Most Popular
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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S. Korea, Japan could consider simplified entry agreement: Seoul official
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue
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[Music in drama] An ode to childhood trauma
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'The Roundup: Punishment' becomes fastest 2024 film to top 2 mln admissions
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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New head of doctors' association vows war in case of disadvantage to medical professors
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GNP to keep one-man, two-vote in leader election
The ruling Grand National Party decided in its senior officials’ meeting to maintain a one-man, two-vote system in electing its new chairman early next month.The party’s standing national committee, held Tuesday at the Air Force Club, voted unilaterally not to adopt the one-man, one-vote system earlier suggested by the emergency policy committee last week. The committee holds the right to draw up
June 7, 2011
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Prosecution speeds up banks probe
Ex-FSS governor to be summoned, arrest warrant sought for FIU chief By Bae Hyun-jungThe investigation into the high-profile corruption scandal involving savings banks was picking up pace Tuesday as prosecutors were set to summon former governor of the Financial Supervisory Service Kim Jong-chang for questioning.The central investigation unit of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office was expected to inter
June 7, 2011
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Ratification of Korea-U.S. trade deal set to be decisive test for alliance
The planned parliamentary ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade accord is set to put to test the solidarity of opposition groups, gauging how far they could go in forming an alliance to beat the ruling party in next year’s key elections, political observers note.The Cabinet approved a new ratification bill for the trade agreement last Friday after fixing translation errors in its Korean text a
June 7, 2011
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Opposition solidarity holds key to 2012 elections
DP’s move to form unified party shunned by splinter groups seeking loose allianceHe looked gloomy receiving a group of top officials from the then ruling Uri Party at his office in May 2007.“I have never seen democratic reformist forces split like this,” said Kim Dae-jung, the former president, in a subdued voice. He was referring to the wrangling between the Uri Party and other liberal groups, wh
June 7, 2011
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Chung reveals desire for presidential bid
LOS ANGELES (Yonhap) -- A South Korean lawmaker and businessman, internationally known for his role in the football governing body FIFA, said Monday that he has set his sights on next year's presidential election. "Personally, I have much to improve (about myself) but I will try hard to become the presidential candidate of the Grand National Party (GNP)," Rep. Chung Mong-joon said in a meeti
June 7, 2011
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Presidential office calls for caution over proposal to scrap elite investigation team
The presidential office called for caution Monday in parliament's handling of a proposal to scrap an elite investigation team in the prosecution, as the chief prosecutor warned that the proposal, if adopted, would seriously undermine the prosecution's power to battle corruption. The move was seen as a de-facto opposition to the parliament's move to abolish the Central Investigation Department
June 6, 2011
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Lee urges N.K. to end hostility, seek peace
President Lee Myung-bak on Monday urged North Korea to end its hostility and seek peace and prosperity, less than a week after Pyongyang apparently rejected Seoul’s behind-the-scenes proposal for summit talks.“North Korea should break away from the path of confrontation and conflict, and come out onto the path of peace and prosperity,” Lee said during a Memorial Day speech at the National Cemetery
June 6, 2011
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Top prosecutor says bank scandal probe will continue
Presidential office urges GNP to consider unit repeal with cautionProsecutors will continue with corruption investigations at mutual savings banks to the end, despite the move by politicians to scrap the state prosecution’s central investigation unit, Prosecutor General Kim Joon-gyu said Monday. “If a ship sails to a wrong destination, the captain should take the responsibility. There is no reason
June 6, 2011
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Lawmakers to visit U.S. to promote Korea FTA
Leading members of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee are to have one-on-one meetings with U.S. Congressional counterparts to boost prospects for the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement’s ratification, officials said Monday.Reps. Nam Kyun-pil, Gu Sang-chan and Jungwook Hong ― all members of the committee and strong supporters of the KORUS FTA ― will leave for the U.S. within the week.The lawmakers will focus on individual communication with influential Congress members instead of their usua
June 6, 2011
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GNP to tussle over leader selection rules
Grand National Party factions are set for another fight on Tuesday over rules on the election of its new party chairman. The role is to be filled through an election at the ruling party’s national convention in July.“We are to reach an overall agreement, if not a final one, through a general meeting on how to elect our chairman,” said Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, floor leader and acting party chairman. A g
June 6, 2011
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UN chief virtually certain to get second term
Ban Ki-moon (Xinhua-Yonhap News)UNITED NATIONS (AP) _ The worst kept secret at the United Nations is that Ban Ki-moon wants a second term as secretary-general and will almost certainly get it, possibly this month.As he travels the world, working behind the scenes and publicly to help defuse crises and push for action on issues like climate change and women's rights, Ban has also been quietly lobby
June 6, 2011
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Outcome of defoliant probe expected late June
Probe team focuses on one area at U.S. baseThe allegations that a large amount of Agent Orange was buried at Camp Carroll, a U.S. base in Waegwan, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1978 are expected to be confirmed after June 21, experts said Sunday.A Korea-U.S. joint probe team has been investigating the camp, a key logistical support center for the U.S. troops here, since late last month following t
June 5, 2011
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Prosecutors rage over politicians’ move to close unit
Summoning of suspects in savings bank scandal delayed after parliamentary subpanel’s decisionProsecutors geared up for a dogfight with the assemblymen over the weekend after a parliamentary subcommittee agreed to push ahead with its legislation plan to remove a central investigation unit of the state prosecution.A six-member panel under the special legislative committee on judicial reform announce
June 5, 2011
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Lawmakers rebuke government over N. Korea disclosure
Lawmakers blasted the Cabinet Thursday over North Korea’s disclosure that the South had proposed in clandestine meetings to hold a summit with the North.On the second day of the parliamentary interpellation, the ruling Grand National Party called into question the administration’s covert approach to the North while keeping a tough stance overtly. The main opposition Democratic Party rebuked the go
June 3, 2011
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Lee, Park agree on party unity
President Lee Myung-bak and former ruling party leader Park Geun-hye agreed that the party should pay further attention to people’s livelihoods and promote in-party unity in order to win back public trust.The two leading powers of the ruling Grand National Party met at a luncheon on Friday, the first one-on-one meeting since last August. President Lee Myung-bak talks with Park Geun-hye, former cha
June 3, 2011
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President Lee morally responsible for savings bank scandal: PM
President Lee Myung-bak should take moral responsibility for a snowballing influence-peddling scandal in which a troubled savings bank allegedly bribed influential government officials and politicians to avoid punishment for its irregularities, his prime minister said Thursday."President Lee, who appointed top officials in charge of supervising the bank, is morally responsible for the scandal, not
June 2, 2011
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Financial intelligence chief grilled in graft probe
Prosecutors on Thursday questioned the chief of a state-run anti-money laundering agency over allegations that he accepted tens of millions of won in kickbacks from Busan Savings Bank. The interrogation came as they widened their probe into the bribery scandal involving savings banks. The ongoing investigation into who oversaw the savings banks’ corruption has already implicated an ex-governor of
June 2, 2011
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Lawmaker calls for stronger policy on Dokdo
Rep. Kang, says ‘silent diplomacy’ is no more than a passive responseKorea should strengthen its policies on Dokdo given the Japanese government’s active involvement in recent years, said the chairman of the parliamentary subcommittee on Dokdo issues.Rep. Kang Chang-il, together with Reps. Moon Hak-jin and Chang Se-hwan of the subcommittee, visited early last week Kunashiri Island, the largest amo
June 2, 2011
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Assembly grills Cabinet on N.K., savings banks
Lawmakers have blasted Cabinet members on the savings banks investigation and unofficial summit suggestions to North Korea during the four-day parliamentary interpellation which started Thursday.Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, who served as chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection in 2008-2010, denied any involvement in the slack supervision of savings banks during that time.The main opposition
June 2, 2011
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Parties pounce on savings banks scandal
Junior pro-Lee Myung-bak lawmakers of the ruling Grand National Party submitted on Wednesday a bill to appoint an independent counsel to investigate Busan Mutual Savings Bank’s irregularities, party officials said.Other savings banks, which were declared near bankrupt and suspended earlier this year along with the Busan bank, are also to be dealt with by the independent counsel, according to the b
June 1, 2011