Most Popular
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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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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Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors
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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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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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Parties lock horns over Roh's alleged bid to nullify NLL
Ruling and opposition parties locked horns on Friday over allegations that late President Roh Moo-hyun disavowed the legitimacy of the de-facto sea border between the two Koreas in 2007, a claim which could influence December's presidential election.The ruling Saenuri Party said it will call for a parliamentary probe to officially investigate the claims made by one of its lawmakers earlier in the
Oct. 12, 2012
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Tension building up between Moon, Ahn
With less than seven weeks left until the final candidate registration, presidential candidates Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo stepped up their competition, respectively claiming to be better qualified for the single opposition candidacy and eventually for the presidency.Rep. Moon, representing the main opposition Democratic United Party, stressed the importance of a party base whereas independent Ahn dismissed this as the DUP’s obsession with old-school politics.“It is absurd now to argue that a
Oct. 11, 2012
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Unity focus of Park’s team
Former Constitutional Court president, female CEO named co-chairsRep. Park Geun-hye, presidential candidate of the ruling Saenuri Party, on Thursday finalized her campaign team, overcoming the in-party disarray that had bogged down her rally on reform and unity.The former chairwoman named Kim Yong-jun, former Constitutional Court president, along with renowned CEO Kim Sung-joo, Rep. Chung Mong-joon and chairman Rep. Hwang Woo-yea as the four co-chairs of her central election committee.Park herse
Oct. 11, 2012
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Respected former justice brought in to boost Park
Former Constitutional Court chief Kim Yong-jun’s appointment as a co-chair of the Saenuri Party’s central election committee Thursday holds symbolic significance for Park Geun-hye, whose campaign focuses on national unity, law and order, and protection of the socially weak. For Park, a conservative and the daughter of the authoritarian former President Park Chung-hee, Kim’s recruitment underscores her resolve to achieve social reconciliation. In addition, the former justice is a figure who repr
Oct. 11, 2012
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Voter registration overseas attracts little interest
Voter registration among Koreans abroad for the upcoming Dec. 19th presidential election is less than expected despite eased regulations and active publicity. According to the National Election Commission on Thursday, 132,100, or 5.9 percent of all eligible for overseas voting and absentee balloting have registered, just exceeding the registration rate for the April parliamentary elections of 5.57 percent.The application was made available in more than 110 countries on July 22. Among those who r
Oct. 11, 2012
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Moon pledges tighter reins on chaebol
Proposals cover rules on ownership, penalties for corporate crimesDemocratic United Party presidential candidate Moon Jae-in announced Thursday that he would tighten regulations on conglomerates as part of his economic democratization measures aimed at establishing a fair economy.“The future of the Korean economy I want to achieve through economic democratization, in one word, is a fair economy,” Moon said. “A fair economy is an economic structure that accentuates the strengths of the market eco
Oct. 11, 2012
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Recruitment battles at presidential camps bring backlash
The battle among the presidential candidates to recruit prominent figures to spruce up their campaigns is seeing a backlash, undermining their original intention to highlight reform and unity.The ruling Saenuri Party and its presidential candidate Park Geun-hye have struggled with internal discontent over the recent appointment of a former opposition leader. The main opposition Democratic United Party has also caused friction among some party members for recruiting a conservative former minister
Oct. 10, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Can the ‘Boss’ pull together troubled Park campaign?
The “boss” is back. Former lawmaker Kim Moo-sung, 61, is the choice of Saenuri Party presidential candidate Rep. Park Geun-hye as she strives to defuse one of the biggest crises in her campaign.Dogged by rising internal protest against her controversial appointments, Park finally listened to her associates’ recommendation that she bring back Kim, a Busan native with tenacity to match his formidable physique.People, and not just the Saenuri Party members but also journalists, call him “Moodae,” s
Oct. 10, 2012
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Ahn sharpens his words
Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo is increasingly sharpening his language as the election campaign heats up and his ambiguous attitude and preaching draw criticism. He displayed prompt responses to political offensives from the leading parties, seeking to shed his image as a gutless scholar and businessman.“What is the use of a government, if it may not protect its people?” he said on Monday. Ahn also spoke strongly during his visit to Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, where a majo
Oct. 10, 2012
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Parties clash over claims of Roh’s concession on NLL
Rival parties clashed over allegations that late President Roh Moo-hyun denied the legitimacy of the West Sea border between the two Koreas during his summit in Pyongyang. Top security and unification officials of the Roh administration hit back at the Saenuri Party on Wednesday saying that the claims were groundless.During the parliamentary inspection on the Ministry of Unification on Oct. 3 Rep., Chung Moon-hun of the ruling Saenuri Party claimed that Roh and Kim Jong-il held a one-on-one meet
Oct. 10, 2012
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Assembly becomes election battleground
The annual parliamentary inspection of government offices is turning into a battleground for the December presidential election as lawmakers focus on accusations of rival candidates while putting other crucial issues on the sideline. The ruling Saenuri Party raised various allegations involving independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, whereas the main opposition Democratic United Party targeted the conservative party’s Rep. Park Geun-hye.The parliamentary probe session on the Ministry of Strategy an
Oct. 10, 2012
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Park GH’s campaign back on track after key members clash
Saenuri Party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye’s campaign is regaining stability after feuding advisers returnd to work.On Wednesday, chairman of the Park camp’s Political Reform Committee Ahn Dai-hee followed in the steps of Committee to Pursue People’s Happiness chairman Kim Chong-in and returned to work.However, with Ahn standing firm behind the ultimatum that he will resign if Han Gwang-ok is appointed the head of the committee for achieving social unity, Park is not yet home-free. In ad
Oct. 10, 2012
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Former Arirang TV chief to head branding panel
President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday appointed Samuel Koo, a former journalist, new chairman of the Presidential Council on National Branding.Koo, 70, is currently one of the 32 members of the panel. He will serve until next April. He once worked as a reporter for The Korea Herald and the Associated Press. He later headed Arirang TV and was ambassador for cultural cooperation.Koo studied public administration at Korea University and earned his master’s degree in journalism at Columbia University.B
Oct. 9, 2012
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DUP lawmaker defects to join Ahn’s campaign
Rep. Song Ho-chang quit the main opposition Democratic United Party and joined independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo’s campaign Tuesday. The former lawyer and civic activist will co-head Ahn’s campaign office with two former lawmakers, Park Sun-sook from the DUP and Kim Sung-sik from the Saenuri Party.The first-term legislator served as a spokesperson for Park Won-soon in last year’s Seoul mayoral by-election and has been a close communication channel between Ahn and the DUP.“Ahn is t
Oct. 9, 2012
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Park GH’s campaign enters hiatus over intensified party strife
Troubled Saenuri candidate turns to former political ally for helpWith her campaign dogged by growing reshuffle calls and conflict among key campaigners, embattled presidential candidate Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party is turning to a former ally for help.Park told reporters on Tuesday that former floor leader Kim Moo-sung would “take on an important role at the central election committee in the future” as she attended a symposium hosted by the Saenuri Party’s Political Reform Com
Oct. 9, 2012
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Ahn, Moon jockey for position on unity
Tension is rising between the camps of the Democratic United Party’s Moon Jae-in and independent Ahn Cheol-soo over the possibility of the two candidates merging their campaigns.While Ahn maintains an ambiguous stance on the issue having said only that a precondition is “true political reform,” with the public to judge when it has been achieved, the DUP is turning up the pressure on the former academic.“The democratic progressive bloc will definitely put forward a single candidate for the presid
Oct. 9, 2012
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A victory of populism over responsible leadership
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s re-election to a fourth term by an 11-point margin on Monday was, without question, an impressive political victory. The left-wing populist and defiant U.S. critic secured six more years in power by promising to extend his “21st-century socialism” of the last 14 years. Should he finish his term, Chavez will have ruled the country for 20 years. His enduring popularity is in many ways understandable, defined as much by what preceded him as his own actions. Declin
Oct. 9, 2012
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Korea, Myanmar agree to boost trade, energy ties
The leaders of South Korea and Myanmar agreed Tuesday to bolster business and diplomatic ties as Seoul looks to firm up its footing in the Southeast Asian country following sweeping democratic and economic reforms. During a summit in Seoul, President Lee Myung-bak and Myanmar President Thein Sein agreed to push for an investment protection pact and boost cooperation on trade, energy, resources and infrastructure. Ministers signed two agreements on Seoul’s development aid and the creation of a na
Oct. 9, 2012
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Moon gains ground in polls as rivals face feud, doubts
Democratic United Party presidential candidate Moon Jae-in’s approval ratings continued to rise recently, as Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye deals with an internal feud and independent Ahn Cheol-soo faces public doubt of his ability to govern. In polls conducted by research firms Gallup Korea and Realmeter, Moon has gained significant ground in three-candidate polls.The figures compiled by Realmeter in the first week of October are 37 percent, 28.6 percent and 22.1 percent for Park, Ahn and Moon,
Oct. 9, 2012
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Lee rejects aide’s resignation
President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday turned down the resignation of his aide who offered to take responsibility for recent partisan strife over his retirement home plan. Lee Dal-gon, senior secretary for political affairs, tendered his intention to step down on Oct. 3 as the ruling and opposition parties clashed after the presidential office refused opposition-named candidates for an independent counsel to probe alleged foul play in the now-defunct project. The 58-year-old secretary has been assis
Oct. 9, 2012