Most Popular
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Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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Samsung chip business back on track, logs W1.9tr operating profit in Q1
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Shinsegae faces showdown with investors over SSG.com's delayed IPO
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Hopes rise for possible Gaza truce deal
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Ex-pro baseball player who killed debtor appeals sentence
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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Korea’s diplomacy faces major test
Seoul should stick to clear, consistent diplomatic principles: expertsSouth Korea’s diplomacy is facing a major test as a set of long-standing issues concerning Japan and China came to a head this week and raised tensions with the two powers that are crucial for Seoul in terms of economic and security cooperation.Seoul also faces a tough decision over how to respond to U.S. moves to toughen sanctions against Iran for its disputed nuclear programs. It is concerned about the economic impact an ant
Dec. 15, 2011
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Park moves to patch up feuds in GNP
De facto interim leader meets reformist members over reinvention of partyThe Grand National Party’s former chairwoman Park Geun-hye on Wednesday moved to prevent a possible split of the embattled ruling party, after two reformist lawmakers departed in a growing rift over whether to disband the GNP. Park, met reformist members and discussed what the party should do in order to win back the public’s confidence. “Rep. Park was willing to hear (from the reformers themselves) what the reformers think
Dec. 14, 2011
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Lawmaker pushes resolution on China
Funeral held for officer killed in crackdown on illegal Chinese fishingA ruling party lawmaker has submitted to the National Assembly a resolution urging the Beijing government to apologize for Monday’s killing of a Korea Coast Guard officer and promise to prevent a repeat of the incident, her office said on Wednesday.Rep. Chung Ok-nim of the Grand National Party proposed the resolution on Tuesday, which was signed by 20 other GNP lawmakers.It also calls on the Seoul government to bolster equip
Dec. 14, 2011
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Lee to visit Japan for summit with P.M. Noda
President Lee Myung-bak will depart for Japan on Saturday for a two-day visit that includes summit talks and meetings with South Koreans living there.Lee is scheduled to have a summit meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda in Kyoto on Sunday to discuss regional and global cooperation in a wide range of issues including those concerning North Korea, Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.His visit has been sought as part of the two sides’ “shuttle diplomacy.” Noda visited Seoul from
Dec. 14, 2011
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New moderate party to arrive by February
While the main political parties struggled with internal feuds, a former right-wing lawmaker confirmed his plans to start a new party to embrace both conservatives and moderate liberals.Park Se-il, president of the non-profit think tank Hansun Foundation, pledged at a press conference Wednesday to organize a preparatory committee in January and to launch the party by late February.“We plan to register 200 or more candidates in the April general election,” he said.“At least 30 percent of the in-p
Dec. 14, 2011
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S. Korea, Australia to seek meetings between foreign, defense ministers
South Korea and Australia on Wednesday agreed to seek the establishment of a regular meeting of their foreign and defense ministers to bolster diplomatic and defense cooperation, Seoul officials said.Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith reached the agreement during their talks in Canberra. The talks came after President Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Julia Gillard agreed to hold regular defense ministers’ talks last April.The “Two Plus Two” meeting will di
Dec. 14, 2011
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DP to return to parliamentary sessions
Lawmakers demand independent counsel investigate election cyber attackThe main opposition Democratic Party agreed to end their boycott of the National Assembly over the U.S. free trade deal ratification, on the condition that the ruling Grand National Party accepts its claims over key pending issues.The DP demanded that an independent counsel system be introduced to clarify the allegations that the GNP was involved in the cyber attack against the National Election Commission webpage during the O
Dec. 14, 2011
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Park Geun-hye vows complete reform for beleaguered ruling party
The ruling Grand National Party (GNP)'s leading presidential hopeful Park Geun-hye vowed Wednesday to carry out a complete reform to revive the party's tainted image ahead of next year's major elections. Her pledge comes alongside a deepening internal feud within the party over creating a new party.
Dec. 14, 2011
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2 lawmakers desert GNP
Reps. Jeong Tae-keun Kim Song-sik demand creation of new partyThe Grand National Party was seen as heading for a breakup after two reformist lawmakers on Tuesday decided to depart, citing the need to disband the embattled ruling bloc and create a new conservative party. More were expected to follow suit. Reps. Jeong Tae-keun and Kim Song-sik said they will desert party membership at a general meeting of GNP lawmakers, where participants clashed over how far they should push reforms to win back t
Dec. 13, 2011
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Preliminary candidate registration opens
Preliminary candidate registration for the April general elections began Tuesday, the National Election Commission said, partially kicking off the crucial polls that could impact the 2012 presidential race.It is the first time in 20 years that South Korea will elect a new parliament and a new president in the same year. Parliamentary elections are held every four years and the presidential votes occur every five years.The registration runs through March 21, while full-fledged official campaigns
Dec. 13, 2011
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Left-wing group gets off to rocky start
Dissenters pledge to file suit, citing procedural illegalitiesThe main opposition Democratic Party, in hand with the civic group-based Citizen Integration Party and the Korean Federation of Trade Unions, kicked off a joint consolidation committee Tuesday.Those who opposed the plan, however, once again pledged to file a suit, demanding that the court nullify the party’s decision, citing procedural illegalities.In Tuesday’s meeting, the joint body confirmed its list of 17 members, including Choi,
Dec. 13, 2011
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GNP turmoil deepens over reform
The Grand National Party is sinking further into turmoil after reformist members threatened to leave if the party did not disband and start anew, possibly without President Lee Myung-bak. In their meeting Tuesday, lawmakers of the conservative ruling group debated how far they should push reforms to win back the public’s confidence ahead of two crucial elections next year.The discord came a day after they agreed to ask Park Geun-hye, the party’s former chairwoman, to lead them out of the politic
Dec. 13, 2011
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Lee orders strong, effective measures against illegal Chinese fishermen
Diplomatic row over deadly incident feared amid growing public outragePresident Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday instructed his government to draw up “strong and effective measures” to prevent a recurrence of Monday’s violent clash with illegal Chinese fishermen that killed a Korea Coast Guard officer.The instruction came amid mounting calls for Seoul to sternly handle the incident, which observers said could escalate into a diplomatic row ahead of the 20th anniversary of South Korea-China diplomatic r
Dec. 13, 2011
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Arrest warrant sought for first lady's cousin over bribery suspicion
Prosecutors said Monday they were seeking an arrest warrant for a cousin of President Lee Myung-bak's wife on suspicion that he received bribes from a troubled savings bank in return for using his influence.Kim Jae-hong, the head of a welfare foundation under state-run tobacco distributor KT&G Corp.
Dec. 12, 2011
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Left unity tarnished by DP’s internal feud
The main opposition Democratic Party finally confirmed its unification with other liberal groups late on Sunday but faces in-party feuding and a possible legal dispute over the voting process.The party held a provisional national convention Sunday to confirm the plan to merge with the civic group-based Citizen Integration Party and integrate left-wing forces including the Korea Federation of Trade Unions.The results of the vote were delayed for hours amid violent protests against consolidation a
Dec. 12, 2011
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GNP in discord again over Park’s role
The ruling Grand National Party, reeling from a collapse of leadership, by-election defeats and a devastating hacking scandal, is betting on former chairwoman Park Geun-hye to reverse its fortunes ahead of crucial elections next year. Yet, the crisis-ridden party was embroiled in a factional struggle Monday over the issue of how much power Park should be given as interim chief. Nearly 30 senior members of the conservative group decided in a meeting earlier in the day that they need Park to lead
Dec. 12, 2011
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Rev. Pomnyun to speak at Blue House
A Buddhist monk, known for his social activism and considered a “mentor” to potential presidential hopeful Ahn Cheol-soo, will deliver a special lecture at the presidential office this week, officials said Monday.Ven. Pomnyun, who has long worked as head of a Seoul-based North Korea aid group, has been in the political and media spotlight in recent months after it became known that he is close to Ahn, a public favorite in next year’s presidential election. The media calls him a political mentor
Dec. 12, 2011
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U.S. pivot toward Asia unlikely to have quick impact on Korea
The Obama administration’s foreign policy “pivot” toward Asia from the Middle East has drawn attention here as many wonder about its implications for the Korean Peninsula.Some painted a sanguine picture, saying that Seoul’s relations with Washington will deepen and broaden while others expressed concerns that Seoul will be further stuck between the “two whales” amid worsened Sino-American relations. U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton recently said that the U.S. is pivoting towards the area a
Dec. 12, 2011
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Left declares unity in fractious meeting
The main opposition Democratic Party adopted a resolution Sunday to merge with the civic group-based Citizen Integration Party and integrate left-wing forces including the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, amid in-party strife and controversy over quorum.The party held a provisional convention at Jamsil Gymnasium on Sunday upon the request of its consolidation committee to vote on the merger and integration resolution.The vote, however, was caught up in a violent dispute over the quorum. The pa
Dec. 11, 2011
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Left declares unity in fractious meeting
By Bae Hyun-jungThe main opposition Democratic Party adopted a resolution Sunday to merge with the civic group-based Citizen Integration Party and integrate left-wing forces including the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, amid in-party strife and controversy over quorum.The party held a provisional convention at Jamsil Gymnasium on Sunday upon the request of its consolidation committee to vote on the merger and integration resolution.The vote, however, was caught up in a violent dispute over th
Dec. 11, 2011