Most Popular
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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[Grace Kao] Hybe vs. Ador: Inspiration, imitation and plagiarism
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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[Newsmaker] Speaker heralds Constitution revision debate
Revising the Constitution could become a priority next year, with National Assembly Speaker Rep. Kang Chang-hee suggesting a rough timeframe for processing the issue. Kang’s comments could revive talks on constitutional amendment, which have been on the backburner for some time.“It would be right to make constitutional revision a public issue from early next year and to conclude the matter within the 19th National Assembly,” Kang said on Wednesday. Kang also said that Korean society has transfor
July 18, 2013
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Park to focus on quality of life in regional development
President Park Geun-hye presided over the first meeting of regional development on Thursday and promised to improve people’s quality of life, with each local municipality taking the lead in the policymaking process.“The new government, from now on, will transparently open all processes related to regional development and change the procedure that is currently led by the central government to be spearheaded by each municipality and the local residents,” Park said.The Presidential Committee on Reg
July 18, 2013
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Mysterious absence of summit transcript likely to spark intense blame game
The apparent absence of an inter-Korean summit transcript from South Korea's presidential archives is expected to spark an intense blame game between the rival parties as the mystery is sure to deal a serious blow to whichever side is found to be at fault.The transcript of the 2007 summit dialogue between then South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is key to efforts to determine whether Roh made remarks to the effect of offering to nullify the Yellow Sea border w
July 18, 2013
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Probe launched into former president possibly hiding money in insurance plans
South Korea's tax agency and prosecutors have launched an investigation into suspicions that assets of former President Chun Doo-hwan might be concealed in diverse insurance products under the names of his family members, relatives and close aides, industry sources said Thursday.The probe is part of intensifying efforts by the government to find concealed assets of the former president who was ordered by a court in 1997 to return to the state coffers the 220 billion won (US$196.8 million) he was
July 18, 2013
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Lawmakers say they cannot find summit records on NLL
The lawmakers chosen to review classified records from the 2007 inter-Korean summit have not been able to locate the wanted transcripts after two rounds of searches, raising the possibility that they may be permanently lost, parliamentary sources said Wednesday.Ten legislators were selected from ruling and opposition parties to confirm dialogue exchanges between then South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader at the time, Kim Jong-il, to see if Roh made remarks or insinuated dis
July 18, 2013
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Korea to refund tax on hotel bills
South Korea will refund foreign visitors value-added tax on their hotel expenses, expand issuance of multiple-visas for those from China and Southeast Asia, and clamp down on irregularities against tourists, the government said Wednesday.The Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry announced the measures to boost the local tourism industry at the first tourism promotion meeting presided by President Park Geun-hye at Cheong Wa Dae.Park called tourism one of the vital new growth engines for the Korean
July 17, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Chun, ruthless ex-military strongman
Former President Chun Doo-hwan’s rule in the 1980s arguably marked some of the darkest days of Korea’s modern political history. The Army general overthrew the government, ordered a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests, destroyed democratic institutions and took hundreds of billions of won in bribes. He took power through a military coup in 1979 and held that power until 1988. Chun removed opposing forces using any means necessary, even ordering the military to use lethal force against civ
July 17, 2013
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Children’s wealth focus of hunt for Chun’s assets
The investigators looking into former President Chun Doo-hwan’s hidden assets raided 13 additional locations including the homes of his relatives on Wednesday.The locations raided on Wednesday include a company connected to the publishing firm Shigongsa, which is operated by Chun’s eldest son Chun Jae-kook, and 12 residential properties owned by Chun’s relatives and associates. According to sources, the raids were prompted by circumstantial evidence that Chun has been managing his assets under n
July 17, 2013
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Two opposition lawmakers quit probe into spy agency scandal
Two opposition lawmakers quit a parliamentary investigative committee Wednesday in a move aimed at breaking an impasse in a probe into allegations that the state spy agency meddled in last year's presidential election.The investigation, which began early this month for a 45-day run, has been in limbo while the rival parties have wrangled over who should represent each side on the committee.The probe aims to uncover the truth behind allegations that former National Intelligence Service (NIS) chie
July 17, 2013
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Prosecution raids Chun’s home, son’s businesses to collect fines
The prosecutors working on collecting outstanding fines from former President Chun Doo-hwan raided his home and other locations connected to him including companies operated by his eldest son. The investigators are said to have secured a significant amount of cash and cashable items from his home in the raid aimed at seizing assets. Items found at his home include a number of valuable paintings. If proven to belong to Chun, the paintings will be reverted to the treasury. In the raid, the prosec
July 16, 2013
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Park prescribes ‘creativity, vigor’ for youth woes
President Park Geun-hye opened the first youth committee to create jobs and cultivate a youth-friendly culture on Tuesday and pinpointed creativity as the key to solving the problems of young people.“To maximize the potential of the youth, a society where creativity is prioritized over educational background and a start-up ecosystem where the youth can challenge with creative ideas must be created,” Park said. It was the first gathering of the Presidential Committee on the Young Generation heade
July 16, 2013
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Panama stops N.K. ship over missile material: president
PANAMA CITY (AFP) ― Panama on Monday stopped a North Korean vessel that President Ricardo Martinelli said had sailed from Cuba and tried to illegally sneak suspected sophisticated missile material through the Panama Canal.“The world needs to sit up and take note: you cannot go around shipping undeclared weapons of war through the Panama Canal,” Martinelli said, noting that the ship had been inspected to rule out drugs and was found to have other cargo of greater concern.“We had suspected this sh
July 16, 2013
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Russian bombers approach Korea’s air defense zone
Two Russian bombers made a botched attempt to violate South Korea’s air defense safety zone in the East Sea but turned back after a warning from South Korean fighters, an Air Force officer said Tuesday.The Tu-95 strategic bombers tried to enter into the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) over the East Sea at 11 a.m. on Monday, the officer said on condition of anonymity. Foreign airplanes and ships are required to get approval from South Korea’s military before entering the KADIZ.“Upon
July 16, 2013
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Presidential Security Service agent fired over alleged graft
A Presidential Security Service agent has been fired over suspicions that he took bribes from a man at the center of a massive corruption scandal involving construction-site catering contracts, officials said Tuesday.The 47-year-old agent, identified by his surname Park, has been accused of accepting about 120 million won ($107,214) from contract broker Yoo Sang-bong, who was convicted by the Supreme Court last year of bribing top police officials and others to seek their help in winning caterin
July 16, 2013
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Korea to offer malaria medicine to Niger
South Korea is set to send anti-malarial drugs worth $50,000 to help victims of the mosquito-borne infectious disease in Niger, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Tuesday. As one of the most prevalent diseases in the landlocked African country, malaria is the No. 1 cause of death for children aged five and younger. During the rainy season, some 80 percent of hospital visits are caused by it, according to the ministry’s statement. Last year, the Seoul government sent $100,000 worth of diagnosis reagen
July 16, 2013
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Korean scientists identify aging-related gene
A group of South Korean scientists has identified a gene that may help slow the rate of aging and also treat or prevent cancer, the science ministry said Tuesday.According to the team from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, the gene, TXNIP, helps create and maintain hematopoietic stem cells, which are blood cells that develop into all other blood cells, including immunity-related white cells.The gene’s relevance to aging was identified in a test, in which hematopoietic
July 16, 2013
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Presidential Security Service agent fired over alleged bribe-taking
A Presidential Security Service agent has been fired over suspicions that he took bribes from a man at the center of a massive corruption scandal involving construction-site catering contracts, officials said Tuesday.The 47-year-old agent, identified by his surname Park, has been accused of accepting about 120 million won (US$107,214) from contract broker Yoo Sang-bong, who was convicted by the Supreme Court last year of bribing top police officials and others to seek their help in winning cater
July 16, 2013
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Parties begin to examine 2007 summit transcript
Lawmakers began the process of reviewing the transcript of the 2007 inter-Korean summit Monday in the hope of putting to rest the controversy over former President Roh Moo-hyun’s stance on the Northern Limit Line.The de facto maritime border between the two Koreas in the West Sea has been a source of contention between the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party. At issue are claims that the late former leader denied its validity during his talks with late North Korean lead
July 15, 2013
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Park chides politicians’ remarks
President Park Geun-hye on Monday sent an oblique warning to the opposition over the latest remarks questioning the legitimacy of her election and attacking her father President Park Chung-hee’s rule.“I hope that there are no incidents where inappropriate comments undermine the unity and harmony of the people and that we open a dignified political era where (rivals) coexist,” Park said during a meeting of senior presidential secretaries on Monday.“It is regrettable that unrefined remarks from va
July 15, 2013
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Park, Saenuri Party divided over inquiry into flawed river project
President Park Geun-hye and the ruling Saenuri Party were divided Monday over the state auditors’ recent negative assessment of her predecessor Lee Myung-bak’s project to refurbish major rivers. The Board of Audit and Inspection last week announced the result of its inquiry, saying that Lee may have intended the project as a prelude to a controversial canal plan which he had scrapped in the face of public opposition.The “hidden” long-term plan caused a number of serious problems such as bid rigg
July 15, 2013