Most Popular
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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[Eye Interview] 'If you live to 100, you might as well be happy,' says 88-year-old bestselling essayist
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police
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Missing S. Korean traveler in Paris found safe after 2 weeks
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Defense chiefs of US, Australia, Japan decry NK-Russia military cooperation
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Lee urges Japan to repent for wartime sexual slavery
BALI, Indonesia (Yonhap News) ― South Korean President Lee Myung-bak urged Japan Thursday to repent sincerely for trampling on human rights of Korean and other Asian women forced into sexual slavery during World War II, saying addressing the matter of universal human values would raise its international standing.Lee issued the appeal in a keynote speech at the annual Bali Democracy Forum that opened on the Indonesian resort island, stressing that Northeast Asia should seek solutions to historic
Nov. 8, 2012
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Candidates’ wives join stumping
The wives of presidential candidates Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party and independent Ahn Cheol-soo are emerging into the limelight as their husbands inch toward a coalition ticket. Moon’s wife Kim Jung-suk and Ahn’s wife Kim Mi-kyung on Thursday visited the southwestern city of Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, the traditional stronghold of the opposition party.They attended the opening ceremony of Gwangju International Festival in the evening. Moon’s wife was reportedly scheduled to v
Nov. 8, 2012
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Park considers reviving science, maritime ministries
The ruling Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate Rep. Park Geun-hye is considering reviving ministries in charge of science, information technology and maritime affairs, increasing the number of government departments from the current 15 to 18, her aides said Thursday.The plans are in line with her vision to forge future growth based on technology and innovation. “We are reviewing the option, in order to boost the country’s development in science, information and maritime technology,” said Ock
Nov. 8, 2012
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Ahn vows to set up N.K. hotline
Independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo on Thursday pledged to establish a top-level hotline with North Korea and institute a conflict settlement apparatus, as part of efforts to improve the inter-Korean ties.Announcing his policy on North Korea, security and foreign affairs, Ahn also said that he would seek to establish a four-way forum that involve the two Koreas, the U.S. and China, to discuss peninsular peace and help resume the stalled multilateral denuclearization talks.“Based on inter-Korean
Nov. 8, 2012
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Fan club adds vitality to Ahn’s campaigns
The factor that adds a touch of youth and vigor to the election campaign of independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo is the active role of his supporters.On Saturday, Ahn appeared at a concert held by the Happys, one of his biggest fan clubs and the only one that directly communicates with his election camp.Though the candidate often held on-the-spot meetings with his supporters, this was the first time he showed up at an official fan club event. “Happys stands for Happy Christmas after
Nov. 8, 2012
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Small, flexible election camp reflects Ahn’s vision
Small but diverse, independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo’s campaign organization resembles a young venture business company.Reflecting his pledge to change politics and do away with conventional practices, the organization is characterized by its horizontal network system and flexible management.It is also significantly smaller than the camps of his two main rivals ― the ruling Saenuri Party’s Rep. Park Geun-hye and the Democratic United Party’s Rep. Moon Jae-in.Ahn’s camp is made up
Nov. 8, 2012
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Team centered on professors, lawyers
Ahn Cheol-soo’s presidential camp is built around professors and lawyers who have long shared his vision for more accountable politics, a more creative economy and a fairer society. Lacking political experience, Ahn’s organizational base is weaker than those of his two rivals, Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in, who have the backing of Korea’s largest political parties. The former Seoul National University professor has sought to compensate for this weakness by using far-reaching networks in various
Nov. 8, 2012
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NK made 'smooth' power transition: SK defense chief
South Korea's defense minister said Thursday North Korea has made a rather smooth power transition to young leader Kim Jong-un, but the communist state still faces tough challenges to revive its moribund economy."At present, North Korea's power shift appears to have gone smoothly," Kim Kwan-jin said in a meeting with a group of senior journalists at the defense ministry.The defense chief said the largely untested leader, who took pwer in December following death of his father Kim Jong-il, was ty
Nov. 8, 2012
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N. Korea expresses hope for closer ties with China
North Korea has expressed its hope for friendlier relations with China, its major ally and patron, in a letter sent to mark the neighboring country's congress to usher in a new leadership, the North's state media said Thursday."We will as ever join the Chinese comrades in making positive efforts to put the traditional DPRK-China friendship, the common wealth of the two peoples, on a higher stage," the Workers' Party of (North) Korea was quoted by its Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) as saying i
Nov. 8, 2012
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S. Korea, Indonesia to speed up free trade talks
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pledged Thursday to cooperate closely to conclude free trade negotiations between the two countries at an early date, the presidential office said.Lee and Yudhoyono reached the agreement when they met bilaterally on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on the sidelines of the Bali Democracy Forum, an annual high-level conference aimed at promoting democracy in the Asia-Pacific region, the office said.In July,
Nov. 8, 2012
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Moon pushes for speedy merger
Democratic United Party presidential candidate Moon Jae-in on Thursday suggested a four-step road map for his campaign merger with independent Ahn Cheol-soo.Moon put forward the road map at a meeting of provincial election committee chairpersons, stressing the need to carry out the steps smoothly and in an orderly fashion.According to Moon’s proposed plans, the two sides would make the joint political reform declaration then reveal their respective policy plans. They would then announce shared v
Nov. 8, 2012
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France adopts gay marriage plan despite opposition
France's Socialist government Wednesday adopted a draft law to authorize gay marriage and adoption despite fierce opposition from the Roman Catholic Church and the right-wing opposition.President Francois Hollande, who made the issue a key part of his electoral platform, told a cabinet meeting the move was "not only a step forward for some but for all of society," government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said.The proposed legislation "resolutely takes into account the greater interest of th
Nov. 7, 2012
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Major obstacles remain for Moon-Ahn merger
Discrepancies began to emerge Wednesday between two opposition presidential candidates one day after they reached an agreement to unify their campaigns for the Dec. 19 presidential election.Democratic United Party presidential candidate Moon Jae-in and independent Ahn Cheol-soo on Tuesday promised to present a single candidate before candidate registration on Nov. 25-26. However, the liberal bloc is far from home free with a number of tricky tasks remaining including the candidate selection meth
Nov. 7, 2012
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Park ups attack on alliance
Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye ratcheted up attacks on her two liberal rivals Wednesday as a sense of urgency gripped her campaign upon the launch of talks for an alliance that could tip the race in their favor.“Will the single candidacy event that is completely irrelevant to the people’s lives be able to save people’s livelihood from crisis?” Park said at a party event, referring to Democratic United Party nominee Moon Jae-in and independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo.“Not only are there wa
Nov. 7, 2012
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Lee calls for readiness against North Korean provocations
President Lee Myung-bak presided over a security ministers’ meeting Wednesday to assess the situation in North Korea and discuss how to deal with Pyongyang’s attempts to affect the South’s presidential election, the presidential spokesman said.Lee told Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik and other top security officials to ensure preparedness for armed provocations by the North and to study measures to fend off Pyongyang’s “undisguised at
Nov. 7, 2012
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Special counsel to request 15-day probe extension
The special counsel is expected to request a 15-day extension over the weekend to continue its probe into President Lee Myung-bak’s now-scrapped retirement home project in which critics say taxpayer money was used, officials said Wednesday.Following first lady Kim Yoon-ok’s return from an overseas trip on Sunday, special counsel Lee Kwang-bum’s team will have only two days to question her or make a decision to bring charges against anyone, as the 30-day investigation period ends next Wednesday.T
Nov. 7, 2012
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Ahn pledges to defend NLL and boost defense
Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo pledged to safeguard the Northern Limit Line, responding to an ongoing dispute over the de facto maritime border with North Korea.“I will protect the NLL and establish an omnidirectional defense system,” Ahn said Wednesday during his visit to the Air Force Operations Command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.“I will also shelter the people’s lives, properties, territorial sovereignty and (other fundamental) values from harm, under any military cris
Nov. 7, 2012
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South Koreans keeping close eye on U.S. presidential election
As the 2012 U.S. presidential election was under way on Wednesday local time, many South Koreans showed keen interest in what is projected to be one of the closest presidential races in the history of America.On the eve of the election, many of the major Korean newspapers -- including The Korea Herald, Joongang Ilbo, DongA Ilbo, Maeil Business Newspaper -- ran stories about it on their front pages.SBS, one of the country’s top three broadcasting stations, organized nearly seven hours of special
Nov. 7, 2012
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Park GH pledges to create 2-term, 4-year presidency
Presidential candidate Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party pledged Tuesday to seek constitutional change to introduce a two-term, 4-year presidency, but insisted that discussions should start after the presidential election.Park also vowed to legislate an open primary system when selecting the party’s candidates for the National Assembly and to abolish the party’s nomination of regional heads and local assemblymen. These and other political reform measures were announced just hours before
Nov. 6, 2012
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Moon and Ahn’s policies look alike
Now that Ahn Cheol-soo and Rep. Moon Jae-in are set on seeking a candidacy merger, the key point of concern for their supporters is whether the two have so far reached a general consensus in terms of policies.Both candidates repeatedly spoke of a value-based alliance and pledged not to seek unity only for the sake of an election victory.“It would be good for me and Moon to meet first to share each other’s values and philosophies and to agree on political reform,” Ahn said Monday, reiterating his
Nov. 6, 2012