Most Popular
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Yoon apologizes for first lady Dior bag scandal, calls push for special probe ‘political’
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Korea forecast to overtake Taiwan in chip production by 2032: report
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Girl hanging on bridge, police trying to rescue her both fall off; rescued immediately
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[K-pop’s dilemma] Can K-pop break free from ‘fandom’ model?
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YouTuber fatally stabbed on livestream by another YouTuber in Busan
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No plan to let doctors with foreign licenses practice here anytime soon: PM
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Yoon rebuffs opposition's call for special probe into wife
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Stray Kids hit with racism in Met Gala photo line
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[News Analysis] Yoon's first 2 years marked by intense confrontations, lack of leadership
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Yoon apologizes for wife's 'unwise conduct'
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Chavez sends school chum to bolster Korea ties
Chavez and Ortiz are both from Barinas, a city of about 250,000, and attended high school togetherVenezuela sent a high-school friend of President Hugo Chavez to Korea as the South American country’s new chief diplomatic representative in a bid to bolster bilateral ties. Charge d’Affaires Yadira Hidalgo de Ortiz, former vice minister of communes and social protection who attended high school with Chavez, arrived in Korea on Sept. 12 to head up her nation’s diplomatic mission here.Chavez and Orti
Oct. 14, 2012
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Poland brings Holocaust tale to Seoul arts festival
The Polish Embassy in Korea, the Warsaw-based Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Nowy Theatre brought “(A)pollonia,” a powerful work inspired by a documentary about the Holocaust, to Seoul for three performances during the 12th Seoul Performing Arts Festival (SPAF) at Arko Arts Theater in the theater district of Daehangno.This year’s festival brought 27 works from 12 countries around the world in the areas of dance, theater and musical and multi-genre performances. SPAF is considered the foremost per
Oct. 14, 2012
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Iran, Korea celebrate 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties
The Iranian Embassy in Korea and World Masters Association organized a performance extolling Iranian culture at the Yeoksam Culture Institute in southern Seoul, Thursday.Iran marked the half-century anniversary of diplomatic ties by promoting Iran’s image in Korea with a week-long series of art and cultural events.The series kicked off with the Islamic Cultural Festival, co-organized by Seongbuk Global Village Center, on Oct. 6.“This anniversary is a celebration of a meaningful occasion but it a
Oct. 14, 2012
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12th Italian Language Week kicks off Monday
The “12th Italian Language Week” starts Monday and continues through Oct. 22 in Seoul, Busan and Daegu, said Lucio Izzo, director of the Italian Cultural Institute.Organized by the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Korea, “Italian Language Week” also takes place in more than 100 countries around the world.It was first launched 12 years ago by the Italian government to promote the nation’s culture and language. This year it focuses on regional cultures as the founding element
Oct. 14, 2012
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Psy brings ‘Gangnam Style’ to embassy meet-up
K-pop star Psy did it “American Embassy style” when he stopped by on a visa-related matter, according to the latest blog post by U.S. Ambassador to Korea Sung Y. Kim.Psy’s star went super nova this past summer with his single “Gangnam Style,” in which the rapper-singer shows off his infectious equine dance move. The music video went viral in the weeks since it went online on July 15 ― it was recognized by Guinness World Records in September as the most “liked” video ever.Kim heaped accolades on
Oct. 14, 2012
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African Union, S. Korea to hold cooperation conference next week
Senior officials and business leaders of major African countries will gather in South Korea next week to discuss cooperation and joint business opportunities, the foreign ministry said Saturday. South Korea and the African Union (AU) will jointly hold the Korea Africa Economic Cooperation Conference (KOAFEC) in Seoul from Oct. 15-18, bringing 150 ministers and heads of 18 African nations and inter
Oct. 13, 2012
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Korea to check world’s maps for names of Dokdo, East Sea
South Korea plans to conduct a worldwide survey of maps next year to assess how they describe the names of its easternmost islets of Dokdo and the East Sea, the waters separating it from Japan, an official said Friday. The planned survey comes as diplomatic tensions with Japan have escalated in the past months after President Lee Myung-bak made an unprecedented visit in August to Dokdo, which is also claimed by Tokyo. Lee cited Japan’s unrepentant attitude for its brutal colonial rule of the Kor
Oct. 12, 2012
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No. 2 U.S. diplomat due in Seoul for 'strategic dialogue'
Deputy Secretary William J. Burns will travel to Seoul next week to hold a series of meetings with South Korean officials on regional and global issues, the State Department said Thursday.Burns is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Monday after a two-day trip to Tokyo."Deputy Secretary Burns will travel to Seoul October 15 to meet with senior South Korean officials and to participate in the U.S.-ROK
Oct. 12, 2012
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Economic woes strain global development aid: experts
Despite the protracted economic slowdown, the world’s advanced countries should ramp up efforts to meet their aid commitments to help needy partners fight poverty, diseases and other grave challenges, senior development agency officials said. Brian Atwood, chair of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee, a club of major patrons of poor countries, and Sigrid Kaag, assistant administrator and director of the U.N. Development Programme’s partnerships bureau, warned of a potential negative impa
Oct. 11, 2012
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Korea makes last-ditch U.N. Security Council bid
South Korea is stepping up last-ditch efforts to win a nonpermanent seat in the U.N. Security Council ahead of a vote scheduled for Oct. 18.Seoul is pitching its role in Northeast Asian security and world peace stemming from its strategic location and North Korea’s threat, to achieve one of this year’s biggest diplomatic projects.The country is vying against Cambodia and Bhutan to secure a two-thirds majority required for the slot assigned to Asian countries. The winner will replace India, whose
Oct. 10, 2012
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Korea-UNDP joint fund helps needy across globe
After more than a year of fruitless job hunting, Dawin Perez no longer worries where his family’s next meal will come from. With help from the Korean government and the United Nations Development Programme, Perez took part in a month-long training session at Cemprende, a local employment and entrepreneurship support center in his hometown of Cartagena, Colombia.“I couldn’t find work for a year and a half. Raising a family isn’t easy when there’s no money, but this opportunity was given to me and
Oct. 10, 2012
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KOICA to support corporate social work
The Korea International Cooperation Agency forged an agreement with eight local businesses on Wednesday to assist their social contribution projects in developing countries. The eight are POSCO, Hyundai Motor, Asiana Airlines, Korea Midland Power, Munhwa Broadcasting Corp., Samick Musical Instrument, Sunjin Engineering & Architecture and Kyung An Cable. Under the deal, the state-run aid agency and the companies will finance youth education, anti-poverty and other social programs for one year in
Oct. 10, 2012
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Lee urges Japan to accept history
Japanese P.M. Noda calls for ‘stable relationship’ in forumPresident Lee Myung-bak on Monday called on Japan to face up to history and show sincerity to move forward the two countries’ relations weighed down by recent diplomatic tension over Dokdo. His remarks were delivered by Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan at a meeting of the Korea-Japan Cooperation Committee in Seoul. About 100 political and business leaders from the two countries took part in discussions on regional security and economic coo
Oct. 8, 2012
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Embassies open doors to public tours in Seoul Open Week
The embassies of Oman and the United Kingdom opened their embassy doors for public tours on Thursday, as part of Seoul City’s “Seoul Open Week.” Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon will open his residence to the public for the first time during Seoul Open Week, and the festival was peppered with an array of cultural events in the capital.Omani Ambassador to Korea Mohamed Salim Alharthy said it was a very good opportunity to introduce its brand-new embassy building to the public and give them a glimpse of
Oct. 7, 2012
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Latin American paintings make splash in Seoul
Central and South American embassies in Seoul brought to Seoul, with Gallery Bellarte and Araart, paintings by Latin American artists, some exhibiting to the public here for the first time. The exhibition opened at Araart’s gallery in Insadong on Sept. 28 and closed Sunday.The exhibition was a part of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and some 16 Latin American countries.Paintings by artists from such painters as Hernan Miranda o
Oct. 7, 2012
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Moonlight shines on palace promenade
Some three dozen foreign envoys and their families were treated to a traditional Korean dinner and a moonlight promenade at Changdeok Palace by Choe Kwan-shik, the minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, on Wednesday to celebrate Korea’s National Foundation Day. “The palace is usually closed at night, so this visit is a very special experience,” said Bang Sun-gyu, director-general of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. “Korean traditional architecture works to fit into the environment
Oct. 7, 2012
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Irish envoy calls for N.K. food aid
‘We are all essentially responsible for helping them out. That’s what good humanitarian assistance is all about.’A vexing dilemma of international engagement with North Korea is whether humanitarian aid to ordinary people there helps prop up the regime that abuses its own people.It’s a moral Catch-22 that confounds easy answers where an obvious good ― feeding starving children ― might support an obvious evil by propping up a ruthlessly oppressive regime.“People do say that, but if you tie yourse
Oct. 7, 2012
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Lawmaker accuses diplomats’ sons of draft dodging
An opposition lawmaker has lashed out at some senior diplomats for allowing their sons to dodge military service.Citing a report submitted to the foreign affairs, trade and unification committee of the National Assembly, lawmaker Yoo In-tae from the Democratic United Party said that sons of several diplomats have been found to either indefinitely or completely put off their national duty by living overseas for a long period of time, or by giving up their Korean citizenship.He noted, for example,
Oct. 4, 2012
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Seoul snubs Japan’s legal move on Dokdo
South Korea on Thursday shrugged off news reports that Japan plans to initiate international litigation over Dokdo this month. Nihon Keizai Shimbun of Japan reported that Tokyo is likely to unilaterally bring the case to the International Court of Justice in October as Seoul rejected its proposal for a joint filing. “I’d like to emphasize again that Japan must not damage Korea-Japan relations and public sentiment by repeating its unjust claim to Dokdo but should make efforts for the development
Oct. 4, 2012
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Report: Japan may take dispute to ICJ
Aerial view of Dokdo islets (The Korea Herald)Japan may unilaterally take its island territorial dispute with South Korea to the International Court of Justice, Japanese government sources told Kyodo News.The dispute concerns the Korean-controlled islands that lie between the two countries, which Japan also claims. South Korea refers to them as Dokdo, while Japan calls them Takeshima.The Japanese
Oct. 4, 2012