Most Popular
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Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
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Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
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Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
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Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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[KH Explains] Hyundai's full hybrid edge to pay off amid slow transition to pure EVs
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North Korea removes streetlights along cross-border roads with South
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Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official
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S. Korea votes in favor of Palestinian bid for UN membership
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Farming households dip below 1m for first time in 2023
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Political debate builds over pension, tax hike
The gloves came off between the rival parties Friday in a tussle over President Park Geun-hye’s curtailed pension plan described by the ruling camp as an inevitable compromise but criticized by the opposition as deceiving.The main opposition Democratic Party vowed to go all-out to block Park’s plan from passing the parliamentary process, riding on the wave of negative public sentiment over the potentially augmented pension burden on the younger generation.The political debate over the tax increa
Sept. 27, 2013
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Rival parties agree to normalize National Assembly
The ruling and opposition parties agreed Friday on a schedule of parliamentary proceedings, normalizing the National Assembly that has been idling amid bipartisan bickering over an election meddling scandal and other rows.The ruling Saenuri and the main opposition Democratic parties agreed to convene a plenary session on Nov. 8 to act on the government's budget proposal for next year and hold a parliamentary interpellation session from Nov. 11-15, according to officials from both parties.They al
Sept. 27, 2013
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Opposition party chief slams Park for curtailed pension promise
The leader of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party (DP) lambasted President Park Geun-hye Friday for scaling back her key election pledge of universal pension plans, vowing to strengthen its ongoing anti-government campaign.On Thursday, President Park apologized for scaling down the universal basic monthly allowance for all senior citizens, citing financial woes.As one of Park's key campaign pledges during last year's presidential election, the basic pension plan called for giving 200,
Sept. 27, 2013
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Park apologizes, urges support for curtailed pension pledge
President Park Geun-hye on Thursday apologized for cropping out richer seniors from her new basic pension plan, but insisted she still stood by her pledges that had to be partially curtailed due to fiscal woes.Her remarks at a Cabinet meeting came as the government announced its 2014 budget plan, met by angry reactions from her political rivals. The main opposition Democratic Party pledged a “budget war” against what they call a “deceptive retreat of pledges by Park.”The budget bill is to be sub
Sept. 26, 2013
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Lawmakers petition pope on ‘comfort women’ issue
Korean lawmakers are seeking the Vatican’s help in resolving the issue of the former comfort women.According to Rep. Kim Hyun-sook of the ruling Saenuri Party, a petition signed by members of the Catholic lawmakers’ association requesting the international community’s support on the issue will be delivered to Pope Francis through the Vatican’s Embassy to Korea. Along with the Korean lawmakers, David Alton, a member of the U.K.’s House of Lords, and 36 other legislators from 20 nations including
Sept. 25, 2013
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NIS expands investigation into UPP treason case
The investigation into allegations of treason by Unified Justice Party members expanded on Tuesday, with the National Intelligence Service raiding the home and office of Paju City Councilor Ahn So-hee. As with UPP Rep. Lee Seok-ki and Ahns husband Lee Young-choon, the city councilor is suspected of violating the National Security Act and plotting a rebellion. The two Lees were taken into custody earlier this month. According to reports, the only item confiscated in the raid was Ahn’s mobile phon
Sept. 24, 2013
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‘40 percent of Japanese lawmakers visit Yasukuni’
About 42 percent of Japanese parliamentarians visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine this year in the latest sign of Japan’s shift to the right, a Korean lawmaker said Monday. Rep. In Jae-Keun of the main opposition Democratic Party unveiled the list of the 306 Japanese legislators. The numbers include drop-bys made in person and visits made by others on lawmakers’ behalf.The list also includes at least 80 members of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians’ Union, which consists of 146 Koreans and 2
Sept. 24, 2013
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Korea agrees with UNDP to share rural development know-how
South Korea agreed with a United Nations body to share its experience in developing backwater rural areas in the 1970s with the international community, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.The ministry said it will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United Nations Development Programme on Thursday in New York, according to the ministry.Under the deal, dubbed the “New Village Movement Global Initiative,” South Korea will share the country’s past rural development policy and experienc
Sept. 24, 2013
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S. Korea to launch 150 bln won fund to help small companies
South Korea plans to launch a 150 billion won (US$139.8 million) private equity fund in order to strengthen support for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the country's top economic policymaker said Tuesday.The government will also provide diverse support measures for SMEs in the form of risk management, marketing and help in making inroads in foreign countries, Finance Minister Hyun Oh-seok said during a meeting with other policymakers."We will launch a 150 billion won private equity f
Sept. 24, 2013
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DP returns to parliament vowing to up pressure on government
The regular session of the National Assembly is to get back on track as the main opposition Democratic Party returns to parliament, more than three weeks into its 100-day schedule. The DP, which was left without means to end its street campaign without losing face after its demands were effectively denied by President Park Geun-hye on Sept. 16, is promising a tough session. Speaking at the party’s general meeting on Monday, DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil said that the party would raise the pressur
Sept. 23, 2013
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Park takes knock over welfare trim
The anticipated rollout of President Park Geun-hye’s 2014 budget plan this week with a significant trim in her flagship welfare pledge is expected to weigh down on the government’s smooth sailing.Despite Park’s previous reiteration that all her presidential pledges “will be kept,” the government has been dropping hints recently of a significant cutback in some of her key welfare plans, particularly the basic pension benefits that had earned her vast support from older voters.Her pension plan rev
Sept. 23, 2013
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Prosecutors to wrap up probe into missing summit transcript in one month
An ongoing prosecution probe into the disappearance of a 2007 inter-Korean summit transcript will be completed in one month, a state prosecutor close to the investigation said Monday.State prosecutors have been probing to determine whether the late South Korean liberal President Roh Moo-hyun seriously undermined the country's sovereignty during his 2007 summit with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il by offering to surrender the western maritime border with the North. "We are doing our best to
Sept. 23, 2013
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Opposition party vows all-out parliamentary activity, outdoor protest
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) vowed Monday to go all-out in its campaign to reform the state intelligence agency, continuing their outdoor protests but launching a full-scale participation in parliamentary affairs.The move comes nearly two months after the DP took to the streets and set up a temporary office in tents outside Seoul City Hall, demanding President Park Geun-hye overhaul the National Intelligence Service (NIS) amid allegations that it tried to influence last year's presi
Sept. 23, 2013
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Welfare minister may quit: reports
Welfare Minister Chin Young is considering stepping down to take responsibility for criticism of government backtracking on welfare pledges including basic pension benefits, reports said Sunday.Chin is expected to render his resignation in the coming week, which would make the Park Geun-hye administration’s first reshuffle inevitable, the reports said.The three-term lawmaker has been assisting Park since her presidential campaign and was the deputy chief of the transition committee.Currently, tw
Sept. 22, 2013
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Assembly gridlock looms as DP vows to up pressure on government
The National Assembly appears headed for gridlock after the Democratic Party vowed to up the pressure on the ruling Saenuri Party and the government.With the DP showing determination to shore up its position in the parliament and to shed more light on developments surrounding the National Intelligence Service, concerns are rising that its actions may jeopardize the parliamentary inspection of the government and the budget review.On Sunday, as the parliament returned from a half-week Chuseok holi
Sept. 22, 2013
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Gov't to release list of 4,000 public officials
South Korea's government will release the list of roughly 4,000 mid- and senior-level officials as part of its plan to increase transparency and enhance public access, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration said Thursday.It said the list of officials in the top four grades from 46 ministries and agencies will be placed on the state-run public data portal (https://www.data.go.kr) by the end of October.Information to be released for reference includes names, positions, responsibilities
Sept. 19, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Ex-P.M. defiant after bribery conviction
Han Myeong-sook, former prime minister and ex-leader of the main opposition party, faces another long legal battle over bribery accusations which have dealt blow to her political career and reputation as an pro-democracy activist against the military-backed governments in the 1970s and 80s.A Seoul appellate court on Monday sentenced Han to two years in prison for bribery, overturning a lower court’s ruling that cleared her of the charge. Han was found guilty of receiving 880 million won in polit
Sept. 17, 2013
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Saenuri eyes checks on activists’ reparations
The ruling Saenuri Party is pushing for a revision to a law designed to compensate former pro-democracy activists who were imprisoned, tortured and prosecuted under authoritarian governments in the 1960s-80s.Rep. Song Yong-geun and 10 other lawmakers from the conservative party submitted the amendment bill on Monday following recent reports that some of the left-wing United Progressive Party members accused of plotting an armed rebellion and forming an anti-state organization benefited from the
Sept. 17, 2013
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[Photo News] Local politics
Sept. 17, 2013
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Justice Ministry to begin probe into Chae next month
The Justice Ministry is expected to go ahead with a controversial investigation into chief prosecutor Chae Dong-wook next month, according to officials at the ministry and the prosecution.The planned investigation has been at the center of political debate since last week with the opposition party slamming both Cheong Wa Dae and the ministry on their alleged roles of pressuring Chae to resign.The embattled prosecutor chief offered to resign from his post last Friday shortly after Justice Ministe
Sept. 17, 2013