the U.S. over a recent news report that it was among numerous countries spied on by the National Security Agency, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.The New York Times has reported that the largest U.S. intelligence agency classified South Korea as a “focus area,” regarded as a critically important target for its intelligence gathering.The report claimed Washington routinely spies on friends as well as foes, citing 2007 documents obtained by Edwar
Nov. 5, 2013
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Ministry files for dissolution of Unified Progressive Party
The government on Tuesday petitioned to the Constitutional Court to dissolve the minor Unified Progressive Party, accusing it of pro-North Korean activities.The Justice Ministry also plans to push for disqualifying its six lawmakers and prohibiting the left-wing party from all political activities. The unprecedented move follows a prosecution investigation into UPP lawmaker Lee Seok-ki and other members arrested in August on charges of treason.“It has been concluded that the UPP’s purpose contra
Nov. 5, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Far-left party threatened with ax
The oft-troubled Unified Progressive Party is facing its biggest crisis yet as the government moves to have the left-wing party disbanded, citing its links to North Korea. The unprecedented decision came in the wake of an investigation into UPP lawmaker Lee Seok-ki and other senior officials indicted on charges of plotting an armed revolt.The UPP represents the more radical end of Korea’s progressive bloc. As such its former and current members have resorted to extreme actions within the parliam
Nov. 5, 2013
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Moon to appear before prosecution over 2007 summit transcript probe
A former chief of staff to late President Roh Moo-hyun will appear before prosecutors Wednesday to face questioning over suspicions surrounding the controversial disappearance of the 2007 inter-Korean summit transcript, prosecutors said Tuesday.Rep. Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), who was chief of staff at the time of the summit in 2007, has been notified to show up at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday.The summons co
Nov. 5, 2013
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Cabinet passes petition for leftist party's disbandment
In an unprecedented move, the Cabinet on Tuesday passed a petition calling for the disbandment of a left-leaning minor opposition party.The petition to disband the Unified Progressive Party (UPP) comes two months after some of its members, including Rep. Lee Seok-ki, were arrested on charges of plotting to overthrow the government in the event of an inter-Korean war.The members have also been accused of praising the North Korean communist regime in violation of South Korean law.On Tuesday, the C
Nov. 5, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Ahn seen reviving presidential ambition
Independent Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a former presidential candidate considered a “sleeping dragon” of Korean politics, appears to be speeding up the process of establishing his own party ahead of next year’s local elections.On Monday, Ahn took to the podium of the National Assembly’s briefing room for the first time since his election office in April to call for a special probe into alleged election meddling by government agencies.“I think that a comprehensive investigation conducted by a special co
Nov. 4, 2013