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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S. Korea, Cambodia forge strategic partnership
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Rare mid-May heavy snow warning issued over mountainous areas of Gangwon
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Former P.M. Aso seeks to meet Lee
Former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso is reportedly seeking to meet President Lee Myung-bak this week to deliver Tokyo’s message on improving the bilateral ties strained over the diplomatic spat surrounding Dokdo.Kyodo News reported Saturday that Aso, who held the premiership from September 2008 for one year, was to visit Seoul on Sunday and have talks with Lee at the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae the next day.Aso of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party is expected to deliver a
Oct. 7, 2012
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Presidential trio in dead heat
Park ties with Ahn, Moon in hypothetical match-upsThe race for next presidency is turning into a dead heat, with the conservative ruling party’s long-time frontrunner slumping to a tie with her two liberal contenders, latest polls showed Sunday. According to the Oct. 4-5 poll by Gallup Korea, Park Geun-hye of the Saenuri Party tied in hypothetical two-way races with her main rivals -― independent Ahn Cheol-soo and Moon Jae-in of the liberal opposition Democratic United Party. The supposed Park-A
Oct. 7, 2012
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Ahn vows closer cooperation with N. Korea to promote peace
Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo vowed to seek closer dialogue and cooperation with North Korea as he announced his first official set of election pledges on Sunday. "Upon the basis of firm security, I will facilitate peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation between the South and the North," the computer technology mogul-turned-politician said in a news co
Oct. 7, 2012
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Former P.M. Aso seeks to meet Lee
Former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso is reportedly seeking to meet President Lee Myung-bak next week to deliver Tokyo’s message on improving the bilateral ties strained over the diplomatic spat surrounding Dokdo. Kyodo News reported Saturday that Aso, who held the premiership from September 2008 for a year, hopes to visit Seoul on Sunday and have talks with Lee at the presidential office of Ch
Oct. 6, 2012
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Presidential race in dead heat
(Yonhap) -- South Korea's presidential contest is in a dead heat, with a survey released Saturday showing ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye tied in hypothetical two-way races with her two main rivals, opposition candidate Moon Jae-in and independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo. Park and Moon tied at 47 percent of support in a supposed two-way race, while she also tied with Ahn at 47 percent of s
Oct. 6, 2012
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Lee yields, names special counsel for home probe
Bowing to pressure from political parties, President Lee Myung-bak on Friday appointed an independent counsel to probe suspicions concerning a canceled plan to build his retirement home.Progressive lawyer Lee Kwang-bum will head the special investigation into the scandal involving his son and aides. The former judge was one of two candidates recommended by the opposition Democratic United Party earlier this week along with lawyer Kim Hyeong-tae. “The president has made the nomination, thinking t
Oct. 5, 2012
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‘Military bases exposed on Google satellite images’
An opposition lawmaker claimed Friday Korea’s military bases are exposed to the Google Maps satellite service accessible to any user online.Satellite images from the popular GPS-based program have allowed the general public to view some of the country’s key military bases since its service launch in 2001, according the report presented to the Ministry of National Defense by Rep. Kim Kwang-jin of the Democratic United Party.He took examples of the Defense Security Command building in Gyeonggi Pro
Oct. 5, 2012
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‘Ahn will remain in race but unlikely to create new party’
A key aide said Friday independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo will remain in the presidential race until the end, further complicating the prospect of a single opposition candidacy against Saenuri nominee Park Geun-hye.When asked whether the former software businessman and professor would run till the end during a radio interview with PBC, Keum Tae-sup, an attorney and situation room chief for Ahn’s campaign, said, “Of course.” Ahn is widely expected to ally with Rep. Moon Jae-in, the main oppositi
Oct. 5, 2012
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Ex-chief of staff to Kim DJ joins Park’s campaign
The right-hand man of deceased former President Kim Dae-jung on Friday joined Saenuri Party nominee Park Geun-hye’s campaign, which strives to win over liberal voters and the southwestern region of Jeolla, Kim’s stronghold.Han Gwang-ok, Kim’s chief of staff, defended his defection as “an act to fight regionalism and bridge the divide between liberals and conservatives.”“Regionalism is a societal ill that we must not pass to future generations,” he said in a press conference at the headquarters o
Oct. 5, 2012
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Saenuri struggles with internal feud
Leaders refuse reformists’ call for drastic reshuffle of party and campaignersThe ruling Saenuri Party’s leaders and presidential nominee were struggling Friday to contain an internal feud fanned by reformists’ call for a drastic reshuffle of the party organs.The party’s leadership panel urged unity and harmony, effectively turning down the demand for personnel changes. “It is not feasible to demand (that the leadership resign en masse),” party chairperson Rep. Hwang Woo-yea told reporters after
Oct. 5, 2012
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Saenuri reformists call for retreat of Park faction
With the ruling Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate Rep. Park Geun-hye languishing in opinion polls, reformist members called for a major reshuffle, demanding that pro-Park figures take a step back from the election front lines.In a closed-door meeting of the party’s lawmakers Thursday, Yoo Seong-min, vice chairman of the election committee, demanded the resignation of all leading members of the party organization and the campaign office.“The party should leave all options open including the
Oct. 4, 2012
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Voters in 40s, ‘PK region’ key to election result
Korea Herald survey shows Park keeping lead but lagging behind in two-way racesVoters in their 40s and those living in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province who are open to ideological standings and prefer practical economic measures are likely to decide the upcoming Dec. 19 presidential election, a survey commisioned by The Korea Herald showed Thursday.The ruling Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate Rep. Park Geun-hye maintained her slim lead against her progressive rivals in a three-way
Oct. 4, 2012
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Fringe candidates hope to have some impact
The December presidential election is being spiced up by minor league candidates with small but not insignificant approval ratings. Excluding the major players ― Ahn Cheol-soo, Moon Jae-in and Park Geun-hye ― there are five minor presidential hopefuls so far.The list includes former public prosecutor and civic activist Kang Ji-won, former chairwoman of the Unified Progressive Party Lee Jung-hee and lawyer Lee Kun-kae.The probability of one of the minor players winning the election is close to ze
Oct. 4, 2012
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Moon names campaign team
Democratic United Party presidential candidate Moon Jae-in named 10 lawmakers and social activists to lead his presidential campaign on Thursday.The 10 who will lead Moon’s campaign are Reps. Park Young-sun, Lee In-young, Lee Hack-young, Chun Soon-ok and Lee Nak-yon; poet Ahn Do-hyun; Youth Community Union leader Kim Young-kyung; former lawmaker Kim Boo-gyum; former director of NGO People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy Kim Min-young; and Je Yoon-kyung, CEO of the social enterprise Edu-
Oct. 4, 2012
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Parties bicker over Lee home probe
Two sides clash over president’s rejection of counsel nomineesRival parties on Thursday clashed after President Lee Myung-bak’s office rejected both opposition-named independent counsel candidates to probe a scandal over his retirement home plan.The main opposition Democratic United Party sharply criticized Lee as it seeks to make the probe a key campaign issue for the Dec. 19 presidential election, while the ruling Saenuri Party strived to contain negative fallout on its candidate.Cheong Wa Dae
Oct. 4, 2012
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Rival parties clash over special prosecutor candidates
The ruling and opposition parties clashed Thursday over a presidential office request to renegotiate the appointment of two special counsel candidates tasked with re-investigating allegations of state funds being misused to buy land for President Lee Myung-bak's retirement home.The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae urged political parties to follow the letter of a pact on the appointment of candid
Oct. 4, 2012
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Lee office asks parties to recommend new special prosecutor candidates
President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday boycotted two special counsels recommended by parliament to re-investigate suspicions that taxpayer money was used to buy a plot of land where he had planned to build his retirement home.Last year, Lee bought a land in southern Seoul for about 5.4 billion won with a plan to build his retirement home there when he leaves office in early 2013. He called off the p
Oct. 3, 2012
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Candidates ready pledges in tighter race
Park regroups, Moon gains momentum as Ahn starts tourWith the clock ticking until the Dec. 19 election day, the presidential candidates are sharpening their campaigns in the knowledge that the slightest misstep could lose votes in the cut-throat race.The ruling Saenuri Party’s Rep. Park Geun-hye gained an edge against her progressive contenders over the national Chuseok holiday, with her support rating slightly up in the latest polls by Realmeter. The main opposition Democratic United Party’s R
Oct. 3, 2012
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Maverick human rights lawyer to run for president
Former lawmaker Park Chan-jong will declare his bid to run in the Dec. 19 presidential election in a news conference on Thursday, an association said. He will take part in a nomination race to become the candidate of a moderate civic group launched last month by scholars, experts and activists to field an independent candidate.The human rights lawyer and former five-term lawmaker has drawn public attention with controversial remarks including that the National Assembly should be blown up, and hi
Oct. 3, 2012
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Presidential candidates continue rallying camps
Major presidential candidates are set to finalize the lineup of their campaign teams this week as they strive to secure figures influential and popular enough to win over voters outside of their traditional support bases. Rep. Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party on Wednesday appointed a number of celebrity artists and civic activists to his camp.Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party took the day off for last-minute deliberation in deciding her election committee c
Oct. 3, 2012