Most Popular
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Seoul to more than double military drones by 2026 to counter NK threats
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
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Over 60% of S. Koreans support W100m childbirth incentive: survey
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‘Inside Out 2’ adds four new emotions, explores teenage life
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Questions raised over fair promotion of RM, NewJeans
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Ieodo not part of territorial dispute with China: Lee
President Lee Myung-bak stressed Monday that Ieodo, a submerged rock south of Jeju Island, is within South Korea’s jurisdiction, dismissing China’s renewed claim to the economically important maritime area.But he said that the continuing arguments between Seoul and Beijing over the rock were not a “territorial dispute,” in an apparent show of concern that the issue could undermine bilateral ties as the two mark the 20th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.“How we manage the waters near Jej
March 12, 2012
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Some desert, others stay as major parties suffer nomination discord
A senior member of the ruling Saenuri Party pledged his alliance to the party despite a feud over nominations and urged right-wing unity, while defectors from the main opposition Democratic United Party established a new party in reaction to recent nominations.Rep. Kim Moo-sung, former floor leader of Saenuri, said Monday that he would stay in the party, regardless of the nomination results for the April general elections.It was speculated earlier that the fourth-term Busan lawmaker would declar
March 12, 2012
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Han throws barbs at Park in mobile vote controversy
Democratic United Party chairwoman Han Myeong-sook on Monday fired back at Park Geun-hye, the chief of the ruling party who called the opposition group’s mobile phone voting system for its primaries corrupt. “Rep. Park used the phrase ‘an epitome of political corruption’ to describe our mobile voting system. I think that she is the ‘epitome of ignorance’ to say something like that as the leader of the ruling party in this era of 20 million mobile phone users,” Han said in a debate session at the
March 12, 2012
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China’s claim sparks maritime security concerns
‘Seoul should enhance naval capabilities to keep China and Japan in check’China’s renewed claim to jurisdiction over Ieodo, a submerged rock south of Jeju Island, has sparked concerns here over whether South Korea is sufficiently prepared to handle any contingencies threatening its maritime security.In a diplomatic step, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry called in an official from the Chinese Embassy here on Monday, saying that South Korea would sternly deal with any moves to exercise jurisdiction over t
March 12, 2012
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Lee: Ieodo will remain under S. Korea's control
President Lee Myung-bak said Monday it is a matter of course that the rock outcropping of Ieodo off South Korea's Jeju Island will remain under Seoul's control in the future, days after a top Chinese maritime official reportedly laid claim to it.Ieodo, submerged 4.6 meters, lies within the overlappi
March 12, 2012
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Ex-P.M. Chung leaves open possibility of running for president
Former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan said Monday he is leaving open the possibility of running for president in December’s election, though he said he has no intention of seeking a parliamentary seat in next month’s general elections.Chung, who was once considered a potential opposition presidential candidate ahead of the previous presidential election in 2007, later joined the administration of President Lee Myung-bak and served as prime minister from 2009-2010. He currently heads a presidentia
March 12, 2012
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China renews territorial...claim to Ieodo waters
A high-level Chinese official recently renewed a claim to jurisdiction over Ieodo, a submerged rock south of Jeju Island, raising tension as both countries grapple over the repatriation of North Korean defectors.The claim by Liu Cigui, the director of China’s State Oceanic Administration, came amid rising calls from opposition parties here to scrap a project to build a naval base on Jeju. The Seoul government says the base will improve the nation’s maritime security.Local media outlets reported
March 11, 2012
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Signs of conservatives’ division deepen
Dropouts step up moves to form separate conservative forceSigns of division among the country’s conservatives deepened as Saenuri Party members denied candidacy for the forthcoming general elections stepped up moves to run as independents, join another party or form a new one.In particular, Saenuri members loyal to President Lee Myung-bak have strongly resisted the party’s decision not to nominate them, calling it a “massacre,” amid the rise of the faction affiliated with party chairwoman Park G
March 11, 2012
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Liberal opposition forges alliance
DUP, UPP agree to field unified set of candidates to secure majority in next AssemblyThe main opposition Democratic United Party and the far-left Unified Progressive Party on Saturday agreed to form a strategic alliance for the upcoming general elections after more than three weeks of tough negotiations. With the shared goal of securing a majority at the National Assembly, the alliance of the two parties is expected to pose a formidable challenge to the ruling Saenuri Party in the April 11 elect
March 11, 2012
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Parties gear up for legislative election campaigns
Near completion of candidate selection; opposition forms alliance With just one month to go before the legislative election, rival political parties have nearly completed selecting their candidates, a process marred by controversies on both ruling and opposition sides. A few months ago, political observers predicted a sweeping victory for the liberal opposition, citing the widespread public discontent of the incumbent President Lee Myung-bak and his ruling Saenuri Party. However, recent polls su
March 11, 2012
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Liberal parties agree to form alliance for April elections
The leaders of two liberal parties reached an agreement on Saturday to field unified candidates for next month's parliamentary elections to better pit hopefuls against their conservative rivals, party officials said.The main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) and the leftist minor Unified Prog
March 10, 2012
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Senior DUP figure gives up candidacy for April elections
Party leader Han rejects resignation offer of secretary general ImThe main opposition Democratic United Party’s secretary-general Im Jong-seok on Friday offered to resign from his post and dropped his bid for the April 11 general elections, dealing another blow to the party’s leadership troubled by deepening feuds over its nominations.Im has been under pressure to step down amid accusations of illicit political funding. He also has been criticized for mishandling the party’s nomination process a
March 9, 2012
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Prosecutors find evidence of bloated report for CNK
Prosecutors said Friday they found e-mails shared between several officials who are under investigation as part of the probe into CNK International’s stock rigging scandal.The prosecution said the officials, whose names were withheld, said in the e-mails that they “could not make up any more fake materials” to prepare a report overestimating the diamond reserve of a CNK mine in Cameroon at 420 million carrots.The report was later used as a justification for the Foreign Ministry’s press release w
March 9, 2012
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Rep. Chun leaves Saenuri for K Party
Outspoken lawmaker’s move may be followed by those denied nominationsRep. Chun Yu-ok, a leading pro-Lee Myung-bak figure, defected from the ruling Saenuri Party Friday amid a nomination feud and became the first incumbent lawmaker to join the new center-right K Party.Her move led to speculation that other ruling party members may follow suit, in protest of the party’s candidate nominations and Rep. Park Geun-hye’s leadership.“I am breaking away from Saenuri in order to protect the values of cons
March 9, 2012
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Ruling party lawmaker moves to novice conservative party
Rep. Chun Yu-ok quit the ruling Saenuri Party on Friday, accusing it of committing a “massacre of conservatives,” days after she failed to win the party nomination for next month’s general elections.Chun joined the novice conservative Korea Vision Party, claiming that the ruling party has been aband
March 9, 2012
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Secretary general's resignation adds burden to opposition party leadership
The secretary general of the main opposition Democratic United Party quit the post and dropped his bid for next month’s general elections Friday, dealing yet another blow to the party’s leadership beset by deepening feuds over its candidate selection process.Im Jong-seok has been under pressure to s
March 9, 2012
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Arrest warrant rejected for ex-energy ambassador over alleged stock manipulation
A Seoul court said Friday it has rejected prosecutors' request for a warrant to arrest a former energy ambassador, suspected of reaping massive profit from a stock manipulation scheme linked to a diamond mining project in Cameroon.The Seoul Central District Court dismissed the request for the warran
March 9, 2012
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Saenuri Party’s Na not to run in April elections
High-profile former Saenuri Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won gave up her parliamentary bid amid deepening allegations that her judge husband asked a prosecutor in 2005 to charge a blogger for defaming her.The judge-turned-politician had applied for Saenuri nomination in a central Seoul district. “I don’t want to burden the party any more due to the allegations,” she said during a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Seoul.Her husband, Kim Jae-ho, senior judge at Seoul Eastern District Cour
March 8, 2012
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DUP, UPP stretch alliance talks
The main opposition Democratic United Party and the far-left United Progressive Party are moving to form a policy alliance in joint efforts to gain majority power from the conservative ruling party in the upcoming general elections.Observers say that in an apparent bid to court hard-core supporters, the duo is expected to seek a full-scale renegotiation of the Korea-U.S. free trade pact, which will take effect on March 15. They are also likely to put up a united stance against the construction o
March 8, 2012
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Pro-Lee faction leader blasts nominations
Urges Saenuri to stop retaliating; triggers speculation of mass defectionThe ruling Saenuri Party’s feud over election nominations escalated further as leading members of the pro-Lee Myung-bak faction took aim at the party leadership.Rep. Lee Jae-oh, the most influential pro-Lee figure within the party, held a press conference Thursday and broke his long silence, publicly reproaching the leadership of Rep. Park Geun-hye.His forthright comments led to speculation that the pro-Lee group could defe
March 8, 2012