Most Popular
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Korea enters full election mode
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
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Lee Jong-sup resigns as envoy to Australia
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Yellow dust engulfs S. Korea, advisory alert issued
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families
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Court upholds jail term for man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend
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Kia EV9 wins world car of year
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Korea misses out on global bond index boost
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S. Korean lawmakers to visit Tokyo for annual meeting with Japanese counterparts
Dozens of lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties were to depart for Tokyo on Thursday for an annual meeting with their Japanese counterparts. A total of 39 members of the South Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union are scheduled to meet with Korean residents in Japan later Thursday before attending the union's 44th joint conference with Japanese lawmakers Friday. They also plan to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday. During the conference, the lawmakers pl
Sept. 14, 2023
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Industry minister nominee vows swift restoration of nuclear energy ecosystem
South Korean Industry Minister nominee Bang Moon-kyu vowed Wednesday to expedite efforts to restore and further develop the ecosystem of the country's nuclear power generation industry to better achieve net-zero goals and energy security. During a parliamentary confirmation hearing, Bang also pledged efforts to boost exports amid unfavorable global business circumstances and to strengthen cooperation with the United States, Japan and other partners on stable supply chains in advanced indu
Sept. 13, 2023
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Resolution pushed to urge China not to repatriate North Koreans
South Korea’s ruling party is preparing a resolution to stop the possible forced repatriation of more than 2,600 North Korean defectors detained in China. The People Power Party said Wednesday that it has begun a discussion to adopt the resolution as the party platform, and submit what would be a party-wide resolution to the National Assembly as soon as possible. Speaking at a party leadership meeting Tuesday, Rep. Ji Seong-ho, a former North Korea escapee, said that the repatriation of No
Sept. 13, 2023
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Yoon picks new ministers of defense, culture, gender equality
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol initiated a significant cabinet reshuffle Wednesday, appointing new defense, culture and gender equality ministers in a bid to rejuvenate his administration's momentum. Yoon named Rep. Shin Won-sik of the ruling People Power Party as the defense minister, reappointed former Culture Minister Yu In-chon under the former Lee Myung-bak to the same role, and selected Kim Haeng, a spokesperson for the former Park Geun-hye administration as the gender equalit
Sept. 13, 2023
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Ruling party reaffirms its support for 'Kim Keon Hee Law'
The ruling People Power Party on Wednesday confirmed that it will continue to pursue a ban on the consumption of dog meat through the so-called "Kim Keon Hee Law," named after the president's wife, who is an active animal welfare advocate. In a social media post, Rep. Park Dae-chul of the conservative People Power Party, rejected media reports that claimed the party had decided not to pursue the law. He further expressed his hope for thorough discussions during the parliamentary b
Sept. 13, 2023
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General-turned-lawmaker tapped as defense chief
Rep. Shin Won-sik of the ruling People Power Party was nominated as the minister of national defense on Wednesday. He is a former three-star general with 35 years of military service who built an extensive experience in both policy crafting and operations. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s chief of staff Kim Dae-ki said in a briefing on this day he was the “most qualified candidate to complete building South Korea’s security capabilities against escalating nuclear and missile threats.&
Sept. 13, 2023
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National Assembly introduces resolution mourning Morocco earthquake victims
A lawmaker from South Korea’s ruling People Power Party is leading a resolution to mourn the lives lost in the recent Morocco earthquake and to mobilize support for recovery efforts in devastated communities. Rep. Jung Hee-yong, who heads the ruling party’s committee for natural disaster preparedness, said Tuesday he had introduced a resolution to recognize the victims of the the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday night, and to support their recovery. The resolut
Sept. 12, 2023
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Opposition leader questioned again over suspected illegal remittance to N. Korea
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was grilled by prosecutors again Tuesday over allegations of his involvement in a company's illegal remittance to North Korea in 2019. Lee, chair of the main opposition Democratic Party, left the Suwon District Prosecutors Office after around five hours of questioning on charges of third-party bribery, three days after he underwent the first round of questioning on Saturday. "I don't know why (investigators) called me again, as they again failed to
Sept. 12, 2023
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Kim Jong-un takes mysterious family train to Russia
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was spotted Monday traveling by his family train on his way to a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The third-generation Kim diverged from his famously flight-phobic father in his past summit trips, in June 2018 flying Air China to get to Singapore for the landmark meeting with then-US President Donald Trump. This time he chose to travel 20 hours on the train that is speculated to be bulletproof and multifunctional, with luxurious decors. Rep. Tae Yong-
Sept. 12, 2023
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Defense minister expresses intent to resign
South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup reportedly expressed his intention to resign on Tuesday, amid increasing demands from the opposition to remove him, citing allegations of his interference in a probe into the death of a Marine. Lee, a 63-year-old retired Army lieutenant general who has served as the defense minister since President Yoon Suk Yeol's inauguration in May 2022, expressed his intent during a Cabinet meeting at Yoon's office on Tuesday, according to news report
Sept. 12, 2023
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Yoon pledges to revitalize 3-way summit with China, Japan
President Yoon Suk Yeol affirmed his commitment to reinvigorating diplomatic relations by actively promoting a trilateral summit with Japan and China this year, noting that the leaders of both nations have also expressed support for resuming talks. During a livestreamed Cabinet meeting Tuesday morning, Yoon spoke about the outcomes of his recent visits to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit and the G-20 summit. The president returned home Monday after a seven-day trip to Indonesia
Sept. 12, 2023
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Anti-corruption agency to launch 90-day special probe into lawmakers' virtual assets
The state anti-corruption agency said Tuesday it will look into virtual asset holdings of all lawmakers to see if any irregularities are involved, after suspicions arose earlier this year over a lawmaker's once-massive cryptocurrency assets. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission said it will conduct a 90-day inspection starting next Monday at the request of the National Assembly and a special team of 30 investigators will be mobilized for the inspection. Earlier this year, the rul
Sept. 12, 2023
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Gov't, PPP to seek legal revisions to protect teachers in child abuse cases
The government and the ruling People Power Party decided Tuesday to push for a set of legal revisions aimed at safeguarding teachers' rights during child abuse investigations. The move comes after a series of suicide deaths of teachers sparked massive demands for the protection of teacher rights. Some argue the current child abuse crimes act could hold teachers accountable for child abuse allegations stemming from what they consider necessary disciplinary actions. The proposed revisions wou
Sept. 12, 2023
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Opposition demands Yoon sack entire Cabinet
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Monday demanded that President Yoon Suk Yeol replace his entire Cabinet, starting with Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup, who the party is accusing of being behind the alleged cover-up of the death of a marine soldier in July. Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party’s chair who is on day 12 of his hunger strike against what he calls “Yoon's tyranny,” said in a statement released Monday that the president, by refusin
Sept. 11, 2023
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[Bills in Focus] Fair practices in e-commerce, legal grounds for carbon capture tech
Proposed bill: Act on Protection of Digital Service Users Proposed by Rep. Jung Pil-mo (Democratic Party of Korea) ● The rapid advancement of digital services has led to new forms of user rights infringement, highlighting the need for a new act to protect the rights of digital service users. This bill requires business operators planning to deliver personalized services to clearly inform users about how their browsing and search history is used. It also requires digital service providers that us
Sept. 11, 2023
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Deputy nat'l security adviser departs for Britain for cybersecurity, defense talks
Second Deputy National Security Adviser Lim Jong-deuk departed for Britain on Monday to discuss cooperation in the cybersecurity and defense sectors, according to the Office of National Security. During his six-day visit to London, Lim plans to hold meetings with ranking officials in the defense, foreign and national security sectors, as the two countries prepare to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties. "We expect his visit to Britain will strengthen cybersecurity cooperation and a
Sept. 11, 2023
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Yoon's approval inches up to 36.7 pct on overseas trip assessment
President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating inched up to 36.7 percent, primarily due to positive public assessments of his recent overseas trip to attend summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Group of 20, according to a poll Monday. In the survey of 2,515 eligible voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance increased by 1.3 percentage points from the previous week, while disapproval of Yoon
Sept. 11, 2023
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Yoon returns home from trip to Indonesia, India
President Yoon Suk Yeol returned home Monday after visiting Indonesia and India to attend summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Group of 20. Yoon traveled to Jakarta on the first leg of the trip to attend a South Korea-ASEAN summit, an ASEAN Plus Three summit and an East Asia Summit, demonstrating his commitment to strengthening ties with the 10 ASEAN member states and the wider Indo-Pacific region. From Jakarta, Yoon traveled to New Delhi, where he attended the G2
Sept. 11, 2023
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S. Korea to work closely with Morocco for support over devastating quake
South Korea's foreign ministry said Sunday it will closely cooperate with Morocco and the international community to provide necessary support for the North African country over a massive earthquake. Late Friday, the 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco and killed more than 2,000 people, according to foreign media reports. The ministry issued a statement and expressed condolences to the people of Morocco affected by the earthquake. It vowed to have close consultations with the government
Sept. 10, 2023
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Yoon, Kishida agree to work on trilateral summit with China
President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to continue working on making a three-way summit with China happen within the year, at a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in India on Sunday. Yoon asked Kishida to help reopen the meeting after a four-year hiatus prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Yoon’s office said, quoting Kishida as saying that he “will fully cooperate.” The trilateral summit, which mainly discusses economic ties, could play
Sept. 10, 2023