Most Popular
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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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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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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Parliament pushes to pass extra budget this week
The parliamentary committee on the national budget is scurrying to pass the extra budget, which is much needed to help stimulate the slowing economy, by this week with lawmakers gathering for a weekend budget examination meeting on Saturday.The government submitted the extra budget proposal to the National Assembly for approval on April 18. The proposal consists of 12 trillion won ($10.1 billion) to make up for revenue shortfalls and 5.3 trillion won in more spending to stimulate the economy.Law
May 5, 2013
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Kim Han-gil picked to lead Democratic Party
The main opposition party elected Rep. Kim Han-gil as the new chairman and renamed itself as the Democratic Party on Sunday, as it seeks to recover from election defeats and to grow its supporter base.“I feel heavy responsibility for being elected with overwhelming support from the party and the public. The fact that I, who do not belong to any faction, have been elected is a symbol of big changes for the Democratic Party,” Kim said.He added that he will remove factionalism from the party and un
May 4, 2013
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Parliament pushes to pass extra budget by next week
The parliamentary committee on the national budget is scurrying to pass the extra budget, which is much needed to help stimulate the slowing economy, by next week with lawmakers gathering for a weekend budget examination meeting on Saturday.The government submitted the extra budget proposal to the National Assembly for approval on April 18. The proposal consists of 12 trillion won ($10.1 billion) to make up for revenue shortfalls and 5.3 trillion won in more spending to stimulate the economy.Law
May 4, 2013
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Park sends thank-you letter to USFK commander
President Park Geun-hye sent a letter to the commander of American troops stationed here Friday, expressing thanks for their efforts to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and hoping for further strengthening of the alliance between the two countries, her spokesman said.The letter to Gen. James Thurman came just days before Park embarks on a visit to the United States for her first summit with President Barack Obama expected to focus on how to deal with North Korea and enhance the alliance be
May 3, 2013
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Parties agree on tax breaks
The ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic United Party resumed negotiations over the supplementary budget plans Friday after they reached an agreement on reducing tax exemptions for large corporations.The parties are expected to process the extra spending bill before the April session of the National Assembly ends Tuesday. The proceedings of the parliament’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts had come to a halt with the DUP refusing to review the plans unless measures to
May 3, 2013
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Park, Obama to adopt joint declaration on alliance
The leaders of South Korea and the U.S. will adopt a joint declaration to upgrade the 60-year-old military alliance of the two countries during their summit on Tuesday, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. President Park Geun-hye will embark on a six-day tour of the U.S. on Sunday. The first summit between Park and U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to focus on North Korea’s security threat and the expanded role of the bilateral alliance. “The two countries are preparing a joint declaration on the ne
May 3, 2013
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Key pro-Roh figure quits DUP ahead of leadership election
A high-ranking official defected Friday from the Democratic United Party amid growing factional fighting in the lead up to Saturday’s leadership election.Moon Sung-keun, a former Supreme Council member and a key figure in the mainstream pro-Roh Moo-hyun faction, announced his departure on his Twitter account.“I am leaving the DUP. I am sorry that I was unable to tell the many people who supported and guided politician Moon Sung-keun,” the movie actor-turned-politician said. Moon is a ranking mem
May 3, 2013
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NEC to relax limits on campaigning
Campaigning verbally or via telephone even before the official election period begins should be allowed until the election day to enhance voters’ freedom of political expression, the National Election Commission said in its report.Voters should also be allowed to invite a candidate or a preliminary candidate at town hall meetings or debates to discuss policies. Clauses banning printouts that show support or opposition toward a policy 180 days before election day should also be removed, the commi
May 2, 2013
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Minor opposition party defection fuels progressive shakeup rumors
Rep. Kang Dong-won of the minor opposition Progressive Justice Party announced on Thursday that he was leaving the party.While Kang was cautious about whether he would join Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo should the latter found a new party, the development fueled speculation about a shakeup within the progressive bloc. “I will work without party affiliation for the time being while monitoring the situation, and make the decision according to the opinion of the locals,” Kang said regarding his position on jo
May 2, 2013
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Park names ex-lawmaker as head of unification council
President Park Geun-hye named a former five-term lawmaker to head a state advisory council on national unification, her office announced Thursday. Hyun Kyung-dae, 74, now chief of a law firm, was designated to lead the National Unification Advisory Council as its senior vice chairman. The president is the ex-officio chairman of the council. Hyun, considered one of seven elder political mentors believed to be offering advice to Park, served as a lawmaker from 1981 to 2004. He also worked for
May 2, 2013
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Park revives top trade, investment council
President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday led a revived trade and investment promotion council of the kind that spearheaded Korea’s export-driven growth under her father, President Park Chung-hee, through the 1960s to 1980s. Some 150 participants including Deputy Prime Minister Hyun Oh-seok, ministers and business leaders attended the meeting to discuss ways to promote investment and protect businesses from foreign exchange fluctuations and other obstacles.The meeting was suspended in 2009 during the
May 1, 2013
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S. Korea to provide emergency funds to Gaeseong firms
The government and the ruling party agreed Monday to provide emergency funds to South Korean businesses suffering from the suspension of a joint industrial complex in North Korea, officials said.The nine-year-old industrial park in the North's border city of Gaeseong ground to a halt early last month when the communist country withdrew its 53,000 workers from the complex in protest of U.S.-involved military drills in the South.Seoul responded by pulling its own workers and managers from the 123
May 1, 2013
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‘China shows shift in strategic thinking on North Korea’
A series of recent provocations from North Korea has led to an apparent realignment in Beijing’s strategic thinking about its ally, a former senior U.S. diplomat said Tuesday, stressing the crucial role of China to rein in Pyongyang.During a forum hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, Kurt Campbell, former assistant U.S. secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, noted that U.S. security officials perceived Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile developments as posing a serious s
April 30, 2013
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Nat'l Assembly passes bills on tax breaks for housing transactions
The National Assembly on Tuesday passed a set of bills calling for tax breaks on housing transactions in a move expected to boost the slumping real estate market. Early this month, the government announced a package of stimulus measures, including the tax breaks, amid a protracted property slump in the country. According to government data, more than 73,000 new homes remained unsold as of the end of February. Meanwhile, the average price of South Korean homes dipped 0.26 percent from a year
April 30, 2013
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National Assembly OKs retirement age change
The National Assembly on Tuesday approved plans to raise the retirement age to 60, and passed a key economic democratization measure that will bring into force tougher penalties for unfair subcontracting transactions.The measures are part of economic democratization efforts, which have been strongly opposed by pro-business lobbies that argue the changes will incur significant costs for businesses. On Monday, the deputy chiefs of the country’s five main pro-business lobbies including the Federat
April 30, 2013
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Prosecution raids spy agency office over scandal
Prosecutors on Tuesday raided the headquarters of the nation's main intelligence agency in connection with suspicions that the organization attempted to influence public opinion ahead of last year's presidential election. A team of some 25 prosecutors and investigators seized digital files, internal documents from an anti-North Korea psychological warfare team at the National Intelligence Service (NIS), they said.Allegations have been raised that the NIS extensively and systemically intervened i
April 30, 2013
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Ex-spy chief grilled over alleged intervention in politics
The former chief of the nation's main intelligence agency was allowed to return home Tuesday after around 14 hours of questioning by prosecutors over allegations that he attempted to influence public opinion ahead of last year's presidential election. "I sincerely responded to the prosecution's investigation," Won Sei-hoon told reporters as he emerged from the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office in southern Seoul past midnight.Won, who headed the National Intelligence Service (NIS) under
April 30, 2013
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Nat'l Assembly adopts resolution against Japan
South Korea's National Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution condemning Japan's recent moves to glorify its militaristic past despite strong protests from its Asian neighbors, including Seoul.Tensions between South Korea and Japan flared anew last week after several Japanese Cabinet ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, visited a shrine honoring Japan's war dead. The visits were seen in South Korea as a sign that Tokyo has not repented for its wartime atrocities and brutal colon
April 29, 2013
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Parties clash over extra holidays
The ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic United Party clashed on Monday over plans to introduce substitute holidays.Under the proposed plan, employers will be required to give employees a day off during the week when a public holiday falls on a Sunday.While the DUP pushed for the measure to be put to vote at the Security and Public Administration Committee’s general meeting on Monday, the ruling party resisted the motion, calling for further discussions. “Introducing the subst
April 29, 2013
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DUP proposes talks with Park over Gaeseong
Democratic United Party leader Moon Hee-sang on Monday proposed talks with President Park Geun-hye and his ruling Saenuri Party counterpart Hwang Woo-yea before this weekend over the suspended inter-Korean Gaeseong industrial complex.“Gaeseong industrial complex is a symbol of inter-Korean peace and reconciliation and the last remaining dialogue channel at present,” Moon said in a press conference at the National Assembly.“It is more important than anything to maintain the industrial park and we
April 29, 2013