Most Popular
-
1
10-man S. Korea lose to Indonesia to miss out on Paris Olympic football qualification
-
2
Hybe-Ador feud should have limited effect on Hybe's overall performance: analysts
-
3
Second Gimpo civil servant found dead, after apologizing for not finishing work
-
4
DP leader says he will meet Yoon without conditions
-
5
First-ever meeting of president, opposition chief set to finally happen
-
6
NewJeans' singles, Japanese debut to proceed as planned, despite Hybe-Ador feud
-
7
Experts raise concerns about Japan putting pressure on Naver over Line
-
8
Samsung mobile chief, Google device head meet in Seoul
-
9
Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
-
10
Ship linked to NK arms shipments to Russia is moored in China: State Dept.
-
Number of civil servants close to 1 million
The number of civil servants in South Korea has risen sharply to approach the 1 million mark, the home affairs ministry said Thursday.There were 987,754 central and local government officials as of last year's end, up 7.9 percent from 915,221 in 2005, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security said. The figure has since been on a steady rise to 940,397 in 2006, 963,132 in 2007, 968,836 in
July 7, 2011
-
Korea’s passionate sports diplomacy outshines rivals
Tens of millions of Koreans across the world rejoiced as the International Olympic Committee announced PyeongChang as the host of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, a dramatic triumph of the country’s sports diplomacy preceded by two painful failures. President Lee Myung-bak shakes hands with International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge during a session in Durban, South Africa, Wednesday, w
July 7, 2011
-
New GNP head says SME help shouldn’t punish large firms
The newly-elected chairperson of the ruling Grand National Party Rep. Hong Joon-pyo expressed concerns over the party’s recent outspoken comments on conglomerate policies.“The key point in backing small- and medium-sized businesses is to come up with active measures to help them, not to extort from large businesses,” Hong said in a radio interview on Wednesday.By this, he referred the party’s poli
July 6, 2011
-
GNP’s Hong vows to settle Korea-U.S. FTA, N.K. rights law
The new chief of the conservative ruling party said Tuesday his party would seek to ratify the free trade deal with Washington and pass the North Korean human rights law next month regardless of opposition from rival parties. Hong Joon-pyo, who was elected the new chairman of the Grand National Party, presided over his first Supreme Council meeting Tuesday, vowing to achieve harmony between differ
July 5, 2011
-
New GNP leadership may make Lee a lame duck
Members of the Grand National Party’s new leadership, including chairman Hong Joon-pyo (second from left, front row), visit the national cemetery in Seoul on Tuesday, a day after the party convention. (Yonhap News)The recent election of Hong Joon-pyo, a non-mainstream lawmaker close to President Lee Myung-bak’s in-house rival, as the new ruling party leader may make Lee an early lame duck, politic
July 5, 2011
-
Hong: A man not afraid of making enemies
Rep. Hong Joon-pyo of the ruling Grand National Party delivers a speech during its national convention in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap News)Outspoken ex-prosecutor on a fourth term takes over troubled ruling partyOutspoken four-term lawmaker and former prosecutor Rep. Hong Joon-pyo was selected as the new leader of the Grand National Party Monday amid expectations for change as the ruling party contin
July 4, 2011
-
Lee readies PyeongChang bid presentation
President Lee Myung-bak on Monday rehearsed his presentation for PyeongChang’s 2018 Olympic bid to win over International Olympic Committee members in Durban, South Africa.Along with his aides and officials of the PyeongChang committee, Lee reviewed his presentation to be made on Wednesday, South Africa time, during the IOC session. It is the mountain resort town’s third bid for the Winter Olympic
July 4, 2011
-
GNP maverick Hong takes helm
Hong Joon-pyo waves after he was elected new GNP leader Monday. (Yonhap News)In the ruling Grand National Party’s national convention on Monday, former Supreme Council member Rep. Hong Joon-pyo was elected as the new chairperson to lead the party up to next year’s general and presidential elections.The fourth-term lawmaker was ranked atop not only in the delegate vote held in the Olympic Gymnastic
July 4, 2011
-
Opposition leader to make China visit
Leader of the main opposition Democratic Party Sohn Hak―kyu is to set off for China on Monday to promote economic cooperation and ease political tensions in Northeast Asia, party officials said.The trip is Sohn’s second since he took over the party’s chairmanship last October, closely following his visit to Japan late last month.After meeting with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Mo
July 3, 2011
-
GNP holds vote to elect new leader
Attention focused on whether party will have young chairpersonThe ruling Grand National Party kicked off its leadership vote on Sunday, with the result to be announced in Monday’s national convention.The vote was open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at a total of 251 voting stations across the country, according to officials.The new chairperson is to be selected based upon the voting results combined with o
July 3, 2011
-
Lee’s Africa trip to boost ties, Olympic bid
President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday will depart for Durban, South Africa, the first leg of his weeklong tour of three African nations to support PyeongChang’s Olympic bid and strengthen economic ties. Lee will also visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia before returning home on July 11. Lee is scheduled to arrive in Durban Saturday evening where he will have four days to promote P
July 1, 2011
-
MSNBC suspends analyst for remark on Obama
NEW YORK (AP) _ MSNBC has suspended a political analyst for an off-color remark about President Barack Obama on the ``Morning Joe'' show on Thursday.Mark Halperin, a Time magazine editor at large, quickly apologized on the air and in a statement.Still, MSNBC suspended him indefinitely and Halperin said he believed the action was appropriate.Halperin made the comment while discussing Obama's perfor
July 1, 2011
-
Republican senators block key session on FTA with S. Korea
WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- Republican U.S. senators on Thursday boycotted a crucial session to discuss free trade pacts with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, dealing a setback to President Barack Obama's strong push to get the long-pending deals ratified before early August.On Tuesday, the White House announced a breakthrough in efforts to move forward the free trade agreements (FTAs) with the n
July 1, 2011
-
Disputed bill on investigation passed
Lee urges prosecution to refrain from excessive response to reform billDespite strong protests from some prosecutors, the National Assembly on Thursday passed a disputed revised bill redefining the investigative rights of the prosecution and the police in a bid to meet public demands to reform the prosecution.The revised bill calls for the prosecution to maintain command over police investigations
June 30, 2011
-
DP leader Sohn set to visit China next week
The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party will visit China next week to help South Korea’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and discuss regional issues, including North Korea, his party said Thursday. Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu plans to embark a four-day trip on Monday to meet China’s Vice President Xi Jinping and other high-ranking politicians to ask for support for the eastern alpine city of
June 30, 2011
-
Would you follow ministers on Twitter?
Social networking tools become routine of government publicity officialsShortly after Labor Minister Lee Chae-pil met representatives of labor and management for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction amid the labor confrontation in mid-June, word of an imminent police crackdown on striking workers started spreading via Twitter.“That wasn’t what the minister truly meant. So we responded via Twitte
June 30, 2011
-
Gov't allows 10-percent hike in subway and bus fares
(Yonhap News)SEOUL (Yonhap) -- Subway and bus fares in Seoul and its adjacent cities will likely jump by 10 percent in the second half of the year, adding to the already heavy financial burden on households under inflationary pressure.The Ministry of Public Administration and Security announced a guideline for local governments' management of public service fares on Thursday, allowing them to marg
June 30, 2011
-
National Assembly passes Korea-Peru FTA bill
The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill on South Korea’s free trade agreement with Peru, paving the way for trades and investments between the countries to increase.South Korea and Peru signed the deal in March. The pact, which does not require an endorsement from the Peruvian parliament, calls for both countries to eliminate all tariffs within 10 years after it takes effect.The National
June 29, 2011
-
GNP leader election in disarray
Party to hold emergency meeting after court says voting rules invalidThe Grand National Party is in a state of confusion after a court unexpectedly invalidated its revised rule on its chairperson election scheduled for next Monday.The Seoul Southern District Court upheld the claim that the party’s revised internal constitution was unlawful and suspended its legal effect on Tuesday.The GNP revised
June 29, 2011
-
Obama clears hurdle to FTAs with Korea, Colombia, Panama
WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- U.S. President Barack Obama has reached a deal with congressional Republicans on the terms of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, clearing a major obstacle to the ratification of bilateral trade pacts with Korea, Colombia and Panama, the White House announced Tuesday."As a result of extensive negotiations, we now have an agreement on the underlying terms for
June 29, 2011