Most Popular
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Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
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Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
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Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
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Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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[Graphic News] More Koreans say they plan long-distance trips this year
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[KH Explains] Hyundai's full hybrid edge to pay off amid slow transition to pure EVs
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North Korea removes streetlights along cross-border roads with South
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Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official
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Farming households dip below 1m for first time in 2023
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[Newsmaker] ‘Conspiracy to rebel’ charge rocks nation
The rebellion charge faced by leftist lawmaker Rep. Lee Seok-ki has rocked not only the political arena but the entire country, which is still ideologically divided in the midst of constant threats from North Korea.The best-known insurrection case was in 1980, albeit in vastly different circumstances. Then opposition leader Kim Dae-jung, who later became president, was sentenced to death by the military junta in its move to oppress the democratic movement. He was declared innocent in 2004.Anothe
PoliticsSept. 2, 2013
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[Newsmaker] KORAIL rapped for tardy response to crash
KORAIL, the nation’s state-run railway operator, is facing public criticism over its response to a train collision on Saturday. Two passenger trains collided near Daegu Station at 7:14 a.m. on Saturday, disrupting rail traffic between Seoul and Busan. A third train later crashed into the two stationary vehicles. The cause of the accident had yet to be confirmed as of Sunday afternoon. No one was seriously injured in the crash, but passengers on board the trains expressed outrage over what they
Sept. 1, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Leftist's allegations put UPP in jeopardy
The spy agency’s ongoing investigation into leftist lawmaker Lee Seok-ki on charges of plotting a rebellion threatens to engulf the far left of Korean politics and push his Unified Progressive Party over the edge.The UPP, which represents the more extreme end of progressive politics in Korea, was founded in November 2011 when the Democratic Labor Party merged with other progressive factions. Although its formation was aimed at representing a united front in last year’s general and presidential e
PoliticsAug. 29, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Lee no stranger to legal run-ins
The minor Unified Progressive Party’s Rep. Lee Seok-ki has never been free from controversy having been accused of election fraud, illegal funding and leftist ideology.But the investigation of the progressive lawmaker unveiled Wednesday was stunning to the public: He faces the first charge of revolt in 30 years. The first-term lawmaker has been at the center of one of the largest scandals to engulf the left-wing party in the past year. Lee gained his parliamentary seat as a proportional represen
PoliticsAug. 28, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Disgraced Bo turns China’s show trial into show stopper
China’s sensational trial of disgraced politician Bo Xilai wound down Monday with the former Communist Party bigwig giving a performance reminiscent of Jack Nicholson’s Col. Nathan R. Jessup in “A Few Good Men,” railing against his accusers in self-righteous indignation. Bo hurled invective at the testimonies of major witnesses for the prosecution, calling one “insane” and another “a vile liar.” The 64-year-old could have played it cool and sought leniency, but chose instead to go out full of so
PoliticsAug. 27, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Sohn remains key variable for progressives
Democratic Party adviser Sohn Hak-kyu continues to be a major factor for the progressive bloc despite his absence and apparent intention to “rest.” After losing the DP’s presidential primaries to Rep. Moon Jae-in last year, Sohn maintained a relatively low profile, and in January left for Germany to research welfare and labor issues. However, Sohn has been linked to Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo on a number of occasions, with speculations rising that the two may be planning an alliance. Although the rumors
PoliticsAug. 26, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Army academy rocked by sexual misconduct
The Korea Military Academy, once touted as the birthplace of the country’s elite warriors, is losing public trust under growing criticism for a recent series of shameful cases of sexual misconduct.The Army said on Sunday that the military prosecution was investigating a senior cadet for allegedly having sex with a middle school girl and stealing her mobile phone in Seoul last month. The cadet, 22, met the 16-year-old girl through an online chat service and purportedly had sex with her on July 13
DefenseAug. 25, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Better late than never: Roh agrees to pay up
Perhaps it was seeing the prosecutors zeroing in on his predecessor Chun Doo-hwan’s hidden assets, with himself next in line.Former President Roh Tae-woo, 81, made headlines Wednesday night by agreeing to pay up the unpaid 23 billion won ($20.5 million) in fines over the next several weeks.He said the debt will be paid in two batches: 15 billion won within next week, and the remaining 8 billion won by the beginning of next month. This will settle his outstanding fines after 16 years of delay. Ro
PoliticsAug. 22, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Merkel’s Nazi camp visit a lesson for Japan
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to former Nazi concentration camp Dachau received mixed reactions, but in doing so, she became the first-ever incumbent chancellor to take such a step.Merkel was immediately slammed for combining the obvious potent symbolism of a German head of state describing the shame she feels about an ugly chapter in her country’s history ― indeed, in world history ― with a planned Oom-pah-pah beer tent and campaign rally moments later. “We speak about the duty to rem
Foreign AffairsAug. 21, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Nation’s suicide scourge weighs on youth
South Korea’s infamously high suicide rate is taking a toll on the youth, with more than 100 of them taking their own lives every year.A total of 139 primary and secondary students committed suicide last year, according to education office data released by Rep. An Min-suk of the Democratic Party.High school students accounted for the greatest number of youth suicides, at 88 deaths. The figure has, however, been on the decline since 2009 ― the number of student suicides stood at 150 in 2011 and
Social AffairsAug. 20, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Tax becomes source of division in Korea
The government’s tax revision that was modified after drawing public backlash shows how desperate the Park Geun-hye administration is becoming to find funds for its welfare pledges.Spending 135 trillion won for equitable wealth distribution over the next four years would require a “big pot” of money that needs to be drawn from its reserve funds by maintaining a budget surplus, funds raised via government bonds, and the business community and the people by levying taxes.It simply ran out of optio
Aug. 19, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Hong Sang-soo wins Best Director at Locarno
Korean director Hong Sang-soo’s latest film “Our Sunhi” has nabbed the filmmaker the Best Director award at this year’s Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland. The award marks Hong’s first win at the annual film fest, which was held Aug. 7-17.“Our Sunhi” is Hong’s 15th film, starring actress Jeong Yoo-mi and actors Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Jae-young. It tells the story of a young film studies graduate student named Sun-hi, who is about to leave for the United States to continue her stud
FilmAug. 18, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Gaeseong accord not entirely promising
By Shin Hyon-hee Despite the breakthrough in Gaeseong, the two Koreas faced a series of tough talks to sort out differences over the industrial park’s globalization, compensation for businesses and other thorny issues. At the core of the consultations will be an envisioned joint committee to run the factory zone based on consensus, designed to block the North from making unilateral decisions such as its April entry ban and pullout of workers. During the seventh meeting in Gaeseong on Wednesday,
North KoreaAug. 15, 2013
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[Newsmaker] LG’s G2 phone garners rave reviews overseas
A wave of positive reviews overseas for LG Electronics’ newest smartphone, the G2, is fanning the company’s hopes for better luck in the market this year. CNET called it a “speed demon,” noting that the “menus flew by with almost blinding swiftness.” Trusted Reviews claimed it was not just LG’s best phone so far, but is “shaping up to be one of the best phones ever made.” Ubergizmo raved about the decision to install power control buttons on the back of the device, saying they have become “beli
TechnologyAug. 14, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Park’s team in hot seat over tax plan
Attention is being paid to whether President Park Geun-hye will replace her economic policymakers who devised a much-criticized tax code revision, after having already ordered a review of the proposal to contain the fallout. Speculation persists in political circles that Park could conduct a partial Cabinet reshuffle in the third quarter of the year to ease public anger.Some politicians started to call for the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hyun Oh-seok and senior pres
Aug. 13, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Chun’s in-law may hold key to assets
Former President Chun Doo-hwan’s brother-in-law, known as one of the key figures who helped him conceal illegally accumulated assets, was questioned by the prosecution on Monday. Lee Chang-seok is the first member of Chun’s family to be summoned by the prosecution looking for the former president’s massive slush funds.Summoning Lee indicates that the authorities are not only searching for concealed assets but also seeking ways to prosecute Chun and his family, sources say.The younger brother of
Social AffairsAug. 12, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Victim of Japan’s sexual slavery dies
Lee Yong-nyeo, one of the few surviving victims of Japan’s military sex slavery and a leading activist who sought for truth, an apology and compensation, has died Sunday.The House of Sharing, a shelter for the “comfort women” in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, said Lee died at a hospital early Sunday morning. She was 87.At the age of 16, Lee was shipped from Busan to Yangon, Myanmar, where she was forced to provide sexual services to Japanese soldiers during World War II.Since 1995, after moving to
Social AffairsAug. 11, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Abe struggles to get a grip on Fukushima
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicated that his patience with the operator of the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant had worn out when it ordered his government to help with the clean up.Tokyo Electric Power Company announced last month that about 300 tons of radioactive groundwater had been flowing into the sea every day. It was criticized for its lack of openness and slowness to report the leaks or the risk of them happening. The announcement added to a growing consensus that TEPCO’s respo
Expat LivingAug. 8, 2013
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[Newsmaker] DP chairman under pressure on two fronts
Democratic Party Chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil is facing his biggest challenge since his appointment in May, squeezed between the Saenuri Party and hard-liners in his own ranks in an escalating political row over the National Intelligence Service. Since he took office in May, the main opposition changed its name and its constitution has taken a more moderate direction.The revised version includes clauses regarding national security and North Korean human rights, which have been thorny issues for the
PoliticsAug. 7, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Amazon founder jumps into paper business
Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos announced on Monday he would buy the Washington Post for $250 million in a surprising move. For Bezos and the embattled U.S. newspaper, the question is whether the business genius has any tricks up his sleeve to revive the paper without drastically changing its journalistic status.Established in 1877, the influential newspaper has been owned by the Graham family for the last 80 years. The sales decision thus came as a shock, though not totally surprising given that
World BusinessAug. 6, 2013