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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Rare mid-May heavy snow warning issued over mountainous areas of Gangwon
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S. Korea, Cambodia forge strategic partnership
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Ahn supporters launch unofficial fan club
Supporters of Ahn Cheol-soo are set to form a “fan club” to support his political career, though the entrepreneur-turned-professor has not yet confirmed his stance on the issue.The organization titled “Nacheolsoo,” an abbreviation for the Korean catchphrase, “my dream, Cheol-soo’s dream, many people’s dream,” will hold its inauguration ceremony Thursday morning, officials said Tuesday.The event is to take place at the Korea Press Foundation building, where the press conference for Ahn’s charity
Feb. 8, 2012
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DUP calls for U.S. FTA revision within month
Leader vows to scrap pact; party sends correspondence to U.S. presidentThe main opposition Democratic United Party once again pressed the government to renegotiate the disputed clauses of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement within the month.It also threatened to repeal the pact altogether if the party takes power in this year’s elections, should the deal take effect as scheduled without the requested revisions.The trade deal, first signed in 2007 and then modified in December 2010, was approved
Feb. 8, 2012
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Parties in row over selection of candidates
Rival political parties faced internal criticism Wednesday over their candidate selection rules which favor fresh, young and female figures over incumbents. In the main opposition Democratic United Party, a decision by its leaders to nominate women in at least 15 percent of tconstituencies provoked uproar among male party members. “If the rule is kept unchanged, all of the female candidates who have registered their preliminary candidacy so far will be given the ticket,” said Kim Doo-soo, a form
Feb. 8, 2012
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Saudi oil minister agrees to try to help ensure stable crude supply to Korea
RIYADH (Yonhap News) -- Saudi Arabia's oil minister agreed Tuesday to try to help ensure a stable supply of crude to South Korea, officials said, as Seoul prepares to cut back on imports from Iran in line with U.S. sanctions.Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali al-Naimi made the commit
Feb. 8, 2012
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Lee arrives in Saudi Arabia on mission to ensure stable supply of oil
RIYADH, Feb. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday on a mission to win commitment from one of the world's largest oil producers to export more crude to the Asian nation after it cuts back on imports from Iran.The three-day trip to Riyadh comes as South
Feb. 7, 2012
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Moon takes on conservatives on enemy turf
Moon Jae-in, a surging presidential candidate of the liberal opposition, aims to prove his mettle in Busan.He is running for a parliamentary seat there in the port city where no liberal politician, even the former President Roh Moo-hyun, has won. Moon, a lifelong friend and aide to Roh and now head of a foundation named after the late liberal leader, has registered his candidacy for the April 11 general election in a constituency of Sasang, a industrial district in the southern port city. At sta
Feb. 7, 2012
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Saenuri confirms new logo, party colors
Council remains firm on new name, despite opposition from some membersThe ruling Saenuri Party confirmed its new logo and name, and changed the party’s color from blue to red and white.The party’s emergency leadership council, led by Rep. Park Geun-hye, agreed on the new set of symbols in its general meeting on Tuesday, according to officials.“The red and white motif is derived from the traditional Taegeuk pattern drawn on the Korean national flag,” said a party official.“The white stands for th
Feb. 7, 2012
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Seoul to end free lease to Chun’s staff
City’s decision comes as former president has yet to pay provincial taxesSeoul City has notified the police that it will stop lending the land used for the staff guarding the Seoul home of former President Chun Doo-hwan, citing reasons including his unpaid provincial taxes.Since the notification to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Monday, criticism has surfaced over his failure to pay taxes and the amount of state money spent on protecting his residence.The police security staff for Chun,
Feb. 7, 2012
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Park Geun-hye says will not run for April's general elections
(Yonhap News)Rep. Park Geun-hye, chairwoman of the ruling Saenuri Party’s emergency leadership council, declared on Tuesday that she will not run in the upcoming general elections.The decision by the presidential hopeful is expected to further press other senior lawmakers to give up their candidacy
Feb. 7, 2012
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Korea, Turkey agree to resume nuke plant talks
Leaders also agree on Seoul’s participation in $2b thermal power projectSouth Korea and Turkey on Sunday agreed to resume stalled negotiations on Ankara’s project to construct a nuclear power plant and seek an early conclusion of bilateral free trade negotiations, possibly in the first half of this year.The agreement was made during talks between President Lee Myung-bak and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, Turkey ― the first leg of Lee’s eight-day tour that includes visit
Feb. 6, 2012
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Ahn mentions role in social change
Popular professor outlines charity foundation plan; ‘Politics could be one of the means of contribution’Software entrepreneur-turned-professor Ahn Cheol-soo, said at a press conference to introduce his new charity that his essential goal was to contribute to society, but that politics could also be one way of doing that.“Throughout my entire life, I have sought ways to contribute to the qualitative growth of our society and politics could be one of them,” Ahn said on Monday.His words came in res
Feb. 6, 2012
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DUP to use mobile vote in nominations
The main opposition Democratic United Party once again decided to introduce a mobile voting system in selecting its candidates for the upcoming April general elections.The decision was made by the party’s Supreme Council and executive committee on Monday, according to officials.The left-wing’s mobile voting has so far proved to be influential, especially in the candidate unification for last year’s Seoul mayoral by-election and the recent party leadership election.Over 640,000 citizens unaffilia
Feb. 6, 2012
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Saenuri starts candidate selection
Tough vetting could drive former veterans to run as independentsThe ruling Saenuri Party on Monday began its candidate nomination process for the April 11 parliamentary election, hoping to find new faces who can help the party turn its flagging fortunes around. For five days until Friday, it will accept applications from those wishing to run in 245 district constituencies under its banner. Vetting of the applicants will begin on Feb. 16, party officials said. Formerly the Grand National Party, i
Feb. 6, 2012
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Foreign ministry to set up deliberation committee for press statements
In the latest effort to restore its tarnished image following a stock manipulation scandal involving diplomats, the foreign ministry said Monday that it will set up a committee to deliberate press statements before their release. Wrapping up a months-long probe, state auditors concluded late last month that Kim Eun-seok, the ministry‘s ambassador for energy and resources, had played a role in inflating the stock prices of CNK International by deliberately exaggerating the volume of diamond reser
Feb. 6, 2012
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Ahn leaves room for political debut
SNU professor outlines charity foundation plan, says politics could be one way of contributing to society Software entrepreneur-turned-professor Ahn Cheol-soo, said at a press conference to introduce his new charity that his essential goal was to contribute to society, but that politics could a
Feb. 6, 2012
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Korea, Turkey agree to work for early conclusion of FTA
Lee calls for support for Korean firms trying to expand investment, presence in TurkeyISTANBUL (Yonhap News) -- South Korea and Turkey agreed Sunday to work together to conclude their free trade negotiations at an early date, possibly in the first half of the year, and resume stalled negotiations on
Feb. 6, 2012
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Ruling party considers free breakfast at schools
The ruling party, having changed its name to Saenuri, is now considering free breakfast at public schools as one of the party’s campaign pledges in the upcoming April general elections.Reform-minded members of the party also suggested raising the monthly salary of soldiers as part of the social welfare program.“Up to 36.9 percent of teenage students reportedly skip breakfast because of their tight academic timetable or the lack of parental care at home,” said Rep. Nam Kyung-pil, a leading reform
Feb. 6, 2012
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Parties seek public say in candidate selection
Skeptics raise concerns about exacerbating ‘digital divide,’ succumbing to populismThe following is the sixth of a series of articles on Korean politics of 2012, an election year when general and presidential elections are taking place in the same year for the first time since 1992. ― Ed.Rival parties are poised to introduce a set of new methods in their candidate nomination process for the April 11 general elections as they are struggling to woo voters disenchanted with partisan politics.The me
Feb. 6, 2012
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Additional cold snaps expected this month
Though the recent freeze faltered over the weekend, another cold snap is expected to sweep over the peninsula in the latter part of the month, according to the state weather agency Sunday.Temperatures will drop below zero this week and once again fall drastically during the last few days of the month, due to the combination of the continental high pressure and the Arctic influence.“The cold continental high pressure remained in a lull until last month but has recently taken an upturn,” said an o
Feb. 6, 2012
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Ruling party considers free breakfast at schools
Reformer Nam suggests meal plan as election pledge; observers call it inconsistent with its past policiesThe ruling party, having changed its name to Saenuri is now considering the changed policy of offering free breakfast at public schools as one of the party’s campaign pledges in the upcoming Apri
Feb. 5, 2012