Most Popular
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'Super Rich in Korea' will leave viewers appreciating Korea more: producers
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Probe of first lady on Dior bag allegations set to begin
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Top prosecutor pledges 'speedy, strict' probe into first lady's luxury bag allegations
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Indonesia’s KF-21 fighter jet deal cut back -- what’s next?
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[KH Explains] Can tech firms' AI alliances take on Nvidia?
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Police seek arrest warrant for med student who killed girlfriend
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Local filmmakers criticize ‘The Roundup: Punishment’ monopoly of screens
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[Grace Kao, Meera Choi] Has money displaced romance on dates?
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Will China's self-sufficient dream in HBM come true?
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Man stabs woman and her son amid financial dispute, killing 1
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Kim Jong-un still unknown to Chinese leaders, officials: Xu
Key foreign policy adviser expresses displeasure over human rights criticismJEJU ― Most Chinese leaders still do not know much about North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, a former senior Beijing official said, indicating that there has been little high-level contact between Pyongyang and its only major ally.Xu Dunxin, a leading member of Beijing’s Foreign Policy Advisory Group, also said that Pyongyang’s decision to launch a long-range rocket in April despite its opposition has made him more uncerta
June 3, 2012
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UPP to launch new leadership next month
The Unified Progressive Party will kick off its new leadership early next month while it continues to seek expulsion of its defiant lawmakers by the end of this month.The scandal-ridden party held a national committee meeting on Saturday and decided to hold a leadership election this month to pick a chairperson and the supreme council, as well as delegates and regional chiefs.The corresponding vote will take place on June 25-29, after candidates register themselves on June 17-18, according to of
June 3, 2012
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Front-runners in DUP race rally for final votes
The two leading contenders to be the next Democratic United Party chairperson, Kim Han-gil and Lee Hae-chan, took aim at each other over the weekend as the race entered its final week.Rep. Kim remains in the lead against former Prime Minister Lee in regional votes so far conducted in 13 constituencies, but the gap is only 210 votes.The outcome of the final vote on June 9 remains unpredictable as the regional ballots up until now account for 11 percent of the entire vote. The party will on Saturd
June 3, 2012
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Establishing S. Korea-China ties was not easy: Zhang
Former ambassador to Seoul recalls negotiations in 1992 over bilateral tiesJEJU ― Establishing the relationship between South Korea and China two decades ago was not an easy process as they faced diplomatic challenges ― for Seoul to sever ties with Taiwan and for Beijing to upset North Korea.Zhang Tingyan, who served as Beijing’s first ambassador to Seoul from 1992-1998, recalled his memories of the bilateral negotiations over the new relationship, which he noted has deepened and widened in man
June 3, 2012
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S. Korea, U.S., Japan to cooperate on North Korea provocations
South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed to steadily strengthen trilateral defense cooperation to deter provocations by North Korea, Seoul’s defense ministry said Saturday.The agreement was reached during a meeting of the three countries’ top defense officials held on the sidelines of the 11th Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri La Dialogue, in Singapore, the ministry said.South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Japan’s Senior Vi
June 3, 2012
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DUP opposes Supreme Court nominees
Criticizes current candidates as biased and lacking diversityThe main opposition Democratic United Party on Sunday called for the Supreme Court justice nominees to be reselected, claiming the current lineup to be biased and lacking in diversity.“As the 13 nominees selected by the justice nominee selection committee are at odds with the public’s will, we firmly request a reselection,” said a statement released by 20 DUP lawmakers at a joint press conference. The lawmakers were former members of t
June 3, 2012
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DUP’s Lim lambasted for ‘apostate’ remarks
The Democratic United Party’s Rep. Lim Su-kyung was under fire on Sunday for reportedly calling activist-turned-lawmaker Ha Tae-keung of the Saenuri Party an “apostate” and lashing out at a college student who defected from the North.Lim, 44, is a proportional representative of the main opposition party and was once called “flower of reunification” by the North after she made an unauthorized and controversial visit to North Korea as a student activist in 1989.The student named Baek Yo-sep left a
June 3, 2012
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Calls for tactical nuclear weapons foolish: Halperin
Morton H. Halperin JEJU ― Recent calls from the U.S. Congress for the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula stems from Republicans’ “romance” with them, a former senior Washington official said, dismissing its possibility.“The Republican Party has always had a romance with tactical nuclear weapons. They have always seen them as a way to reduce the need for manpower and t
June 3, 2012
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Kang nominated for speaker
The ruling Saenuri Party on Friday nominated Rep. Kang Chang-hee, a six-term lawmaker close to former party chief and leading presidential hopeful Park Geun-hye, to become speaker of the National Assembly.Rep. Kang beat Rep. Chung Ui-hwa, a five-term representative who served as acting speaker in the previous parliament, by 88-48 in a vote of Saenuri legislators.The party also picked Lee Byung-suk, a four-term lawmaker, as its candidate for vice speaker.“My task is to help the parliament regain
June 1, 2012
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Forum calls for Asia-Pacific cooperation
Prime Minister Kim stresses need for regional security mechanismJEJU ― Prominent politicians on Friday called on Asia and Pacific powers to boost mutual cooperation and understanding as the region emerges as a new center of growth and security for the globe. Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and other former and incumbent leaders of the region made opening addresses at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity. The three-day conference opened Thursday to discuss key challenges looming over Asia
June 1, 2012
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Jeju peace forum to discuss future of Asia, global issues
JEJU ― A three-day international conference on peace, security, environment and other pending global issues kicked off on the southern resort island Thursday.Under the theme “New Trends and the Future of Asia,” the 7th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity has brought together some 2,000 eminent scholars, experts and government officials including about 250 from overseas at Haevichi Hotel & Resort. “The forum will focus on presenting a new vision, a new way of mutual cooperation, and a breakthroug
May 31, 2012
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Lee urges public to turn against populist policies
President Lee Myung-bak called Thursday for greater public awareness of the consequences of costly policies burdening future generations, saying it will help keep politicians from churning out populist policies.Lee made the remark during a meeting with senior economic policymakers and private experts, organized to discuss the eurozone crisis stemming from debt-laden Greece and possible countermeasures, presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha said.“It is important for the people to have the percepti
May 31, 2012
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Auditor discovers accounting errors in state agencies
Government ministries made a series of errors in assessing the value of state-owned assets that bloated their total book value by more than 5 trillion won ($4.2 billion), the state auditor said Thursday.The defense ministry topped the list of agencies with accounting problems, with its failure to deduct depreciation from property values resulting in inflating their value by about 3.2 trillion won more than their total worth, the Board of Audit and Inspection said. The ministry also used incorrec
May 31, 2012
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Parties near consensus on lawmakers’ pensions
The two main political parties appeared likely to agree on overhauling the controversial lawmaker pension system on Thursday.“Providing 1.2 million won ($1,000) each month from the age of 65 even if the (lawmaker’s) post was held for as little as one day is clearly problematic and should be improved,” Rep. Lee Yong-sup of the Democratic United Party said in a radio interview. He added that while the DUP has not decided on an official stance on the matter, the system as it stands is “very unfair”
May 31, 2012
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Presidential hopefuls assembling teams
Advisory groups, campaign teams shape up for Park GH, Moon JILeading presidential hopefuls and the brains are quickening preparations to jump into the race for the Dec. 19 presidential election. Unfazed by daily attacks from the main opposition Democratic United Party, the ruling Saenuri Party’s frontrunner Park Geun-hye has so far been laying low. But her think tanks and support groups have long been preparing for the launch of her presidential campaign, forecast to begin around June.A group of
May 31, 2012
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Ahn again defers decision on presidential bid
Popular software developer and professor Ahn Cheol-soo has once again deferred a decision whether he will run for president, saying he is still thinking about whether he will be able to meet people's expectations as a politician.Ahn's lecture Wednesday at Pusan National University in Busan drew intense media attention due to the possibility of him finally announcing his presidential bid after mont
May 31, 2012
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Kim outruns Lee in DUP leadership race
Kim Han-gill (Yonhap News)Former novelist Kim Han-gill retook the lead in the race to become the next chairman of the opposition Democratic United Party on Wednesday.He ranked No 1. in the regional vote for Gangwon Province with 179 votes, beating frontrunner Lee Hae-chan, who took third with 82. Former party spokesperson Woo Sang-ho came in second with 166.In terms of accumulated votes, Kim outst
May 30, 2012
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DUP rebukes UPP over voting fraud
With the 19th National Assembly opening Wednesday, major parties moved to expel the disputed proportional representatives of the Unified Progressive Party, though they differed on focus and method.The main opposition Democratic United Party joined the ruling Saenuri Party in demanding that Lee Seog-gi and Kim Jae-yeon resign.“The UPP has clearly confirmed the irregularities in its primary process so the parliamentary ethics committee can look into the qualifications of Lee and Kim,” DUP interim
May 30, 2012
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U.S. to waive Korea from Iran sanctions
South Korea is set to secure a waiver from new U.S. financial sanctions against Iran after significantly cutting its imports of Iranian crude oil this year, a senior Seoul official said Wednesday. South Korea has been in talks with the U.S. to be exempted from the U.S.-led financial sanctions to punish Iran for its nuclear ambitions. The U.S. exempted 11 nations, including Japan and some European nations, in March from the sanctions, but South Korea was excluded from the list. “Consultations wit
May 30, 2012
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Strife, scandals mar Assembly’s 1st day
Major parties at loggerheads over committee seats, disputed UPP lawmakersThe 19th National Assembly got off to a rough start Wednesday, overshadowed by scandals, partisan strife and ideological accusations. Business at the parliament with 300 members including 147 first-timers looks to remain on hold for the time being as the ruling and opposition parties still differ over how to dole out standing committees.Politicking has been escalating between the ruling Saenuri Party and main opposition Dem
May 30, 2012