Most Popular
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Yoon sorry for shortcomings but insists policies were right
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1 in 3 Koreans live alone, family types becoming diverse
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S. Korea ‘strongly’ protests Japan’s claim over Dokdo in diplomatic bluebook
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US 'incredibly concerned' about suspected NK-Iran military ties
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Korean won weakens amid heightened uncertainty
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Korea, Japan finance chiefs vow to tame rampant FX market volatility
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Seoul says will cut power to porn festival planned on Han River
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Sewol victims commemorated on tragedy's 10th anniversary
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K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
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Chanel, Louis Vuitton see muted growth in Korea
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U.S. would consider food aid request from N. Korea
WASHINGTON ― The U.S. would consider any new request from North Korea to resume food aid stalled since 2009, provided Pyongyang allowed US staff inside the isolated country to monitor distribution.“Our policy in providing humanitarian assistance is based on conditions of need,” U.S. ambassador Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights, told journalists on Monday.“If there were a request for assistance it’s something I’m sure that we would look at,” King said.But any such requests
April 23, 2013
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Parcel with powder sent to S. Korean defense minister
A parcel containing a threatening letter and suspicious powder was delivered to South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin on Tuesday, ministry officials said, days after hundreds of leaflets threatening him were found amid high tensions with North Korea. "In the parcel addressed to defense minister with no sender name, the ministry found a threatening letter and unidentified powder," the ministry said in a release. The ministry identified the parcel delivery as "an attempted terror" against th
April 23, 2013
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Probe launched into alleged attempt to cover up spy agency scandal
Police have launched an investigation into claims that high-ranking police officers tried to affect the outcome of a police probe into allegations that government spy agents intervened in December's presidential election, an official said Tuesday.The probe comes after Kwon Eun-hee, a police officer who led the investigation into a spy agency scandal at Seoul's Suseo Police Station, disclosed Friday that high-ranking national police officers had tampered with the police probe.The National Police
April 23, 2013
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DUP accuses ex-President Lee of involvement in spy agency scandal
The main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) alleged Monday that then President Lee Myung-bak ordered the country's national spy agency to post illegal political comments on the Internet ahead of last year's presidential election.Following a four-month-long probe, police said last week that two employees of the National Intelligence Service were found to have posted the comments on behalf of the agency in a bid to influence the tight presidential race.However, the online activities were not
April 22, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Substitute holiday system stirs controversy
Businesses and politicians are clashing over plans to implement a substitute holiday system, under which employers would be required to give employees a day off during the week when a public holiday falls on a Sunday. The bill for revising related regulations was approved by the Security and Public Administration Committee’s review committee on Friday, and will be raised in the National Assembly’s plenary session this month. The development has rattled the business community. The pro-business lo
April 22, 2013
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Park, Gates discuss creative economy, nuclear reactor
President Park Geun-hye and visiting Microsoft founder Bill Gates met Monday and shared views on Korea’s drive for a creative economy and ways to cooperate in developing a next-generation nuclear reactor and alternative energy sources.During their meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Park showed respect to the software mogul’s “creativity and efforts to eradicate poverty.”Gates’ visit received attention as he had hinted at co-developing a next-generation nuclear reactor with South Korea’s Korea Atomic Ener
April 22, 2013
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Economic democratization faces resistance
The prospects of economic democratization measures being processed at the National Assembly are becoming increasingly unclear due to growing opposition from businesses and rising calls for caution from the ruling Saenuri Party.“Society has attached the term democratization to just anything, and now very irresponsible populist claims are running rampant,” Rep. Lee Hahn-koo, Saenuri Party floor leader, said on Monday when outstanding issues regarding economic democratization were put up for discus
April 22, 2013
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DUP to boycott maritime minister's policy report
The main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) decided Monday to boycott a policy report from the maritime minister in protest of her appointment by President Park Geun-hye despite its strong objection.Last week, Park installed Yoon Jin-sook as minister of oceans and fisheries despite controversy over her credentials. Yoon is scheduled to give a policy briefing to the parliamentary committee for agricultural and maritime affairs on Tuesday.After a meeting at the National Assembly, DUP lawmake
April 22, 2013
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Park sends condolences for China’s quake victims
South Korean President Park Geun-hye sent a letter of condolence to Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sunday over the deadly earthquake in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan. “The people of the Republic of Korea and I send our condolences to the victims of the earthquake, bereaved families and the injured,” Park said in a message released by her spokeswoman Kim Haing.Park wished for an early recovery from the devastation.News reports, meanwhile, said Park would visit the Chinese capital soo
April 21, 2013
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Park calls for scientists, IT experts to lead ‘creative economy’ drive
President Park Geun-hye called on scientists and information technology experts Friday to play the leading role in helping Korea’s economy make a big leap forward, promising that the government will provide them with as much support as possible.Park has championed what is dubbed a “creative economy,” an initiative that calls for using South Korea’s edge in information and communications technology to develop new industries and technologies that will serve as future growth engines for Asia’s four
April 19, 2013
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Police whistleblower claims whitewash in election probe
High-level police officials reportedly attempted to whitewash an investigation last year into an intelligence agent accused of interfering in the presidential election.On Thursday, Seoul’s Suseo Police Station announced the result of its 128-day probe into the case, referring two National Intelligence Agency officials and a civilian to the prosecution, recommending indictments. According to a Yonhap News report Friday, a police officer familiar with the investigation revealed the Seoul Metropoli
April 19, 2013
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S. Korea to set up maritime police office on Ulleung Island
South Korea's maritime ministry said Friday it plans to set up a maritime police station on an island near Dokdo within this year in a bid to beef up security for the country's easternmost islets.The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said the government plans to establish a maritime police station on Ulleung Island in the East Sea, an island 90 kilometers west of Dokdo, in 2013 in an effort to strengthen policing on Dokdo and surrounding waters. Maritime Minister Yoon Jin-sook reported the minis
April 19, 2013
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Rival parties agree to pass extra budget bill on May 3
The country's ruling and main opposition parties agreed Friday to pass the government's supplementary budget bill on May 3 after sorting out their differences on its allocation, party officials said.The government's proposal, which was unveiled on Tuesday, calls for an extra budget of 17.3 trillion won (US$15.4 billion) to boost the sluggish economy. Of the total, 12 trillion won has been set aside to meet the government's expected revenue shortfalls, while the remaining 5.3 trillion won will be
April 19, 2013
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Early voting begins for by-elections
Early voting for next week's by-elections kicked off Friday, with a handful of parliamentary candidates casting their ballots in a bid to draw voters to the polls.The early voting system is different from absentee voting in that it does not require voters to sign up in advance. Voters who expect to be busy or away on the election day can simply show up at a polling station during the voting period and cast their ballots.Early voting will run until Saturday.It is the first time for the new system
April 19, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Jinju Medical Center dispute continues
The controversy surrounding the planned closure of Jinju Medical Center showed no signs of letting up, with the proposal pending at the provincial assembly.Members of the medical trade union and the police clashed as the workers attempted to prevent Saenuri Party councilors from attending a plenary session of the local assembly in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, while lawmakers of opposition parties were blocked by the authorities from entering the building. South Gyeongsang Province’s decisi
April 18, 2013
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Saenuri to review recall elections for lawmakers
The ruling Saenuri Party’s political reform committee said Wednesday it was considering introducing recall elections for members of the National Assembly. “To establish politics that is led by the people, (the party) plans to seriously consider introducing the recall system,” said committee chief Park Jae-chang. At present, chiefs of provincial governments and members of provincial and municipal councils deemed unfit for office can be recalled by their electorates, but there are no laws allowing
April 17, 2013
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Officials, parties agree to boost spending
The amount of the government’s 17.3 trillion won ($15.5 billion) supplementary budget to be used for public spending may be boosted by as much as 2 trillion won.With the tentative change, the amount of the supplementary budget allocated to spending will rise to about 7.3 trillion won. The measure, which will be further discussed by the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, follows criticism from the main opposition Democratic United Party that the budget supplementation plans fail to meet th
April 17, 2013
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Park names controversial maritime minister
President Park Geun-hye went ahead with the appointment of controversial maritime minister Yoon Jin-sook on Wednesday, quashing the reconciliatory mood with the opposition party that called it the “ultimate appointment debacle.”Park brushed aside the Democratic United Party’s demand that she reconsider her unpopular choice, despite Cheong Wa Dae’s increased contacts with opposing lawmakers for their cooperation in getting major government bills passed.Along with Yoon, Science Minister Choi Mun-k
April 17, 2013
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Annual summit between S. Korea, China, Japan unlikely for May: officials
An annual summit between South Korea, China and Japan is unlikely to take place in May, a senior official said Wednesday, amid claims that Beijing has been noncommittal about Seoul's proposal to hold the meeting next month.The three countries have held a cooperation summit every year, and it is South Korea's turn to host this year's session. But the sides have yet to reach agreement on when to meet due reportedly to China's reluctance over a territorial dispute with Japan over a group of islands
April 17, 2013
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Park installs unpopular nominee as maritime minister
President Park Geun-hye installed an unpopular nominee as maritime minister Wednesday, a move that will likely spark opposition protests at a time when she needs its cooperation on an extra budget proposal and other matters.Yoon Jin-sook, an oceanographer, was formally appointed as minister of oceans and fisheries, along with three other minister-level officials. The others were Choi Mun-kee as scienceminister, Chae Dong-wook as prosecutor-general and Lee Kyeong-jae as head of the Korea Communic
April 17, 2013