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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‘Malice should not undermine the system, social order,’ says Hybe's Bang
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N. Korea slams planned S. Korea-US military drills, warns of 'catastrophic aftermath'
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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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Constitution emerges as key issue
Constitutional reform of the structure of government has been a perennial theme in Korean politics. The issue has been picked up by politicians eager to show their reform credentials or in need of momentum to break through political conundrums. The current single-term, five-year presidency and the concentration of power in the Chief Executive has been an easy target of blame when they faced criticism for corruption, partisan bickering or government incompetence. Barely 50 days before the preside
Nov. 2, 2012
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Campaign for positive online culture draws 100 lawmakers
More than 100 South Korean lawmakers on Friday signed on to a campaign promoting positive online messages, saying they will lead efforts to improve the cyber culture, especially ahead of December’s presidential election.The campaign, dubbed the “Sunfull Movement,” was launched by a university professor in 2007 after two celebrities were driven to suicide by hateful comments on the Internet. “Sunfull” is an abbreviation of the Korean term for “kind reply” and also carries the English meaning, “fu
Nov. 2, 2012
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S. Korean candidate in late dictator dad's shadow
Carrying a bouquet of flowers, South Korean presidential candidate Park Geun-hye stepped forward to honor one of the martyrs in her country's long struggle for democracy. A protester threw himself at her feet. ``How dare you come here?'' the man shouted, sitting between Park and a statue of activist Chun Tae-il. Chun's 1970 labor protest suicide is seen as an expression of dissent against the rule of Park's father, the late president and longtime dictator Park Chung-hee. As cameras flash
Nov. 2, 2012
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Single candidacy fraught with obstacles
Envisioned merger of opposition candidacy is finally on track with independent Ahn Cheol-soo’s campaign hinting its intention this week to ally with the Democratic United Party’s Moon Jae-in.But the path to a real deal remains littered with obstacles from their disparities on timing and methods, to nebulous vision for political reforms, and above all the vested interests within their ranks, experts say.Advocates of the alliance are optimistic, however, given that candidacy amalgamations in past
Nov. 1, 2012
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DUP reform push claims first scalp
Rep. Kim Han-gil of the Democratic United Party resigned as supreme councilor Thursday, calling on other leaders to follow suit to clear the deck for its presidential candidate Moon Jae-in’s drive for party renewal. His departure came as its political reform team was set to propose the resignation of the entire leadership of the party dogged by factional strife. Reform at the party is a key precondition of independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo to agree to ally with Moon. “As presidential candidate
Nov. 1, 2012
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Lee’s older brother questioned
Another family member of President Lee Myung-bak underwent questioning Thursday as part of a probe into his retirement residence plan.Lee Sang-eun, the president’s eldest brother, arrived at 9:50 a.m. at the lobby of the independent counsel team’s office in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, where his nephew and the president’s son, Si-hyung, had been grilled as a criminal suspect for 14 hours last week. “I will tell everything inside,” the 79-year-old chairman of auto parts maker DAS said upon his ar
Nov. 1, 2012
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Defense acquisition agency faces contraction
The Defense Ministry is seeking to take over some of the core functions of the state military acquisition agency, sparking concerns that the move could undermine efforts to enhance transparency and efficiency in carrying out defense projects.The ministry said Wednesday that the Cabinet passed a revision bill on delegating authority to test and evaluate military development projects to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The bill also delegates the authority to set five-year defense acquisition plans to t
Oct. 31, 2012
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Moon lays out welfare plans
Democratic United Party presidential candidate Moon Jae-in pledged Wednesday to increase state benefits and halve the costs of child care, education, medical services and those associated with old age.“For me, Moon Jae-in, (establishing a) welfare state is the philosophy of conducting state affairs and the future strategy for Korea,” Moon told reporters.“A welfare state is the only way for democracy and market economy to exist and advance together.” Welfare has emerged as a key campaign issue as
Oct. 31, 2012
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Ahn draws sword against prosecution
He created one of the world’s first anti-virus computer software programs in 1988. Now, he is aiming to remove the most powerful organ in the prosecution, the Central Investigation Department, a task that every reform-minded administration previously failed at. Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo announced on Wednesday a 10-point action plan to reform the judicial arm of the government. “There have been attempts at reform in the past. But they faced conflict and resistance in variou
Oct. 31, 2012
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Fitness a must for candidates on campaign trail
With fewer than seven weeks to the 19th presidential election, it has become crucial for candidates to maintain their health and fitness to keep up with their grueling campaign schedules.Rep. Park Geun-hye, the flag bearer of the ruling Saenuri Party, is a woman of petite physique but has often proved her stamina by spearheading most of the party’s past key campaigns.Park is a longtime devotee of “danjeon,” or hypogastric breathing, an oriental method of regaining energy and peace of mind, accor
Oct. 31, 2012
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Red, olive, blue: the politics of color
Color used to be a clear-cut indicator of ideological views in Korean politics, with blue symbolizing conservatism and red embodying socialism.For decades successive authoritarian regimes often called progressive intellectuals and activists “ppalgaengi,” a Korean word originally denoting a red fish but which has come to be a Korean equivalent of “commie.” So when the conservative presidential candidate Park Geun-hye changed its representative color to red early this year while renaming her party
Oct. 31, 2012
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Styling the presidential candidates
It is said a person’s style reflects his or her character. In that case, all three of Korea’s major presidential candidates must be modest, neutral and even a little dull.As if by unanimous agreement, all three ― Park Geun-hye of the Saenuri Party, Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party, and independent Ahn Cheol-soo ― appear to prefer achromatic tones as opposed to statement pieces when dressing themselves.To advisers’ recommendation that they consider sprucing up their style, their univoca
Oct. 31, 2012
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Moon ups alliance pressure on Ahn
The Democratic United Party’s presidential campaign team on Tuesday made its most forceful appeal yet of independent Ahn Cheol-soo to start discussing the merging of his candidacy with its candidate Moon Jae-in.“The discussion on single candidacy cannot be delayed anymore,” said Moon’s chief communication man Rep. Woo Sang-ho at a press briefing.“We formally ask Ahn’s side how much longer they wish to delay the discussion,” Woo said, adding that they should start talking next week at the latest
Oct. 30, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Lawmaker in hot seat for sexual remarks
Kim Kwang-jin, 30, stepped into the limelight when the activist from the remote southern city of Suncheon became the 19th National Assembly’s youngest member in April. The baby-faced rookie legislator was also a boon to the main opposition Democratic United Party badly in need of an image makeover. Within less than a week, the party’s best asset turned into its biggest nuisance for retweeting curses against President Lee Myung-bak and hints at kinky sexual preferences. The controversy forced par
Oct. 30, 2012
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Saenuri's new face is rich, liberal and flamboyant
She walks into a room full of conservative power elites donning an Arabic scarf around her neck and red Converse sneakers. She describes progressive presidential candidates Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo as “great figures who should take up key government posts and do important things,” and calls herself a billionaire liberal but says that people should not rely on government to create jobs. Kim Sung-joo, the chairwoman and CEO of Sungjoo Group and MCM Holdings AG, who was recently tapped to co-c
Oct. 30, 2012
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DUP to file charges in NLL dispute
The Democratic United Party is set to file another complaint with the prosecutors’ office over the issues surrounding the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea just as law enforcement authorities prepare to look into charges brought earlier.On Tuesday, DUP lawmakers Reps. Park Beom-kye and Jung Cheong-rae announced that they would file a complaint against senior presidential security secretary Chun Young-woo over his claim to have read the minutes of the 2007 inter-Korean summit between late Presi
Oct. 30, 2012
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Summons of Lee's brother delayed to Thursday
Special prosecutors said Tuesday they have delayed this week's questioning of President Lee Myung-bak's eldest brother over his role in the president's now-scrapped retirement home project by one day at his request.Lee Sang-eun, the 79-year-old chairman of automotive seat maker DAS, is suspected of having played a role in the alleged irregularities by loaning some 600 million won ($542,000) in cash to his nephew and President Lee's only son, Si-hyung, for the land deal in which critics argue tax
Oct. 30, 2012
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S. Korea's spy agency confirms existence of 2007 NLL transcripts: lawmaker
South Korea's spy agency confirmed the existence of a transcript that can shed light on allegations that late President Roh Moo-hyun disavowed the de facto sea border between the two Koreas, a ruling party lawmaker said Monday.Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the parliament's Intelligence Committee for the Saenuri Party, told Yonhap News Agency that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) has the documents.This is the first time that the intelligence service has acknowledged it has the transcrip
Oct. 29, 2012
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After scandals, calls grow for overhaul of nation’s foreign service
This is the fourth and last in the series of articles evaluating the Lee Myung-bak administration’s foreign policy. ― Ed. From a sex scandal to a stock-rigging allegation, corruption and indiscipline among some diplomats have tainted the nation’s foreign service despite the Lee Myung-bak administration’s repeated pledges to clean up officialdom. Experts said that the next president should pay more attention to stamping out irregularities in government bodies and shoring up public trust, based on
Oct. 29, 2012
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Candidates neck and neck with 50 days remaining
With 50 days remaining before the presidential election, the three major candidates are fighting a knife-edge race while their negative campaigns and clashes over an alliance put off debate on policies.Support ratings have changed little for over a month, with Park Geun-hye of the Saenuri Party retaining a slim lead against Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party and independent Ahn Cheol-soo. In two-way mock races, all three continue to run neck-and-neck in their respective match-ups.The thr
Oct. 29, 2012