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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Pyeongtaek focuses on business, multiculturalism
Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province, is stepping up efforts to embrace multiculturalism through an array of programs to boost exchanges among locals and foreigners, as it prepares to host key U.S. military headquarters to be relocated from Seoul and other cities by 2016.The efforts are led by Mayor Kim Sun-ki, who has pushed to build a global cultural community, where people from home and abroad can mingle together and promote cross-cultural understanding and harmony.“According to the U.S. milita
Nov. 4, 2013
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Ahn proposes special probe into election meddling scandal
Independent lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo called for bipartisan support on Monday to launch a special investigation into several government bodies and the military embroiled in an online campaign scandal in connection with last year's presidential election."I think a comprehensive investigation by an independent counsel can clear up the allegations," Ahn said in a press briefing held at the National Assembly. "I doubt the ongoing probes separately conducted by state prosecutors and military prosecutors
Nov. 4, 2013
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Moon summoned in summit transcript probe
Prosecutors have summoned Moon Jae-in, former presidential candidate of the opposition Democratic Party, for questioning as their investigation into the missing 2007 inter-Korean summit transcript nears conclusion.According to the prosecution, Moon was told to appear for questioning as soon as possible. Moon is said to have informed the prosecution that he would answer the summons, and the two sides are now working out the date. Moon was chief of staff to late President Roh Moo-hyun, and has bee
Nov. 4, 2013
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Korea releases guidelines on new ‘life zones’ for regional development
The Presidential Committee for Regional Development on Sunday mapped out guidelines for introducing the new regional demarcation concept of “life zones” based on similar characteristics such as industries, proximity and historical background among regions.The municipalities and residents will autonomously decide to team up with each other in setting up the zones, upon which the committee will review for finalization.Agricultural and fishing districts with around 100,000 people, for instance, wil
Nov. 3, 2013
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Ahn Cheol-soo moves to launch new party
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, an independent lawmaker and former presidential candidate, is pushing ahead with work to form a new political party, sources said Sunday.“A preparatory committee to set up the new political party is likely to be formed within this month,” said a member of Ahn’s policy think tank Policy Network Tomorrow.The team must be launched in November so that the new party could better prepare for next year’s local election in June, he said.It was considered a matter of time before the I
Nov. 3, 2013
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Seoul, Moscow to issue joint statement on N. Korea
South Korea and Russia plan to issue a joint statement focused on their efforts to denuclearize North Korea and beef up economic cooperation with it after their leaders’ summit next week in Seoul, government sources said Sunday.Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to make a two-day visit to South Korea from Nov. 12 for his planned summit talks with President Park Geun-hye. After the meeting, the leaders plan to issue a joint statement that will be focused on their shared stance on worki
Nov. 3, 2013
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Park to seek closer ties with Europe
President Park Geun-hye embarks on a weeklong trip to Europe on Saturday, aiming to broaden exchanges with France, Britain, Belgium and the European Union in the economy, finance, investment and culture.Cheong Wa Dae said Park’s visit will pave way for Korea to seek new sources of growth with European partners through the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement.This is her first visit to the continent since assuming office in February. Park studied in Paris in 1974, cutting short her stay upon the assassi
Nov. 1, 2013
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Audit amplifies political divide
The 20-day parliamentary audit of the administration effectively ended Friday, unearthing more controversies likely to bog down the parliament in the coming months. The annual audit, the first since the launch of the Park Geun-hye administration, kicked off on Oct. 14 after weeks of wrangling between the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party, amid concerns that its sheer scale would prevent thorough inspections. More than 620 organizations were inspected, making this year
Nov. 1, 2013
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Park vows fair probe into election scandal
President Park Geun-hye broke her silence Thursday about the raging controversy over state agencies’ alleged electioneering in last year’s presidential poll, and vowed that all suspicions would be clarified and due measures taken.Riding high on the sweeping by-election wins the day before, Park expressed regret that pressing administrative issues had been put on the backburner by the “political issues of the past.”“Even though I have not engaged in any activities personally to warrant suspicion,
Oct. 31, 2013
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Election defeat deals further blow to main opposition party
The main opposition Democratic Party will likely face increasing uncertainties from both within and outside the party as it attempts to recover from the crushing by-election defeats. On Wednesday, Saenuri Party candidate Suh Chung-won received more than twice the number of votes of the DP’s Oh Il-yong in Gyeonggi Province’s Hwaseong-A constituency. In Pohang, the gap was even larger with the ruling party’s Park Myung-jae taking more than 78 percent of the vote while the DP’s Huh Dae-man received
Oct. 31, 2013
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[Newsmaker]Return of ‘original pro-Park’ seeks change
Despite serving six terms in the National Assembly, Suh Chung-won had almost been forgotten ― or remembered only as a corrupt, seasoned old-guard ally of President Park Geun-hye.The veteran spectacularly returned to politics Wednesday with a sweeping by-election win, proving himself still a force to be reckoned with. Political watchers widely expect his return to set off major changes both within the ruling Saenuri Party and in its relations with the opposition.Suh, who took Gyeonggi Province’s
Oct. 31, 2013
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Opposition lawmaker claims NIS, military colluded in 2012 election
An opposition lawmaker claimed Thursday that two state bodies accused of illegal electioneering had colluded to aid the election of President Park Geun-hye.According to main opposition Democratic Party Rep. Jung Cheong-rae, agents from the National Intelligence Service and the military’s cyber warfare unit met repeatedly from January 2012 to consult with one another in preparation for December’s election.“Although I am not aware of the exact comments that were exchanged at those meetings, I stro
Oct. 31, 2013
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Moon’s aide claims Ahn demanded new party for unified campaign
New claims about independent Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo’s demands for supporting the Democratic Party’s Rep. Moon Jae-in in last year’s presidential election surfaced Thursday, rekindling an almost yearlong argument between the two sides.According to DP Rep. Hong Young-pyo, who was Moon’s chief campaign aide, Ahn demanded that Moon join him in founding a new party and give him sole authority in political reform in return for merging the two campaigns.The claims have been disputed by Ahn’s associates, in
Oct. 31, 2013
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Saenuri sweeps by-elections
The ruling Saenuri Party swept to victory in two by-elections Wednesday to embolden its position in an escalating dispute with the opposition over spy agencies’ alleged interference in last year’s presidential election.The party’s candidates, Suh Chung-won and Park Myung-jae, won in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, and Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, respectively, both considered party strongholds. Despite only two seats being at stake, the elections are seen as a key test of public sentiment t
Oct. 30, 2013
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Suh’s return to trigger major shifts in political arena
The return of veteran politician Suh Chung-won to the parliament is expected to trigger a major shift of power within the ruling Saenuri Party and boost President Park Geun-hye’s mandate to govern.The former party leader and close ally to Park won his seventh term as lawmaker by winning the by-election in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Park Myung-jae from the same party scored a landslide win in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province.Although high-level Saenuri Party officials have indicated otherwise,
Oct. 30, 2013
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By-elections expected to trigger power shift in ruling party
Voters in two regional districts went to the polls in bellwether by-elections Wednesday with initial results indicating victories by the ruling Saenuri Party candidates.The elections came amid heightened political tension over national and military intelligence agents’ alleged meddling in last year’s presidential election.In Gyeonggi Province’s Hwaseong-A district, veteran political Suh Chung-won is set to beat the Democratic Party’s Oh Il-yong to win his seventh term in the parliament. In the P
Oct. 30, 2013
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[Newsmaker] U.S. alienates world with spying
United States diplomacy appears to have been caught flat-footed this past week by an avalanche of anger from its closest allies, apoplectic over one report after another detailing vast American spying, including the tapping of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s personal cell phone and data on tens of millions of calls in Spain in a single month. The most recent revelations from classified documents provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden detail NSA snooping on the phone conversations of 35 world
Oct. 29, 2013
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By-election wins may not save Saenuri
Election watchers have long predicted ruling Saenuri Party candidates will win in Wednesday’s by-elections for two parliamentary seats. But just winning won’t cut it for the party, in the face of growing public mistrust over the national spy agency’s alleged interference in the 2012 presidential election, they said.Former Grand National Party (the forerunner of the current Saenuri Party) chief Suh Chung-won will face off against main opposition Democratic Party candidate Oh Il-yong in Hwaseong,
Oct. 29, 2013
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Parties to collide on prosecutor nominee
Prosecutor-General nominee Kim Jin-tae faces a tough parliamentary hearing next month as allegations surface about his personal wrongdoings and connection to the presidential chief of staff.Since his nomination on Sunday, rumors rose that Kim engaged in real estate speculation and that his son was exempted from military service illegally ― two of the most potent attacks used by opposing forces to damage election campaigns and bring down minister-level nominees.According to his assets report file
Oct. 29, 2013
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Over 600,000 debtors likely to be bailed out by gov't in 2013: data
More than 600,000 debtors in South Korea are expected to be bailed out via state debt relief programs this year on the back of government support, data showed Tuesday, amid criticism that such a policy has been encouraging people to increase borrowing regardless of their financial capabilities.The government has helped some 602,000 debtors reduce their financial liabilities so far this year through various state debt restructuring funds, according to related authorities, including the Financial
Oct. 29, 2013