Most Popular
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[Weekender] Geeks have never been so chic in Korea
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N. Korea says it test-fired tactical ballistic missile with new guidance technology
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NewJeans members submit petitions over court injunction in Hybe-Ador conflict
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[News Focus] Mystery deepens after hundreds of cat deaths in S. Korea
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S. Korea's exports of instant noodles surpass $100m for 1st time in April: data
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[Herald Interview] Byun Yo-han's 'unlikable' character is result of calculated acting
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[KH Explains] Why Korea's so tough on short selling
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US military commander in S. Korea during Gwangju uprising dies
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Actors involved in past controversies return first via streaming service originals
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[Photo News] Seoul seeks 'best sleeper'
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[Newsmaker] Embattled human rights chief clings onto post
It appears that nobody wants him back except President Lee Myung-bak and his advisers. Lee’s reappointment of National Human Rights Commission chief Hyun Byung-chul for another term Monday was met with excoriation from all walks of life. Civic groups staged a protest Tuesday at the commission office in downtown Seoul to stop the infamous commissioner accused of ethical lapses from coming to work. Other activists denounced the reappointment as reversing the nation’s human rights development.The m
Aug. 14, 2012
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Saenuri rejects request to reconsider expulsion
The ruling Saenuri Party’s ethics committee on Tuesday rejected the request by former lawmaker Hyun Ki-hwan, implicated in a cash-for-nomination scandal, to reconsider his expulsion, as prosecutors stepped up their probe with the arrest of a suspected middle man.“The decision by the ethics committee (last week) was made lawfully and the applicant’s request for reconsideration did not qualify,” said committee chairman Rep. Kyung Dae-soo.Hyun’s expulsion will be finalized at the Supreme Council on
Aug. 14, 2012
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Ruling party to expel scandal-ridden member
The ruling Saenuri Party said Tuesday it has rejected an appeal request by a member allegedly implicated in a money-for-nomination scandal ahead of April's parliamentary election.The party's central ethics committee said it has carefully examined the request made by Hyun Ki-hwan, and decided arguments raised did not warrant a reconsideration of its earlier decision to expel the former lawmaker.The
Aug. 14, 2012
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Leading labor group withdraws support for progressive party
South Korea's progressive umbrella union on Tuesday announced it will withdraw support for the minor Unified Progressive Party (UPP), citing failure of the party to push forward meaningful reforms.The decision by the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) made in an 11 hour-long marathon discussion session, comes after the UPP failed last month to pass a motion expelling Reps. Lee Seok-ki and
Aug. 14, 2012
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Feud between Park Geun-hye, Kim Moon-soo intensifies
Deepening row stimulates otherwise dull primaryThe feud between the ruling Saenuri Party presidential frontrunner Park Geun-hye and runner-up Kim Moon-soo is heating up, adding spice to the otherwise dull primary race in its final week. Gyeonggi Gov. Kim has been escalating his negative campaign against former chairwoman Park recently, which observers view may be an attempt to solidify his No. 2 place in the party. The Saenuri Party is set to elect its final presidential candidate at a national
Aug. 13, 2012
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Lee blasts Japan for not admitting its past atrocities
President calls for bipartisan support over Dokdo issuePresident Lee Myung-bak lashed out at Japan for failing to sincerely acknowledge its wartime atrocities and apologize in a speech during his landmark visit to Dokdo on Friday, a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Monday.“(The issue of wartime sex slaves) will not be settled forever as they die with the passing of time,” Lee was quoted as saying by the official who declined to be named.“It has yet to make a sincere apology for its aggression
Aug. 13, 2012
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Lee presses ahead with appointment of rights chief
President Lee Myung-bak approved the appointment of the current chief of the National Human Rights Commission for another term despite opposition allegations of a series of ethical lapses against him, the presidential spokesman said Monday.In June, Lee named Hyun Byung-chul for another three-year term at the helm of the commission, but the nomination has since been dogged by opposition accusations that he is unfit for the job as his ethical standards are questionable.The opposition raised allega
Aug. 13, 2012
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Election body set to ban Ahn charity
Activity by potential presidential candidate’s foundation may break law, NEC saysSouth Korea’s election watchdog is expected to ban the charity activities by a foundation being set up by Ahn Cheol-soo, a software entrepreneur-turned-professor, as he is considered a potential presidential candidate, officials said Monday.“After looking into possible election law violations by the foundation, we have concluded that monetary contributions or donations made under the name of the Ahn Cheol-soo Founda
Aug. 13, 2012
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Ahn Cheol-soo foundation under probe for election law violation
South Korea's election watchdog said Monday it is looking into possible election law violations by a foundation that is being set up by Ahn Cheol-soo, a software entrepreneur-turned-professor who may have presidential ambitions.A source at the National Election Commission (NEC) said that there is a need to see if the public foundation that Ahn said he will create conflicts with an existing electio
Aug. 13, 2012
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Seoul rebuffs Japan’s legal action on Dokdo
Tokyo plans to set up body dedicated to handle territorial disputes: reportSouth Korea will not respond to Japan’s move to take the issue of Dokdo to an international court, a senior Seoul official said Saturday, amid fresh tension following President Lee Myung-bak’s unprecedented visit to the islets.Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba told reporters on the day that Tokyo would consider measures to settle the issue, including referring the case to the International Court of Justice.“Japan’s
Aug. 12, 2012
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The battle for Jeju’s naval base
‘Base crucial to nation’s strategic interest’When former Navy Chief of Staff Kim Sung-chan was chosen as the Saenuri Party’s candidate in the April parliamentary elections, it was viewed to represent the ruling party’s determination to go ahead with the planned Jeju naval base construction.After leading the effort to persuade and deal with the opponents, Kim said he was confident about carrying on the fight at the National Assembly if he had to.“The naval base in Jeju is something that is utterl
Aug. 12, 2012
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Controversial project emerges as campaign issue
Assembly Voice looks into critical issues and controversial bills through a series of interviews with rival lawmakers who lead the debate at the National Assembly ― Ed. The Supreme Court last month gave the green light to the Navy’s plan to construct a new base on Jeju Island. But the ruling is seen unlikely to end the long-standing dispute as opposition parties, civic activists and village residents remain defiant and gear themselves up to use the presidential election in December to bolster th
Aug. 12, 2012
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DUP official accused of groping reporter
The ruling Saenuri Party accused the main opposition party of trying to conceal an incident involving the molestation of a female reporter by one of its officials.In a briefing Rep. Shin Yee-jin, a Saenuri spokeswoman, said a Democratic United Party staff director molested a reporter in a taxi cab early last month.She said that the female reporter complained to both her company and the DUP but both tried to keep the incident from becoming public.“The DUP should take steps to tackle its culture o
Aug. 12, 2012
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Saenuri committee to grill duo over cash for nominations
The ruling Saenuri Party’s investigation committee for the cash-for-nomination scandal will question Rep. Hyun Young-hee and former lawmaker Hyun Ki-hwan early this week.The committee was formed as the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office accelerated its investigation by seeking the detention of Jo Gi-moon, a former PR official of the Saenuri’s Busan branch who allegedly delivered bribes from Rep. Hyun Young-hee to former lawmaker Hyun Ki-hwan in March. It is alleged that Rep. Hyun Young-hee offer
Aug. 12, 2012
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Korea-Japan relationship suffers sudden slump
Experts call for more strategic considerations from Seoul in its diplomatic decisionsThe relationship between South Korea and Japan has suffered its biggest setback in recent memory after President Lee Myung-bak made an unprecedented visit to Dokdo on Friday in a symbolic response to Tokyo’s growing claims to the islets. Japan’s political right has increasingly voiced claims to Korea’s easternmost islets while pushing to become a “normal state” with a full-fledged military ahead of possible parl
Aug. 12, 2012
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U.N. leader set to arrive in S. Korea for 4-day visit
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is set to arrive in South Korea on Saturday for a four-day visit to attend an international maritime conference and the closing ceremony for the World Expo in Yeosu, Seoul officials said. Ban is scheduled to give a keynote speech at the global conference on Sunday to mark the 30th anniversary of the opening for signature of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the S
Aug. 11, 2012
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Ex-head of progressive party appears before police for questioning
The former head of a minor opposition party voluntarily appeared before police on Saturday to receive questioning over her alleged involvement in rigging a voter survey ahead of April's general elections.Police said Lee Jung-hee, the former co-chairperson of the left-wing Unified Progressive Party (UPP), appeared for questioning in the afternoon, accompanied by her lawyer. Police earlier requested
Aug. 11, 2012
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Motorcyclist throws brick through door of S. Korean consulate in Hiroshima
(123rf)A motorcyclist wearing a helmet threw a brick through the glass entrance door of the South Korean consulate office in Hiroshima on early Saturday, consulate officials said, amid diplomatic tensions over the unprecedented visit by President Lee Myung-bak to Seoul's easternmost islets of Dokdo, which Tokyo has long claimed as its own.No one was hurt in the apparent attack that left a hole in
Aug. 11, 2012
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Nomination scandal hurts Park’s ratings
The approval ratings of top presidential contender Park Geun-hye slipped more than two percentage points as her conservative ruling party took a beating over allegations one of its lawmakers bribed her way into parliament, polls showed Friday.Park’s rating stood at 36.4 percent in a survey of 1,500 people on Wednesday and Thursday, down from 39 percent during the same period last week, according to polling agency Realmeter. A similar survey by Gallup Korea showed an approval rating of 35 percent
Aug. 10, 2012
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Rival parties differ over president’s Dokdo visit
Political parties differed Friday over the first-ever visit by a Korean president to Dokdo.The ruling Saenuri Party praised the visit saying it was “meaningful by showing the Republic of Korea’s determination to protect its territory.”The main opposition Democratic United Party expressed caution and undermined the visit by demanding that pending issues such as the demand for Tokyo’s compensation for crimes during the colonial period should be prioritized instead.The parties’ mixed responses came
Aug. 10, 2012