Most Popular
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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[KH Explains] Will alternative trading platform shake up Korean stock market?
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Park questioned over vote-buying scandal
Prosecutors investigating the ruling party’s vote-buying scandal questioned National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae at his official residence on Sunday.Park, who announced that he would step down on Feb. 13, is at the center of the alleged cash-for-votes scheme operated during the party’s leadership election in 2008, which he won.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s investigation team arrived at Park’s residence at 9:25 a.m.The team is focusing on whether Park gave instructions or had
Feb. 19, 2012
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DUP hurls ethics charges with Lee and Saenuri
The main opposition Democratic United Party, while gearing up for the April general elections, decided to take on ethical issues about the Lee Myung-bak administration and the Saenuri Party.The left-wing party toned down its former pledges to abolish the disputed Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, a plan which many have called impractical and believe could have an adverse effect on the national image.The DUP last week organized a special committee to probe the irregularities and bribery scandals o
Feb. 19, 2012
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Ruling party considers nominating heroic ship captain for April elections
The ruling Saenuri Party is considering nominating the heroic captain of a South Korean freighter hijacked by Somali pirates and rescued in a 2011 operation as one of its proportional representative candidates in April's general elections, party officials said on Sunday. Seok Hae-kyun, who led the c
Feb. 19, 2012
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Prosecutors question Assembly speaker over money-for-vote scandal
Prosecutors on Sunday visited the official residence of National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae for questioning over his suspected bribery of fellow lawmakers before winning the ruling party's top position in 2008. (Yonhap News)The rare questioning comes almost seven weeks after prosecutors launched
Feb. 19, 2012
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N. Korea turns down S. Korea's offer of Red Cross talks
North Korea on Saturday rejected South Korea's offer to hold Red Cross talks on reunions of separated families, saying Seoul should first respond to its demand for an apology for not paying official respect over the death of former leader Kim Jong-il and for a promise to carry out previous summit ag
Feb. 19, 2012
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Judges hold rare meeting following dismissal of liberal judge
SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- About 70 judges held a rare meeting in Seoul on Friday in a sign of simmering protests over the recent dismissal of an outspoken judge who has gained national fame for openly ridiculing President Lee Myung-bak in a post on Facebook.The judges held the closed-door meeting a
Feb. 18, 2012
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KITA picks Han as chief
Cheong Wa Dae to pick new envoy to U.S. early next week Korea’s international traders’ group on Friday recommended Han Duck-soo, Seoul’s ambassador to Washington, as its chief, a day after he offered to resign, saying his major task of completing the bilateral free trade pact with the U.S. is over.The recommendation came as key members of the Korea International Trade Association convened a top-level meeting in Seoul to discuss who will succeed their current head SaKong Il. SaKong, whose three-y
Feb. 17, 2012
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Saenuri blasts DUP for FTA ‘flip-flop’
The ruling Saenuri Party, after weeks of being chastened by corruption scandals, including one involving its former chief, is back on the offensive against opposition parties over the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. The FTA, unilaterally passed through the parliament by Saenuri members, is emerging as a key issue in the April 11 parliamentary election, with the main opposition Democratic United Party vowing to renegotiate or repeal the current deal, which it says is biased against Korea. Leader
Feb. 17, 2012
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Assembly speaker to be questioned Sunday
Prosecutors will question National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae on Sunday over his suspected bribery of fellow lawmakers before winning the ruling party's top position in 2008, officials said Friday.Prosecutors plan to visit Park's official residence in Hannam-dong in central Seoul at 10:00 a.m. on
Feb. 17, 2012
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Sanctions deepen N. Korea-Iran bond
Experts caution against Seoul’s diplomacy focusing ‘too much’ on U.S.The relationship between North Korea and Iran appears to be becoming closer and more cooperative as international criticism over their controversial nuclear programs increases and economic sanctions squeeze tighter.But amid growing ties between them, Seoul’s bilateral relations with Pyongyang and Tehran have deteriorated as it moves in sync with U.S. positions on the diplomatic front based on the allies’ “global, multifaceted”
Feb. 16, 2012
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South Gyeongsang governor joins DUP
Kim Doo-kwan, governor of South Gyeongsang Province and a key aide to the late President Roh Moo-hyun, joined the main opposition Democratic United Party on Thursday. “With parliamentary and presidential elections taking place this year, I decided to join the Democratic United Party to add whatever might I have to the liberal forces and their consolidation,” he said at a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul. Kim, who served as home affairs minister under Roh, left the Democratic Pa
Feb. 16, 2012
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YimTaeHee-NK
Former chief of presidential staff met N. Koreans in Beijing: sourceBEIJING (Yonhap News) -- Yim Tae-hee, a former South Korean presidential chief of staff, recently met with North Korean diplomats in the Chinese capital, a source here said Thursday.“Yim and an accompanying person met with two diplomats from the North Korean embassy here from Feb. 2 to 4,” the source said. “I heard Yim told North Koreans that if Pyongyang shows more flexibility with issues on the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and
Feb. 16, 2012
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DUP leader demands Lee sack his Cabinet
The main opposition Democratic United Party leader Han Myeong-sook on Wednesday blasted the Lee Myung-bak administration for its corruption scandals, calling for the president’s apology and the mass resignation of his Cabinet. “The people will no longer put up with the current administration, unless Lee apologizes and Cheong Wa Dae confesses all of its irregularities,” she said in a press conference marking her first month as party head.“Also, the irresponsible and incompetent Cabinet should be
Feb. 15, 2012
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Seoul Mayor Park to join DUP
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and South Gyeongsang Gov. Kim Du-kwan are to join the main opposition Democratic United Party next week and this Thursday, respectively.“Kim will sign up Thursday, as originally planned, and Park will join later next week,” said Im Jong-seok, the party’s secretary-general on Wednesday.“Park’s final confirmation came just yesterday, as he has only recently come back from his overseas trip.”The activist-turned-mayor last week denied reports that he was scheduled to join t
Feb. 15, 2012
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Parliament nears end of disappointing term
Four years of partisan clashes leads to call for cut in number of lawmakersA group of voters recently filed a complaint against Rep. Joo Sung-young of the ruling Saenuri Party on charges of neglecting his duties as head of a parliamentary subcommittee on revising the election law.The subpanel, part of the National Assembly’s special committee on political reforms, has been dragging its feet on the work to rezone parliamentary constituencies ahead of the general elections set for April 11.Despite
Feb. 14, 2012
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Lee names new KCC chairman, top aide on political affairs
President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday tapped Lee Kye-cheol, former information and communications vice minister, as chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, Cheong Wa Dae said. Lee, 71, has held a variety of top posts at organizations specializing in communications and information such as the Korea Communications Agency and the Institute for Information Technology Advancement, the predecessor of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency. He also headed KT Corp. from 1996-2000.Lee was picked
Feb. 14, 2012
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Lee to hold press conference to mark final year
President Lee Myung-bak plans to outline his plan for the remaining year of his five-year term during a press conference next week, during which he is also expected to make some apologetic remarks on corruption scandals involving his close associates.“The president plans to hold a news conference to mark the final year of his presidential term around next Wednesday,” Lee’s spokesperson Park Jeong-ha told reporters.“He will explain his determinations and thoughts, as he is now running through the
Feb. 14, 2012
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Assembly may shelve savings banks bill
The National Assembly may hold off on the controversial bill to compensate depositors in suspended savings banks beyond the legal limit due to a backlash from financial circles and the president’s criticism of the bill as populist.The ruling Saenuri Party called for further deliberation on the bill, while the main opposition Democratic United Party said that it should be approved soon, preferably within the month.“The judicial committee should thoroughly examine the bill, before forwarding it to
Feb. 14, 2012
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Parties trade barbs over KORUS FTA
Rival parties traded barbs again on Monday over the Korea-U.S. free trade pact, which has recently resurfaced as a hot-button issue ahead of the April 11 general elections.The main opposition Democratic United Party launched a counterattack on the ruling Saenuri Party’s leader Rep. Park Geun-hye, who criticized its moves to reverse the pact on Monday.In unusually strong terms for Park, who has largely been reticent on sensitive issues to prevent partisan confrontations, she said, “Should the pac
Feb. 14, 2012
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N.K. defectors in China face repatriation
South Korean lawmaker, activists say China arrested 24 people last weekAt least two dozen North Korean defectors allegedly face repatriation after being arrested by Chinese authorities last week, prompting calls for Beijing to handle the case in a humanitarian manner.The latest case also triggered criticism of Seoul’s so-called “low-key” diplomacy regarding North Koreans picked up in China, with activists here calling on the government to pressure China to stop their “inhumane” repatriations.The
Feb. 14, 2012