Most Popular
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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[Grace Kao] Hybe vs. Ador: Inspiration, imitation and plagiarism
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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North Korea defector to world: Look beyond 'beatings, camps'
A North Korean defector whose memoir describes his meeting with Kim Jong-il says the world's intense focus on the regime's human rights record fails to see the full scope of its inhumanity to its people. Jang Jin-sung, who says he tossed away his once-cherished lapel pin of Kim during a dramatic escape from the country, says the international community should look beyond the surface as it tries to hold new leader Kim Jong-un accountable. Jang's memoir "Dear Leader" came out in English last sprin
Feb. 6, 2015
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N.K. anthracite exports to China post 1st drop in 8 years
North Korea's exports of anthracite to China tumbled nearly 18 percent in 2014 from the previous year, the first annual drop in eight years, data showed Friday. North Korea exported US$1.13 billion worth of anthracite to China last year, down 17.6 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the Korea International Trade Association. It was the first on-year decline in North Korea's anthracite exports to China since 2006. The volume of anthracite exports also decreased 6.4 percent o
Feb. 6, 2015
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U.S. lawmakers introduce new N.K. sanctions bill
Two top members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday submitted a bill that calls for strengthening sanctions on North Korea in the wake of the communist nation's alleged cyber-attack on Sony Pictures. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), chairman of the committee, and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), the committee's ranking member, introduced the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act (H.R. 757), Royce's office said in a statement. The bipartisan legislation is largely similar to a now-defunct bill
Feb. 6, 2015
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‘N.K. should learn from Myanmar’
As sweeping reform continues to take hold in Myanmar, North Korea should take a page from its former ally’s transition book and brighten its own future without a regime change, a top U.S. official said Wednesday. Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, lauded the Southeast Asian nation’s decision that resulted in a “pouring-in” of development assistance from around the world and high-level exchanges officials including a summit with U.S. President Barack O
Feb. 5, 2015
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De facto N. Korean embassy in Japan to stay put: reports
The de facto North Korean embassy in Japan appears to have won its battle to stay put in its sprawling central Tokyo location, despite having been forced to sell the property. Chongryon -- the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan -- is being leased the building by its new owners, reports said, apparently ending months of uncertainty after Japanese courts ruled it had to sell. A Japanese real estate company took over ownership of the 2,390-square-meter plot and 10-story building in
Feb. 5, 2015
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S. Korea calls for instant halt to N.K. nuke activities
South Korea's chief nuclear envoy called for North Korea Thursday to immediately halt all its nuclear activities, accusing Pyongyang of violating U.N. resolutions by continuing to develop its nuclear and missile arsenals. Hwang Joon-kook, South Korea's chief negotiator to the long-stalled six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions, also said that Seoul and Beijing agreed that Pyongyang should stop such "wrong behavior," including a fresh nuclear test. "Even though North Korea is not
Feb. 5, 2015
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S. Korea, China narrow gap on conditions to resume N. Korea
South Korea's chief nuclear envoy said Thursday that he has narrowed differences with his Chinese counterpart on conditions about restarting negotiations over North Korea's nuclear weapons program but added Pyongyang has yet to show its seriousness about denuclearization. Hwang Joon-kook, South Korea's chief negotiator to the long-stalled six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions, made the remarks after holding a bilateral meeting with Wu Dawei in Beijing. "I had productive and in-d
Feb. 5, 2015
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Change in N. Korea does not mean regime change: senior U.S. diplomat
North Korea should learn from Myanmar's opening and change course, a senior American diplomat said Wednesday, stressing Pyongyang can implement reforms without "regime change" as seen in the Southeast Asian nation. "The transformation in the (Myanmar) economy, the transformation in the lives of Burmese people, the opportunities that have opened and the scope of international cooperation has not come at the cost of a revolution," Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel said at a Foreign Press
Feb. 5, 2015
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Carter vows to use 'full range of capabilities' to defend against N.K. missiles
The nominee for the next U.S. secretary of defense vowed Wednesday to use the "full range of capabilities" to defend against North Korean ballistic missiles, saying they could pose a "direct threat" to the country. Ashton Carter made the pledge in a written answer submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing, saying he would deploy more ground-based missile interceptors in California and Alaska, regions that could fall within the North's missile ranges. Carter a
Feb. 5, 2015
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N. Korea calls for 'practical measures' to resume dialogue
North Korea called on South Korea on Wednesday to take "practical measures" to resume dialogue, criticizing Seoul for not having the will to break the prolonged deadlock in inter-Korean relations.The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea also blamed U.S. "interference" for the current stalemate, saying that it will not believe the South's will for dialogue if the current situation continues. "To talk about dialogue without taking practical measures is not an attitude to truly settle
Feb. 4, 2015
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N. Korea forecast to lack 107,000 tons of grain this year
North Korea is forecast to lack 107,000 tons of grain this year amid a chronic shortage of food, a U.N. report showed Wednesday. The country is estimated to need 5.49 million tons of grain, including food, feed and seeds, for the year from November 2014 to October 2015. With this it will be able to produce 5.08 million tons, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. After importing about 300,000 tons of grain, North Korea is still expected to lack 107,000 tons, which is more tha
Feb. 4, 2015
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North Korea strikes down U.S. talks, vows 'final doom'
North Korea on Wednesday ruled out resuming dialogue with the "gangster-like" United States, and vowed to respond to any U.S. aggression with nuclear strikes and cyber warfare. The bellicose statement from the country's top military body, the National Defence Commission, came after reported moves by Washington and Pyongyang to revive long-stalled six-nation talks on denuclearization. It also preceded the start in early March of annual joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises that always presa
Feb. 4, 2015
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N. Korea asks U.N. to revoke rights resolution
North Korea's foreign minister has formally requested the United Nations to revoke a 2014 resolution against the communist nation's human rights record, arguing it was based on falsified information. In a Jan. 2 letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong pointed out that Shin Dong-hyuk, a defector from the communist nation, admitted inaccuracies in his testimony to the U.N. investigators as to his experiences at prison camps there. Shin authored a book titled "Es
Feb. 4, 2015
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S. Korea, U.S. to hold annual defense session to deter N.K. threats
Defense and foreign affairs officials from South Korea and the United States will hold an annual defense exercise aimed at countering threats from North Korea's nuclear program and other weapons of mass destruction, a Pentagon official said Tuesday. About 40 officials will conduct the annual Extended Deterrence Policy Committee tabletop exercise on Feb. 11-13, at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, Seoul, said Lt. Col. Jeff Pool, a spokesman for the Defense Department. The goal is to exp
Feb. 4, 2015
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S. Korea, China discuss N.K. nuclear program
South Korea and China held talks in Beijing on Wednesday to discuss ways to resume the six-party talks aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions, a Seoul diplomat said. The one-day meeting between South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, Hwang Joon-kook, and his Chinese counterpart, Wu Dawei, came as behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts by the United States and North Korea apparently failed to narrow gaps on how to restart the six-party talks. "(Hwang and Wu) exchanged views
Feb. 4, 2015
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N. Korea says it won't talk with 'gangster-like' U.S.
North Korea's top ruling organ on Wednesday declared a "retaliatory" campaign against the United States, threatening to use miniaturized nuclear weapons and cyber warfare means. The National Defense Commission stressed Pyongyang is not interested in talks with Washington, which it claims is bent on bringing down the communist regime. "Now that the gangster-like U.S. imperialists' military strategy towards the DPRK is inching close to the stage of igniting a war of aggression, the just countera
Feb. 4, 2015
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U.S. trying to 'stay ahead' of N. Korea's KN-08 missile threats: official
The United States is trying to strengthen missile defense capabilities to cope with threats from North Korea, especially the road-mobile, intercontinental ballistic missile KN-08, feared to be capable of reaching U.S. territory, a top American missile official said. "We're constantly aware of the threat's evolution, including the KN-O8," he said. "And we constantly monitor other technologies that may feed the KN-O8 ... And suffice it to say that we have effort underway to pace and stay ahead of
Feb. 4, 2015
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North Korean charm offensive: Peace for our time?
In 1938, then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned from peace negotiations with Nazi Germany declaring that he had achieved “peace for our time.” This “peace” was to be accomplished at the price of giving Germany control over the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia. Sadly, less than a year later, Adolf Hitler’s Germany invaded Poland when it would not surrender to German territorial demands. Germany had finally started a real war, World War II. Bruce W. BennettWhat Chamberlain appeared
Feb. 3, 2015
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Seoul, Beijing to discuss N.K., defense cooperation
The defense chiefs of South Korea and China are set to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program, peninsular and regional situations and ways to step up bilateral defense cooperation on Wednesday. Chang Wanquan arrived in Seoul on Tuesday for a three-day stay and is scheduled for talks with his counterpart Han Min-koo. They last met in 2013 in Brunei. He is the first Chinese defense minister to visit in about nine years. Kim Kwan-jin, Cheong Wa Dae’s national security chief and Han’s predecessor, tr
Feb. 3, 2015
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S. Korea, China to resume N. Korea nuclear talks
South Korea and China will resume talks this week on efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear weapons program, following reported moves by Washington and Pyongyang to revive a long-stalled six-nation denuclearization forum. Hwang Joon-kook, South Korea's chief delegate to the six-party talks, will meet his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei in Beijing on Wednesday, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The two, picking up where they left off last October, will discuss ways to prevent further North Korean nucl
Feb. 3, 2015