Most Popular
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors
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Govt. asks hospitals to mitigate impact of medical professors' absence
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S. Korea's working-age population to dip nearly 10m by 2044 amid low births
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S. Korea, China, Japan in talks to hold trilateral summit May 26-27: official
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Doggy patrol team on the move to protect their cities
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Sales of eco-friendly cars top 100,000 in Q1 in S. Korea
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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Presidential office likely to seek change to law on rallies
The presidential office is anticipated to propose a revision to the existing Assembly Act, following nationwide debate that revealed a significant majority favoring stricter sanctions against public assemblies and demonstrations, according to sources and news reports on Monday. According to a presidential office-led nationwide debate titled "Bolstering requirements and penalties for assemblies and demonstrations," 71 percent, 129,416 people, favored increasing sanctions, while 29 per
July 4, 2023
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Yoon asks new vice ministers to 'ruthlessly' fight 'cartels with vested interests'
President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed newly appointed vice ministers Monday to "ruthlessly" fight against "cartels with vested interests," his spokesperson said, referring to corruption among public officials. Yoon gave the instruction during lunch with 13 new vice minister-level officials after presenting them with certificates of appointment, according to Lee Do-woon. "Fight ruthlessly against cartels with vested interests," Yoon was quoted as saying, repeating a mis
July 3, 2023
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‘Japanese seafood ban to continue until Koreans feel safe’
South Korea does not plan on lifting its restrictions on imports of seafood from Japanese prefectures around the site of the 2011 triple meltdown of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant until Koreans feel safe regardless of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s final findings on safety. After a meeting with officials from the Foreign Affairs, Food Safety and other concerned ministries held a meeting on Monday, the ruling People Power Party said the ban on Japanese seafood will stay intact
July 3, 2023
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Pro-North Korea or 'fake' independence fighters to lose national merit titles
The Veterans Ministry will revoke national merit titles from independence fighters who supported Kim Il-sung, the former leader and founder of North Korea's communist regime. "Who would give credence to independence activists who once contributed to the creation of Kim Il-sung's North Korean regime or to the communist revolution, rather than to the construction of a liberal democratic Republic of Korea?" said Park Min-shik, the minister of patriots and veterans affairs, on hi
July 3, 2023
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Yoon’s approval rating hits four-month high at 42%
President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating for state affairs hit a four-month high, and returned to the 40 percent mark for the first time in five weeks, according to a poll released Monday. The positive upswing has been attributed to recent developments in bilateral ties with Tokyo that reinstated Korea on its export whitelist and his order to review political subsidies. According to the survey conducted from June 26-30 by polling agency Realmeter, commissioned by Media Tribune, positive
July 3, 2023
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[Bills in Focus] High-tech industries, investment and trade union transparency
Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Special Measures for Strengthening and Protecting the Competitiveness of National High-Tech Strategic Industries Proposed by Rep. Cho Jung-hun (Transition Korea) ● Given the increasing awareness of the importance of advanced technology for maintaining economic stability, it has become a global trend to promote the growth of high-tech industries and strengthen technology protection actively at the national level. Likewise, there are growing demands f
July 3, 2023
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Probe finds additional W582.4b illegally used for renewable energy under Moon govt.
Government funds amounting to 582.4 billion won ($442.2 million) were additionally found to have been illegally or wrongfully used in renewable energy projects, including the installation of solar panels, during the previous Moon Jae-in administration, officials said Monday. The Office for Government Policy Coordination under the Prime Minister's Office announced that a nationwide investigation has identified an additional 5,359 cases of irregularities in the spending of government energy f
July 3, 2023
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Yoon orders overhaul of Unification Ministry
President Yoon Suk Yeol called for a restructuring of the Unification Ministry, saying it is "not a ministry that supports North Korea," according to a statement from his press secretary, Kim Eun-hye, on Sunday. "The Unification Ministry has functioned like a support organization for North Korea, and this must change," Yoon said. He made the remarks during a discussion with Unification Ministry officials, including new minister nominee Kim Young-ho, who was appointed last wee
July 2, 2023
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In unilateral vote led by opposition, Assembly passes resolution against Fukushima water release
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Friday unilaterally passed a resolution calling for the Japanese government to scrap its plan to discharge the treated wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant into the sea. As of now, over 1.3 million cubic meters of wastewater used to cool three of the plant's reactors after meltdowns during the massive earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 are being stored in some 1,000 giant tanks on the site. The resolution urges the Japa
June 30, 2023
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New law to require medical workers to register newborns, even if parents don’t
South Korean National Assembly on Friday passed legislation requiring workers at medical institutions to register newborns starting a year from now. The newly passed legislation is aimed at preventing children from going unregistered. Previously, only parents had the authority to register the birth of their child. According to the Board of Audit Inspection report released last week, at least 2,236 children born 2015-2022 in medical institutions were not registered with the government. Children w
June 30, 2023
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Hyundai chairwoman requests permission to visit North Korea's Kumgangsan
Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun is planning a trip to Kumgangsan in North Korea to attend a private service on Aug. 4 commemorating her late husband, Chung Mong-hun, said officials on Friday. The event will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of Chung Mong-hun. The Ministry of Unification said that Hyun has asked for Seoul's permission to be in contact with North Korea to visit the country in August on Tuesday. By law, all South Koreans must file a report to the Ministry
June 30, 2023
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PM to attend summit of Caribbean nations in Trinidad and Tobago next week
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will visit the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago next week for an annual summit of Caribbean nations on a weeklong trip that will also take him to Panama, his office said Friday. Han will leave for Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, where he will attend the annual conference of the Caribbean Community slated for Monday to Wednesday, the office said in a press release. It would mark the first time for a head of state-level official from South Korea to attend the CARI
June 30, 2023
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Court denies arrest warrant for ex-special counsel over corruption charges
A Seoul court on Friday rejected an arrest warrant sought for former special counsel Park Young-soo over corruption allegations related to a high-profile land development scandal. The Seoul Central District Court denied the prosecution's request to detain Park, citing room for dispute regarding the bribery allegations and emphasizing the need to guarantee the suspect's right to a defense. The former special counsel is suspected of taking 800 million won ($611,000) from private develope
June 30, 2023
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Yoon levels 'anti-state' jibe at Moon
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s use of the expression “anti-state forces” in an apparent jab at the former Moon Jae-in administration sparked backlash from the liberal opposition and civic groups on Thursday. The presidential office later the same day attempted to quell controversy, claiming the leader's "anti-state" reference was not directed at the previous administration. Yoon made the remarks during a congratulatory speech at a ceremony to mark the founding anniver
June 29, 2023
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Yoon replaces unification minister, 12 vice ministers in 1st reshuffle
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday nominated a new unification minister and replaced 12 vice ministers across 11 ministries in his first major reshuffle, aimed at pushing ahead with his reform drive in his second year in office. Of the 12 vice ministers named, five are currently presidential secretaries. The Yoon administration nominated Sungshin Women’s University professor of political science and diplomacy Kim Yong-ho as the new unification minister. Kim was also formerly a unificatio
June 29, 2023
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Supreme Court confirms acquittal of ex-presidential aide over Sewol ferry case
The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed the acquittal of a former presidential chief of staff charged with falsifying a public document in connection with the 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry. The final ruling for Kim Ki-choon, chief of staff to ousted President Park Geun-hye, came after the Supreme Court struck down a guilty verdict for him in August last year and the Seoul High Court acquitted him of lying in a Sewol-related document submitted to the National Assembly in a retrial in November o
June 29, 2023
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Ex-special counsel attends arrest warrant hearing over corruption charges
Former special counsel Park Young-soo appeared for a court hearing held Thursday to determine whether he should be arrested over corruption allegations related to a high-profile land development scandal. The former special counsel is suspected of taking 800 million won ($611,000) from private developers in return for helping their project to develop the Daejang-dong district in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, into apartment complexes in 2014, when he served as the chair of the Woori Bank board of
June 29, 2023
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Bill pushed to let women give birth anonymously
South Korea’s ruling People Power Party is seeking to pass legislation allowing women to give birth anonymously at hospitals as a part of a strategy to reduce the number of children denied registration and promote safe maternal care. Rep. Park Dae-chul, the head of the People Power Party’s policy committee, said his party agreed to back legislation to introduce an “anonymous birth” system, where women unwilling to disclose their identity at childbirth will have the option
June 28, 2023
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Hwaseong mayor gears up for balanced city development
Jeong Myeong-geun, mayor of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, enters his second year in office on Saturday with an aim to speed along his campaign pledges centering on implementing balanced city development. The campaign pledges he addressed included establishing and operating a special committee for balanced city development, building a technopole, establishing a botanical garden, pushing forward the “Hwaseong International Theme Park,” expediting a metropolitan railroad project and buil
June 28, 2023
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Govt., ruling party to guarantee learning rights of university students on military reserve training
The government and the ruling People Power Party agreed Wednesday to amend a relevant enforcement ordinance to prevent university students from facing possible disadvantages when missing classes due to mandatory military reserve training. In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve in the military for at least 18 months, with most of them enlisting in their early 20s. They are also obligated to serve as reservists for approximately eight years after their discharge. Criticism has a
June 28, 2023