Most Popular
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Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics
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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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Samsung chip business back on track, logs W1.9tr operating profit in Q1
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Shinsegae faces showdown with investors over SSG.com's delayed IPO
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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Ex-pro baseball player who killed debtor appeals sentence
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Hopes rise for possible Gaza truce deal
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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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GNP whistle-blower testifies on bribery allegations
Parliamentary speaker and presidential secretary deny involvementProsecutors kicked off an investigation into a whistle-blower’s allegation that a former leader of the ruling Grand National Party bribed fellow lawmakers in order to win the top position, which is likely to be an irreversible blow on
Jan. 8, 2012
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No GNP lawmaker involved in cyber attack on election watchdog: prosecutors
Prosecutors said Friday that they have found no evidence to incriminate any Grand National Party lawmaker in connection with the Oct. 26 cyber attack on the website of the state election watchdog.They concluded that the attack was plotted and carried out by a former secretary of the National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae and another ex-aide of former GNP lawmaker Choi Gu-sik. They hacked the website of the National Election Commission with a distributed-denial-of-service attack from 5:53 a.m. fo
Jan. 6, 2012
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Seoul downplays impact of new U.S. military strategy on Korean security
Seoul officials rule out possibility of U.S. troop reduction hereWashington’s new strategy for a “leaner” military that goes in line with its belt-tightening efforts is drawing keen attention here as it could affect the troop level and their operations in a contingency on the Korean Peninsula.Its moves to abandon a long-held strategy to have the ability to fight and win two wars at once have also caused concerns that the U.S. may not be able to mobilize massive ground troops in the event of a wa
Jan. 6, 2012
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Female lawmakers active in wider range of areas
The rising number of female lawmakers has led to an expansion in their legislative activities, slowly introducing groundwork for gender equality at the male-dominated National Assembly.According to the report by the state-run Korean Women’s Development Institute Wednesday, the percentage of female lawmakers has been steadily rising from 5.9 percent in the 16th National Assembly to 13 percent in the 17th and 13.7 percent in the 18th. The four-year term of the 18th National Assembly expires in May
Jan. 5, 2012
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President to grant special presidential pardon next week
President Lee Myung-bak is likely to grant special pardons to some 1,000 convicted criminals next week at the earliest, officials at the presidential office said Wednesday.South Korea’s president is empowered to pardon convicts if it is believed that a pardon would be helpful to social unity and reconciliation.The list of special pardons on the occasion of the Lunar New Year holiday that falls on Jan. 23, will be released on Jan. 10 at the earliest, they said. South Korea’s president usually gra
Jan. 5, 2012
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Rogue travel agent starts new business under fake name
A travel agent who had his business registration revoked and was later arrested for scamming customers out of tens of millions of won is continuing to operate under a false name and new company.Wan-koo “Wystan” Kang, of now-defunct Zenith Travel, currently operates Travel Expert under the alias “Joseph Kim,” advertising primarily to foreign customers.Kang registered the business with Songpa District Office in Seoul under someone else’s name on Nov. 24, some seven weeks after he was arrested for
Jan. 5, 2012
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Cash-for-votes scandal rocks ruling party
Rep. Koh claims he was offered 3 million won from former party chiefThe ruling Grand National Party on Thursday asked public prosecutors to launch an investigation into an allegation of vote buying during one of its past leadership contests. The move followed a bombshell revelation a day earlier from Rep. Koh Seung-duk that he received an envelope containing 3 million won from a person close to a former party chief who was at that time vying for chairmanship. “The council members agreed that thi
Jan. 5, 2012
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Seoul faces tough choices over Iran sanctions
With deepening bilateral alliance with U.S., Seoul faces growing pressureSouth Korea is caught between a rock and a hard place as it is dealing with a tough decision on whether to fully join the U.S-led sanctions against Iran.With its “strategic alliance” with Washington deepening, Seoul is under a growing pressure to be in tune with its anti-Tehran moves. But South Korea apparently fears that the moves could bring about a negative impact on its economy.While gauging possible economic ramificat
Jan. 5, 2012
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GNP in conflict over conservative tag
Another conflict flared up within the ruling Grand National Party on Thursday, after one of its reformist leaders called for the ruling party to drop the word “conservative” from its charter. The idea was first floated by Kim Jong-in, a key member of the party’s emergency leadership council who has been at the center of controversy recently over his outspoken criticism of the party old-guard.“A party that confines itself to a frame of political conservatism can’t survive in this rapidly changing
Jan. 5, 2012
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Ruling party to request investigation into suspected internal bribery
SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) said Thursday it will request prosecutors to look into allegations that one of its former party leaders bribed fellow party members to get the chief post in the past leadership election, dealing yet another blow to the struggling party
Jan. 5, 2012
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Ahn Cheol-soo to visit U.S. to meet Bill Gates
SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- Ahn Cheol-soo plans to depart for the United States on Sunday to meet Microsoft founder Bill Gates to receive advice on charitable foundations and discuss the latest trends in information technology, his close aides said Thursday, Ahn Cheol-sooAhn, who currently teache
Jan. 5, 2012
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Twitter new election campaign tool
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon had no formal affiliation with a political party and no experience in running for public office. The lawyer-turned-activist was an underdog when he went into the mayoral race against a two-term legislator from the ruling party on Oct. 26. But he won with a comfortable lead, thanks in a large part to new, vibrant and youthful social networking services (SNS).The mayor’s case was yet another example of, and a catalyst for, making full use of Twitter, Facebook and the like
Jan. 4, 2012
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Lee, Hu to hold first summit since Kim’s death
Seoul’s ministry denies news reports on impending free trade negotiations with ChinaPresident Lee Myung-bak will depart for China on Monday for a three-day state visit that includes talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, other top Beijing officials and business leaders, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.His second state visit to China was arranged at the invitation of the Chinese head of state. It comes as the two countries celebrate the 20th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations this year.“
Jan. 4, 2012
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Internal conflict over reform deepens at GNP
A feud in the ruling Grand National Party over candidate nomination rules deepened Wednesday, with some of its defiant lawmakers threatening to take no-confidence action against the party leadership led by Rep. Park Geun-hye. Rep. Chang Je-won stepped up pressure on two key members of the GNP leadership council ― Kim Jong-in and Lee Sang-don ― calling for them to resign. The two have been calling on old guard members and those close to President Lee Myung-bak to give up the nomination race in th
Jan. 4, 2012
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GNP seeks radical change of nomination rules
Grand National Party chief Park Geun-hye on Tuesday hinted at a sweeping change of rules in the ruling party’s nomination of candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections.“All members of the GNP, including me, will have to give up all their vested rights in the process,” the female politician said in a radio address. “I don’t think that we could regain trust from voters through superficial reforms. We have to change not just the package, but the content, and end old-time politics once and f
Jan. 4, 2012
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Pioneer of Korean democracy laid to rest
Liberal activists, politicians and citizens bid farewell on Tuesday to Kim Geun-tae, a leading pro-democracy figure who fought against dictatorship under previous administrations.Kim’s body was moved Tuesday morning from Seoul University Hospital to Myeongdong Cathedral for the funeral ceremony, which was attended by over a thousand people, including his family and left-wing politicians.“We hereby engrave his name in the heart of history,” said Father Ham Se-woong during the ceremony.After the c
Jan. 3, 2012
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DUP electoral college may swell over 500,000
Large number of non-party voters makes leadership race unpredictableThe newly integrated Democratic Unified Party is expected to attract the largest ever voting pool for its leadership vote thanks to young voters.’As of Monday morning, a total of 230,000 non-party members registered themselves as eligible voters for the DUP’s national convention slated for Jan. 15.Among them, more than 150,000 come from Seoul and Gyeonggi areas, officials said.Party officials predicted that the figure may approa
Jan. 3, 2012
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2012 year for changes of power around the world
Uncertainties on Korean Peninsula coincide with leadership elections in neighboring nationsLast year saw dictatorial rulers in North Africa and the Middle East ousted or killed in popular uprisings and leaders in southern European states voted out of office in the midst of the eurozone crisis. In the closing days of the year, the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il made headlines across the globe.The year of 2012 may witness a far more sweeping change of national rulers through elections.
Jan. 3, 2012
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Park hints at sweeping change of nomination rules
Grand National Party chief Park Geun-hye on Tuesday hinted at a sweeping change of rules in the ruling party’s nomination of candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections.“All members of the GNP, including me, will have to give up all their vested rights in the process,” the female politician said in a radio address. “I don’t think that we could regain trust from voters through superficial reforms. We have to change not just the package, but the content, and end old-time politics once and f
Jan. 3, 2012
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Lee orders strict inflation controls
President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday directed his government to introduce a strict price control system, which will allot staple items to officials and hold them responsible for keeping their prices under target ceilings.The instruction came a day after Lee said during his New Year’s policy address that the government will prioritize easing the economic burden of low-income families with a focus on stabilizing consumer prices.“There should be a strict policy to keep the prices of major products, p
Jan. 3, 2012