Most Popular
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors
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[Eye Interview] 'If you live to 100, you might as well be happy,' says 88-year-old bestselling essayist
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From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police
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Missing S. Korean traveler in Paris found safe after 2 weeks
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[Exclusive] Foldable smartphone pictured with Kim Jong-un likely Chinese product: NIS
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service believes the mobile device pictured next to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un earlier this month is likely a Chinese product, according to the state agency’s assessment obtained by the National Assembly on Thursday. In its assessment, the NIS said the foldable smartphone is believed to be a Chinese product smuggled in by rail after the cross-border freight train operations between North Korea and China resumed in September last year. The NIS
July 27, 2023
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Another ex-Assembly aide accused of leaking state secrets
People Power Party lawmakers on Thursday asked the Democratic Party of Korea to apologize after a former aide for one of its lawmakers, Rep. Sul Hoon, came under investigation over suspicion of leaking secrets obtained through the Assembly office. The former Democratic Party aide, who worked for Sul for nearly three years until March, is being investigated by the National Intelligence Service on suspicion of using the security clearance granted to some Assembly staff to access and leak classifie
July 27, 2023
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Two Koreas mark 70 years of armistice amid growing tension
South Korea and North Korea on Thursday marked the 70th anniversary of the cease-fire to the Korean War, a three-year conflict that left the Korean Peninsula divided, still with no formal peace treaty in sight, amid growing tension in the region. President Yoon Suk Yeol paid respects to soldiers who fought for the US-led United Nations Command in the 1950-53 war at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan, the only place in the world dedicated to fallen UN soldiers. The visit, the first for a sitting K
July 27, 2023
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S. Korea adopting 'strictest' method of detecting radiation in Japanese seafood
The government is adopting the strictest method possible to detect possible radiation in seafood imports from Japan to ensure that not a single trace of hazardous material will be allowed, a senior official said Thursday. "The government once again reiterates that the people need not worry about the safety of seafood on our table," Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said during a daily briefing on the Fukushima issue. Park explained t
July 27, 2023
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Prosecutors raid ex-head of regional biz lobby in probe into cash-for-vote scandal
Prosecutors raided the home and office of a former regional business lobby leader Thursday in connection with a cash-for-vote scandal involving the opposition Democratic Party's 2021 leadership election. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent investigators to the home and office of Park Yong-ha, a former head of the Yeosu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and 13 other locations to seize evidence. The scandal centers on allegations that Song Young-gil's campaign distributed
July 27, 2023
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US, S. Korea Working Group holds meeting on N. Korean cyber threat
The United States and South Korea held a working group meeting on North Korea's cyber threat this week, the state department said Wednesday, amid their joint efforts to cut off illicit funds from being funneled into the North's illegal weapons development programs. The working group meeting was held in South Korea on Wednesday, led by US Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak and her South Korean counterpart, Lee Jun-il, according to the state department. "The Repu
July 27, 2023
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PPP ethics committee suspends Daegu mayor's party membership for 10 months over controversial golf outing
The ethics committee of the ruling People Power Party on Wednesday decided to suspend Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo's party membership for 10 months over his controversial golf outing when the country was struggling with damage from heavy downpours. Hong played golf for one hour on July 15. Though play was suspended due to rain, critics say it was inappropriate for a public servant to play golf at a time when the country was struggling with massive damage caused by the heavy rains that claimed
July 26, 2023
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Bullying of teachers enters policy dialogue in Korea
The recent suicide of a newly employed teacher, who is believed to have suffered from bullying by parents as well as overwork, has sparked a dialogue in Korea to come up with policies to respond to the widespread bullying of teachers in public schools. Leading officials from the ruling People Power Party met with Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho on Wednesday to discuss measures to protect teachers from harassment and violence perpetrated by both parents and students. “At our public schools,
July 26, 2023
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Yoon names new ambassador to Russia
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday tapped a former vice foreign minister as South Korea's new ambassador to Russia, his office said. Lee Do-hoon, who served as second vice foreign minister for about a year until last month, was tapped to succeed Chang Ho-jin, who was appointed first vice foreign minister earlier this year. Lee also previously served as Seoul's top nuclear envoy. (Yonhap)
July 26, 2023
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Ruling party ethics committee to decide disciplinary measures against Daegu mayor
The ethics committee of the ruling People Power Party was set to meet Wednesday to decide the level of disciplinary measures against Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo over his controversial golf outing when the country was struggling with damage from heavy downpours. Hong played golf for one hour on July 15. Though play was suspended due to rain, critics say it was inappropriate for a public servant to play golf at a time when the country was struggling with massive damage caused by the heavy rains that
July 26, 2023
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Justice Ministry to create bureau to deal with ISDS cases
The Ministry of Justice said Wednesday it will create a new organization dedicated to responding to international investment disputes involving foreign capital firms. The ministry unveiled its plan to establish the tentatively titled International Legal Affairs Bureau as part of an upcoming organizational change, according to the official gazette. The new bureau will play a role in preventing investor-state dispute settlement cases and strengthening the government's capabilities to deal wit
July 26, 2023
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Yoon meets with Luxembourgish veteran of Korean War
President Yoon Suk Yeol met with a Luxembourgish veteran of the Korean War on Tuesday as part of commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the armistice signing. Leon Moyen, a veteran who fought for South Korea under the UN flag during the 1950-53 conflict, was invited by the government ahead of the July 27 anniversary. During their meeting at the presidential office, Yoon thanked Moyen for his dedication during the war, referring to the veteran's courage in returning to South Korea even a
July 25, 2023
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[Exclusive] North Korea calling South Korea by its official name ‘intended to offend’: intelligence authorities
Recent statements by Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea, show a “clear intention to be offensive,” according to South Korean national intelligence authorities. In a series of statements issued earlier this month, Kim Yo-jong referred to South Korea as the Republic of Korea, in a rare move which some -- including defector-turned-lawmaker Rep. Tae Yong-ho -- have interpreted as North Korea rec
July 25, 2023
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Nearly 1 in 3 lawmakers have criminal records: report
Nearly a third of Korean legislators, or 94 out of 283 sitting lawmakers, have a criminal record, according to a report by a nongovernmental organization. The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice presented its findings in a press conference Tuesday, detailing the 94 lawmakers' 150 recorded offenses. The report distinguishes between political and non-political crimes, with the former mainly associated with activism during military dictatorship. Excluding political offenses, the numb
July 25, 2023
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Yoon calls to revise student rights ordinance to protect teachers
Amid growing concerns over recent cases of teacher abuse by students and parents, the government announced Monday that it would revise a student rights ordinance to safeguard teachers’ rights and enhance their authority in classrooms. The ordinance -- adopted in 2011 for schools in Gyeonggi Province and in 2012 in Seoul by progressive education superintendents -- is a set of legally binding guidelines that bans corporal punishment by teachers; discrimination against LGBT and pregnant stude
July 24, 2023
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[Bills in focus] Billing chargeback prevention, data center disaster response
Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Mutually Beneficial Cooperation Between Large Enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises Proposed by Rep. Lee Dong-ju (Democratic Party of Korea) ● Unfair transaction practices persist among commissioning enterprises, invoking calls to reinforce regulations against commissioning enterprises that engage in unfair transaction practices. This amendment prohibits companies from misusing technical data of the commissioned company befor
July 24, 2023
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Yoon’s rating slumps over flooding, family scandal
President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating continued its downward trajectory for a third consecutive week amid the torrential rain crisis that caused significant casualties and the court arrest of his mother-in-law on document forgery charges. According to the survey conducted from July 17-21 by polling agency Realmeter, commissioned by Media Tribune, positive evaluations of Yoon’s state affairs performance fell 1.5 percentage points from the previous week, marking 36.6 percent. Negati
July 24, 2023
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Constitutional Court to rule on impeachment against interior minister over Itaewon tragedy
The Constitutional Court plans to rule this week on whether to endorse or reject the National Assembly's impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min over last year's deadly Itaewon crowd crush. The court will deliver its decision on Tuesday, more than five months after Lee was impeached on Feb. 8 for mishandling the crowd crush that left 159 people killed in Seoul's popular nightlife district of Itaewon on Oct. 29 last year. Upon the impeachment, Lee was suspended from duties as
July 23, 2023
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Moon’s national security chief accused of destroying original key intel document
Former national security chief Suh Hoon, who is already a defendant in two separate North Korea-related controversies from the previous Moon Jae-in administration, may face yet another criminal investigation for allegedly destroying key presidential records. The bereaved family of Lee Dae-jun -- a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korean troops at sea in September 2020 -- filed a criminal complaint against Suh on Friday over destroyed and lost records pertinent to then-President Mo
July 21, 2023
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Constitutional Court to rule next week in impeachment case against interior minister
The Constitutional Court will decide next week on the fate of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min in the impeachment case filed against him in connection with the deadly crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon district last year, officials said Thursday. In February, the National Assembly submitted the impeachment resolution against Minister Lee to the Constitutional Court after passing the motion to hold him accountable for the government's bungled response to the deadly crowd crush in Seoul's
July 20, 2023