Most Popular
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10-man S. Korea lose to Indonesia to miss out on Paris Olympic football qualification
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Hybe-Ador feud should have limited effect on Hybe's overall performance: analysts
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Second Gimpo civil servant found dead, after apologizing for not finishing work
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DP leader says he will meet Yoon without conditions
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First-ever meeting of president, opposition chief set to finally happen
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NewJeans' singles, Japanese debut to proceed as planned, despite Hybe-Ador feud
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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Experts raise concerns about Japan putting pressure on Naver over Line
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Samsung mobile chief, Google device head meet in Seoul
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Ship linked to NK arms shipments to Russia is moored in China: State Dept.
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Opposition lawmaker demands Park resign
An opposition lawmaker on Sunday demanded the resignation of President Park Geun-hye over alleged irregularities in last year’s presidential election.The statement by Democratic Party Rep. Jang Ha-na added fuel to the ongoing dispute among political parties over government spy agents’ alleged interference in the election. This is the first time an incumbent lawmaker has publicly defied the result of the Dec. 19 election. “President Park may not have directly asked for aid in the election, but ev
Dec. 8, 2013
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Incheon airport union goes on indefinite strike
The non-regular workers’ union at the state-run Incheon International Airport went on an indefinite strike Saturday, calling for higher wages and job security.Up to 700 of the 1,900 union members, who are largely cleaners and facility management workers, joined the action, they said.“There was no reason to delay our protest, as we have not received an answer for our request from the company,” the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ Public Transportation Union said in a statement. “The official
Dec. 8, 2013
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Gvo't unveils measures to encourage offshore work to return home
The South Korean government unveiled a set of measures on Sunday that aims to entice Korean manufacturers operating overseas back to their home country, as well as invest more in a bid to boost jobs here and add vitality to struggling sectors.The incentives center on exempting taxes levied by local governments for five years and cutting the taxes by half for the next two years. Also, companies coming back to their own markets will be offered other benefits, such as increased subsidies to their f
Dec. 8, 2013
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Ahn names co-leaders of 'new politics' committee
Independent lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo on Sunday named four co-leaders of a committee that is charged with preparations to launch a new political party of his own that could change the landscape of South Korea's largely two-party politics.The four co-chairmen of Ahn's so-called "new politics" committee are former science minister Park Ho-koon, former lawmakers Kim Hyo-seuk and Lee Kye-ahn, and Yoon Jang-hyun, a medical doctor and civic activist based in the opposition stronghold city of Gwangju.Ahn
Dec. 8, 2013
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Top prosecutor stresses political neutrality
The newly appointed top prosecutor pledged Friday to establish political neutrality within the prosecution as part of its reform measures, citing growing public distrust.Prosecutor General Kim Jin-tae made the remarks during a meeting attended by a group of senior prosecutors of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and district offices."(The prosecution) must reflect on itself and ask why it is constantly pointed out (by the public) for lacking political neutrality," Kim said, asking them perform the
Dec. 6, 2013
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Progressive Catholic priests berate government, ruling party
Activist priests hit back Thursday accusing the ruling party and the government of insulting and hurting the Catholic Church over the controversial mass held in November. On Nov. 22, members of the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice, belonging to the Jeonju diocese, held a mass in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, calling for President Park Geun-hye to step down. The mass became a sensitive political issue with the ruling Saenuri Party honing in on priest Park Chang-shin’s comments. It appea
Dec. 5, 2013
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Park’s former economic adviser set to leave Saenuri Party
The prime architect of President Park Geun-hye’s so-called “economic democratization” policy hinted on Wednesday he would part ways with the ruling party amid accusations that Park was retracting a key campaign promise. Kim Jong-in, one of the ruling Saenuri Party’s top economic policy advisers to Park during her 2012 presidential campaign, said on a TV show that he was considering ending his affiliation with the Saenuri Party.“I had never been a Saenuri member but they (Saenuri Party officials)
Dec. 5, 2013
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Singaporean leader to visit Seoul next week
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit South Korea next week for talks with President Park Geun-hye. The will mainly discuss ways to enhance economic cooperation, especially in developing future growth engines for their countries, Park’s office said Wednesday.Lee will arrive on Tuesday for a three-day visit. His summit with Park, set for Wednesday, is expected to focus on increasing cooperation in developing new engines to lead future growth, boosting trade and investment, and stren
Dec. 4, 2013
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Independent probe into NIS lurks as pitfall for parliament
Rival parties began reviewing the government’s budget plans on Wednesday, following an agreement the day before on processing reforms of the intelligence agency and election process. But the interparty feud, which has brought the National Assembly to a halt on several occasions this year, appears to be far from over as they still differ on the matter of launching a special counsel investigation into the National Intelligence Service’s alleged election meddling.After both parties made significant
Dec. 4, 2013
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Presidential office confirms official involved in love child scandal leak
The presidential office confirmed Wednesday that a mid-level official was involved in the leak of personal information concerning a child suspected to be the illegitimate son of former Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook. The official, identified by his surname Cho, has been removed from his post and has been put up for disciplinary board review. According to the findings of the presidential office and the prosecution, Cho requested that Cho E-jae, an official at Seocho-gu District Office in south
Dec. 4, 2013
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Parties agree to normalize parliament
Rival parties on Tuesday agreed to form special parliamentary committees on reforming the state spy agency and political procedures. The ruling Saenuri Party and the opposition Democratic Party also agreed to normalize the National Assembly operations Wednesday and pass the government budget bill before the end of the year.But they failed to reach consensus on the main opposition party’s demand for an independent investigation into the National Intelligence Service’s alleged meddling in last yea
Dec. 3, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Ethical question hangs over new minister
New Health and Welfare Minister Moon Hyung-pyo took office Monday with little political capital to use to persuade opposition parties to accept controversial pension schemes and downscaled welfare policies.The main opposition Democratic Party fiercely opposed the appointment of the former government researcher, raising doubts about his ethical standards and leadership competence. The 57-year-old minister has been accused of using a corporate credit card for private purposes at a restaurant in Ga
Dec. 3, 2013
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Parties make no progress on talks to end impasse
The leaders of rival parties failed to narrow their differences Tuesday, raising concerns that the ruling party may go ahead and process next year’s government budget by itself. The chairmen and floor leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party and the opposition Democratic Party met for a second day in a last-minute effort to break the parliamentary gridlock mainly linked to the National Intelligence Service’s alleged role in last year’s presidential election.The talks, however, ended without any signi
Dec. 3, 2013
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Korea, Greece agree to expand bilateral cooperation
The leaders of South Korea and Greece discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in various areas including trade, investment, tourism and infrastructure construction during their talks in Seoul on Tuesday.Presidents Park Geun-hye and Karolos Papoulias focused particularly on their countries’ steady cooperation in the shipbuilding industry. Park called on Papoulias to continue to support South Korean firms’ advance into the Greek market. Papoulias arrived in Seoul on Monday for a four-day s
Dec. 3, 2013
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N.Korean leader’s uncle seen purged
Jang Song-thaek, a key guardian and uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, appears to have been removed from the reclusive state’s power circles, Seoul’s top intelligence agency said Tuesday.The National Intelligence Service said in a report to Rep. Jung Cheong-rae of the main opposition Democratic Party that Jang has been removed from the public eye since two of his closest confidants were executed in mid-November.The two executed officials are reported to be Ri Yong-ha and Jang Su-gil, who
Dec. 3, 2013
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Second session of bipartisan talks ends without agreement
Leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties held a second round of talks Tuesday to discuss a way out of the political standoff surrounding the state's alleged interference in last year's presidential election, among other issues, but produced no breakthrough, both sides said.It marks the second day in a row that the chiefs and floor leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) failed to reach agreement on key issues dividing the parties, including the
Dec. 3, 2013
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S. Korea inches down to 46th on int'l corruption index
South Korea dropped one notch in an international corruption awareness ranking to 46th place among 177 nations in 2013, a global anti-corruption watchdog said in its annual report Tuesday.According to the 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) issued by the Berlin-based non-governmental agency Transparency International (TI), South Korea scored 55 out of 100.The index shows qualitative assessments of a country's level of corruption in the administrative and public sectors, offering a yearly sna
Dec. 3, 2013
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Park snubs opposition party, appoints senior officials
President Park Geun-hye pressed ahead with her controversial appointment of senior officials Monday despite strong objection from opposition parties. Park formally appointed Hwang Chan-hyon as chief of the Board of Audit and Inspection, Moon Hyung-pyo as minister of health and welfare and Kim Jin-tae as new prosecutor general Monday. The move came hours after the leaders of the two main parties met in an unsuccessful bid to find common ground to resolve a political stalemate that includes an opp
Dec. 2, 2013
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[Photo News] Let's talk
Dec. 2, 2013
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Park’s foreign policy put to test
Fresh tension over China’s new air defense zone is posing a new foreign policy test to President Park Geun-hye, who is already hamstrung by an unapologetic Japan, an impasse in inter-Korean ties and intensifying competition between the U.S. and China. Observers say Seoul needs to craft more balanced, concrete, flexible and forward-looking policy visions to secure its strategic interests in the changing regional security environment.Since her inauguration in February, President Park has pushed fo
Dec. 2, 2013