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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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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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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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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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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DUP offers cooperation to Saenuri Party on bills
The main opposition Democratic United Party signaled Tuesday that it would be willing to work with the governing Saenuri Party in passing more than 90 welfare and economic reform bills mutually pledged by both parties during the presidential election last year. “There are some 90 pledges over which there is no disagreement (between our parties) or the disagreement can be minimized,” said DUP Rep. Kim Jin-pyo, who heads the party’s campaign pledge realization committee, in a radio appearance Tues
Jan. 29, 2013
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Lee and Park end short-lived truce
Roller-coaster relations between outgoing and incoming presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye reentered the chilly phase upon Lee’s special pardon of his close associates carried out Tuesday despite Park’s strong opposition.“President-elect Park Geun-hye expressed deep regret over how those convicted of corruption and irregularities were included in the special pardon,” said Park’s spokeswoman Cho Yun-sun.Lee’s issuance of special pardons that included his key associates drew heavy denouncem
Jan. 29, 2013
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Prime minister-designate steps down
Prime Minister-designate Kim Yong-joon withdrew himself from nomination late Tuesday amid spiraling allegations surrounding real estate speculation and the exemption of his sons from military service.“I have decided to resign as prime minister-nominee as I have caused concerns among the people and brought trouble to President-elect Park Geun-hye due to my lack of discretion,” Kim said in a statement relayed by transition committee spokesman Yoon Chang-jung.Kim will follow Park’s decision as to w
Jan. 29, 2013
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Lee pardons corrupt friends, associates; draws heavy criticism
Outgoing President Lee Myung-bak issued special pardons to 55 convicted criminals including some of his closest associates on Tuesday, inciting heavy criticism from his successor Park Geun-hye’s transition team and all political parties.Those granted pardons include former Korea Communications Commission chief Choi See-joong and businessman Chun Shin-il of Sejoong Namo Tour. The longtime confidants of Lee were serving prison terms for bribery. Other beneficiaries were former National Assembly Sp
Jan. 29, 2013
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U.S. House delegation to meet President-elect Park in Seoul
A U.S. congressional delegation will travel to South Korea this week for a meeting with President-elect Park Geun-hye, sources here said Monday.Headed by Ed Royce (R-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the group is on a weeklong trip to Asia."Chairman Royce is currently leading a congressional delegation to Asia," an aide to Royce said.The delegation arrived in Taiwan and will also visit the Philippines, China and South Korea before it returns to the U.S. on Feb. 2, according t
Jan. 29, 2013
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S. Korea to send observers to U.S.-led anti-proliferation drill
South Korea will send a delegation of foreign and defense ministry officials to observe a U.S.-led anti-proliferation drill that is under way in Abu Dhabi, an official said Monday.Code-named "Leading Edge 2013," the two-week drill that started Sunday is aimed at improving international cooperation to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.The South Korean delegation, which will also include maritime police and customs officers, will head for Abu Dhabi later this week, the forei
Jan. 28, 2013
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Park clashes with Lee over pardon plans
President-elect Park Geun-hye and the Lee Myung-bak administration have clashed head-on over Lee’s plans to issue special pardons.On Monday, the transition team stepped up its opposition to the pardon plans citing Park’s disapproval. “The president-elect is negative about (issuing) pardons at the end of the administration,” Cho Yoon-sun, a spokesperson for Park, said Monday. She added that the president-elect was showing “particularly strong concerns” for pardoning those imprisoned for corruptio
Jan. 28, 2013
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Clash looms in P.M.-designate hearing
A collision looms over Prime Minister-designate Kim Yong-joon’s confirmation hearing scheduled for next month as the opposition prepares to highlight escalating allegations of ethical lapses and questions over his administrative capacity.The main opposition Democratic United Party on Monday named lawmakers to lead the hearing session including sharp-tongued members like Reps. Jun Byung-hun and Hong Jong-haak.“The allegations raised against Kim (show he is) far from what President-elect Park Geun
Jan. 28, 2013
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Political parties seek compromise over Ssangyong layoff dispute
Rival parties began talks Monday to resolve the ongoing labor dispute at Ssangyong Motor Co. after the main opposition party backed away from its demand for a parliamentary investigation. The issue is a key stumbling block to the resumption of the parliamentary session in February that would deal with President-elect Park Geun-hye’s government restructuring plans, Cabinet appointments and pending political and welfare bills. The deputy floor leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party and the opposition
Jan. 28, 2013
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Myamar's Suu Kyi arrives in South Korea
Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in South Korea Monday for a four-day visit including meetings with politicians and a soap-opera star and the collection of a human rights award.The democracy leader and Nobel peace laureate will also be guest of honour at the opening on Tuesday of the Special Winter Olympics in the northeastern mountain resort of Pyeongchang -- site of the full 2018 Winter Games.Before leaving for Pyeongchang, she will hold talks with outgoing President Lee My
Jan. 28, 2013
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Lee to go ahead with pardon despite warning
President Lee Myung-bak is expected to go ahead with issuing his last special pardon this week despite open opposition from his successor, President-elect Park Geun-hye.“The justice ministry has recently completed its review of a special pardon proposal and the issue is likely to be tabled at a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday,” a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Sunday.“What is left is a final decision by President Lee.”Over the weekend, Park’s transition committee expressed concern over
Jan. 27, 2013
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[Newsmaker] PM-designate mired in familiar territory
Putting aside the concerns over his administrative capacity, President-elect Park Geun-hye’s choice of presidential transition team leader, Kim Yong-joon, as her first prime minister looks to be heading into all-too-familiar territory.Lest her appointee get caught up in the political scrutiny by the opposition bloc, Park emphasized Thursday that her choice was based on Kim’s judicial integrity as a former Constitutional Court chief.But, as admirable as his career has been ― becoming the country’
Jan. 27, 2013
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Park’s team reconsiders cutting military service period
The transition team of President-elect Park Geun-hye is considering slowing down the implementation of Park’s campaign pledge to reduce the compulsory military service period for South Korean men amid heightened tensions with North Korea, sources said Sunday.Reducing the military service period to 18 months from the current 21 months was one of Park’s key campaign promises. Critics have warned, however, that such a reduction could leave the armed forces without enough troops at times of high ten
Jan. 27, 2013
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Special committee to engage young people
The following is the last in a series of articles on the major tasks and key members of President-elect Park Geun-hye’s transition team. ― Ed.The special committee on young people aims to serve as the main outlet for President-elect Park Geun-hye’s engagement with those in their 20s and 30s, popularly known as the 2030 generation. The committee is assigned the task of implementing Park’s campaign pledges directed towards the youth, such as job creation and cutting college tuition costs. “(The sp
Jan. 27, 2013
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‘Unity, progress,’ theme for Park’s inauguration
President-elect Park Geun-hye’s inauguration ceremony next month will be held under the main theme of “Unity, progress and into the lives of the people,” to reflect her vision for national unity, the chief organizer said on Sunday.“It is meant to present the president-elect’s will to open the new era of hope by gathering people’s energy for national unity,” said Kim Jin-sun, chairman of Park’s inauguration preparation committee.“The inauguration ceremony will also introduce valuable assets of Ko
Jan. 27, 2013
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Park sticks to new pension scheme
President-elect Park Geun-hye pressed her determination to carry out her controversial campaign pledges on a new pension program, despite growing concerns over financial instability and problems with fairness.“The country has the highest elderly poverty rate among other OECD-member countries. (The government) must solve this problem,” Park said during a brainstorming session with the transition committee held on Friday. Expressing her strong will, Park requested government officials and members
Jan. 27, 2013
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Lee expected to issue special pardon this week
Outgoing President Lee Myung-bak is expected to issue a special presidential pardon this week, a senior aide said Sunday, despite opposition from the transition team of his successor Park Geun-hye that it is wrong for an outgoing president to issue pardons for corrupt people. The justice ministry has recently completed its review of a special pardon proposal and the issue is likely to be tabled at a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday, the official told Yonhap News Agency. "What is left i
Jan. 27, 2013
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Transition team voices opposition to presidential pardons
The transition committee of President-elect Park Geun-hye on Saturday voiced opposition to the long-running practice of presidential pardons in what appeared to be a move to stop outgoing President Lee Myung-bak from getting his close confidants convicted of corruption out of jail."There is a need to break the chain of the practice of issuing special pardons at the end of (a president's) term," committee spokesman Yoon Chang-jung told a news briefing. "In particular, pardons for those implicated
Jan. 26, 2013
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Obama picks foreign policy aide as chief of staff
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama announced Friday that he was naming his longtime foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough to lead the White House staff.Obama, appearing with McDonough at the White House, called him ``a great friend to me and everybody who works here at the White House.''McDonough is taking over the key role from Jack Lew, Obama's nominee for Treasury secretary.
Jan. 26, 2013
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Lee’s brother appeals bribery conviction
An elder brother of President Lee Myung-bak appealed his bribery conviction Friday, court officials said, rendering himself ineligible for a special pardon.Lee Sang-deuk, 78, submitted a petition of appeal to the Seoul Central District Court after he received a two-year jail term and was ordered to pay a fine of 750 million won ($654,165) Thursday, officials said.Lee, a former six-term lawmaker who was considered to be one of the most powerful figures under the Lee presidency, was found guilty o
Jan. 25, 2013