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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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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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Seoul to give $6.3m in aid to N.K.
GAESEONG/SEOUL -- South Korea unveiled plans Monday to resume support for the World Health Organization’s programs to help malnourished North Korean children in a fresh sign of warming cross-border relations. It pledged to finance half the $12.6 million program, which was launched in 2006 to help reform and repair hospitals, train personnel and boost supplies of key drugs there. Seoul’s contribution, which may be raised in the future, will come from an inter-Korean cooperation fund. It provided
Sept. 2, 2013
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Inter-Korean panel to discuss Gaeseong stumbling blocks
An inter-Korean panel is set to open its first meeting in Gaeseong on Monday to iron out differences over infrastructure enhancement, investment protection and other thorny issues crucial for reopening the industrial park. The focal point is settling when the assembly lines will be back online. Pyongyang calls for swift reactivation, while Seoul stresses the need for measures to prevent the North from taking any unilateral actions like the entry ban and pullout of workers it imposed in April. If
Sept. 1, 2013
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Opinion divided over DMZ peace park
With its serene landscape and undisrupted wildlife, the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas already looks like a peace park. But beyond the horizons, Cold War tension is palpable. Fully armed soldiers stand guard, eyeing each other with machine guns and tucked-away hand grenades. The 4-kilometer-wide, 250-kilometer-long frontier zone is strewn with land mines, dotted by guard posts and surrounded by heavy artillery.President Park Geun-hye is pushing to build a “peace park” in the DMZ as a
Sept. 1, 2013
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North Korea blames U.S. over cancellation of envoy’s visit
North Korea on Saturday blamed Washington for the cancellation of a visit by a special American envoy to Pyongyang, citing joint U.S.-South Korea military drills described as the “most blatant nuclear blackmail”.On Friday, the U.S. State Department said North Korea had cancelled the invitation to an envoy who was to have sought the release of an American citizen held prisoner in the reclusive state.News of the planned trip by U.S. diplomat Robert King had raised hopes that Kenneth Bae, a 44-year
Sept. 1, 2013
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N. Korea says B-52 bombers were behind botched trip by U.S. envoy
North Korea said Saturday that it had to cancel the planned weekend visit of a special U.S. envoy to the country because of fresh U.S. military provocations.Robert King, special envoy on North Korean human rights issues, had planned to begin a two-day visit to the communist nation on Friday to secure the release of Kenneth Bae, a 45-year-old Korean-American man serving a prison term there.North Korea said it had agreed to allow King's visit on humanitarian grounds but the U.S. "ruined" the atmos
Sept. 1, 2013
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N. Korea says inter-Korean talks must not be used as bargaining chip
North Korean on Saturday stressed that ongoing inter-Korean talks should not be used as a bargaining chip and countries with vested interest on the Korean Peninsula must not play along with the hostile policies being pursued by the United States. In an article carried by the Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, it said the time has long past when the two sides vied for selfish goals while engaging in talks. The article also said that it is important that political lea
Aug. 31, 2013
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N. Korea engaged in major construction project at long-range
North Korea is engaged in major construction at its long-range rocket launch facility along its west coast, a U.S. think tank said Saturday, citing recent satellite imagery. According to 38 North, an analysis program of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, construction work may be underway at the Tongchang-ri launch site. After initial analysis on photos taken on Sunday it claimed there were six construction sites at the location, with the most noteworthy at a 45-meter by 6
Aug. 31, 2013
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N. Korea rescinds invitation for U.S. envoy on detained
Without explanation, North Korea abruptly canceled its invitation Friday for a U.S. special envoy to visit Pyongyang, bewildering American and South Korean officials who apparently expected the release this week of an American man detained there. At the invitation of the North, Ambassador Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, had planned to travel to the communist nation on Friday in local time in an effort to free Kenneth Bae, a 45-year-old whose health is reportedly
Aug. 31, 2013
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New Zealand bikers arrive in S. Korea through inter-Korean border
Five New Zealand motorcyclists crossed the heavily armed inter-Korean border from North Korea to South Korea on Thursday with the goal of promoting peace on the divided peninsula, officials here said.North Korean media reported earlier on the arrival of the bikers and said they have visited many parts of the country as part of their trek across the Korean Peninsula.On Wednesday, the Seoul government allowed the bikers to cross the demilitarized zone (DMZ) as they want to use the visit to wish fo
Aug. 29, 2013
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Inter-Korean panel to discuss normalization of Gaeseong
The two Koreas on Thursday hammered out an agreement on a joint committee to spearhead institutional improvement and tackle disputes over the Gaeseong industrial park. The panel consisting of six members from each side will hold its inaugural meeting on Sept. 2, the Unification Ministry said. A permanent secretariat will be set up in the border city to “ensure the committee’s smooth operation.” “They will discuss how to run the joint committee and its agenda,” a ministry official told reporters
Aug. 29, 2013
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N. Korea urges S. Korea, U.S. to halt hostile acts
North Korea urged South Korea and the United States Thursday to desist from hostile policies and strive for dialogue and peace.In a statement released by the spokesman for the Policy Department of the National Defense Commission, Pyongyang claimed the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercise and actions taken by some South Korean groups to send anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets are "war commotion" and outdated tactics.The commission said the time has come for policymakers in Seoul an
Aug. 29, 2013
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N. Korea agrees on next week's Gaeseong committee meeting
North Korea accepted Seoul's proposal Thursday to hold the first-ever meeting next week of a newly created joint committee that will oversee management of an inter-Korean factory park in Gaeseong and prevent future work stoppages.The confirmation comes a day after Seoul's Ministry of Unification said a deal has been reached with the North in regards to the joint committee on the factory zone, which has been shuttered for nearly four months, calling for its first meeting next Monday. The formatio
Aug. 29, 2013
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U.S. envoy says no guarantee NKorea will free Bae
A senior U.S. envoy who will travel to North Korea later this week said Wednesday that he plans to strongly appeal for the release of an American sentenced to 15 years of hard labor by the authoritarian state but added that Washington has received no guarantees from Pyongyang the ailing man will be freed.Bob King, the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, said during a stopover in Tokyo that the United States is increasingly concerned about the health of 45-year-old Kenneth Ba
Aug. 29, 2013
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Panama says N.Korea ship's arms violated UN sanctions
The undeclared shipment of Cuban weapons found on a North Korean ship are a violation of UN sanctions against arms transfers to Pyongyang, Panama said Wednesday, citing a UN report.The public safety ministry said in a statement that according to a draft report by UN experts sent to Panama after the seizure of the ship in July, the cargo "undoubtedly violates UN sanctions, which supports the course of action Panama took."The ministry statement was the first information released about the mission
Aug. 29, 2013
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Koreas agree on creation of joint committee to run Gaesong factory
(Yonhap) -- The two Koreas on Wednesday effectively agreed on the final details of the creation of a new joint committee that will be in charge of running the Gaesong factory park in North Korea. The move comes exactly two weeks after drawn-out negotiations were concluded to reopen the Gaesong Industrial Complex, which the North unilaterally shuttered in early April amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The official said exact details of the committee will be announced Thursda
Aug. 28, 2013
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U.S. envoy to visit N.K. for detainee’s release
A senior U.S. envoy plans to visit North Korea this week to try to rescue an American detained there, adding to the burgeoning mood for reconciliation with the communist country following months of tension. Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights, is scheduled to arrive in Pyongyang on Friday on a “humanitarian mission focused on securing the release” of Kenneth Bae, the U.S. State Department said. The Korean-American tour operator was arrested in November in Rason, a special ec
Aug. 28, 2013
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[Graphic News] Two Koreas gear up for first family reunion in 3 years
The two Koreas will hold reunions of separated families at the Mount Geumgangsan resort Sept. 25-30. The first such event was held in 1985. After a 15-year hiatus, it resumed in 2000 and continued through 2010, allowing 3,829 families to meet in person and 557 via video call.
Aug. 28, 2013
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Foreign Ministry to set up task force for N. Koreans
The Foreign Ministry will set up a special task force to deal with North Korean escapees after recent criticism of Seoul’s failure to prevent their forced return to the communist state.The Korean Community Team will consist of three Foreign Ministry officials and one Unification Ministry official, and headed by career diplomat Kim Ji-min. The team will handle related problems in Southeast Asia and China. “By having a task force that specializes in rescuing North Koreans, we hope to be able to mo
Aug. 28, 2013
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South Korea urges North to undo seizure of Geumgangsan assets
South Korea called on North Korea Wednesday to rescind all its decisions to unlawfully confiscate assets at the Mount Geumgangsan resort after tours there were suspended nearly five years ago.All operations at the scenic resort on North Korea’s east coast were halted after a North Korean guard shot dead a South Korean tourist in 2008.At the time, Seoul insisted that the communist country give assurances that such a tragedy will not recur and called for firm measures to ensure the safety of South
Aug. 28, 2013
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Environment Ministry to test-run forecasts of fine dust levels in Seoul area
The Environment Ministry said Wednesday that it will test-run a fine dust forecasting service in Seoul and its adjacent areas starting this weekend before officially expanding the service nationwide early next year. The measure is aimed at preventing health issues from arising due to high-density air pollution by informing the people of the level of pollution before it affects the environment, according to the ministry.The new system will be operating in the capital area from Friday and be expan
Aug. 28, 2013