Most Popular
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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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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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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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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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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[Saenuri] ‘ISD is the global norm that has evolved with time’
The opposition’s claim that the Investor-State Dispute Settlement system poses a danger to Korea’s sovereignty is unfounded, and the free trade agreement with the U.S. should instead be approached constructively to maximize its economic effect, said Rep. Kim Jong-hoon of the Saenuri Party.The former trade minister, who led the FTA negotiations with Washington during both the former and current governments, underscored that the ISD was the minimal safeguard to protect Korean investors and a unive
Nov. 22, 2012
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ISD remains a sore spot in Korea-U.S. FTA
Eight months since the effectuation of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, rival parties are locking horns over some of its contentious clauses and whether the pact can or should be renegotiated.The three major presidential candidates each hold a different position on the economically and diplomatically crucial deal that lifts market barriers for the two countries’ goods and services.The ruling Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye believes the FTA should no longer be politically debated, while the mai
Nov. 22, 2012
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Liberal camp’s merger process in deadlock
South Korea's two liberal presidential candidates met on Thursday to seek a breakthrough in setting the rules on selecting a single candidate to take on their conservative rival Park Geun-hye, but the talks ended without progress, camp officials said.Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party and independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo have been in talks in forming an alliance before the registration deadline on Nov. 26, but their negotiators have failed to hammer out differences ove
Nov. 22, 2012
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Sino-U.S. rivalry a challenge for Seoul diplomacy
This is the sixth in a series of articles on the growing rivalry between the U.S. and China and its implications for the two Koreas and East Asia. ― Ed.South Korea faces the tough task of mapping out a smart diplomatic strategy to navigate through the growing rivalry between the long-standing ally the U.S. and increasingly emboldening powerhouse China.Experts say Seoul needs to cautiously recalibrate its strategic interest and diversify diplomacy to adapt to the new era marked by the “rise of th
Nov. 22, 2012
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Liberal hopefuls to meet to set single candidate selection rules
South Korea's two liberal presidential candidates were to meet on Thursday to seek a breakthrough in setting the rules on selecting a single candidate to take on their conservative rival Park Geun-hye, camp officials said, as time is running short before the Monday deadline.Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) and independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo have been in talks in forming an alliance before the registration deadline on Nov. 26, but their negotiators have failed
Nov. 22, 2012
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Debate may sway swing voters ahead of surveys
The watershed television debate between presidential candidates Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party and independent Ahn Cheol-soo late Wednesday was overshadowed by the failed negotiations between their aides on rules for selecting a single candidate. Moon and Ahn faced off in the 100-minute long debate, swapping cordial yet competitive exchanges over their visions and pledges as the clock ticked to the final selection of their single candidacy.The live debate that aired from 11:15 p.m. v
Nov. 22, 2012
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Much anticipated debate lacks substance
In the first debate among presidential candidates in this election, Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party was the first to walk in, wearing a red stripe tie and black suit. Independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo arrived three minutes later after a quick run to the bathroom. He wore the same purple tie he had worn last time he met the former presidential chief of staff. The two men shook hands in front of the cameras but they barely exchanged a word ― not even the usual greetings of politicians
Nov. 22, 2012
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Moon, Ahn to meet to hammer out merger rules
Presidential candidates Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo agreed during their televised debate Wednesday to meet the following day to hammer out the details of the candidate selection method.They faced off in a televised debate with their negotiators having failed to narrow differences. As the debate began, Moon apologized to the voters for the delays in drawing up the selection method, and requested Ahn to make a “two-track effort” -- the candidates and their negotiators -- to conclude the talks. I
Nov. 22, 2012
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Number of students forecast to nearly halve by 2050
By 2050, the number of students in Korea will almost halve due to the country’s low birthrate, threatening to undercut its labor force and economic growth, a report warned Wednesday. According to the state-run Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, the number of students in 2010 was 10 million but will fall down as low as to 5.6 million in 2050 if the country’s fertility rate continues to stay below 1.3 births per woman. Korean women had six children on average in 1960 but the number rap
Nov. 21, 2012
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Moon, Ahn to face off in TV debate
Presidential candidates Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo are poised to face off in their debate Wednesday, as they vie to become the main liberal candidate in the presidential election, with the winner likely to be decided by opinion poll later this week.The rivals are expected to renew their commitment to forming an alliance to prevent a continuation of conservative rule by beating the Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye in the Dec. 19 election. Their face-to-face duel, broadcast live by three TV networ
Nov. 21, 2012
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Ahn Cheol-soo aims to rally support around DUP if he wins ticket
Independent presidential hopeful Ahn Cheol-soo said Tuesday that if he becomes the standard bearer for the liberal camp, his campaign will rally around the main opposition Democratic United Party to win the December poll.In an interview with Yonhap News Agency, the 50-year-old entrepreneur-turned-politician said there will be a need to reflect the wishes of all people who supported the liberal cause.The comments come as Ahn is engaged in talks with DUP candidate Moon Jae-in to decide who should
Nov. 20, 2012
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Candidates fine-tune skills before crucial TV debates
The three major presidential candidates are bracing for a series of televised debates starting this week that are likely to greatly affect voter sentiment ahead of the Dec. 19 election. The main opposition Democratic United Party’s Rep. Moon Jae-in and independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo are poised to battle it out in a 100-minute session Wednesday before conducting polls to select a single candidate between them. Rep. Park Geun-hye, flag-bearer of the ruling conservative Saenuri Party, will app
Nov. 20, 2012
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Discord deepens between Moon, Ahn
The camps of presidential candidates Ahn Cheol-soo and Moon Jae-in were ratcheting up criticism against each other Tuesday as they differed over the method of selecting a unified candidate.Aides to the Democratic United Party’s Moon and independent Ahn accused the other side of maneuvering with the media and breaking the rules.According to Rep. Woo Sang-ho, who is heading Moon’s communications team, Ahn’s negotiators suggested opinion polls and deliberative polls, with the latter being answered
Nov. 20, 2012
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Lawmakers under fire for pursuing pork barrel projects
With less than two weeks remaining until the deadline to approve next year’s government budget, negotiations in the National Assembly are being stalled, while some lawmakers have been accused of trying to enact legislation designed to funnel money into their constituencies.The mandated deadline for the National Assembly to approve the budget is Dec. 2. They agreed to advance the schedule to Nov. 22 in consideration of the Dec. 19 presidential election. The Democratic United Party has demanded th
Nov. 20, 2012
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Experts warn against too much reliance on opinion polls
With less than a week remaining until the date to finalize the progressive coalition ticket, public opinion polls are projected to play a critical role in deciding whose name will be on the ballot. But experts and analysts say public opinion polls may not always be an accurate indicator of people’s opinion nor conducive to the electoral process. “As the process of democratization and people’s political participation become more active, opinion polls yield greater influence on elections,” said Ha
Nov. 20, 2012
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Pyongyang steps up efforts to pare back military’s influence
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be stepping up efforts to weaken the military’s political and economic influence as he seeks to establish a more flexible and efficient state management.In recent months, Kim has reportedly purged or demoted some high-level military officers in what analysts call a move to enable the North’s cabinet and ruling party smoothly lead economic and other affairs.“The recent moves appear to be aimed at quieting down the aftereffect of the purge of former top c
Nov. 20, 2012
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Lee departs for UAE after visit to Cambodia
PHNOM PENH (Yonhap News) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak headed to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday after attending a set of annual cooperation summits with Southeast Asian and other Asia-Pacific countries in Cambodia.During a summit with the 10 member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Lee pledged to expand South Korea's development assistance and other aid to the increasingly important region of vibrant economies with high growth potential.Lee also attended a mee
Nov. 20, 2012
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S. Korea kicks off negotiations for two massive free trade deals
PHNOM PENH (Yonhap News) -- South Korea declared the opening of two sets of ambitious negotiations toward potentially massive free trade deals Tuesday, which if realized, would create huge new markets in Northeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.The two negotiating processes, one of them between South Korea, China and Japan, and the other involving 16 Asia-Pacific countries, are the most tangible outcomes of a series of annual summits in Cambodia led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nation
Nov. 20, 2012
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Senior prosecutor arrested over massive bribery
A ranking Seoul prosecutor was formally detained Monday pending trial on charges of receiving bribes worth hundreds of millions of won in return for favors, a special prosecution team looking into the case said.The Seoul Central District Court approved the special investigation team's request to issue an arrest warrant for the disgraced prosecutor Kim Kwang-joon.The 51-year-old prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office is accused of receiving a total of nearly 900 million won ($826,000) f
Nov. 20, 2012
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Two liberal candidates to hold TV debate for single candidacy
Running against time, two leading liberal opposition presidential hopefuls agreed on Monday to hold a TV debate as part of their efforts to merge their candidacies in December's election.The TV debate, scheduled for Wednesday, comes only six days before the Nov. 26 deadline set by the national election commission to register their candidacy. The two have earlier agreed to merge their bids before the deadline."The two candidates have moved ahead their merger negotiations by agreeing to hold a TV
Nov. 19, 2012