Most Popular
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Seoul to more than double military drones by 2026 to counter NK threats
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
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Over 60% of S. Koreans support W100m childbirth incentive: survey
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‘Inside Out 2’ adds four new emotions, explores teenage life
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Questions raised over fair promotion of RM, NewJeans
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[Newsmaker] Merkel cements EU position
German Chancellor Angela Merkel cemented her position as Europe’s de facto leader on Sunday by cruising to election victory for a third term in office.Having presided over a robust economy in a region of sick-man peers, the center-right Christian Democratic Union and its sister Christian Social Union of Bavaria won more than 40 percent of the national vote, bringing Merkel to within five seats of a tantalizingly rare parliamentary majority. Merkel’s political standing, already unmatched among he
Foreign AffairsSept. 23, 2013
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[Newsmaker] ‘Time is not on our side’
Thousands of families were torn apart at the end of the Korean War (1950-1953) and their pain persists as the remaining members anxiously write the final chapters of their lives, still hoping to see their loved ones again. Of the 129,035 people originally registered in South Korea’s separated-family database since August 1988, 56,544 have passed away while most of the surviving 72,491 are in their 70s, 80s or 90s.The two Koreas have held 18 family reunions for the survivors since 2000, enabling
North KoreaSept. 22, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Ex-P.M. defiant after bribery conviction
Han Myeong-sook, former prime minister and ex-leader of the main opposition party, faces another long legal battle over bribery accusations which have dealt blow to her political career and reputation as an pro-democracy activist against the military-backed governments in the 1970s and 80s.A Seoul appellate court on Monday sentenced Han to two years in prison for bribery, overturning a lower court’s ruling that cleared her of the charge. Han was found guilty of receiving 880 million won in polit
PoliticsSept. 17, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Korea OKs ‘invisible’ skyscraper plan
From cloaked alien tanks and jets in the computer game “Starcraft” to a transparent flying fortress in the movie “Avengers,” invisible structures have always been considered a product of imaginary science, whose rightful place is within the boundaries of fiction.That is until South Korea recently authorized the construction of “Tower Infinity,” a 450-meter-high skyscraper which is to use high-tech projectors to make it appear as if the building is not really there. The glass tower, backed by the
IndustrySept. 16, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Prosecution in disarray over Chae’s resignation
Resistance among prosecutors is rising upon the resignation of prosecutor general Chae Dong-wook last week over a personal rumor, as speculation prevailed that it was the result of pressure from Cheong Wa Dae.A day after Chae offered to step down Friday, Kim Yoon-sang, director of the first inspection division of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, offered to resign, criticizing the ministry’s “unjust” pressure.Chae said he was unable to carry on his duties after Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-an order
PoliticsSept. 15, 2013
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[Newsmaker] KEPCO to restart power-line project soon
The Korea Electric Power Corp. is set to resume its stalled power-line project in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, after next week’s Chuseok holidays despite continued resistance from some residents. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Chung Hong-won visited the county saying that resumption was an “unavoidable choice” and announced a revised 18.5 billion won ($17 million) compensation plan. The compensation package also includes plans to build the country’s largest solar power generation facility i
Social AffairsSept. 12, 2013
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[Newsmaker] From Olympic champ to IOC president
An Olympic gold medalist has been elected president of the International Olympic Committee for the first time in its 119-year history. Thomas Bach, a 59-year-old vice president of the IOC, has ascended to the top post of Olympic leadership.He was elected the ninth president of the IOC in its 125th session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday. He will serve a four-year term and will be eligible to run for two more terms. He succeeds Jacques Rogge, a 71-year-old Belgian, who stepped down after lead
SportsSept. 11, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Prosecution fulfills mission impossible
It has been mission impossible for 16 years: collecting 167.2 billion won in overdue fines from a former strongman who claimed to have only 290,000 won at hand and is notoriously at home with brinkmanship. So, many observers were skeptical when the prosecution began a whirlwind investigation into former President Chun Doo-hwan’s family nearly four months ago with an aim to force him to pay the bill stemming from his misdeeds while in office in the 1980s.Chun’s family finally announced Tuesday th
Social AffairsSept. 10, 2013
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[Newsmaker] First gay marriage stirs controversy
The first gay marriage in Korea on Saturday sharply divided the country, putting to the test its legal system and public tolerance of sexual minorities. Film director Kim-Jho Gwang-soo and film distributor Kim Seung-hwan held a symbolic wedding in central Seoul. They have been partners for nine years.The two men made their vows in front of guests reported to number about 1,000, including Kim-Jho’s mother, movie director Byun Young-joo and civil activist Paik Ki-wan.Their marriage, however, will
Social AffairsSept. 9, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Ex-president’s elder brother released
Lee Sang-deuk, 78, former six-term lawmaker and elder brother to ex-President Lee Myung-bak, will be released from prison Monday. He has been serving time since July last year for taking illegal funds from failing savings banks.The political bigwig was considered the most influential figure in the previous administration after the president.Lee was frequently described by pundits as the “Regent King” for exercising enormous political power through having his younger brother at the nation’s top p
PoliticsSept. 8, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Hyosung head in trouble for tax dodge claims
S.R. Cho, chairman of Hyosung Group, is coming under increasing pressure over allegations of tax evasion as tax authorities step up their investigation into his financial history.With conglomerate heads known for purchasing airline tickets to get out of tight spots in the past, Cho was banned from traveling abroad, forcing him to cancel plans to go to Vietnam with President Park Geun-hye for her state-visit there.The National Tax Service and the prosecutors’ ramped-up investigations into both pu
Sept. 5, 2013
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[Newsmaker] STX chairman's fate hanging by a thread
Kang Duk-soo, 63, chairman and founder of the faltering STX Group, is likely to step down within this month due to conflict with creditors. Representing creditor banks, Korea Development Bank issued a statement on Tuesday calling on him to resign to save the group. The request was made based on the earlier agreement of Kang in April, a pre-condition for capital injection to ailing STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, a core affiliate of the group.Under the agreement, Kang promised not to raise objection
IndustrySept. 4, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Park headed to first G20
President Park Geun-hye leaves for Russia on Wednesday to attend the G20 summit, making her debut in multinational summit diplomacy. Park will also make a state visit to Vietnam later this week as the first leg of her “sales diplomacy.”The eighth G20 Summit will be held Sept. 5-6 in St. Petersburg under the theme, “The Growth of the Global Economy and the Creation of Quality Jobs.”In her lead speech at the first session, Park is expected to highlight the need for the major economies’ cooperation
PoliticsSept. 3, 2013
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[Newsmaker] ‘Conspiracy to rebel’ charge rocks nation
The rebellion charge faced by leftist lawmaker Rep. Lee Seok-ki has rocked not only the political arena but the entire country, which is still ideologically divided in the midst of constant threats from North Korea.The best-known insurrection case was in 1980, albeit in vastly different circumstances. Then opposition leader Kim Dae-jung, who later became president, was sentenced to death by the military junta in its move to oppress the democratic movement. He was declared innocent in 2004.Anothe
PoliticsSept. 2, 2013
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[Newsmaker] KORAIL rapped for tardy response to crash
KORAIL, the nation’s state-run railway operator, is facing public criticism over its response to a train collision on Saturday. Two passenger trains collided near Daegu Station at 7:14 a.m. on Saturday, disrupting rail traffic between Seoul and Busan. A third train later crashed into the two stationary vehicles. The cause of the accident had yet to be confirmed as of Sunday afternoon. No one was seriously injured in the crash, but passengers on board the trains expressed outrage over what they
Sept. 1, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Leftist's allegations put UPP in jeopardy
The spy agency’s ongoing investigation into leftist lawmaker Lee Seok-ki on charges of plotting a rebellion threatens to engulf the far left of Korean politics and push his Unified Progressive Party over the edge.The UPP, which represents the more extreme end of progressive politics in Korea, was founded in November 2011 when the Democratic Labor Party merged with other progressive factions. Although its formation was aimed at representing a united front in last year’s general and presidential e
PoliticsAug. 29, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Lee no stranger to legal run-ins
The minor Unified Progressive Party’s Rep. Lee Seok-ki has never been free from controversy having been accused of election fraud, illegal funding and leftist ideology.But the investigation of the progressive lawmaker unveiled Wednesday was stunning to the public: He faces the first charge of revolt in 30 years. The first-term lawmaker has been at the center of one of the largest scandals to engulf the left-wing party in the past year. Lee gained his parliamentary seat as a proportional represen
PoliticsAug. 28, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Disgraced Bo turns China’s show trial into show stopper
China’s sensational trial of disgraced politician Bo Xilai wound down Monday with the former Communist Party bigwig giving a performance reminiscent of Jack Nicholson’s Col. Nathan R. Jessup in “A Few Good Men,” railing against his accusers in self-righteous indignation. Bo hurled invective at the testimonies of major witnesses for the prosecution, calling one “insane” and another “a vile liar.” The 64-year-old could have played it cool and sought leniency, but chose instead to go out full of so
PoliticsAug. 27, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Sohn remains key variable for progressives
Democratic Party adviser Sohn Hak-kyu continues to be a major factor for the progressive bloc despite his absence and apparent intention to “rest.” After losing the DP’s presidential primaries to Rep. Moon Jae-in last year, Sohn maintained a relatively low profile, and in January left for Germany to research welfare and labor issues. However, Sohn has been linked to Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo on a number of occasions, with speculations rising that the two may be planning an alliance. Although the rumors
PoliticsAug. 26, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Army academy rocked by sexual misconduct
The Korea Military Academy, once touted as the birthplace of the country’s elite warriors, is losing public trust under growing criticism for a recent series of shameful cases of sexual misconduct.The Army said on Sunday that the military prosecution was investigating a senior cadet for allegedly having sex with a middle school girl and stealing her mobile phone in Seoul last month. The cadet, 22, met the 16-year-old girl through an online chat service and purportedly had sex with her on July 13
DefenseAug. 25, 2013