Most Popular
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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S. Korean children, teens grow taller, mature faster than before: study
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
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Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
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Ador CEO's request for exclusive right to terminate NewJeans' contract with Hybe refused in February
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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Naver will consider company benefits in deciding on selling Line shares: CEO
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Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket
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No presidential pardon for Christmas: official
President Lee Myung-bak will not issue any presidential pardons this Christmas season, an official said Monday, amid opposition party allegations that he might grant amnesty to close aides and relatives.“There is no preparation underway” to grant amnesty, a presidential official told reporters in response to a question whether the office is making preparations for a Christmas pardon.“That’s not even physically possible.”The official added, however, that it is difficult to say definitely that the
Dec. 10, 2012
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N. Korea extending rocket launch period to Dec. 29
North Korea said Monday that it has extended the launch period for a controversial long-range rocket by another week until Dec. 29, citing technical problems.An unidentified spokesman for the North’s Korean Committee of Space Technology told state media that scientists found a "technical deficiency in the first-stage control engine module of the rocket." The statement didn’t elaborate but said technicians were "pushing forward" with final preparations for the launch.The United Nations, Washingto
Dec. 10, 2012
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N. Korea considers changing launch date
North Korea is considering rescheduling its planned long-range rocket launch, possibly due to technical problems, a Seoul government source said Sunday.The North’s Korean Committee for Space Technology said Saturday that “due to a series of circumstances,” its scientists and technicians are cautiously considering readjusting the launch dates, originally slated for between Dec. 10 and 22.“The North considering a new date appears to be because of technical problems. There were some signs of anomal
Dec. 9, 2012
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N. Korean leader said to order harsher crackdown on defectors
North Korea's government has further intensified its surveillance of residents, viewing the problem of defectors as a serious threat to its regime stability, a source in Seoul said Sunday.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently issued an instruction demanding that even the "sound of the drop of a needle" be detected and reported to him, according to the source who ask to remain anonymous.Kim, who late last year ordered on-site execution of defectors and severe punishment of their families, agai
Dec. 9, 2012
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Technical problem apparently behind N.K. decision to reschedule rocket launch: source
North Korea may have decided to reschedule its planned rocket launch apparently due to technical problems, a senior government source in Seoul said Sunday. The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said earlier in the day Pyongyang was considering postponing the dates of its rocket launch, scheduled for between Dec. 10-22, providing few details.The announcement sparked speculation over the latest development as recent satellite images showed that the North has installed all three-stages of t
Dec. 9, 2012
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North Korea says it may delay rocket launch
North Korea said Sunday it is considering postponing the dates of its planned long-term rocket launch this month, citing unspecified "reasons."North Korea announced last week that it would fire off a space rocket, called Gwangmyeongseong, or lode star, between Dec. 10 and Dec. 22. South Korea and other regional powers suspect that the launch is a disguised test of a long-range missile that may target the United States."Our scientists and technicians are now seriously examining the issue of readj
Dec. 9, 2012
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N. Korean sailors awarded hero's title for attack on S. Korean warship: defector
North Korean naval officers responsible for the communist country's deadly sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010 have been awarded a hero's title, a defector claimed Friday."The captain, co-captain, chief engineer, and boatswain of the submarine which had attacked the warship Cheonan, were awarded the title of the DPRK (North Korea) hero sometime in Oct., 2010," Ahn Cheol-nam (alias) said during an event held by the Korea Peace Forum.Ahn, who previously worked at the North Korean cabinet, de
Dec. 7, 2012
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N. Korea preparing fuel for rocket: source
North Korea is moving forward to fuel its long-range rocket erected on its launch pad in Dongchang-ri, bordering China, where it plans to test-fire it between Dec. 10 and 22, local government officials said.The communist state has finished filling up its storage tank with fuel located some 80 meters from the launch pad, which is part of the rocket fueling process, analysts said.Diplomatic and analysts suggested that North Korea may fire the rocket, whose technology is same as its 5,500-kilometer
Dec. 7, 2012
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U.S. moving warships to monitor N. Korea's rocket move: Adm. Locklear
The United States has moved naval ships with ballistic missile defense to the periphery of the Korean Peninsula to keep close tabs on Pyongyang's possible rocket launch, the top U.S. military commander in Asia and the Pacific said Thursday."It should seem logical that we will move them around so we have the best situational awareness," Adm. Samuel Locklear, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, said at a press conference in the Pentagon.He commands the 325,000-strong forces that have become more vit
Dec. 7, 2012
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S. Korea, China discuss measures against N. Korea's rocket plan: FM
South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said Thursday that his government has been in consultations with China over possible actions to take if North Korea launches a long-range rocket this month. Asked by a lawmaker at a parliamentary session whether Seoul discussed possible sanctions with Beijing against the North's planned rocket launch, Kim replied, "Consultations are under way."Kim said that South Korea and China "have been in consultations over contents in case of North Korea's launch,
Dec. 6, 2012
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Japan deploys Patriot rockets to counter N. Korean missile test
The Japanese Ministry of Defense has deployed interceptor missiles around the Tokyo metropolitan area to counter a possible threat from North Korea’s long-ranged missile test.Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday that the Japanese military has sent Patriot interceptor missiles to military facilities located in Tokyo, Chiba and Saitama.North Korea’s central news agency announced last week that the Kwangmyongsong-3 Earth observation satellite would be launched by the Unha-3 carrier rocket
Dec. 6, 2012
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N.K. finishes rocket installation
North Korea finished installing the last and third stage of the long-range rocket on the launch pad Wednesday and could launch it as early as Monday, a Seoul government source said.The fuel injection process is expected to begin this weekend after a technical inspection of the rocket, assembled at the Dongchang-ri launch site in North Pyongan Province, the source explained, declining to be named.The rocket should be launched within one to three days after the fueling given that oxidation agents,
Dec. 5, 2012
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N.K. launch ‘baptism by fire’ for China’s new leadership
HONG KONG (Yonhap News) ― North Korea’s expected rocket launch will pose one of the very first challenges for China’s new leaders who were installed less than a month ago, putting them on the horns of a dilemma, watchers in Beijing said Tuesday.“The North Korean announcement is a baptism by fire for the new Chinese leadership,” Brian Bridges, a professor of political science at Hong Kong’s Lingnan University, said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. The outgoing Hu Jintao-Wen Jiabao Chinese
Dec. 5, 2012
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New resettlement center opens for N.K. defectors
A new resettlement center for North Korean defectors opened on Wednesday to accommodate a growing influx of refugees and provide improved assimilation education and support. Located in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, the second Hanawon will house up to 500 people in 10 units in a 15,000-square-meter area, increasing the total hosting capacity to 1,100 across the country.“The new resettlement center was built to prepare ourselves for the steadily increasing defector inflow and carry out advanced educ
Dec. 5, 2012
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N. Korea completes installation of long-range rocket on launch pad
North Korea has assembled all three stages of a long-range rocket on its launch pad, a South Korean official said Wednesday, the latest sign that preparations to fire off the rocket is in full swing."North Korea is believed to have completed the installation of a long-range rocket on the launch pad" at the Dongchang-ri base in the country's northwest, a government official said on condition of anonymity. "Some workers are pulling out of the site."The North is now expected to install support equi
Dec. 5, 2012
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‘Iran gives N. Korea missile boost’
Since its botched rocket launch in April, North Korea has been upgrading its missile technology with assistance from foreign countries reportedly including Iran. Pyongyang has invited foreign experts for technological assistance to fix defects responsible for its failure in April, government sources told the local media.Since this summer, a few Iranian rocket technicians have reportedly stayed in the North to help prepare for a new long-range rocket launch slated for Dec. 10-22.Though the commun
Dec. 5, 2012
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Korea, Pakistan to expand development cooperation
Korea and Pakistan agreed on Tuesday to cooperate to develop hydropower generation, water resources and rail infrastructure in Pakistan. Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Asif Ali Zardari also pledged to expand ties in economy, trade, energy and development during their summit in Seoul, Cheong Wa Dae said.Zardari came here on Monday for an official three-day visit during which he is to meet Seoul officials and Korean business leaders to discuss the expansion of bilateral investment and trade.During t
Dec. 5, 2012
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N.K. erecting last stage of rocket
North Korea is pressing ahead with its preparation to launch a long-range rocket this month, placing the second stage of the launch vehicle in position on Tuesday, a Seoul government source said.It is now in the process of installing the last and third stage of the rocket in the Dongchang-ri launch site in Cheolsan, North Pyongan Province, the official added, declining to be named.Pyongyang is expected to finish the assembly work by as early as on Wednesday to carry out the launch slated for bet
Dec. 4, 2012
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S. Korea, U.S., Japan set for trilateral talks on N. Korea's rocket plan
Senior South Korea, U.S. and Japanese diplomats will likely meet in Washington later this week to discuss ways to deal with North Korea's long-range rocket launch plan, a source here said Monday.Lim Sung-nam, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, is scheduled to arrive here on Wednesday for meetings with his American counterpart Glyn Davies and other officials.Shinsuke Sugiyama, the director general of the Japanese foreign ministry's Asian and Ocea
Dec. 4, 2012
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U.S. to mull 'appropriate actions' if N. Korea fires rocket: Samore
A senior security aide to President Barack Obama said Monday the U.S. is concentrating efforts in cooperation with South Korea, China, Russia and Japan to dissuade North Korea from pressing ahead with another rocket launch.Gary Samore emphasized that if the launch takes place Washington will take "appropriate actions.""We've made it very clear that we consider this to be a very unfortunate provocative event, which is not going help North Korea nor the people of North Korea," Samore told Yonhap N
Dec. 4, 2012