Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
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S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
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Yoon’s jailed mother-in-law excluded from latest parole list
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Hybe and Min Hee-jin, CEO of Hybe sublabel Ador, lock horns
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[Pressure points] Leggings in public: Fashion statement or social faux pas?
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Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
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Aging population to drive down Korea's housing prices from 2040: experts
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Over-50s, men, single-person households take up majority of those filing for bankruptcy
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[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'
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S. Korea to send Navy elite forces to the UAE
South Korea will dispatch 10 members of its Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team to the United Arab Emirates next month to help train troops in the Middle East country, an official at the Ministry of National Defense said Monday.They will join the 130-member contingent, which was deployed there in January following the UAE’s request last August that South Korea help it nurture world-class special war
June 27, 2011
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Assembly June session may end with few results
While the National Assembly’s June provisional session nears its end, rival parties are yet to find the solution to most of the pending issues, raising concerns that the related discussions may be put off until the September session.The parliamentary tie-up also boosted anticipation over Monday’s talk between President Lee Myung-bak and main opposition party leader Sohn Hak-kyu.Last Thursday, the
June 26, 2011
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Lee to visit Africa for PyeongChang bid
President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday will fly to South Africa for a weeklong tour of three African countries, Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday. The trip is part of last-minute efforts to promote Korea’s PyeongChang as the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics and to strengthen economic ties.The president will arrive in Durban, South Africa, on Saturday evening, four days before the International Olympic Commit
June 26, 2011
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Lee visits Africa next week for PyeongChang bid, energy ties
President Lee Myung-bak (Yonhap News) President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday will fly to South Africa for a weeklong tour of three African countries, Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday. The trip is part of last-minute efforts to promote Korea’s PyeongChang as the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics and to strengthen economic ties. The president will arrive in Durban, South Africa, on Saturday evening, four days
June 26, 2011
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Lawmakers up ante against tycoons
The feud between parliamentarians and some of the nation’s corporate leaders escalated Thursday, as politicians threatened legal action if the businessmen defied their request to testify before parliament next week. Members of the National Assembly’s Knowledge Economy Committee decided to call to a public hearing it is organizing three of the nation’s major business organizations’ chiefs ― Huh Cha
June 24, 2011
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Obama extends national emergency against N. Korea
WASHINGTON, (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama issued a public notice Thursday to extend the national emergency in relation to North Korea that provides a legal and administrative basis for sanctions against the nuclear-armed communist nation.On the basis of the national emergency declared in 2008 under the National Emergencies Act, the Obama administration slapped tougher sanctions on Pyongy
June 24, 2011
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Parliament passes bills on Korea-EU free trade safeguards
SEOUL, June 23 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Thursday passed a package of safeguard bills aimed at protecting local industries from cheap imports after a free trade deal with the European Union (EU) takes effect in July. The free trade pact, approved by the parliament in April, will eliminate 98 percent of import duties and other trade barriers in manufactured goods, agricultural products a
June 23, 2011
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DP rules out compromise over TV fee rise plan
The main opposition Democratic Party renewed its pledge to veto the KBS subscription fee rise unless the public broadcaster moves to maintain political neutrality.“Only when KBS proves the legitimacy of the fee hike and shows efforts to renew itself will we examine the necessity to raise the fee,” said a party spokesperson after the DP Supreme Council meeting. The remarks overturned the party floo
June 23, 2011
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An slams ‘blind spot’ on overseas schools
Lawmaker says education key to winning hearts of voters living abroadOverseas Korean schools have long been a blind spot for the government and National Assembly and it is time they paid attention to the issue, even if only to win votes abroad, said a second-term lawmaker.Rep. An Min-suk of the main opposition Democratic Party, who is also on the parliamentary education committee, has lately been
June 23, 2011
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Officials lie low under corruption watch
Public servants refrain from drinking, dining out, golfingThese days, the staff cafeteria of the Financial Supervisory Service is jam-packed with its employees.They are reluctant to eat out for fear they could also be accused of corruption, as officialdom sees a spate of scandals.“More and more of us opt to eat at the cafeteria on the 20th floor rather than going outside. Since corruption allegati
June 22, 2011
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Panel holds practice overseas election
The National Election Commission is to carry out a mock election June 30 at 158 polling stations in 108 countries, as a final dry run for the overseas voting system set to take effect next year.Among the 5,484 who registered themselves as voters, 4,708 had their residence in Korea and the remaining 776 were permanent residents in overseas countries, according to the NEC.All voters are required to
June 22, 2011
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Plan aims to stop rookies being hired as judges
Reform bill to be submitted to parliament later this monthFrom 2013, only those with a certain period of judicial experience as prosecutors, lawyers, law professors and in similar positions will be appointed as judges according to a proposal by a parliamentary committee. The National Assembly’s special committee for judicial reform said it would vote Wednesday on a plan to change the way judges ar
June 21, 2011
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DP threatens Assembly boycott over TV fee rise
The National Assembly’s June provisional session schedule faced a sudden halt as the main opposition Democratic Party pledged to boycott the ruling Grand National Party’s decision to increase a public broadcaster’s monthly viewing fee.The parliamentary committee on culture, sports, tourism, broadcast and communication held a subcommittee meeting on Monday and passed the revision bill to raise the
June 21, 2011
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Lee, Sohn set broad political talks
Leaders to discuss tuition, FTA, savings bank probe and other pending issuesPresident Lee Myung-bak will meet with main opposition Democratic Party leader Sohn Hak-kyu next Monday, Lee’s aide said Tuesday, to discuss pending issues such as rising tuition fees and the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement which is yet to be approved by the parliaments of both countries.The ongoing prosecutorial investiga
June 21, 2011
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Two rockets strike Korea’s Afghan base
Two rockets fell inside an Afghanistan base where South Korean aid workers and troops were stationed on Monday night, but there were no injuries, Foreign Ministry officials said Tuesday.The attack is the 10th this year, apparently targeting the base in Charikar City in the northern Afghan province of Parwan. In a previous attack on May 30, one rocket fell just outside the base.The rockets fell nea
June 21, 2011
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Training plane crash kills two pilots
An Air Force training plane crash-landed during flight training in Cheongwon, North Chungcheong Province, killing two pilots, officials said Tuesday.The T-103 plane crashed about 2 kilometers away from a runway at a military training facility at around 1:30 p.m. Second Lieut. Lee Min-woo and flight trainer Nam Gwan-woo died in the crash, officials said.The Air Force immediately set up a team ― hea
June 21, 2011
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Presidential hurdles for Park Geun-hye?
Rep. Park Geun-hye (right) sits with her sister Geun-ryeong (left), brother Ji-man and his wife Seo Hyang-hee during a memorial service for her late mother Yuk Young-soo at the National Cemetery in Seoul in August 2006. (Yonhap News)Current frontrunner needs to show substance as leader, overcome sibling problemsAs she was about to enter the National Assembly chamber on June 7, Rep. Park Geun-hye,
June 21, 2011
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Cabinet, panel agree on more police freedom
Plan to keep prosecution’s control of police, allow police right to open criminal probesThe special parliamentary committee on judicial reform passed on Monday the revision bill of the criminal action law to allow the police to hold independent authority over investigations, largely upholding the Cabinet’s earlier decision.The bill will be handed over to the legislation and judiciary committee and
June 20, 2011
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GNP to kick off 2-week leadership race
Seven candidates have been confirmed for the Grand National Party leadership election on July 4 ― Reps. Park Jin, Nam Kyung-pil, Na Kyung-won, Yoo Seung-min, Hong Joon-pyo, Won Hee-ryeong and Kwon Young-se.The lineup of hopefuls to be party chair is dominated by relatively young lawmakers.Most are in their late 40s or early 50s. Even if 57-year-old Hong wins the vote, he may be considered a “young
June 20, 2011
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Prosecution, police agree on gov't mediation on criminal law reform
SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- The prosecution and police on Monday agreed to end their long-standing disputes over the rights to open criminal investigations through government arbitration, officials said.According to the compromise agreement announced in the attendance of Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, both parties agreed to the revision of the Criminal Procedure Code, which calls for granting police
June 20, 2011