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First-ever meeting of president, opposition chief set to finally happen
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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Naver’s Line ownership in jeopardy as Japan ups pressure
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South Korea to launch space security center under spy agency
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More med professors to take day off each week while govt. urges them to stay
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Hybe refutes Ador CEO Min's denial of breach of trust
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S. Korea, Japan could consider simplified entry agreement: Seoul official
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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans' single teasers release amid intrigue
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N.K.'s missile tests aimed at highlighting accomplishments before party congress: Seoul
South Korea said Friday that North Korea seems to have pushed ahead with its back-to-back launches of three mid-range ballistic missiles in a two-week period to build up the country's accomplishments ahead of the party congress next week.Late Thursday, North Korea fired off two intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM), but both attempts seem to have ended in failure, according to the South Korean military.North Korea made its first botched move to launch the Musudan missile on April 15, the
April 29, 2016
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N. Korea gives Korean-American 10 years' hard labor for 'spying'
North Korea said Friday its highest court has sentenced a detained Korean-American to 10 years of hard labor on charges of espionage and subversion, following a similar verdict for a U.S. college student in March.Kim Dong-chul was convicted of trying to steal classified military information from the North, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).The KCNA said that Kim "confessed to all crimes" he had committed to overthrow the North's social system as he was suspected of havin
April 29, 2016
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No passengers aboard N.K. flight to Bangkok: sources
North Korea's flag carrier Air Koryo flew to Bangkok with no passengers aboard, multiple sources said Friday, indicating what could be the latest enforcement of U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang.The Air Koryo flight JS253 flies once a week from Pyongyang to Bangkok via China's northeastern city of Shenyang, carrying mostly Chinese tourists bound for the Thai capital.On Wednesday, however, the aircraft was empty except for the pilots and airline staff, according to one airline industry official wh
April 29, 2016
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N. Korea heightens surveillance, crackdown ahead of party congress: source
North Korea has heightened surveillance along its border with China and beefed up monitoring of its people ahead of the ruling party's congress next week, a source familiar with North Korea affairs said Friday.With the North's rare party congress a week away, the country has moved to restrict the entry of people into its capital city of Pyongyang, according to the source, who declined to be identified.It has also ordered North Koreans not to conduct even key ceremonial events, such as weddings a
April 29, 2016
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U.N. Security Council discusses N.K. missile launches
The U.N. Security Council discussed North Korea's latest missile launches Thursday and plans to issue a statement condemning the launches, diplomatic sources said.The United States requested the informal consultations after the North launched two intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missiles earlier Thursday in violation of U.N. resolutions.Members of the council agreed to adopt a press statement denouncing the launches and urging the North to cease additional provocations, but the actual issuan
April 29, 2016
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U.S. strongly condemns N.K. missile launches, vows to raise concerns with U.N.
The United States strongly condemned North Korea's latest launches of the Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile, saying it would raise the issue with the United Nations to hold Pyongyang accountable for the provocation.The North conducted a launch of the mobile missile off its east coast early Thursday, but it crashed shortly after launch. The communist nation fired another Musudan missile later in the afternoon, but it exploded mid-air after flying several kilometers, according to South
April 29, 2016
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N. Korea's 2nd midrange missile test seen as failure: military
North Korea fired off what appeared to be a mid-range ballistic missile late Thursday, hours after it carried out a similar launch, but both attempts seem to have ended in failure, the South Korean military said.North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), presumed to be a Musudan, at around 7:26 p.m. near its eastern city of Wonsan, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff.It said the missile probably blew up midflight.The move came on the heels of the North launching
April 29, 2016
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S. Korea condemns N.K. missile launch
South Korea strongly condemned North Korea for its botched launch of another intermediate-range ballistic missile on Thursday, vowing to further pressure Pyongyang to give up its nuclear and missile programs.The communist state fired off the missile early Thursday, but the launch seems to have failed, according to military officials here. The launch came less than two weeks after the North's failed launch of a similar missile."We strongly condemn the launch, which is a provocative act that is a
April 28, 2016
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N. Korea's isolation to deepen if it conducts another nuke test: S. Korean FM
North Korea will be "further isolated and abandoned" by the international community if it goes ahead with its threat of conducting a fifth nuclear test, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se warned Thursday.Yun said the South Korean government is closely watching the latest developments in North Korea, including the possibility of another nuclear test, and putting its diplomatic resources to work with the international community to deter North Korea from advancing its nuclear capability and
April 28, 2016
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Park warns against N.K. nuke test
President Park Geun-hye on Thursday warned North Korea against carrying out another nuclear test that she said would eradicate the future of the reclusive regime. Presiding over the National Security Council, Park also ordered a regular meeting against the North’s provocation threats while she is away on a visit to Iran from this weekend.“If the Kim Jong-un regime goes ahead with an additional nuclear test despite the international community’s warning, there will no longer be a future for them,”
April 28, 2016
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N. Korea fails in its attempt to launch mid-range ballistic missile: military
North Korea fired off what appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic early Thursday, but the launch seems to have failed, military officials said.The missile may be the same Musudan model that North Korea tried to launch on April 15, according to sources. That missile launched in the North's first Musudan test exploded a few seconds after lifting off from North Korea's east coast.The military said Thursday's launch also seems to have crashed several seconds after launch. "The projectile, pr
April 28, 2016
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N. Korea focusing on idolizing its leader ahead of key party congress
North Korea has intensified efforts to idolize its leader Kim Jong-un ahead of the upcoming party congress, but its excessive drive may be causing ill feelings among its people, a Seoul official said Thursday.North Korea has strengthened the personality cult of the current leader since Kim took office in late 2011 following the sudden death of his father Kim Jong-il."On the occasion of the party congress, the North is expected to boost the level of the idolization of Kim Jong-un to near that of
April 28, 2016
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N. Korea says U.S. sanctions tool for aggression
North Korea said Thursday that sanctions imposed by the United States are a major tool used by the superpower to carry out its aggression-oriented foreign policy.A spokesperson for the North's foreign ministry made the claim, saying that officials of the U.S. administration, including the Treasury Department, have suggested implementing a "sanctions doctrine" to ratchet up pressure against other countries.In an answer to questions raised by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, the un
April 28, 2016
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N.K. unveils footage of restaurant defector family members
North Korea on Thursday unveiled video footage in which the parents of one North Korean restaurant worker who defected to South Korea early this month blamed Seoul for abducting their daughter.North Korea has claimed that South Korea kidnapped a group of 13 North Koreans who used to work at a North Korea-run restaurant in China. It notified the South last week that it will send their family members to Seoul for a face-to-face meeting.A group of North Koreans -- one male manager and 12 female emp
April 28, 2016
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China‘s Xi vows full implementation of U.N. sanctions against N. Korea
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that Beijing will "comprehensively and fully" implement U.N. sanctions against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January and launch of a long-range rocket prompted China, the North's diplomatic backer and economic lifeline, to vote in favor of tougher sanctions against the isolated ally."As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, China will comprehensively and fully implement U.N. Security Council r
April 28, 2016
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Nobel laureates aim to bring ‘hope for peaceful changes’ to N. Korea‘s young generation
Three Nobel laureates who will take part in a visit to North Korea later this week aim to share a voice of "hope for peaceful changes" to the isolated North's young generation, the head of the Vienna-based International Peace Foundation said Thursday. Uwe Morawetz, founding chairman of the foundation that is organizing the eight-day trip to North Korea from Friday, also said he took note of concerns from the South Korean government about the visit that comes amid signs that Pyongyang might condu
April 28, 2016
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N.K. leader to use party congress to cement his power: experts
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is likely to use next week's party congress as an occasion to reaffirm his unfettered power at a time when the isolated country is struggling to tackle tougher U.N. sanctions, experts predicted.North Korea said Wednesday that the Workers' Party of Korea will open its first congress in more than three decades next Friday. Seoul's unification ministry expected the event to run for four to five days.It will be the first party congress since October 1980 and also the
April 27, 2016
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N. Korea to hold party congress on May 6
North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea is slated to hold its first political convention in 36 years on May 6, Pyongyang’s state-run media said Wednesday, during which the communist state is expected to reaffirm Kim Jong-un’s leadership. “The politburo of the WPK’s central committee (has) decided to hold the party’s seventh congress in Pyongyang on May 6,” said the Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station, adding that new party leadership -- led by Kim -- has been selected. The North has been
April 27, 2016
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U.S. scholar says N.K. may conduct nuke test before May party congress
North Korea could conduct another nuclear test before a key party congress early next month, to show off its "full nuclear weapon status" and bolster its leader Kim Jong-un's legitimacy, a prominent U.S. expert said Wednesday.In an interview with reporters, Victor Cha, senior North Korea analyst at the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, also noted the "secondary sanctioning" to punish third-country entities doing business with the North would be the most impactful measure
April 27, 2016
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N. Korean diplomat all but deported from Vietnam over U.N. sanctions
Vietnam has virtually deported a North Korean diplomat included on a list of individuals blacklisted by the U.N. Security Council in a March sanctions resolution, political sources said Wednesday.The measure marked Hanoi's first implementation of the council's new sanctions in response to the North's fourth nuclear test in January and its subsequent rocket launch using ballistic missile technology.Choi Song-il, vice chief of the Hanoi branch of the North's Tanchon Commercial Bank and one of the
April 27, 2016