Most Popular
-
1
Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
-
2
Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
-
3
[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
-
4
Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
-
5
Students with history of violence will be barred from becoming teachers
-
6
Medical feud leaves hospitals in financial crisis
-
7
Samsung mocks Apple over iPhone alarm glitch
-
8
Chip up cycle won’t stay long: SK chief
-
9
'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart
-
10
Top prosecutor pledges 'speedy, strict' probe into first lady's luxury bag allegations
-
Park to boost ties with ASEAN
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei ― President Park Geun-hye arrived in Brunei Tuesday for multilateral forums with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other regional partners, after her three-day visit to Indonesia focusing on freer trade and investment.On Wednesday, Park will hold a summit with ASEAN to explore ways to further strengthen the bilateral economic partnership. ASEAN is South Korea’s second-largest trade partner, largest investment destination and second largest marke
Oct. 8, 2013
-
Park retains cautious stance on U.S.-led Pacific trade pact
BALI, Indonesia ― President Park Geun-hye remained cautious on Seoul’s position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a U.S.-led push to create a free trade bloc linking Pacific-rim states.She did not express Seoul’s interest in joining the trade bloc during her attendance at the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bali, Indonesia.Her economic aide said Seoul would take more time to build public consensus over the TPP issue and strive to further ongoing talks over envisioned free tra
Oct. 8, 2013
-
DP’s by-election drive loses steam
Rival parties have started preparation for the Oct. 30 by-election but the race is feared to have already lost some tension as the main opposition Democratic Party failed to field a strong rival against the ruling Saenuri Party’s political heavyweight.The number of vacant constituencies up for grabs was reduced to two from around nine as previously anticipated due to pending court decisions on some of the indicted lawmakers. Independent Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a potentially threatening force for the
Oct. 8, 2013
-
APEC leaders to push free trade
BALI, Indonesia –- The leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific countries on Tuesday agreed to extend their “standstill commitment” against protectionism until the end of 2016, while reaffirming their pledge to roll back trade-distorting factors.In a joint declaration, they also reaffirmed that they will push for a comprehensive, high-level regional free-trade bloc called “Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.”“We will continue our collective commitment to strengthening and deepening regional economic integrat
Oct. 8, 2013
-
Prosecutors question Roh’s aides on records
Prosecutors on Monday summoned former presidential records secretary Im Sang-kyeong in their stepped-up probe into the suspected deletion and failed handover of the transcript of the 2007 inter-Korean summit.Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office was expected to focus questioning on the events that led to the deletion of the records from Cheong Wa Dae’s e-Jiwon database system, and the reason for the data not having been transferred to the National Archives.Im was the first of some 30 aides
Oct. 7, 2013
-
[Graphic News] Arms procurement budget scaled down
The government’s budget plans submitted to the National Assembly on Sunday showed large cuts from the Defense Ministry’s original request in key arms procurement projects, despite North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats.
Oct. 7, 2013
-
Park calls for APEC efforts for free trade
BALI, Indonesia ― President Park Geun-hye urged Asia-Pacific countries to intensify efforts for free trade to help boost the lackluster global economy during an annual regional summit in Bali, Indonesia, Monday.Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Park stressed the importance of the APEC’s role in removing protectionist policies and shoring up a global trade mechanism.“As many experts point out, trade liberalization is the most effective, least expensive policy that does not
Oct. 7, 2013
-
Sohn declines DP offer to run
Democratic Party advisor Sohn Hak-kyu on Monday turned down the party’s request to run in the Oct. 30 by-election against Saenuri Party heavyweight Suh Chung-won.With the ruling Saenuri Party nominating former chairman Suh for Gyeonggi Province’s Hwaseong A constituency, Sohn was widely considered to be the DP’s only viable choice. Suh is a long-time associate of President Park Geun-hye who once served as the chairman of the defunct Grand National Party while serving five terms in parliament. DP
Oct. 7, 2013
-
Park, Xi united against N.K. nuclear programs
BALI, Indonesia ― President Park Geun-hye requested Monday that Chinese President Xi Jinping persuade North Korea to renounce its nuclear program and focus on its economy amid signs of the reclusive state reactivating its nuclear facilities.During their talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit here, Xi reiterated that Beijing opposes Pyongyang’s possession of nuclear arms and additional atomic tests, a senior Seoul official said, declining to be named.Xi also said C
Oct. 7, 2013
-
Court acquits 45 people over UPP election fraud scandal
A Seoul court on Monday acquitted 45 people on charges of proxy voting in selecting a minor opposition party's proportional candidates ahead of last year's April parliamentary elections.With similar cases pending in the court, legal experts expect the ruling could affect the verdicts of some 400 other people who are standing trials in connection with the Unified Progressive Party (UPP) election fraud scandal.The scandal centers around allegations that votes were cast en masse through a single In
Oct. 7, 2013
-
Park starts summit marathon
BALI, Indonesia ― President Park Geun-hye arrived in Bali, Indonesia, Sunday, embarking on an eight-day trip to deepen cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries in trade, business and other areas of mutual interests.During her fourth overseas trip, Park is to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on the Indonesian island and premier meetings with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Brunei.A day before the start of the two-day APEC summit Monday, Park delivered a keynote spe
Oct. 6, 2013
-
[Photo News] Celebrating Hangeul
Oct. 6, 2013
-
[Newsmaker] Progressives anxious about Sohn’s next move
For the beleaguered Democratic Party, its senior adviser Sohn Hak-kyu has become one of only a handful of members that hold the key for its political countermove against its rivals.Since losing last year’s presidential election, the DP has concentrated much of its resources on gaining leverage on the ruling party.However, despite numerous opportunities, the DP has so far managed only to paint itself into increasingly tighter corners.The issues surrounding the 2007 inter-Korean summit transcript
Oct. 6, 2013
-
Dogfight over history roils politics
Rival parties are sharply divided over a new chief of the national history textbook screening body, who is seen to be less critical of Japan’s colonialism and explicitly eulogistic of controversial former national leaders.Conservative scholar Lew Young-ik took office last Tuesday as chief of the National Institute of Korean History amid protests by progressive academics and opposition politicians.The opposition Democratic Party accused President Park Geun-hye of committing herself to a “historic
Oct. 6, 2013
-
Park’s approval ratings drop over health minister debacle
President Park Geun-hye’s approval ratings dropped 11 percent in three weeks last month in a period that saw her scale back her pension pledge and her health minister resign, survey showed.Of the 1,021 adults surveyed by Gallup Korea from Monday to Wednesday last week, 56 percent said they approved of Park’s administration, a 4 percentage point drop from the previous week.Her approval rating had hovered above 60 percent in September, reaching 67 percent in the second week of last month. But the
Oct. 6, 2013
-
Lawmakers seek on-site audit of Gaeseong park
The National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee members are pushing to conduct an on-site audit of the inter-Korean Gaeseong industrial park later this month to seek measures to better help South Korean businesses there and improve ties between the two Koreas.“Through political agreement between the rival parties to visit the park where businesses are still suffering from difficulties, we expect to send a positive message not only in and outside of Korea but also to North Korea
Oct. 6, 2013
-
No end in sight for summit transcript controversy
The developments surrounding the 2007 inter-Korean summit transcript appear likely to continue bogging down the National Assembly as the ruling Saenuri Party pushes for the disclosure of the voice recording of the meeting.Last week, the prosecutors’ office announced that the transcript was never transferred to the National Archives, and that they had found and reconstructed a deleted version that has “significant differences” to the copy in the National Intelligence Service’s possession and that
Oct. 6, 2013
-
Korea concerned about U.S. stance on Japan’s military move
WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― As it broadens its alliance with Japan, the United States should nonetheless consider the growing anxiety among neighboring nations over Tokyo’s apparent flexing of its military muscles, officials here said Thursday.Washington’s push for strengthening bilateral and trilateral alliances with Seoul and Tokyo is no news. But unnerving South Korea and China is the conservative Japanese administration’s stated goal of expanding the role of its self-defense forces.At a rare
Oct. 4, 2013
-
Saenuri picks by-election candidate marred by corruption
The ruling Saenuri Party on Friday named Suh Chung-won, a long-time confidant of President Park Geun-hye and former chairman of the conservative party, as its candidate for the Oct. 30 parliamentary by-election.The Supreme Council said Suh is “the most credible candidate” to represent the party in the Hwaseong A constituency.The decision stirred angry reactions from younger lawmakers in the ruling party who have been opposing to his nomination citing his history of corruption.The main opposition
Oct. 4, 2013
-
Political wrangling intensifies over Roh summit transcript
Political disputes escalated Friday over the handling of the transcript of the 2007 inter-Korean summit after the prosecution found that it was not transferred to the National Archives at the end of the Roh Moo-hyun administration.The ruling Saenuri Party stepped up its attack on former president’s aides in the opposition bloc. The party claimed that they might have intentionally deleted the minutes before transferring other presidential records, to conceal Roh’s remarks, which allegedly made a
Oct. 4, 2013