Most Popular
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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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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S. Korea, China, Japan in talks to hold trilateral summit May 26-27: official
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Gangwon, Chungcheong races tight, Jeju leans left
While political attention has mostly fallen on the metropolitan area and the southeastern region, Gangwon Province also stands as a significant variable for both top parties in the general elections.The northeastern province has largely been a right-wing stronghold in the past, but it elected liberal Gov. Lee Kwang-jae in 2010, hinting at a progressive change.Also, experts find it difficult to predict the electoral results there as the region has often voted against national trends.In the 17th p
April 10, 2012
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Where will swing voters turn?
Lack of focus on policies keeps election outcome uncertainA self-professed “floating voter” Song Jeong-yeon, 39, admitted a day before the general election that he still had no idea who to pick, or whether he would vote at all. “It seems as if you have to either be an extreme progressive or a radical conservative, and there is no middle ground,” Song said.The fate of the 19th general elections now lies in the hands of the voters, and with opinion polls predicting a neck-and-neck race, Wednesday’
April 10, 2012
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[News focus] Where will swing votes go?
Mediocre policy battle keeps outcome uncertainA self-professed “floating voter” Song Jeong-yeon, 39, admitted a day before the general election that he still had no idea who to pick, or whether he would vote at all. “It seems as if you have to either be an extreme progressive or a radical conservative, and there is no middle ground,” Song said.The fate of the 19th general elections now lies in the hands of the voters, and with opinion polls predicting a neck-and-neck race, Wednesday’s election i
April 10, 2012
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Election battles too close to predict
The final countdown to the April 11 general election has begun but most crucial constituencies are still neck-and-neck, making it difficult for parties and experts to predict the outcome.The main opposition Democratic United Party had been seen as having the upper hand, especially because of the current government’s falling support in opinion polls and the civilian surveillance scandal.However, the public backlash against DUP candidate Kim Yong-min’s past foul remarks has seemingly narrowed the
April 9, 2012
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N.K. has little influence over voter sentiment
Voters get used to hackneyed security threats from PyongyangNorth Korea appears to have little influence over voter sentiment here ahead of Wednesday’s general election as many have grown tired of the hackneyed security issues involving the communist state, analysts said Monday.Some observers presumed that amid strident talk of Pyongyang moving to launch a long-range rocket and conduct a third nuclear test, voters could have jitters and seek stability in favor of the ruling bloc. But that predi
April 9, 2012
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Saenuri hopes to make inroads into Honam
Ruling party candidates, independents threaten DUP dominance in Jeolla provincesFrom bustling Gwangju to breezy Haenam, the southwestern provinces of Jeolla have safe liberal seats for decades. Races there have been dull in past elections, as voters gave almost unconditional support to late President Kim Dae-jung and the political parties that carried on his legacy.In Wednesday’s election, however, the electorate may break the mold and vote for the biggest surprises of all races, electing a key
April 9, 2012
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Saenuri lawmakers bashed for 'vulgar' play
The Democratic United Party has blasted Saenuri Party officials over a “vulgar” satirical play staged eight years ago in a counterattack to the ruling party’s recent criticism of an outspoken DUP candidate. Ahead of Wednesday’s parliamentary elections, the Saenuri Party and conservative media have been escalating their offensive against DUP nominee Kim Yong-min over past sexist and anti-establishment remarks.The liberal party on Friday pointed to a video clip of a play titled “Hwansaeng Gyeongj
April 9, 2012
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Disgraced candidate vows to finish race
Kim Yong-min, an opposition candidate under fire for past remarks, reiterated Sunday that he would not drop out of the race. “I will run to the finish line and let voters judge me,” he said. The main opposition Democratic United Party candidate is contesting a parliamentary seat representing Seoul’s Nowon-A constituency. Polls conducted early last week showed him neck-and-neck with a candidate from the ruling Saenuri Party. “I can’t let the Saenuri Party and ‘Cho Joong Dong’ go on like this anym
April 8, 2012
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Voter fatigue worsens amid partisan fights
Survey shows economic issues are most important to publicPublic fatigue is growing as rival parties exchange barbs over politically charged issues at the expense of crucial economic and other policy matters.In recent weeks, the parties have been struggling to turn the political pendulum in their favor ahead of the upcoming general election, attacking each other over the government’s alleged illicit surveillance of civilians and other sensitive political issues.Over the past week, the heated deba
April 8, 2012
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Will liberals gain Yeongnam foothold?
Opposition bloc hopes to clinch at least 10 seats in the southeast regionOne of the biggest questions in the 19th parliamentary elections is whether the ruling party will be able to halt the liberal surge in the country’s southeastern Yeongnam region.Though the area has long been a conservative stronghold, public sentiment there has soured in recent years due to the cancellation of a plan for a new international airport and the savings banks corruption scandal.The allegation that the government
April 8, 2012
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Turnout could have heavy impact on poll
Voter turnout is expected to be a major variable affecting the outcome of Wednesday’s general elections as polls show candidates of rival parties neck and neck in scores of constituencies, analysts said Sunday.With rain forecast across the nation on the morning of polling day, they also said more young voters, who largely support progressive parties, may show up at polling stations instead of going out for recreation.As younger voters in their 20s and 30s have gained growing political influence
April 8, 2012
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Podcast star’s controversy could sway vote outcome
An opposition candidate taking flak for foul language has emerged as a key variable in the upcoming parliamentary race, political watchers said Saturday.Kim Yong-min, a candidate for the Democratic United Party (DUP), who made a series of vile sexual remarks and derogatory comments to senior citizens, has come under increasing pressure to step down after it was found that he attacked South Korea’s Christian churches.The candidate, who is running for a parliamentary seat in Seoul’s Nowon district
April 8, 2012
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Barbs fly as race hangs in the balance
Polls show parties in neck-and-neck race for Wednesday’s electionsThe country’s two main political parties continued to exchange barbed attacks Sunday, fishing for votes in a dead-heat race for control of the next parliament. The governing Saenuri Party continued its blitzkrieg against the main opposition Democratic United Party, making full use of public anger over foul remarks that a DUP candidate made eight years ago. “I am worried about our children. What will they learn from (our politics)?
April 8, 2012
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N. Korea preparing for nuclear test: intelligence official
North Korea is believed to be gearing up for a nuclear test, an intelligence official said Sunday, a move certain to fuel the already high tensions over its planned long-range rocket launch.Satellite images show the communist nation digging a new tunnel underground in the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in the country's northeast, where it conducted two previous nuclear tests, first in 2006 and then
April 8, 2012
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Opposition candidate emerges as key variable in parliamentary race
An opposition candidate taking flak for foul language has emerged as a key variable in the upcoming parliamentary race, political watchers said Saturday.Kim Yong-min, a candidate for the Democratic United Party (DUP), who made a series of vile sexual remarks and derogatory comments to senior citizens, has come under increasing pressure to step down after it was found that he attacked South Korea's
April 7, 2012
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Minority parties struggle for survival
Candidates from small parties fail to get voters’ attentionWith only a few days left until the general elections, minority parties are making their last-minute efforts to seize their chance in the bipartisan political battlefield and survive in the next parliamentary term.A total of 20 minor political parties registered with the National Election Commission to join the race, and 14 of them currently hold no seats within the National Assembly.Many of these small parties have made it their top p
April 6, 2012
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Political pedigree: Does it matter in polls?
Offspring face challenges of growing out from their fathers’ coattailsSons and daughters of prominent politicians are back in the spotlight as they are striving to win parliamentary seats in next week’s elections based on their own identities.They were apparently given a head start over their competitors as they secured a measure of voter recognition thanks to their family backgrounds. They have had to tide over tough challenges, however, growing out from under the shadow of their fathers and cu
April 6, 2012
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Similar slogans, opposite approaches
Welfare pledges to become more elaborate toward presidential electionRival party leaders appear to be chanting the same slogan of reviving the livelihood of the people in their campaigns for the April 11 general elections.“The philosophy of the Saenuri Party is rooted in the people’s livelihood. Please vote for Saenuri if you want a National Assembly to work for the masses,” ruling party leader Park Geun-hye said on her first campaign stop at Gwanghwamun in Seoul on March 29 when official campa
April 6, 2012
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Candidate’s obscene remarks put damper on DUP campaign
Mounting criticism of an opposition party candidate’s vulgar and sexist remarks is putting a damper on a campaign riding on voter dissatisfaction with the current government.Kim Yong-min, the main opposition Democratic United Party candidate in the northern Seoul constituency of Nowon-A, made vulgar comments when he appeared on an Internet broadcast in 2004 and 2005. Some of his recently revealed remarks include: “If all escalators and elevators at the City Hall metro station are dismantled, (co
April 5, 2012
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Pre-election polls leave many clueless with differing results
A flurry of public opinion polls came out this week as the campaign for the April 11 general election intensified. Instead of giving an indication of the latest state of the races, however, the polls painted a more muddled picture than before, with conflicting results. In one case, two surveys conducted just a day apart produced a different frontrunner in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo-A constituency. One poll, commissioned jointly by three broadcasters and released Monday, put ruling Saenuri Party candid
April 5, 2012