Most Popular
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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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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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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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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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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Uncertainty looms over Sino-American rivalry
This is the fifth in a series of articles on the growing rivalry between the U.S. and China and its implications for the two Koreas and East Asia. ― Ed.The growing Sino-American rivalry has raised the question of whether their relationship will descend into a zero-sum contest for global primacy or continue to be a strategic mixture of collaboration and competition.Experts presume the latter is the most plausible for the next few decades, given their gaps in power, and domestic challenges. But it
Nov. 19, 2012
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Moon-Ahn talks down to the wire
Negotiators resumed talks for a single opposition presidential candidate Monday, focusing on the selection method and timing with only a week to go before the final candidate registration deadline.According to the merger schedule announced on Nov. 6 when Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party and independent Ahn Cheol-soo agreed on the merger, the unified candidate needs to be selected before Nov. 26, the final day of candidate registration. With only a week to go before the deadline, the tw
Nov. 19, 2012
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Ahn presses North to quit nuclear project
Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo Monday urged North Korea to renounce its nuclear weapons project, to halt all military provocations, and to return to the negotiating table.In a press conference with the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Ahn stressed that the nation’s political and economic reforms may only be built upon the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.“If I become president, I shall first of all promote peace on the Korea Peninsula,” said Ahn.“For the past five
Nov. 19, 2012
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Controversy rises over drawing of Park GH
A woman clearly resembling Saenuri Party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye lies on an operating table, smiling, as a doctor holds up a newborn baby wearing sunglasses, a staple accessory of Park’s late father, President Park Chung-hee.The picture, drawn by painter Hong Sung-dam on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Yushin Constitution of the dictatorial rule of the senior Park, is drawing a massive backlash from the ruling party, which vows to take legal measures. The oil painting ti
Nov. 19, 2012
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Park struggles to improve poll ratings
In response to renewed alliance talks between her progressive rivals, Saenuri Party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye is stepping up a campaign emphasizing the prospect of electing the nations’ first female president. Her efforts, however, are being held back by support ratings that have stagnated below 45 percent.Park’s popularity ratings in various polls have remained between 37 percent and 41 percent for the past several weeks. The stifled support comes as the conservative candidate was se
Nov. 19, 2012
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Relations full of ups and downs
“Capitalism saved the isolated, poor, underdeveloped China about more than three decades ago. But now, it may be China’s turn to help the struggling capitalist world,” an observer said half in jest, underscoring the Asian power’s increasing economic clout.It was Washington that played a crucial role in helping China enter the global capitalist system as Beijing initiated a reform and openness policy in the late 1970s.Initially, labeling China as a wartime foe for its participation in the 1950-53
Nov. 19, 2012
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Big unknowns still cloud election outlook
Korea’s 18th presidential election remains surrounded by uncertainties with only 30 days to go until the ballots are cast.The largest variable continues to be the progressive bloc’s candidate unification that regained its momentum Sunday.The two main progressive candidates ― the Democratic United Party’s Moon Jae-in and independent Ahn Cheol-soo ― have resolved their differences and the talks on the unified candidate selection method have resumed after a meeting between the two late Sunday eveni
Nov. 18, 2012
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Candidates sharpen battle for economic democratization
“Economic democratization” has been a major campaign issue as widening income gaps and unrelenting chaebol power have increased calls for fairness, compassion and the rule of law in the market.The battle lines became clearer on Friday as conservative presidential candidate Park Geun-hye unveiled a set of prescriptions that differ from her progressive rivals Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo.The Saenuri Party flag-bearer’s version of economic democratization focuses more on a “fair market” than “chae
Nov. 18, 2012
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Moon, Ahn return to talks with agreement on reform
Presidential candidates Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo resumed their talks for a single progressive candidacy Sunday, signaling it with a joint political reform declaration, as they dramatically overcame their differences upon an en-masse resignation of the Democratic United Party’s leadership.The talks for the method of selecting a single progressive candidate between Moon of DUP and independent Ahn Cheol-soo are hence to resume Monday with some new representatives to freshen up the negotiation
Nov. 18, 2012
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Lee off to attend ASEAN, EAS summits
President Lee Myung-bak on Sunday left for Cambodia to participate in annual summit meetings with the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations as well as the U.S., China and Japan, slated for Monday and Tuesday.In the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, Lee will join the Korea-ASEAN summit, the ASEAN-plus-three (Korea, China and Japan) summit and the East Asia Summit.These talks will discuss a wide range of regional and global issues ranging from cooperation in trade, development, security, g
Nov. 18, 2012
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Ahn-Moon merger regains momentum
The stalled process of selecting a single candidate for the progressive bloc was jump started on Sunday following the en-masse resignation of the Democratic United Party’s leadership and Moon Jae-in’s decision to follow the candidate selection method chosen by Ahn Cheol-soo. On Sunday DUP chairman Lee Hae-chan and the entire supreme council announced that they would step down in an effort to bring Ahn back to the table.“History and the era urgently call for administration change. As such, I put
Nov. 18, 2012
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DUP leader steps down to break stalemate in talks for single candidate
Lee Hae-chan, head of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP), resigned on Sunday in order to help break a stalemate in talks over fielding a single liberal candidate in December's presidential poll.Lee said "the change of government" is the top priority for the opposition. He took over as party chief just five months ago.Along with Lee, eight other senior members of the party's Supreme Council also quit Sunday.Lee's decision was an apparent response to independent presidential candida
Nov. 18, 2012
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Park vows fair market competition
Saenuri Party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye pledged Friday to promote fair competition by protecting the economically weak, stopping large conglomerates’ exploitation of power and reinforcing consumer protection.“I will turn the conglomerate-centered economic structure to a satisfying economic system where small and mid-sized businesses and consumers can grow together through fair and transparent market order, equal opportunities and reasonable rewards,” Park said at a news conference at
Nov. 16, 2012
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Moon goes on offense in spat with Ahn
Two opposition candidates clashed Friday over the responsibility for the suspended talks for single candidacy, casting a cloud over their proposed alliance for the Dec. 19 presidential election.Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo put on hold the negotiations with Democratic United Party nominee Moon Jae-in on Wednesday, alleging mudslinging, intimidation and breach of rules of negotiation by DUP officials.In a news conference Friday, Ahn demanded that Moon first display his determin
Nov. 16, 2012
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SNU determines Ahn's papers not plagiarized
A Seoul National University panel determined Friday that independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo did not plagiarize his academic papers. The panel made the announcement at the end of a preliminary probe into allegations that Ahn used parts of others' work in his dissertations without attribution and disguised sections of his own papers as new material in later publications.Ahn graduated from the prestigious university with a bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree in medicine. Five of
Nov. 16, 2012
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Ahn Cheol-soo calls for DUP reforms, talks to end single candidacy standoff
Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo urged the main opposition party to show its resolve on implementing sweeping reforms and called for talks to decide who will become the standard bearer for the liberal camp in the December election.In a press conference held at his campaign headquarters in Seoul, the entrepreneur-turned-politician claimed the Democratic United Party (DUP) and its presidential contender Moon Jea-in should break with outdated ways of thinking, and push forward measu
Nov. 16, 2012
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Moon offers apology but Ahn still frustrated
Democratic United Party nominee Moon Jae-in apologized Thursday to independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo over his campaign officials’ inappropriate behavior that prompted the Ahn camp to suspend negotiations for a single candidacy.But Ahn did not ease his position, casting a cloud over the future of the progressive bloc coalition for the Dec. 19 election. On Wednesday, Ahn’s camp suspended the negotiations on the candidate selection method in response to continued reports citing DUP sources as say
Nov. 15, 2012
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North Korean arms buildup raises tension in West Sea
North Korea has deployed more military assets to its frontline units on the West coast, raising, tension ahead of the December presidential election in the South.President Lee Myung-bak has repeatedly called on his government to thoroughly prepare against Pyongyang’s attempt to intervene in the forthcoming election, while his conservative Saenuri Party claims a competitive edge in national security. Pyongyang stepped up its rhetoric against the ruling party, saying that Saenuri candidate Rep. Pa
Nov. 15, 2012
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Moon cornered by alleged ties to troubled savings bank
The prosecution has launched an investigation into presidential candidate Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party following accusations of lobbying on behalf of a scandal-ridden savings bank. A group of people who lost money from the scandal involving Busan Savings Bank, which was found last year to have pocketed customers’ savings by making illegal loans worth trillions of won, had registered a complaint with the prosecution accusing Moon of dereliction of duty as presidential chief of staff
Nov. 15, 2012
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China’s incoming leadership may not be ready for change
This is the fourth in the series of articles on the growing rivalry between the U.S. and China and its implications for the two Koreas and East Asia. ― Ed.China’s new leadership should be the driving force for much-needed changes to tackle its social, political, economic and demographical challenges. But it may fall short of having the mandate required to carry out reforms the emerging global power is badly in need of, a leading historian and peace researcher cautioned.On top of it, for incoming
Nov. 15, 2012