Most Popular
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
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Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
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Students with history of violence will be barred from becoming teachers
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Top prosecutor pledges 'speedy, strict' probe into first lady's luxury bag allegations
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Medical feud leaves hospitals in financial crisis
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'Super Rich in Korea' will leave viewers appreciating Korea more: producers
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'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart
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Samsung mocks Apple over iPhone alarm glitch
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Chip up cycle won’t stay long: SK chief
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DUP warms up for presidential primary
The main opposition Democratic United Party braced itself for its presidential primary after five finalists were selected Monday through a week-long preliminary race. The five finalists are Sohn Hak-kyu, Moon Jae-in, Park Joon-yung, Kim Doo-kwan and Chung Sye-kyun with underdogs Cho Kyoung-tae, Kim Young-hwan and Kim Jung-kil dropping out.The party did not specify their respective scores, claiming that the figures may affect the upcoming races, but it was broadly assumed that former presidential
July 31, 2012
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Park attacks Ahn on SK petition
Saenuri candidate slams rival for joining 2003 campaign to reduce sentenceRuling Saenuri Party presidential frontrunner Park Geun-hye on Tuesday criticized Ahn Cheol-soo, hypothetically her biggest rival, for signing a petition in 2003 to reduce the jail sentence given to a corrupt business tycoon.“That is exactly what we are trying to fix,” Park told reporters as she was attending her party’s general meeting, referring to her presidential campaign promoting “economic democratization” by curbing
July 31, 2012
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DUP floor leader appears for questioning
The main opposition Democratic United Party floor leader Park Jie-won voluntarily appeared before the prosecution Tuesday afternoon in a surprise twist to an investigation of his alleged bribery, averting an anticipated parliamentary clash over his arrest motion.Park’s appearance before the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office came after the prosecution’s three consecutive summons and eventually a motion t
July 31, 2012
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DUP selects five finalists for primary
The main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) on Monday selected five finalists from eight contenders for its presidential primary in an effort to increase the competitiveness of its candidates.Three less popular candidates were eliminated through two days of telephone surveys of thousands of ordinary citizens and registered party members, which ended at 10 p.m. Monday.The five chosen include
July 31, 2012
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Key members deserting UPP, as crisis deepens
The embattled Unified Progressive Party showed signs of imploding following its failure to expel two lawmakers involved in a vote-rigging scandal.Former co-chair Rhyu Si-min and his aides hinted at his faction’s imminent defection in droves. The largest supporting group of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions is also considering severing ties with the party. Of 58,000 UPP members, Rhyu’s followers make up 8,000 and the KCTU accounts for 35,000.Some 200 former members of the People’s Particip
July 30, 2012
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Poll shows Ahn in lead over Park
Political rookie Ahn Cheol-soo was ahead of Saenuri Party presidential frontrunner Park Geun-hye in polls released Monday after his public appearances last week.Gallup Korea’s survey conducted on 1,520 adults via mobile phones last Friday showed that Ahn was supported by 43 percent of the respondents compared to Park’s 40 percent in a hypothetical one-on-one match up.The former Saenuri chairwoman had been in the lead against Ahn in the past few months by as much as 12 percentage points. But the
July 30, 2012
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Ahn ‘regrets’ signing leniency petition for SK chief in 2003
Ahn Cheol-soo on Monday expressed regret over signing a petition to reduce SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won’s sentence for corruption in 2003.On Monday it was revealed that Ahn, a potential presidential candidate, had signed the petition as a member of the V Society a group for social gatherings of CEOs. Chey, who was the society’s chairman at the time, had been indicted on a number of charges including accounting fraud. He was sentenced to a three-year prison term, but was released on probation i
July 30, 2012
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Ahn matches Park in approval ratings: poll
The approval rating of software entrepreneur-turned-professor Ahn Cheol-soo climbed five percentage points last week to match those of presidential frontrunner Park Geun-hye, a poll showed Monday.Ahn has not officially declared a bid for the presidency, but is widely regarded as a serious opposition contender against Park from the ruling Saenuri Party in December's presidential election.That possi
July 30, 2012
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Prosecutors request arrest warrants for DUP floor leader
Prosecutors sought a detention warrant Monday for the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) over bribery suspicions, setting in motion a potential showdown between rival parties over whether the parliament should consent to his arrest.The move came after Rep. Park Jie-won of the Democratic United Party three times snubbed summons to appear before the prosecution for questioning on allegations he received money from ailing savings banks that sought his influence to avo
July 30, 2012
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Saenuri moves to tax more unearned income
Ruling Saenuri Party Rep. Na Seong-lin submitted a bill Sunday to revise the Income Tax Law to fortify taxation on aggregate financing income and stock transfer margins.The bill calls for the lowering of the standard amount subject to aggregate financing income tax to 20 million won ($18,000) from current 40 million won.It also calls for more people to be subjected to stock transfer margin tax, expanding coverage from the current largest shareholder holding 3 percent or more shares worth 10 bill
July 29, 2012
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Tension high in Assembly over Park’s arrest
Tension was high at the National Assembly as rival parties prepare to deal with the anticipated request by the prosecution for the arrest of main opposition floor leader Park Jie-won on Monday over his alleged acceptance of bribes.The arrest motion follows the veteran Democratic United Party lawmaker’s three consecutive refusals to appear for questioning by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. Park is suspected of taking bribes from ailing savings banks.The ruling Saenuri Party seemed determined to
July 29, 2012
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DUP to select five finalists for presidential race Monday
The main opposition Democratic United Party will drop three out of eight contenders running in the party’s presidential primary on Monday through a two-day long public survey. The survey conducted on 2,400 party members and 2,400 ordinary citizens will continue until late Monday night.The presidential hopefuls including frontrunners Moon Jae-in, Sohn Hak-kyu and Chung Sye-kyun were participating in the party’s primary campaign last week including a nationwide tour, joint stumps and television de
July 29, 2012
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Prosecutors set to seek arrest warrant for DUP floor leader
Prosecutors set to seek arrest warrant for DUP floor leaderProsecutors will seek an arrest warrant for the main opposition party‘s floor leader embroiled in a bribery scandal but repeatedly snubbing their summons, sources said Sunday.The move, scheduled for Monday, is expected to lead to a sensitive vote in the National Assembly over the lawmaker’s arrest as courts have to gain parliamentary approval to arrest an incumbent lawmaker while the assembly is in session.Rep. Park Jie-won of the Democr
July 29, 2012
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Park Geun-hye pledges to root out corruption
The leading presidential contender of the ruling Saenuri Party on Saturday vowed to root out corruption, an apparent attempt to distance herself from President Lee Myung-bak amid a public outcry over a string of high-profile corruption scandals."Above all, I will create a clean government," Park Geun-hye said in a speech in the southeastern city of Busan. "I will become a president who will break
July 28, 2012
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Crisis deepening in progressive party
UPP leader apologizes for failure to expel scandal-ridden lawmakersAfter failing to kick out two lawmakers accused of vote rigging, the Unified Progressive Party faces an escalating internal rift, a wave of defections and deeper isolation from the public and political parties.Resistance from old-guard leftists frustrated the reformists’ move to expel Lee Seok-ki and Kim Jae-yeon, the two key figures of the election fraud scandal, on Thursday. The party’s website was flooded Friday with comments
July 27, 2012
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Embattled opposition floor leader disobeys third summons
A chief lawmaker of the main opposition Democratic United Party snubbed a prosecution summons again Friday, a move expected to lead ultimately to a sensitive vote in parliament over his arrest.It was the third time in a period of eight days that Rep. Park Jie-won has ignored a subpoena for questioning over bribery suspicions in a massive corruption scandal involving ailing savings banks.Park has m
July 27, 2012
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Progressive party fails to expel troublesome duo
Reformists of the Unified Progressive Party on Thursday failed to oust Reps. Lee Seok-ki and Kim Jae-yeon, the two key figures of the in-party vote-rigging scandal.Floor leader Rep. Sim Sang-jeung offered to resign after the proposed expulsion failed to pass a vote by lawmakers.“The expulsion of the two lawmakers was voted down as it failed to reach a majority,” said spokesperson Rep. Park Won-suk.Expelling a lawmaker from a party requires the approval of a majority of fellow legislators. Of 13
July 26, 2012
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Korea’s rate of low-wage workers highest in OECD
One in four full-time workers in South Korea is a low-wage worker, the highest ratio among member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a report said Thursday.According to the OECD’s annual report on employment outlook, South Korea’s “incidence of low pay” stood at 25.9 percent as of 2010, 0.2 percentage points higher than a year earlier. It marked the second consecutive time that the country has topped the list among the 34 members of the rich nations’ club.Low-w
July 26, 2012
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Book, TV exposure boost Ahn’s poll rating
The approval ratings for potential presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo rose after he appeared closer to running in the election and laid out his political vision through a new book and TV appearance.According to a survey conducted by local pollster RealMeter on Tuesday, the Seoul National University professor overtook ruling Saenuri Party frontrunner Park Geun-hye with 48.3 percent to 45.2 percent in a hypothetical one-on-one match-up. Ahn’s support edged up 0.7 percentage point from the previo
July 25, 2012
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[Photo] Olympic Stadium
July 24, 2012