Most Popular
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Do Korean doctors make too much money?
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Korean industries gauge impact of Biden's steep tariffs on China
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Court refuses injunction on medical school expansion
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Why Korean crime stories typically feature nameless, faceless perpetrators
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Is FTC's conglomerate listing a boon or bane for Hybe?
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NewJeans to headline palace show
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Coupang's Kim Bom escapes chaebol chief designation again
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Debate on 'no-seniors zones' heats up
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Rare mid-May heavy snow warning issued over mountainous areas of Gangwon
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S. Korea, Cambodia forge strategic partnership
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NIS reform, probe take center stage at Assembly
Developments stemming from the 2012 presidential election took center stage in the interpellation session on Monday, with the parties clashing over reforming the national spy agency and launching a special counsel investigation. Following last week’s acquittal of former Seoul police chief Kim Yong-pan, the opposition bloc renewed its calls for a special counsel investigation into related developments. The National Intelligence Service is alleged to have run a smear campaign against main oppositi
Feb. 10, 2014
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Park warns against labor attempts to scuttle public sector reform
President Park Geun-hye said Monday she won't let debt-ridden public institutions continue to be run in extravagant ways, warning she won't tolerate any labor attempts to scuttle her drive to reform the public sector."It is extremely worrisome that labor unions at public institutions are showing signs of banding together in order to resist normalization reforms, and the people won't tolerate this either," Park said during a weekly meeting with senior secretaries."If the public sector puts up res
Feb. 10, 2014
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Rival parties spar over special probe into election-meddling scandal
Rival political parties wrangled Monday over the opposition's demand for a special independent probe into the state's alleged meddling in the 2012 presidential election, citing the recent acquittal of a former police chief implicated in the case.Calls for an independent investigation by the opposition have grown after the Seoul Central District Court acquitted former Seoul police chief Kim Yong-pan last week of scaling back and whitewashing the results of a police probe into the state spy agency
Feb. 10, 2014
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Reignited election feud engulfs Assembly
The parliament is heading off-course with the feud over the 2012 presidential election flaring up over former Seoul police chief Kim Yong-pan’s acquittal. On Thursday, Kim was acquitted of all charges brought against him for allegedly interfering with the police investigation on the spy agency’s role in the election. The National Intelligence Service is suspected of having conducted an online campaign to hinder opposition presidential candidate’s campaign under orders of former chief Won Sei-hoo
Feb. 9, 2014
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Park urges Pyongyang not to hurt separated families
President Park Geun-hye urged North Korea not to break the hearts of separated families again on Friday, a day after Pyongyang threatened to rethink the bilateral agreement to hold the cross-border gatherings.Presiding over an integrated security meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Park also expressed hopes that the reunions, slated for Feb. 20-25, would serve as a catalyst to break the impasse in the bilateral relations.“With the holding of the reunions, I hope that we can find a fresh momentum to improv
Feb. 7, 2014
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Opposition party demands gov't reshuffle over controversial ruling
The main opposition Democratic Party demanded Friday that President Park Geun-hye reshuffle her Cabinet and presidential office over the acquittal of a key suspect in a high-profile election-meddling scandal.The suspect, former Seoul police chief Kim Yong-pan, was acquitted Thursday of charges of scaling back and whitewashing the results of a police investigation into allegations of the state meddling in the 2012 presidential campaign.In handing down the ruling, the Seoul Central District Court
Feb. 7, 2014
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[Newsmaker] Questions hang over Park’s new spokesman
Selecting a talented, problem-free aide is not President Park Geun-hye’s strong suit. Take, for example, her former presidential spokespeople, one of whom she helplessly fired amid embarrassing sexual harassment allegations toward a female intern. Her latest choice for the post is also being put to the test. At the center of the disputes is Min Kyung-wook, former reporter at Korean Broadcasting System, who accepted the presidential spokesman post on Wednesday. Min, who raised his public profile
Feb. 6, 2014
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Saenuri big shots eye Seoul mayoral race
The ruling Saenuri Party’s primary election for Seoul mayoral candidacy appears likely to be a three-way battle among heavyweights, with a former prime minister and a potential presidential candidate entering the fray. In addition to Saenuri Party supreme council member Lee Hye-hoon, former Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and Rep. Chung Mong-joon are said to have set their sights on the Seoul mayor’s job. Although Kim and Chung have been linked to the mayoral election for some time, both had repeat
Feb. 6, 2014
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Fisheries minister sacked over inappropriate conduct over oil spill
President Park Geun-hye on Thursday sacked Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Yoon Jin-sook over her controversial conduct in dealing with the oil spill in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Chung Hong-won hinted that Yoon might be dismissed. “I think it is deeply regretful that such a thing has happened despite the president’s recent warning, and the dismissal request is being carefully considered,” Chung told lawmakers at Thursday’s interpellation session.The dismis
Feb. 6, 2014
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Former chief prosecutor’s scandal takes new turn
The alleged mistress of former Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook may have received a massive amount of money from a close friend of Chae, local media reported Thursday citing unnamed sources. According to reports, prosecutors have found that the mistress, surnamed Lim, took 120 million won ($111,000) through the account of her son, who is believed to be Chae’s love child. Lim allegedly sent back some of the money received. The prosecution said it is investigating why and how the money was transf
Feb. 6, 2014
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Park Won-soon, civil servant or political powerhouse?
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon began his career in the public eye as a political nobody, but in less than three years he appears to have grown into a formidable presence as he now prepares for reelection. While his party flounders, barely managing to keep its support ratings above 20 percent, various polls have put public support for Park serving a second term at 35-50 percent.The situation in 2011, when he was running as an independent in the primary election to choose a single liberal opposition ca
Feb. 5, 2014
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Opposition leader lays out political reform proposals
Democratic Party chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil laid out another set of political reform plans on Wednesday, in an apparent effort to seize the initiative from independent Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo.Ahn, who is set to launch his own party next month, has been encroaching on DP territory, drawing in supporters with his “new politics” pledge.In his parliamentary address, Kim outlined proposals that would bring extensive change to the country’s political system. They were a follow-up to his plans announced Mond
Feb. 5, 2014
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Park starts to receive policy briefings
President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday started receiving policy briefings from government ministries and agencies, which is seen to be laying the groundwork for her three-year economic innovation plan and reform drives both in the public and the private sector.President Park will hear from 17 ministries, three government offices, five commissions and the Small and Medium Business Administration for next three weeks. This year’s policy briefing sessions end on Feb. 24. Government offices are expect
Feb. 5, 2014
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Ex-KBS newscaster named new presidential spokesman
President Park Geun-hye has named Min Kyung-wook, former prime time TV news anchor at state-funded Korean Broadcasting System, as her new presidential spokesman, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.Min, 51, replaces former spokeswoman Kim Haing, who left the post citing personal reasons late last year. Kim was one of two presidential spokespeople appointed by Park early last year, but held the post on her own after the president fired Yoon Chang-joong for his alleged misconduct during her last state vi
Feb. 5, 2014
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Park names former TV anchor new spokesman
President Park Geun-hye named a former television anchor as her new spokesman Wednesday, her chief press secretary said.Min Kyung-wook, a former anchor for public broadcaster KBS, was chosen as "the right person" to convey the president's administrative philosophy to the public based on his rich experience working in the media, including as a former correspondent to Washington, senior presidential press secretary Lee Jung-hyun said.Min replaces Kim Haing, who resigned at the end of last year, ci
Feb. 5, 2014
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Park set to receive policy briefings from ministries
President Park Geun-hye will receive a series of annual policy briefings from government agencies over the next 20 days, her office said Wednesday, as she enters her second year in office under a pledge to overhaul and revive the slumping economy.The policy briefings were set to begin later in the day with a joint report from the Office for Government Policy Coordination under the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Government Legislation, and Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.Park is
Feb. 5, 2014
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Opposition leader proposes reunification preparatory committee
Top opposition leader Kim Han-gil on Wednesday proposed a preparatory committee for inter-Korean reunification, saying the two Koreas should reunite through a peaceful and gradual means.Kim of the main opposition Democratic Party made the proposal in a speech marking the beginning of this month's extra parliamentary session, stressing the importance of consistent policy and approach to reunification.He especially expressed reservations about President Park Geun-hye's analogy of reunification as
Feb. 5, 2014
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Seoul to expand support for working moms
The government on Tuesday unveiled a package of comprehensive measures to support working mothers so they can better balance work and life, create a family-friendly culture at workplaces and encourage fathers to engage in child rearing at home.The ministers of finance, welfare, gender equality and labor said in a joint briefing that the government will expand the flexible working hours system for mothers and fathers with children aged under 8, increase the number of state-run day care centers an
Feb. 4, 2014
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Saenuri chief attacks Ahn, confirms stance on candidate nominations
Ruling Saenuri Party Chairman Rep. Hwang Woo-yea on Tuesday emphasized political reform, while effectively ruling out scrapping candidate nominations for local elections. Although abolishing the system, which gives established parties the right to nominate candidates for all elections, was a central political reform pledge of President Park Geun-hye, the ruling party has been seeking alternatives. Despite rumors that the party’s position would be formalized at last month’s general meeting, the i
Feb. 4, 2014
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Ex-lawmaker leads class action suit over data leak
Former lawmaker Won Hee-ryong stepped into the developments surrounding the credit card companies’ data leak on Tuesday by submitting a class action lawsuit for affected bank customers.Won, who served three terms in the National Assembly as a Grand National Party lawmaker, is representing 514 people affected by the leak alongside 10 newly qualified lawyers. The GNP has since become the Saenuri Party. “The government is announcing response measures, but there are concerns that they will peter out
Feb. 4, 2014