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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Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official
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Woman falls to death from acquaintance's home after exhibiting ‘unexplained' behaviors
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N. Korea slams planned S. Korea-US military drills, warns of 'catastrophic aftermath'
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‘Malice should not undermine the system, social order,’ says Hybe's Bang
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[Robert J. Fouser] Social attitudes toward language proficiency
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N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS
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[Graphic News] How much do Korean adults read?
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N. Korea says it test-fired tactical ballistic missile with new guidance technology
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Election prompts political reform drive in DUP and campaign team
Political reform has been one of the main issues of this year’s presidential election from the start, and this political environment has brought significant changes to the Democratic United Party candidate’s camp. The public’s distrust of local politics and the desire to see fundamental change launched the campaign of Ahn Cheol-soo.In line with the apparent public demand for change, and with Ahn’s stance on the issue, the DUP and the camp of its candidate Moon Jae-in have been in the grip of pol
Nov. 6, 2012
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Political clash rekindles NLL dilemma
In the crucial weeks ahead of the presidential election, rival parties have been wrangling over the allegation surrounding late President Roh Moo-hyun’s stance on the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea.The dispute over whether the past government suggested it was willing to compromise over the NLL exposed not only the internal split in South Korea but a deeper dilemma faced by the peninsula that remains technically at war.Opinions vary on whether the NLL can or should be defined as a territoria
Nov. 6, 2012
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NLL is a non-aggression line upheld by all past governments
Rep. Baek Kun-ki of the Democratic United Party demanded the conservatives stop distorting the party’s stance on the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea in an attempt to affect the outcome of the presidential election. Baek, a former four-star Army general, says that the NLL is clearly defined as a “line of non-aggression” and that the Saenuri Party’s referring to it as a territorial demarcation is misleading. “The documented agreement between the South and the North clearly states that it (the
Nov. 6, 2012
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DUP should clarify alleged renouncement of NLL
Rep. Song Young-keun of the ruling Saenuri Party regards the Northern Limit Line as an official border that Seoul should defend at any cost.“The Democratic United Party stresses a peaceful coexistence but (the NLL) is a matter of national security over which no compromise should be allowed,” the former chief of Defense Intelligence Command said.“North Korea had raised no objection for 20 years before it suddenly claimed jurisdiction of Yeonpyeong and the other four islands in the West Sea in 197
Nov. 6, 2012
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Park proposes office in Pyongyang
Saenuri Party candidate Rep. Park Geun-hye said on Monday she would push to establish representatives’ offices in Seoul and Pyongyang to normalize strained bilateral ties.During a press conference on her diplomacy, security and unification policies, she promised a “flexible and balanced” approach in handling North Korea, expressing her willingness to meet its leader Kim Jong-un. Park also stressed “comprehensive defense capabilities” to deter Pyongyang’s provocations through the long-standing al
Nov. 5, 2012
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Welfare key campaign agenda for big three
Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye pledges to introduce one month’s paid paternity leave so fathers can take care of their newborn babies. Democratic United Party nominee Moon Jae-in seeks to halve the costs of child care, education and medical services. Independent Ahn Cheol-soo is laying out a future in which no elderly people are below the poverty line and public housing accounts for 10 percent of people’s homes. Welcome to the welfare state as envisioned by the three main presidential can
Nov. 5, 2012
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New choices spice up Park’s campaign
From a maverick female CEO to a former political enemy, Park Geun-hye’s campaign team has no shortage of egos loved and hated by the public. The member of her cadre that stands out most is Kim Sung-joo, the chairwoman and CEO of Sungjoo Group and MCM Holdings AG.With her short spiky hairdo, bold makeup, fearless manner and signature red sneakers, Kim sticks out from the crowd of stiff, middle-aged figures in dark suits. In announcing Kim as one of the four co-chairs of the election committee las
Nov. 5, 2012
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Park keeps aides close, but not too close
Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye is well-known for being picky in choosing her people. Efficiency comes before personal history. Devotion and principle are said to be priority considerations. She keeps her aides close but not too close, giving her the image of being “uncommunicative.”“Her style of making personnel decisions is shown through the uncommunicativeness between Park and her various committees, not to mention the lack of communication amongst the committees,” said politics profess
Nov. 5, 2012
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Park’s ‘dream team’ volatile but ambitious
Boasting high-profile figures and mammoth organizational power, the campaign machine of Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye is overflowing, enthusiastic and boisterous.Her team is comprised of some of the nation’s most influential politicians, seasoned bureaucrats, high-flying business executives and prominent experts.From the outset of her campaign, Park prioritized unity and reform in her personnel decisions, leading to recruitment from all walks of life and both sides of the political spect
Nov. 5, 2012
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Moon, Ahn agree on private talks on unified candidacy
Two opposition presidential candidates will meet Tuesday to discuss the proposed candidacy unification and political reforms, their aides said.The meeting was arranged soon after independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo expressed his willingness in a public speech Monday to accept his Democratic United Party counterpart Moon Jae-in’s overtures. The two candidates have long been expected to merge their campaigns to fight Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye, who is ahead of both in a three-way race in opinio
Nov. 5, 2012
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Special counsel to grill first lady in Lee retirement home scandal
The special counsel team investigating a property scandal ensnaring the presidential family said Monday they will question first lady Kim Yoon-ok.“We have reached a decision to question first lady Kim,” assistant special counsel Lee Chang-hoon said in a press briefing. “We’re now in the process of consulting with Cheong Wa Dae to finetune the method and timing of an interview.”Options being discussed include a face-to-face inquiry at the team’s office in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul; the presiden
Nov. 5, 2012
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Lee to visit Indonesia, Thailand for democracy forum, economic cooperation talks
(Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will visit Indonesia for an international democracy forum this week on a trip that will also take him to Thailand for summit talks aimed at boosting economic cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation, his office said Sunday. Lee will depart for the Indonesia resort island of Bali on Wednesday to attend the Bali Democracy Forum set for Thursday and Friday. Lee plans to deliver a keynote speech at the conference expected to be attended by repre
Nov. 4, 2012
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Ex-ruling party chief Hong selected as candidate for South Gyeongsang Province governor
(Yonhap) -- The ruling Saenuri Party selected former party chief Hong Joon-pyo as its candidate for governor of South Gyeongsang Province in a primary election on Sunday, officials said. Hong, who served as party chief last year, clinched the nomination, as he won 3,024 votes in a primary held at an indoor stadium in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Rep. Suh Byung-soo announced. Changwon Mayor Park Wan-soo came in second with 2,788 votes. The governor post has been vacant
Nov. 4, 2012
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S. Korea's ruling party demands N. Korea stop intervening in election
(Yonhap) -- South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party on Sunday demanded North Korea stop intervening in the South's upcoming presidential election, saying most South Korean voters would not be moved by the communist nation's propaganda. On Saturday, the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, a powerful party organization, openly called for an opposition victory in the Dec. 19 election, denouncing the Saenuri Party as a "disaster" that brews "all sources of misfortune" for Koreans
Nov. 4, 2012
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Candidates’ women pitch sparks rancor
Saenuri Party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye had refrained from using her gender in her campaign. Emphasizing the fact that she could become the nation’s first woman president is considered a double-edged sword as it could rally female votes, but could also backfire in a society where men are still dominant and security is a top concern.When she brought the issue to the forefront last week, it stirred a rancorous dispute. But the losing side appears to be her opponents who met a torrent of
Nov. 4, 2012
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Ahn’s priority ― support start-ups, protect consumers
Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo has drawn up a list of potential reforms and policies for the Korean financial market with the priority given to boosting start-ups, protecting consumers and helping credit delinquents to get back on their feet.The Ahn camp’s reform plans revealed Sunday also include restructuring and overhauling the Financial Supervisory Commission, Korea’s financial regulatory and policymaking body that has been highly criticized for failing to monitor and preve
Nov. 4, 2012
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Candidates seek gains in murky race
Uncertainty still prevails in a tight presidential race with the two major opposition candidates struggling over unified candidacy and the ruling party flag-bearer seeking to widen her popularity gap with her rivals.Little progress has yet been made in the opposition’s talks over a unified candidacy as the Democratic United Party’s candidate Rep. Moon Jae-in and independent Ahn Cheol-soo are in a tug of war over the timing and method for their likely merger.Meanwhile, Rep. Park Geun-hye, standar
Nov. 4, 2012
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Supreme Court rules on origin of cattle
The nation’s top court has ruled that cattle born in other areas but raised in Hoengseong for a certain period of time can be labeled as “Hoengseong hanwoo,” officials said Friday.Hoengseong is a rural area in Gangwon Province, about 137 kilometers east of Seoul, famous for its high-quality hanwoo beef. Hoengseong beef is recognized as a premium product, and usually fetches high prices.Annulling a lower court’s guilty verdicts for three people, including a suspect surnamed Kim, for violating the
Nov. 2, 2012
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Rightists unify candidacy for Seoul education chief
A former education minister was chosen as the single candidate of the conservative side for the upcoming re-election of the city’s education chief, officials in charge of the process said Friday.The need for a re-election of superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education came after Kwak No-hyun was stripped of the post in September after the confirmation of a one-year prison term for him, for bribing a fellow liberal candidate to withdraw his candidacy in the 2010 election.Under th
Nov. 2, 2012
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Accusations fly as fight rages over voting hours
The three major presidential camps are at loggerheads over a proposed extension of voting hours which would have a significant impact on the outcome of the closely fought presidential election.“The right to participate in politics is not the subject of a joke. Park’s comment that it was reported incorrectly and turning the blame on the media made a joke of the public,” said Park Gwang-on, spokesman for opposition Democratic United Party nominee Moon Jae-in’s election committee. He was referring
Nov. 2, 2012