Most Popular
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Jimin of BTS, actor Song Da-eun suspected to be dating, again
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What's next for the government's push in quota hike?
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Woman falls to death from acquaintance's home after exhibiting ‘unexplained' behaviors
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‘Malice should not undermine the system, social order,’ says Hybe's Bang
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N. Korea says it test-fired tactical ballistic missile with new guidance technology
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N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS
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[Weekender] Geeks have never been so chic in Korea
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Korean firms target EV charging market in US
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Seoul sees further jump in cost of dining out
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Human rights commission urges Korea to raise awareness of LGBTQ rights
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Jeju's youngest provincial councilor expelled from party over alleged sex trade
A 29-year-old councilor of the southern island province of Jeju has been expelled from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, amid allegations that he bought sex. Kang Gyeong-hm, who began his four-year term as councilor last year, is being investigated by the police for allegedly buying sex services at a Jeju bar. The police, while probing the bar’s sex trafficking of four foreign women, have unearthed records of money transactions between the councilor and the establishment. A Je
July 13, 2023
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Yoon requests Kishida to halt wastewater discharge if radiation levels exceed standard
VILNIUS, Lithuania/SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk Yeol has requested from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to halt the discharge of wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant if radiation levels remain over the line even after filtering out radioactive elements. At their meeting held on the sidelines of the NATO summit on Wednesday, Yoon also asked his Japanese counterpart to share monitoring information over the discharge process in real time, and to allow Korean experts to
July 12, 2023
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Ahead of Yoon-Kishida summit, Korean opposition ups offensive on Fukushima water release plan
The South Korean opposition’s escalation of combative rhetoric on Japan’s plan to release treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant is “unseemly,” the ruling party's floor leader said Wednesday, Eastern European Time. “My colleagues across the aisle have chosen to abandon the longstanding courtesy of stepping back from domestic political attacks on the president while he is on a trip meeting foreign leaders,” Rep. Yun Jae-ok of th
July 12, 2023
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Ruling party leader says China cannot be excluded in economic matters
The leader of the ruling People Power Party said he has met with White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell during a visit to Washington and discussed bilateral and regional issues. During the meeting held Tuesday, Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon said he talked about the importance of maintaining relations with China, and Campbell agreed to his point. "Both South Korea and the US have numerous economic issues related to China," Kim told reporters after the meeting. Kim said he also emphasize
July 12, 2023
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Yoon, Kishida summit planned; Fukushima wastewater likely on agenda
VILNIUS, Lithuania – President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are scheduled for a summit Wednesday in Vilnius, Lithuania, alongside the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit. This Korea-Japan summit marks the first meeting in approximately two months since their bilateral discussion during the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, in May. This will be their sixth official meeting. A high-ranking official from the presidential office, who spoke on condition of a
July 12, 2023
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N. Korea denounces US decision to supply Ukraine with cluster bombs
North Korea's foreign minister on Tuesday urged the United States to immediately scrap its decision to provide Ukraine with controversial cluster bombs, calling it a "dangerous criminal act to bring a new calamity to the world." The US defense ministry announced Friday it is supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine to help defend its territory against Russia, despite concerns from human rights groups that the deployment of such weapons endangers civilians. "I, on behalf of the
July 11, 2023
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Yoon, Norway PM discuss cooperation in renewable energy, defense
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Tuesday and discussed bilateral cooperation in renewable energy and defense, among other sectors, the presidential office said. The two leaders met on the sidelines of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit here, which brought together leaders from the 31 member states and other countries, including the four Asia-Pacific partner nations -- South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Yoon thanked
July 11, 2023
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Cabinet approves revision separating collection of public broadcaster's license fee
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to collect license fees for KBS separately from electricity bills, a move that could potentially impact the fiscal resources of the state broadcaster. The approval of the revised Enforcement Decree of the Broadcasting Act was made in a Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. It is expected to take effect as early as Wednesday, following presidential approval. Since 1994, KBS has charged a monthly fee of 2,500 won ($1.93) to all hou
July 11, 2023
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Seoul working to strengthen alliance with US: ruling party leader
The incumbent South Korean government is working to further enhance the country's bilateral relationship with the United States, the head of the ruling People Power Party said Monday, arguing that the alliance had been somewhat damaged under the previous administration. Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon added the ruling party is seeking to assist the government in strengthening the South Korea-US alliance. "It is true that South Korea-US relations had been somewhat damaged or shaken under the previous
July 11, 2023
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US senator unexpectedly meets Yoon in Lithuania, bursts into ‘American Pie’
VILNIUS, Lithuania -- It seems Yoon's reputation for liking a sing-along precedes him. While in Vilnius, Lithuania for a NATO summit, the president unexpectedly bumped into US Sen. Pete Ricketts, who initiated an impromptu rendition of "American Pie." Yoon’s spokesperson Lee Do-woon said Monday night in Vilnius that Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee were taking a walk in the old town of Vilnius to adjust to the time difference and manage their conditions, when they met the se
July 11, 2023
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Yoon arrives in Lithuania, begins 6-day diplomatic trip
President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived Monday evening in Vilnius, beginning a six-day trip to Lithuania and Poland to discuss an array of issues including military cooperation, North Korea's nuclear deterrence measures and the controversial discharge of contaminated wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. Attending a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit for the second time, the South Korean leader will be seeking measures with member countries to bolster cooperatio
July 10, 2023
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Korean, Japanese opposition to join to protest water release plan
Lawmakers from South Korea's opposition flew to Japan on Monday to join forces with their Japanese counterparts in a show of protest against Tokyo's plan to dispose of some 1.33 million metric tons of radioactive wastewater accumulated and stored in the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. On Tuesday, 11 lawmakers of the liberal opposition bloc -- nine from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and two independent lawmakers -- will issue a joint statement with a bip
July 10, 2023
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[Bills in Focus] Subcontractor protection and wider application of 'lemon law'
Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Mutually Beneficial Cooperation Between Large Enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises Proposed by Rep. Lee Dong-ju (Democratic Party of Korea) ● There has been a recurring issue where enterprises request technical data from the contractor prior to finalizing the contract and misuse it. Accordingly, this amendment imposes more substantial penalties on enterprises that misuse the technical data of their contractor before issuing
July 10, 2023
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Yoon says intl. community needs to show resolve to deter NK nuclear program
President Yoon Suk Yeol has said the international community needs to show that its resolve to deter North Korea's nuclear weapons program is stronger than the regime's desire to develop such weapons, according to an interview published Monday. Yoon made the remark in a written interview with the Associated Press ahead of his participation in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday and Wednesday. "Now is the time to clearly demonstrate that the internat
July 10, 2023
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Korean opposition tells UN atomic watchdog head to scrap Japan’s wastewater plan
South Korea’s main opposition party on Sunday asked the International Atomic Energy Agency director general to halt Japan’s plan to discharge treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant and to find alternatives to the ocean disposal. In a meeting with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, five Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers accused the United Nations atomic watchdog of bias and described its final assessment on the safety of the Japanese plan as “shoddily concluded&rdquo
July 9, 2023
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First lady Kim, Jane Goodall discuss animal rights, environmental conservation
First lady Kim Keon-hee engaged in a conversation with renowned primatologist and environmental activist, Jane Goodall, in Seoul on Friday, discussing sustainable coexistence between humans, animals and nature. According to the presidential office, Kim and Goodall exchanged views on animal rights and the contentious issue of dog consumption. They expressed shared concerns over the brutal abuses inflicted in the dog meat trade, fearing such actions undermine human dignity and could potentially ex
July 7, 2023
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Democratic Party escalates offensive against Japan's water release
The main opposition Democratic Party on Friday raised intensive questions about the credibility of a recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Japan's radioactive water release, as the IAEA chief is set to begin his three-day visit to South Korea later that day. Ranking DP officials poured out harsh criticism against the IAEA report during the party's supreme council meeting held after almost all of its lawmakers staged an overnight sit-in at the National Assembly to
July 7, 2023
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Controversial disclaimer deleted from government’s North Korea human rights report
The South Korean government released the English version of its report on North Korean human rights Friday, but it omitted a controversial clause included in an earlier edition that stated it would not bear responsibility for the report’s accuracy. In April, the English report by the Ministry of Unification was taken down from the website after wide criticism over the disclaimer, which denied responsibility for the report's accuracy. The original Korean report did not contain such dis
July 7, 2023
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Korea finds Japan’s water release plan ‘consistent with international standards’
South Korean inquiry found Japan’s plan to discharge treated wastewater from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant to be “consistent with international safety standards,” the government announced Friday. Bang Moon-kyu, the government policy coordination minister, said the plan proposed by the Japanese government met international standards, including those of the International Atomic Energy Agency. “If the plan is kept as outlined, no violation of safety stand
July 7, 2023
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Labor Minister urges KCTU to halt "political" strike
The Minister of Employment and Labor called for an end to the nationwide strike by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Friday, blasting the industrial action as politically motivated. Labor Minister Lee Jung-sik held an emergency meeting Friday morning to counter a nationwide strike by the KCTU and pointed out that some of the union demands do not fit the legal requirement that they should relate to working conditions. "The Labor Union Act allows workers to engage in struggles for the
July 7, 2023