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First victory at Harbin Winter Games
South Korea’s speed skater Park Ji-won (right) celebrates after confirming his victory in the final round of the short track mixed 2,000m relay at the Harbin Asian Winter Games at the Heilongjiang Ice Events Training Center Multifunctional Hall in Harbin, northeastern China, Saturday. The win marks South Korea’s first gold medal at the event. The 28-year-old skater competed alongside Choi Min-jeong, Kim Gil-li, and Kim Tae-sung, achieving a record time of 2:41.534. They were followed by teams fr
Feb. 8, 2025
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Xi mulls first South Korea visit in 11 years
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday signaled that he may visit South Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this year. According to South Korea's Office of the National Assembly Speaker, Xi stated that Chinese authorities are considering his attendance at the APEC summit to be held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in October, adding, "It is customary for the Chinese president to attend the APEC summit." Xi made the remark in a meeting with National Assembly
Feb. 7, 2025
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Acting President Choi calls for robust military readiness, high morale
Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Friday called for an unwavering military posture amid heightened security tensions, urging commanders to maintain high morale among troops. Choi convened a meeting at the command and control center of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul, where he emphasized the need "to establish an unwavering chain of command and maintain readiness to respond immediately to any provocations from North Korea." Amid domestic political uncertainty, Choi urged the military not to be
Feb. 7, 2025
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'Time to discuss raising retirement age': DP lawmaker
Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker on Thursday called for raising the legal retirement age, currently set at 60, citing demographic challenges amid rapid aging and the low birth rate. Rep. Jin Seong-jun, chair of the Democratic Party’s Policy Committee, said during a press briefing at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, that discussions on raising the retirement age should begin, given growing public demand. “With rising life expectancy and the declining birth rate, the shri
Feb. 6, 2025
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South Korean speaker reassures on political stability, urges Xi’s visit
Woo Won-shik, speaker of South Korea’s National Assembly, offered reassurances about South Korea’s political stability during a meeting with a high-ranking Chinese official Thursday, while also expressing hopes for Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Korea this year. The speaker met with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. During the talks, Woo emphasized that South Korea remains stable, ad
Feb. 6, 2025
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Up to 50% casualties among NK troops in Russia: US expert
North Korean troops deployed to support Russia’s war in Ukraine have suffered heavy casualties, with up to 50 percent killed or injured as Moscow continues to rely on “attrition warfare,” a US expert said. Seth Jones, director of the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in a CSIS podcast that aired Tuesday, “The casualty numbers were astonishing ... with estimates ranging from one-third to 50 percent losses, meaning potentially 1,000 deaths.
Feb. 5, 2025
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IWIK, ASAPEC partner to enhance Korea-Peru academic and cultural exchange
The International World in Korea (IWIK) and the Peruvian-Korean Academic Association (ASAPEC) signed a memorandum of understanding Monday to strengthen academic and cultural collaboration between the two countries. The signing ceremony took place at the Embassy of Peru in Korea, attended by Guillen Quispe Yanymee Nimesia, president of ASAPEC, Kim Ah-sol, president of IWIK, and Paul Fernando Duclos Parodi, the Peruvian Ambassador to Korea. Welcoming the agreement, Duclos highlighted the growing i
Feb. 4, 2025
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S. Korea Navy launches task fleet command
South Korea’s military has launched a naval task fleet command that operates Aegis destroyers equipped with a radar system capable of detecting missiles up to 1,800 kilometers away as well as ballistic missile interceptors, to better counter North Korean provocations at sea. On Monday, the South Korean Navy held an inauguration ceremony for the Task Fleet Command at the Jeju Naval Base in Gangjeong on the southern coast of Jeju Island. “The Task Fleet Command will serve as a central unit to dete
Feb. 3, 2025
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Lee Jun-seok effectively launches presidential bid
Rep. Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative New Reform Party effectively launched his presidential bid Sunday, casting himself as South Korea’s next-generation leader and pledging to upend the country’s aging political order. Seeking to draw parallels to US Presidents John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama — who both took office in their 40s — Lee, 39, argued that South Korea, too, must embrace a younger leader to drive change. “Kennedy became the leader of the United States at 43 and sent a man to th
Feb. 2, 2025
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Assembly set for extra session amid clashes over livelihood issues
The National Assembly is set to kick off an extraordinary session Monday, as the ruling People Power Party and main opposition Democratic Party of Korea lock horns over key livelihood issues, with the looming potential of an early presidential election adding to the political stakes. The approval of a supplementary budget will be the key focus of the extraordinary Assembly session. The Democratic Party is calling for the swift formulation of the supplementary budget. The People Power Party has c
Feb. 2, 2025