Most Popular
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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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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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[KH Explains] Will alternative trading platform shake up Korean stock market?
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[Newsmaker] Chavez to take office without taking oath
Hugo Chavez may not be capable of participating in his own swearing in ceremony on Jan. 10, but he will start an unprecedented third term as the democratically elected president of Venezuela. He has been president since his election in 1998.Chavez supporters say the inauguration date is not set in stone, and argue that the president should be given more time to recover from surgery.Chavez, 58, has not been seen in public since arriving in Cuba for his fourth cancer operation on Dec. 11, which ha
PoliticsJan. 6, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Google’s Schmidt may visit N.K.
Eric Schmidt, Google’s executive chairman, is likely to visit North Korea on a private, humanitarian mission, sources said Thursday. A Seoul official confirmed an Associated Press report that Schmidt will travel to the reclusive country along with former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. “He planned to visit North Korea earlier but the schedule was delayed in consideration of the sensitive mood to do with the North’s long-range rocket launch,” a Seoul official said. “I understand the visit is pur
North KoreaJan. 3, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Yoon’s selection starts with controversy
President-elect Park Geun-hye’s transition team is receiving criticism even before it is launched.At the center of the controversy is Yoon Chang-jung, a journalist-turned-columnist with vulgarity to match his radical conservativeness.Park’s appointment of Yoon as her senior spokesperson on Dec. 24 came as a complete surprise to all.Yoon was one of the most active columnists during the election, making such over-the-top comments as calling progressives “anti-Korean forces,” or former conservative
PoliticsJan. 2, 2013
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[Newsmaker] N.K. leader’s speech lacks fresh vision
The shadow of his grandfather loomed large when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave a much-trumpeted New Year’s speech on Tuesday, calling for economic growth and the defusing of tensions with the South. It was the first verbal New Year’s address made by a North Korean leader in 19 years. Kim made his maiden live speech on April 15 when Pyongyang held a massive celebration for the 100th anniversary of the birth of national founder and his grandfather Kim Il-sung. The late Kim delivered his own
Foreign AffairsJan. 1, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Kim symbolic of Park's emphasis on principle
“I highly respect this person, who incarnates the Saenuri Party’s cherished values, law and principles, and the constitutional spirit.” So said Park Geun-hye in October when she appointed former Constitutional Court president Kim Yong-joon co-chair of her campaign committee. The former top judge proved her assessment right, exerting a calm and credible leadership within the election committee dogged by conflicts over key policies and verbal gaffes against liberal foes.Named the chief of Park’s p
PoliticsDec. 27, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Korail accused of overstating KTX safety
Local passengers raised their eyebrows when the state-run railway operator Korail claimed the safety and on-time operation of its trains as global No. 1 in a report submitted for evaluation in June. At the time, Korail was suffering from public condemnation after a series of frequent breakdowns and delayed schedules of the nation’s KTX bullet trains.Korail explained that it had cited official data from the International Union of Railways, or UIC, and then the agency was designated as one of the
IndustryDec. 26, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Park’s aide versed in policy, not tied to partisan politics
President-elect Park Geun-hye’s first choice of her senior aides was a lawmaker versed in tax and fiscal policy and without a distinctive factional hue. Rep. Yoo Il-ho, 57, a two-term lawmaker of Park’s conservative ruling Saenuri Party, will serve as her chief of staff, assisting the incoming leader in shaping the new government in the next two months. His has a powerful post, controlling access to the president-elect, managing her schedule and also developing policies of the next administratio
PoliticsDec. 25, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Conscientious Japanese Dokdo scholar dies
Seichu Naito, a Japanese historian renowned for his relentless rebuttal of Japan’s territorial claims to Dokdo, died on Dec. 16. He was 83.After news reports on his demise belatedly circulated, many Koreans lamented the passing of a “conscientious intellectual” who bravely dug into the falsity of Tokyo’s claim to Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo in the East Sea.His death comes as concerns are rising that the incoming Tokyo government to be led by security hawk Shinzo Abe of the Liberal Democr
PoliticsDec. 24, 2012
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[Newsmaker] John Kerry tapped as America’s top diplomat
U.S. President Barack Obama tapped John Kerry, a Massachusetts senator and former presidential candidate, to be the new secretary of state on Friday.For the entirety of his career on Capitol Hill since 1985, Kerry, 69, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and son of a foreign-service officer, has specialized in foreign affairs. Since 2009, he has chaired the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.Serving as Obama’s unofficial envoy, he has played a central role in defusing diplomatic tension, particul
PoliticsDec. 23, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Sighs among the cheers in Sejong City
The Finance Ministry on Tuesday took down its signboard to signal its move to Sejong City. The relocation has been anticipated for the past year, but to ministry employees, it was a moment to remember.“The era spent at Gwacheon was one of passion and devotion, and we are overcome with emotions as we prepare to let go of this era,” said a nostalgic Finance Minister Bahk Jae-wan, who will be the last minister to have experienced the Finance Ministry in Gwacheon City.It will take over 300 5-ton tru
IndustryDec. 18, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Lee quits race, refuses to return funds
Former presidential candidate Lee Jung-hee and her leftist party are coming under increasingly heavy fire from the conservatives over the issue of the government election subsidy.Lee’s minority Unified Progressive Party has received 2.7 billion won ($2.5 million) from the government following her candidate registration in November.Although Lee is no longer in the race, having withdrawn her candidacy Sunday saying that she was stepping down for “the public’s desire for administration change,” the
NationalDec. 17, 2012
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[Newsmaker] ‘U.S. gunman was intelligent, odd loner’
Some described him as weird, others said he was smart, but none of the Connecticut gunman Adam Lanza’s acquaintances saw a potential killer in the 20-year-old.On Friday, Lanza opened fire at a U.S. elementary school and slaughtered 20 children and six adults before killing himself. He also murdered his mother by shooting her in the face before embarking upon the atrocious rampage.The tragic incident ― the second deadliest only to the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, which left 33 people dead ― lef
World NewsDec. 16, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Admissions scandal snares baseball managers
Former and current managers of two university baseball teams have been arrested in an admission scandal. Prosecutors said Wednesday that they have arrested former Lotte Giants manager Yang Seung-ho and current manager of the Yonsei University baseball team Jung Jin-ho to investigate charges of taking cash in return for admission. Less than two months ago, Yang was a high-profile manager of the pro baseball team. He resigned on Oct. 30 this year after Lotte failed to survive the playoff stage, th
BaseballDec. 13, 2012
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[Newsmaker] 'Monti's exit could cause backfire'
His resignation may have been what former Italian President Silvio Berlusconi wanted, but the timing of Mario Monti’s resignation may cause his flamboyant evictor some problems.Berlusconi’s party agreed to pass the 2013 budget but withdrew its support for his government, effectively making Monti’s position untenable. His resignation means that an election must be held within 70 days ― likely in early February ― rather than in three months as previously scheduled. Berlusconi now has less time to
InternationalDec. 12, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Anonymous donor warms the heart
A 60-something man in a dark-brown checkered coat approached a Salvation Army officer manning a red kettle in Myeong-dong, a fashion and shopping district in Seoul on Sunday. The man put a white envelope in the red kettle, saying, “Please use it for the elderly in need.”He then took a taxi and disappeared.The Salvation Army Korea Territory later found a check of around 106 million won ($98,300) with a letter in the envelope while counting up donations. “My parents kept a sense of sharing, helped
Social AffairsDec. 11, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Samsung Electronics stock on record rise
Shares of top smartphone maker Samsung Electronics are getting ready to break the 1.5 million won mark as the Korean IT behemoth is gaining an edge in its ongoing global patent battle against Apple Inc.Samsung’s stocks were being traded at over 1.5 million won ($1,389) per share, up 1.62 percent from Friday, shortly after the market opening at 9:01 a.m. on Monday. The share price is setting a new record following foreign investors’ aggressive move to purchase the firm’s shares.Samsung Electronic
IndustryDec. 10, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Kim Yu-na smoothly comes back to competitive form
Olympic figure-skating champion Kim Yu-na made a successful comeback from a 19-month break on Saturday at the NRW Trophy in Dortmund, Germany, scoring 72.27 points, the season’s highest, in the short program. The season’s previous high in the event was 67.95 achieved by Mao Asada of Japan at the NHK Trophy last month. Kim’s flawless routine melted away worries here that she may fail to regain competitive form after such a long hiatus, as competition is notoriously tenser than practice, no matter
More SportsDec. 9, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Korean-American named PGA Rookie of the Year
Korean-American John Huh, 22, was named the U.S. PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year on Tuesday. The award is an inspiration for Korean golfers seeking to make their names on the U.S. Tour. The award sets a milestone for golfers of Asian heritage as well. Huh is the first Asian-American to be named the PGA Rookie of the Year since it was established in 1990. His award is especially memorable as he is the only rookie to make it to the tour championship. Huh qualified for the tour playoff as the only ro
GolfDec. 6, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Samsung heir one step closer to succession
Samsung’s heir-apparent Lee Jay-yong has taken the next crucial step toward inheriting the Samsung empire. His promotion to vice chairman of Samsung Electronics was widely expected, as the younger Lee has quickly gone through a number of high-ranking posts in recent years, including the position of president. Explaining the move, a Samsung press release said the junior Lee was “recognized for his leadership in building Samsung into one of the world’s most loved brands and creating shareholder va
IndustryDec. 5, 2012
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[Newsmaker] 2 nuke reactors open amid protest, concerns
A belated ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Shin-Gori nuclear power plant units 1 and 2 was held near the site, located in Gijang, Busan, on Tuesday. Despite the completion of unit 1 in February 2011 and unit 2 in July this year, the ceremony had been delayed due to opposition against operations by local citizens and safety concerns raised by a recent controversy over the usage of substandard parts in other nuclear reactors.The two newly built nuclear plants each with a capacity of 1 m
Dec. 4, 2012