Most Popular
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‘Gimflation’ in S. Korea as dried seaweed prices grow on rising global demand
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S. Korea's gender pay gap worst in OECD
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Yoon to resume diplomatic activity via 3-way summit with Japan, China
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South Korea unveils W26tr support program for chip industry
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SM, YG Entertainment’s K-pop groups benefit from troubles at Hybe
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S. Korea to hold rotating presidency of UN Security Council next month
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Student nabbed for biking naked 'due to stress'
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Embryo activist: Baby's lawsuit takes on S. Korea climate inaction
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BOK holds rate at 3.5%, ups growth outlook
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Police arrest mastermind behind last year's palace vandalism
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Park loyalist named Saenuri sec.-gen.
A four-term lawmaker close to leading presidential hopeful Park Geun-hye was selected Monday as the secretary general of the ruling Saenuri Party in a move expected to further consolidate Park’s grip over the party seven months ahead of the presidential vote.The selection of Rep. Suh Byung-soo as secretary general is seen as completing a sweep of top party posts by those loyal to Park after the election of Rep. Hwang Woo-yea as party chief and Rep. Lee Hahn-koo as floor leader. Suh will be in ch
May 21, 2012
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Supporters of detainees to appeal to U.N.
Four South Korean human rights activists held in China for more than 50 daysA Korean civic group plans to petition the U.N. to pressure China to release four activists for North Korean human rights, its president told The Korea Herald.The North Korea Democracy Network is also contacting international non-governmental organizations to help Kim Young-hwan and three others arrested in the northeastern city of Dalian on March 29 on suspicion of “threatening national security.”“We learned that it is
May 21, 2012
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Lawmaker close to Park selected as ruling party's secretary general
A four-term lawmaker close to leading presidential hopeful Park Geun-hye was selected Monday as the secretary general of the ruling Saenuri Party in a move expected to further consolidate Park's grip over the party seven months ahead of the presidential vote.As secretary general, Rep. Suh Byung-soo will take care of the budget and other general affairs of the party. Suh's appointment completes a s
May 21, 2012
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Prosecutors raid progressive party over alleged primary fraud
Prosecutors raided the minor opposition Unified Progressive Party (UPP) over allegations of a rigged primary, an official said Monday, amid deepening factional infighting over how to revive the left-wing party.Prosecutors came to the party's headquarters in southeastern Seoul with a warrant, said Lee Jeong-mi, a party spokeswoman.A senior party official and a lawyer were believed to be checking th
May 21, 2012
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UPP on brink of breakup as main faction fights back
Faction launches another emergency panel, key figure Lee Seog-gi resists resignationA faction of the far-left Unified Progressive Party on Sunday launched its own emergency panel, bringing the party closer to the brink of disintegration.The faction is at the center of the devastating vote-rigging scandal that undermined the party’s proclaimed principles of democracy and morality. Its legitimacy as the third-largest party, having captured 13 seats in the April elections, is also being called into
May 20, 2012
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Lee Hoi-chang leaves LFP
Lee Hoi-chang, former leader of the Liberty Forward Party, announced on Sunday he was leaving the conservative minority party, expressing his frustration over last month’s election results.The 76-year-old justice-turned-politician, however, did not say whether he would quit politics altogether, sparking speculation that he may be preparing to ally with a different conservative group ahead of the December presidential vote.“I have led the party based on my conviction and belief that it is safegua
May 20, 2012
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Saenuri consults members on open primary
The ruling Saenuri Party has begun to collect views on the open primary system demanded by some of the party’s presidential hopefuls facing an uphill battle against frontrunner Rep. Park Geun-hye.Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, who was elected the new Saenuri chairperson on Wednesday last week, met with Rep. Chung Mong-joon over the weekend to discuss the nomination process.The party currently picks a presidential candidate through a combination of an electoral college and preliminary opinion polls. The vot
May 20, 2012
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Ha to fight for N.K. human rights bill
Activist-turned-lawmaker says motivated by left-wing resistance in AssemblyRookie Saenuri Party lawmaker Ha Tae-keung has one main aim ― supporting North Korean rights. One of a swath of outsiders recruited by the ruling party to run in the April parliamentary elections, Ha’s career path and political beliefs set him apart from his contemporaries. In the 1980s he was an active member of a student group which was praised for its pro-democracy activism but condemned for the pro-North Korea stance
May 20, 2012
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Japanese lobbying against N.Y. ‘comfort women’ memorial backfires
Japanese officials’ demand to remove a monument dedicated to the memory of wartime sex slaves in New Jersey has backfired, according to the New York Times. The Times said Japanese lobbying to remove the monument had made the Korean community there determined to build more of themAccording to the article, James Rotundo, the mayor of Palisades Park, where the monument is located, said the lobbying began late last month when Japanese officials sent e-mails requesting a meeting with the borough admi
May 20, 2012
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Presidential office holds charity bazaar for underprivileged
South Korea's presidential office held a charity bazaar to raise money for underprivileged people, official sources said Saturday. The event held in front of the main reception center attracted10,000 visitors including residents of nearby neighborhoods andfamily members of employees working at the executive office. President Lee Myung-bak donated a briefcase and necktie, whilefirst lady Kim Yo
May 19, 2012
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Key member of progressive party rejects calls to step down
A key member of the minor opposition Unified Progressive Party embroiled in the ongoing internal feud has made clear he has no intention of giving up his parliamentary seat, sources said Saturday. Talks to convince Lee Seok-gi to step down have made littleheadway, according to Lee Jeong-mi, a spokeswoman for the party'semergency committee set up to deal with allegations of widespreadirregulariti
May 19, 2012
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UPP rocked by pro-North Korea allegations
Reeling from a devastating vote-rigging row, the Unified Progressive Party is now under siege over accusations of pro-communist views among its key figures.The party’s “mainstream” faction derives from the so-called National Liberation crusaders who fought dictatorship in the 1980s and followed North Korea’s political ideology. Some were convicted of pro-North Korean activities and even accused of spying for the communists in the 1990s.The ruling Saenuri Party threatened to veto the UPP lawmaker
May 18, 2012
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Prosecution indicts Lee’s cronies on bribery
The prosecution on Friday indicted Choi See-choong and Park Young-joon on bribery charges as part of its investigation into an influence-peddling scandal involving the members of President Lee Myung-bak’s most trusted circle. Choi, former chairman of the Korea Communications Commission known as Lee’s mentor, is accused of taking a total of 800 million won between July 2006 and February 2008 in bri
May 18, 2012
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Umbrella union demands reform of progressive party
The Korea Confederation of Trade Unions called for stern action against the “mainstream” members of the Unified Progressive Party involved in alleged election fraud and violence against party leaders. The umbrella trade union group is the largest supporter for the leftist minority party. During its central committee meeting, the group called for drastic reform, including the purge of “anti-democratic” elements, of the party as a condition to maintain their alliance.“The UPP chief and KCTU leader
May 17, 2012
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Park GH is only remaining card: ex-Saenuri reformer
A key architect of Saenuri’s revamp calls on ruling party not to be bound by conservatismAs former Saenuri chairwoman Park Geun-hye sat in the front row at the party’s May 15 national convention, a man with an impish grin casually sat behind her, a seat many other party members will have coveted.He looked around the spacious exhibition hall filled with political big-wigs and party delegates, looking half-excited and half-amused at the imposing atmosphere of the event.It was Chung-Ang University’
May 17, 2012
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UPP scandal sways presidential race
DUP rethinks opposition alliance as Saenuri’s popularity soarsThe aftereffects of the minority Unified Progressive Party’s vote-rigging scandal have started to affect the leading parties’ prospects for the year-end presidential election.Reflecting the public’s disappointment in the left-wing, the public polls for the ruling Saenuri Party’s top contestant Rep. Park Geun-hye are once again on the upswing.Leading figures of the main opposition Democratic United Party, on the other hand, hinted at d
May 17, 2012
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Ruling party calls for release of activists detained in China
The ruling Saenuri Party will add its weight to the calls for the release of South Korean human rights activist Kim Young-hwan from the custody of China’s Ministry of State Security.“The party’s opinion that the Chinese authorities should release Kim Young-hwan soon will be delivered to the Chinese Embassy,” Saenuri Party spokesman Lee Sang-il said Wednesday.According to Lee, Saenuri Party lawmakers including Yoo Ki-june called for the South Korean government to summon the Chinese ambassador to
May 16, 2012
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Rhyu rises from the UPP vote-rigging mire
Beaten, insulted and jostled by an angry crowd, Rhyu Si-min looked about to fall down. The thin, feeble-looking man grimaced in pain, his glasses broken and clothes torn. But he never let go of his female colleague during the violent scuffles at the central committee meeting of the Unified Progressive Party on Saturday.The picture of him trying to protect Sim Sang-jeong headlined news media and circulated online. All UPP leaders have resigned, and the party’s image as a representative of the poo
May 16, 2012
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Hwang’s flexibility may aid party stability
Pragmatic and flexible, new Saenuri Party leader Hwang Woo-yea is said to defy stereotypical categorizations of Korean politicians.Hwang, 65, has a long conservative political history, coming into his fifth term on the ticket of the right-wing party, but has also supported some key progressive ideas, including a college tuition cut.He is considered calm and moderate, yet has shown charisma when breaking deadlocks among factions or parties, most recently over the contentious National Assembly Act
May 16, 2012
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UPP panel pledges stern measures
The Unified Progressive Party on Wednesday officially jumpstarted its emergency leadership council to cope with the escalating crisis following its vote-rigging dispute and the violent clash during its recent central committee meeting.The new nine-member panel led by reformers got to a rough start as the mainstreamers and lawmakers-elect at the center of the scandal boycotted the gathering.Four non-mainstream figures have been named to the panel and the remaining five will be selected from labor
May 16, 2012