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Korean industries gauge impact of Biden's steep tariffs on China
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Do Korean doctors make too much money?
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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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Why Korean crime stories typically feature nameless, faceless perpetrators
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Rare mid-May heavy snow warning issued over mountainous areas of Gangwon
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CIO chief nominee to explain allegations at confirmation hearing
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Yoon vows to run country 'rightly' on Buddha's birthday
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Debate on 'no-seniors zones' heats up
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N. Korea appears to be trying to restart nuclear reactor: U.S. think tank
North Korea appears to be trying to restart its main nuclear reactor after idling the facility for about five months, a U.S. think tank said Wednesday, citing steam and other indications.Commercial satellite imagery taken from Dec. 24 through Jan. 11 indicates new activity at the five-megawatt reactor at the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex, said 38 North, a website run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies."One possibility is that the North is
Jan. 29, 2015
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China sold no crude oil to N. Korea in 2014
China did not export a single drop of crude oil to North Korea for all of 2014, data showed Thursday, despite no clear indication that Beijing was using oil to curb Pyongyang's unruly behavior.In previous years, China's official shipments of crude oil to North Korea had been absent for several months, particularly after the North's nuclear tests. However, it was extremely unusual that, at least on paper, China sold no crude oil to North Korea for all of last year.In 2014, China's exports of petr
Jan. 29, 2015
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Obama says North Korea is bound to collapse
U.S. President Barack Obama has said North Korea is bound to collapse and the Internet will find its way into the isolated nation and spread information that will undercut the authoritarian regime, inviting a harsh condemnation from the country.Obama made the remark in an interview on YouTube on Jan. 22, stressing that a military solution is not the answer because South Korea, a key U.S. ally, will be severely affected if war breaks out on the divided Korean Peninsula.Obama called the North "the
Jan. 29, 2015
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S. Korea, U.S. discuss N. Korea nuclear program
Vice foreign ministers of South Korea and the United States held talks in Seoul on Thursday to discuss North Korea's nuclear program and other bilateral issues, officials said.The meeting between South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong and Wendy Sherman, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, comes amid the long-stalled six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program.Later in the day, Sherman was scheduled to meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun
Jan. 29, 2015
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U.S. says Russia shares goal of N.K. denuclearization
The United States and Russia are working closely on a shared goal of ending North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, the State Department said Wednesday amid reports North Korean leader Kim Jong-un plans to visit Moscow to attend World War II victory celebrations."We closely coordinate with our allies and partners, including Russia, to counter -- whether through persuasion or pressure -- the threat to global security posed by the DPRK's (North Korea's) nuclear and ballistic missile programs,"
Jan. 29, 2015
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N. Korean leader to attend World War II event: Kremlin
The Russian presidential office said Wednesday that North Korea’s leader will attend a war anniversary event in Moscow in May.The heads of state from about 20 nations confirmed their plans to join the ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II and North Korea’s leader is among them, according to the Kremlin.The Kremlin earlier sent an invitation to the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un.In a written reply to Yonhap’s inquiry, however, the Kremlin did not
Jan. 28, 2015
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U.S., Japan back inter-Korean talks
Washington and Tokyo expressed “active support” for inter-Korean efforts to enhance cross-border ties including dialogue, South Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator said after his meeting with U.S. and Japanese counterparts in Tokyo Wednesday.During the trilateral meeting, South Korea’s nuclear envoy Hwang Joon-kuk and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts ― Sung Kim and Junichi Ihara ― discussed North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats and issues concerning the resumption of the long-stalled denucleariz
Jan. 28, 2015
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S. Korean minister urges N. Korea to keep dialogue promise
A top South Korean official pressed North Korea Wednesday to follow up on leader Kim Jong-un's New Year's speech, in which he vowed efforts to improve inter-Korean ties.Kim called for an epoch-making change in Seoul-Pyongyang relations this year as Korea marks the 70th anniversary of liberation from Japan's 35-year colonial rule. Kim even said he is open to a summit with the South's president.Speaking at a forum in Seoul, Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said Kim's pledge would end up in empty
Jan. 28, 2015
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Inter-Korean relations at its best in 5 yrs: think tank survey
The relationship between the two Koreas has been rated at its best in the past five years, with local experts anticipating tensions to ease further later this year, a private think tank said Wednesday. According to the report by the Hyundai Research Institute (HRI), the peace index for Seoul-Pyongyang relations for the September-November period came to 44.1, the highest ever since the think tank first began conducting such studies in late 2009.The numbers have been on a downtrend since late 2013
Jan. 28, 2015
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U.S. Under State Secretary Sherman to visit S. Korea for N.K.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman plans to arrive in South Korea on Wednesday for discussions on North Korea and issues of mutual concern, officials here said.Sherman's two-day visit to Seoul is part of her three-nation tour that will also take her to Japan. She is now in Beijing for a two-day stay. On Thursday, Sherman is scheduled to meet with Seoul's First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong to discuss a wide range of pending issues, including how to deal with N
Jan. 28, 2015
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N. Korean leader to visit Russia in May: Kremlin
The Russian presidential office said Wednesday that North Korea's leader will attend a war anniversary event in Moscow in May.The heads of state from about 20 nations confirmed their plans to join the ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in World War II and North Korea's leader is among them, according to the Kremlin.The Kremlin earlier sent an invitation to the North's leader, Kim Jong-un.In a written reply to Yonhap News Agency's inquiry, however, the Krem
Jan. 28, 2015
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Seoul, Washington, Tokyo hold talks on N.K. nukes
Chief nuclear envoys from South Korea, the United States and Japan met in Tokyo on Wednesday to discuss ways to resume the long-stalled multilateral talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program, officials said.The meeting brought together Seoul's top nuke negotiator Hwang Joon-kook; Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy; and Japanese chief envoy Junichi Ihara, according to the foreign ministry.Hwang, who arrived in Japan on Tuesday for a three-day visit, will al
Jan. 28, 2015
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S. Korea to support N. Korean doctors' training in Germany
South Korea said Wednesday it will resume a program to support North Korean medical doctors' training in Germany.The move, the first of its kind in seven years, is in line with the Park Geun-hye administration's push for expanding humanitarian aid for the impoverished neighbor.The unification ministry plans to provide a North Korea-Germany group with 90 million won (US$83,000) from the inter-Korean cooperation fund. It will be delivered through the (South) Korea Foundation for International Heal
Jan. 28, 2015
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Agricultural reforms in N. Korea appear to be working: U.S. expert
Agricultural reforms in North Korea, which center on allowing farmers to keep at least one third of their harvests, appear to be working, with overall grain production increasing in recent years despite unfavorable conditions, a U.S. expert said Tuesday.Randall Ireson, an expert on the North's agricultural sector, also said in a report carried on the website 38 North that this year will be "instructive" in terms of whether the agricultural reforms are fully implemented and if farmers can take ad
Jan. 28, 2015
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[Newsmaker] Kim faces tough choice over overseas trips
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is facing a tough diplomatic decision over when and where to make his international stage debut ahead of a series of foreign events this year, including Russia’s 70th anniversary celebration of the victory in World War II.The decision calls for Pyongyang’s careful calibration of strategic interests amid diplomatic estrangement from China, Russia’s engagement with the North, the U.S.’ harsh criticism of its cyberattacks and military threats, and an impasse in inter
Jan. 27, 2015
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U.N. chief ready to assist Koreas to discuss unification
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his willingness to help the two rival Koreas open dialogue on unifying their divided land, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, amid a flurry of Seoul's policies to lay the groundwork for unification.Since taking office in February 2013, South Korean President Park Geun-hye has been pushing to prepare for a potential unification of the two countries. Last year, she launched a presidential committee in charge of preparatory work for unifica
Jan. 27, 2015
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S. Korea foils N. Korea's rule revision plan on Kaesong
North Korea won't be allowed to unilaterally revise rules on the security and safety of South Korean businessmen at the Kaesong Industrial Complex, officials here said Tuesday.It was belatedly known that Pyongyang notified Seoul in September of its plans to rewrite relevant regulations.In case South Korean firms withdraw businesses from the zone at the decision of the South's authorities, the North will be able to demand reparation, seize properties, and even detain businessmen involved if neede
Jan. 27, 2015
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Japan special envoy hopeful about release of hostage, pilot
A special Japanese envoy in Jordan has expressed hope that both a Japanese hostage and a Jordanian pilot held by Islamic militants will return home “with a smile on their faces.” Deputy Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama said he hopes the two countries can cooperate to secure the release of the two men from the Islamic State group. Nakayama spoke to reporters Monday night after another day of crisis talks in the Jordanian capital. Jordanian pilot Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh has been held by the extremis
Jan. 27, 2015
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U.S. military to hold seminar on N.K nukes, missiles
The United States plans to hold a high-level military forum this week to explore ways to better respond to North Korea's weapons of mass destruction amid their growing security threats to the world, officials said Tuesday.The Korea Senior Seminar (KSS) "will take place at the U.S. Special Operations Command Wargame Center in Tampa, Florida, tonight (U.S. time) on how to respond to North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs," a military officer here said, requesting anonymity.Gen. Curti
Jan. 27, 2015
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S. Korean envoy leaves for Tokyo for N.K. nuke talks
South Korea's chief nuclear envoy left for Japan on Tuesday to hold talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts on ways to resume the long-stalled multilateral talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program, officials said.Hwang Joon-kook is scheduled to meet with Ambassador Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, and Japanese chief envoy Junichi Ihara in Tokyo on Wednesday, according to the foreign ministry.Hwang will make a three-day visit to Tokyo that also in
Jan. 27, 2015