Most Popular
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Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
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Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
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Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
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Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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[Graphic News] More Koreans say they plan long-distance trips this year
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[KH Explains] Hyundai's full hybrid edge to pay off amid slow transition to pure EVs
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North Korea removes streetlights along cross-border roads with South
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Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official
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Farming households dip below 1m for first time in 2023
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Envoys upgrade negotiating skills
Negotiation is an everyday part of our ordinary lives, from deciding on where to eat out to which movie to see. Negotiation is, however, the bread-and-butter of diplomats; it is what they do. Their careers and ― far more crucially, the national interests of their countries ― depend on their skills as negotiators.About two dozen foreign envoys from nearly as many nations got together on Thursday to hone their negotiating skills at the Institute of Global Management, a Seoul-based consulting firm,
Nov. 4, 2012
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Swing states leave U.S. election up in the air
U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s race to the White House remained too close to call with less than a week to the election, according to opinion polls on Wednesday.Obama leads the national vote 47 percent to 46 percent, but more significant are the numbers in the vital swing states that will decide the election. The most recent Real Clear Politics average of polls in the 11 swing states put Obama ahead of Romney by less than one percentage point with 48.5 percen
Nov. 1, 2012
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Shift in N.K. policy unlikely under China’s new leadership
Following is the first in a series of articles on the future relations between China and two Koreas under next Chinese leader Xi Jinping ― Ed.One week before enthronement, China’s next leaders are expected to maintain their predecessors’ policy toward stability on the Korean Peninsula, experts said. Ahead of the once-in-a-decade power transition in the emerging global powerhouse, the international community is closely watching for any signs of shift in its policy toward Pyongyang. While almost n
Oct. 31, 2012
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Seoul, Tokyo agree on fishing quota in exclusive waters
South Korea and Japan agreed on the amount of fish they can each catch in each other's exclusive economic zones (EEZs) Tuesday, the Seoul government said.Under the agreement reached Tuesday, both sides set next year's fishing quota in each other's EEZ at 60,000 tons, unchanged from the previous year.Seoul, however, secured an additional 40 tons in the amount of cutlass fish it can catch in Japan's EEZ. Such an increase is the first of its kind since 2006, according to the Ministry of Food, Agric
Oct. 30, 2012
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Ban wins Seoul Peace Prize
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday received this year’s Seoul Peace Prize on Monday for his devotion to world peace, the rights of women and children and the fight against climate change. He was granted $200,000 in honorarium at a ceremony in Seoul as the first Korean winner. The country created the biennial award in 1990 to commemorate its hosting of the 1988 Olympic Games here and those contributing to international peace and unity. Previous recipients include Kofi Annan,
Oct. 29, 2012
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Anti-Dokdo stakes in U.S. spark furor
Recent bouts of vandalism in the U.S. aimed at claiming Japan’s sovereignty over the islets of Dokdo in East Sea have prompted an uproar in the Korean community there. A white wooden stake was founded Saturday at the entrance of Seoul’s consulate general in Manhattan in New York, officials said. It reads “Takeshima is Japanese Territory,” referring to Japanese name of the outcrops. A day earlier, a sticker with the same note was discovered near the signboard of the office’s petition room. A simi
Oct. 28, 2012
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Mexican Embassy offers Spanish language courses
Already mastered Korean, or perhaps sick and tired of studying English? You could try your hand at “Espanol” here in Seoul.The Mexican Embassy in Korea is offering Spanish language classes for all proficiency levels. Intermediate and advanced Spanish language learners, as well as beginners, are welcome to join.The classes meet three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and each session lasts about an hour and a half. The basic classes are 10:00-11:20 a.m. and 2:30-3:50 p.m. and intermed
Oct. 28, 2012
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French delegation from Lyon expands robot relations
French Charge d’ Affaires Fabrice Leggeri hosted a delegation of the Greater Lyon Asociation led by deputy mayors of Lyon Jean-Michel Daclin and Karine Dognin-Sauze at the official ambassadorial residence Wednesday.Leggeri said they achieved a lot in expanding the Lyon region’s Korea ties and networks in the high-tech area of robotics, as well as in gastronomy and other cultural fields. Lyon is renowned as a world food hub, but Lyon is also a robot hub for Europe. A chef even accompanied the 16-
Oct. 28, 2012
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Czech films screen in Seoul on heels of BIFF
On the heels of receiving impressive accolades for Czech film “Flower Buds” at the Busan International Film Festival this month, the Czech Embassy here has brought a slew of dramatic and art house-type movies to theaters around Seoul on Monday and through November.The lineup includes an early film by Czech-American film auteur Milos Forman, who is perhaps best known for his direction of the five-time Academy Award winner “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975).BIFF presented Czech film director
Oct. 28, 2012
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Outgoing Bulgarian envoy urges efforts for Korean unification
Outgoing Bulgarian Ambassador to Korea Kossio Kitipov said goodbye to not only his four-year posting here in Korea, but also to his 42-year career with his nation’s Foreign Service during an intimate farewell reception at the Seoul Millennium Hilton Hotel, Wednesday. The 67-year-old career diplomat returns to his home country in November, but Kitipov vowed during a farewell speech to continue his close relationship with Korea as a private and active citizen, especially on the issue of re-unifica
Oct. 28, 2012
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Election won't change U.S. gov't's N.K. policy: envoy
The United States' special envoy for North Korea said there would be no major changes in U.S. policy toward Pyongyang no matter who wins the November presidential election, a report said Saturday.Glyn Davies, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, said in a recent forum at Stanford University that since the Reagan administration, the U.S. government has pursued a "dual approach" of using both dialogue and pressure in dealing with North Korea, regardless of whether a Democrat or
Oct. 27, 2012
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Changes in Asia set to shape U.S. policy
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Changes could be in store for U.S.-Asian relations, but that has little to do with presidential race. Lost in the backbiting between President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney over China is that they generally agree on their approaches to Asia. But whoever wins the Nov. 6 vote will have to deal with a region in flux -- and figure out how to keep simmering tensions from boiling over.Leadership changes are imminent in East Asia's dominant economies -- China, Japan and Sou
Oct. 27, 2012
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KAIST board accepts Suh’s resignation
The board of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology on Thursday accepted its president Suh Nam-pyo’s offer to resign on Feb. 23.Suh recently announced that he would step down in March after years of protests from professors and students against his reform measures. His term originally was to expire in July 2014.Instead of dismissing him immediately, the 16-member board decided to respect his position.“We agreed to allow him finish his term honorably and attend the school’s gradua
Oct. 24, 2012
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1930s Japanese map showing Dokdo as Korean islets restored
Korea’s state-run archive has restored a map made by the Japanese government in the 1930s with Dokdo marked as Korean territory, which it said would help counter the former occupier’s decades-long claim over the islets in the East Sea. The state-run National Archives of Korea said Wednesday it has completed the five-month reconstruction of the 1936 map by using preservation films and ultrasonic waves. The Independence Hall of Korea, which commissioned the work, plans to exhibit it at its history
Oct. 24, 2012
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GGGI chief sees synergy with GCF in Songdo
In less than a week, Korea has emerged as the center of global efforts to help developing countries implement a low-carbon growth strategy. The country was picked Saturday to host the secretariat of the Green Climate Fund, which will be the largest financial source for eco-friendly development for poor countries. On Thursday, Seoul successfully transformed its Global Green Growth Institute into an international organization to lead research and policy planning for the same cause.Richard Samans,
Oct. 23, 2012
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Bringing Kuwaiti, Korean cultures together
KUWAIT CITY ― Sheikha Alanoud Al-Sabah has been a fan of the Korean Wave since her first contact with its music and soap operas a few years ago.Mesmerized by the exotic culture, from fashion to history, the 28-year-old member of the Kuwaiti royal family is now playing a key role in promoting it through a monthly event hosted by the Korean Embassy.“We are exposed to Korean culture, drama and music. The embassy helped promote Korean movies, which was great. I personally like historic Korean dramas
Oct. 23, 2012
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Korea, U.S. to discuss international adoption rules
A senior U.S. envoy on children's issues will travel to South Korea later this week for consultations on Seoul's long-overdue entry into an international treaty on adoption, officials here said Monday.Amb. Susan Jacobs, the special advisor for children's issues at the State Department, is scheduled to visit Seoul from Wednesday to Friday."She will review Korea's plans to accede to the Hague Adoption Convention," an official at the department said.Formally named the "Hague Convention on Protectio
Oct. 23, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Climate fund boosts hopes for Songdo City
After years reeling from a lack of foreign investment and a moribund property market, Songdo is brimming with fresh vigor and a new vision as it was picked to house the secretariat of the Green Climate Fund. Long known for its seaside amusement park, the reclaimed island is the centerpiece of the Incheon Free Economic Zone, launched in 2003 with an aim of developing a leading business, logistics and tourism center in Northeast Asia.The ambition, however, was dented by doubts of its advantages ag
Oct. 22, 2012
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Korea to submit formal continental shelf claim
South Korea plans to submit a formal claim to an extended portion of its continental shelf to a U.N. agency within a month or two, a government official said Monday, adding heat to already heightened territorial tension across East Asia. The Foreign Ministry has been readying official documents to present to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf scheduled to convene a seven-week session on Jan. 21, 2013. A member country should file its reports three months beforeh
Oct. 22, 2012
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U.N. ministerial meeting on climate change begins in Seoul
A high-level international meeting on global climate change kicked off in Seoul on Monday to lay the groundwork for the upcoming 18th round of the United Nations conference on the issue, officials here said.The Pre-Conference of the Parties (Pre-COP18) meeting, set to run until Tuesday, is expected to serve as a venue to discuss ways to push for negotiations on climate change ahead of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Doha, Qatar from Nov. 26-Dec. 7, according to the off
Oct. 22, 2012