Most Popular
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Who's lying? Hybe vs. Min conflict continues to intensify
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Seoul should engage Kim Jong-un’s elites for change, ex-North Korean diplomat says
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Thousands rally in Seoul to call for Yoon resignation
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Most teen sex offenders get away with slap on wrist
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Ex-Trump official calls for S. Korea to raise defense spending to 3 or 3.5% of GDP
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Man sentenced to 1 year, 8 months for stealing from elementary school classrooms
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FM champions multilateralism, stresses S. Korea's vision as 'global pivotal state'
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Same-sex couple denied insurance clearance despite landmark ruling
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Panmunjom tours for select Korean nationals may resume in October
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Young Poong says no better offer for Korea Zinc
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Hong Kong’s youth power
Hong Kong is an indisputable part of China, so think the Chinese. A new political party has been launched by young students who orchestrated the 2014 pro-democracy protests against mainland China. The new political party intends to campaign for a fresh referendum that will decide Hong Kong’s future and also its possible independence from the mainland. Hong Kong enjoys many freedoms, civic and political that are unheard of and unimaginable in the mainland. Chinese authorities viewed the earlier s
ViewpointsApril 14, 2016
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[Raul Palabrica] China’s struggle for recognition
What would you do if you were the richest person in your community and you had issues with your neighbors on property rights? If you were emotionally stable or did not have a chip on your shoulder, you would reach out to them to come up with a win-win solution to your conflict. If you were emotionally challenged or harbored feelings of insecurity, you would perform acts that show your superiority or your neighbors’ weakness in relation to your strength. Like a bully, you may even use force or in
ViewpointsApril 14, 2016
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[Tulsathit Taptim] Thai connections in Panama Papers
It requires financial genius to stash mountains of money in tax havens, as revealed by the Panama Papers, but it probably takes greater intellect to defend the offshore hidey-holes. The Anti-Money Laundering Office all of a sudden has a tightrope to walk following reports of Thai connections in the leak that is rocking the world.The names of 16 Thais have been found listed among the huge trove of documents revealing individuals and entities from countries around the globe who set up secret offsh
ViewpointsApril 14, 2016
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[Jeffrey Frankel] The domestic threat to U.S. leadership
U.S. President Barack Obama has racked up a series of foreign-policy triumphs over the last 12 months. But one that has gained less attention than others was the passage last December of legislation to reform the International Monetary Fund, after five years of obstruction by the U.S. Congress. As the IMF convenes in Washington, D.C., for its annual spring meetings from April 15-17, we should pause to savor the importance of this achievement. After all, if the United States had let yet another y
ViewpointsApril 14, 2016
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Ruling party reeling from election rout
The leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party resigned en masse Thursday in the wake of its crushing defeat in the parliamentary election the day before, which deprived the conservatives of a legislative majority status and threatened to undermine President Park Geun-hye’s mandate.Party chairman Kim Moo-sung and other leaders offered to step down early in the morning taking responsibility for factional fighting and nomination debacle blamed for its unexpected setback. Late at night they decided to lau
PoliticsApril 14, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Ahn chases second wave of political momentum
Since stepping into politics in 2011 as a fresh alternative, former computer virus vaccine developer Ahn Cheol-soo has received fluctuating reactions from the public, varying from high hopes to utter skepticism.Despite persisting doubts and disapproval, the information technology mogul-turned-politician at last seems to have made his mark as a heavyweight opposition figure, thanks to his party’s surprising achievement in Wednesday’s parliamentary election.People’s Party leader Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo
PoliticsApril 14, 2016
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Election outcome shows weakening regionalism
Over the past decades, South Korea’s deep-rooted regionalism has been considered the source of entrenched animosity and ideological standoffs encouraged by politicians who have manipulated sentiment in their favor. But Wednesday’s election seemed to show that such decades-old tactics might no longer work for the established parties, with the electorate in liberal and conservative strongholds casting their ballots for candidates running across the regional divide.In the conservative strongholds o
PoliticsApril 14, 2016
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With new Assembly, changes loom for Seoul’s foreign policy
Following the opposition camp‘s election sweep, the government is expected to face mounting calls for an overhaul of North Korea and other diplomatic and security policy, as well as a far-reaching Cabinet reshuffle, to include the foreign minister. Cheong Wa Dae appeared devastated the day after the Wednesday vote, which deprived President Park Geun-hye’s Saenuri Party of not only the majority, but also the largest share of the 300-strong National Assembly, with one official saying, “I can’t fig
Foreign AffairsApril 14, 2016
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Standout victors of election
Wednesday’s general election yielded some notable results, from slight hints of regional favoritism toward parties to victorious independent underdogs who defected from the two major parties. The following are some of the election winners who garnered nationwide attention in their race for a parliamentary seat. Observers note that the election for the 20th National Assembly will be remembered for candidates of major parties -- Saenuri Party and The Minjoo Party of Korea -- winning in constituenc
PoliticsApril 14, 2016
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Pre-election surveys’ credibility questioned
The local polling industry is in a sense of crisis after failing to forecast many of the outcomes of Wednesday’s parliamentary election, with questions growing over the validity of opinion surveys. In the election, the opposition bloc made an unexpectedly strong showing, defying the expectations of local pollsters and analysts, who thought that the ruling conservative party would easily regain the majority. Saenuri took 122 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, while The Minjoo Party of Kor
Social AffairsApril 14, 2016
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Young voters’ turnout rises by double digits
The final voter turnout for the parliamentary election hit 58 percent, slightly lower than the originally anticipated 60 percent mark, but the highest since 1996, with a noticeable jump among 20- and 30-somethings.The National Election Commission said 24.4 million out of 42.1 million eligible Korean voters cast their ballots, the highest in 20 years when 63.9 percent of voters turned out. It was also 3.8 percentage points higher than 54.2 percent in the 2012 general election.Voters have their id
Social AffairsApril 14, 2016
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‘25 percent of children of immigrants don’t identify themselves as Koreans’: study
About 25 percent of children born to South Korean nationals and their foreign-born spouses do not identify themselves as Korean in spite of their South Korean citizenship, a study showed Thursday.The report, released by the National Youth Policy Institute, surveyed 1,334 children of “multicultural” households -- families that consist of South Korean nationals, their foreign-born spouses and their children -- from 2011 to 2015. The children were all fourth graders in 2011 and were attending middl
Social AffairsApril 14, 2016
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Average age of lawmakers-elect oldest in history
The average age of lawmakers-elect reached 55.5 years, the oldest in history, while the number of first-termers declined, the final outcome of the 20th general election showed.The average age for the Saenuri Party was the oldest at 56.5, followed by the People’s Party at 56.2, The Minjoo Party of Korea at 54.2 and the Justice Party at 52.3.Most, or 54 percent, of the total were in their 50s. The youngest candidate to win was Kim Soo-min, a proportionate member of the People’s Party aged 30. The
PoliticsApril 14, 2016
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Prosecution to launch probe into election violations
The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said Thursday around 170 elected candidates in this week’s general election may face questioning over illegal campaigning.The probe might expand further by looking into any violations of the Public Official Elections Act by associates of the elected lawmakers such as their family members, campaign chiefs or accountants.Prosecutors said that there were less number of reports made of illegal exchanges of money and gifts but there were more on false propaganda and ma
PoliticsApril 14, 2016
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[Market Now] Bond yields rise as QE expectations ebb
Yields on Korea’s government bonds went up in Seoul on Thursday, as the ruling camp’s election defeat sapped market expectations for the Bank of Korea’s bond purchase program. The yield for the three-year government bond rose 3.7 basis points to 1.52 percent, the highest this month, while the five-year note’s yield closed 4.2 basis points higher at 1.607 percent. The yield on 10-year debt rose 4.5 basis points to 1.844 percent. President Park Geun-hye’s Saenuri Party lost its majority status in
April 14, 2016
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Coupang logs threefold jump in 2015 sales
Coupang, South Korea’s leading e-commerce operator, said Thursday its sales jumped more than threefold in 2015 due to its delivery service, but its operating loss widened due to big investments in logistics capacity. Coupang posted 1.13 trillion won ($ 976.66 million) in sales last year, becoming the first social commerce operator to break the 1 trillion mark in the nation, its regulatory filing showed. Despite the stellar sales growth, the firm logged 520 billion won in operating losses because
IndustryApril 14, 2016
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Artists commemorate victims of Sewol tragedy
The intense grief and anger that gripped the country after the Sewol ferry sinking seems to have receded, two years after the tragic day. But the disaster remains vivid in the memories of the victims’ families who still frequently visit the Government Joint Memorial site in Hwarang Recreation Park in Ansan, a Gyeonggi Province city where Danwon High School, whose students made up the largest group of victims, is located. Of the 304 victims, 250 students and 11 teachers from the school were on a
PerformanceApril 14, 2016
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Man gets 22 years for murdering wife
A man who stabbed his wife to death was given 22 years in prison on Thursday. According to the Chuncheon district court, the 34 year-old man had been fighting with his wife in front of their apartment management office. He had accused her of adultery. Unable to control his anger, he had stabbed her multiple times resulting in her death. (123RF)The court determined, “Although the defendant was heavily intoxicated beyond reasonable state, he brutally murdered his wife, ignoring her desperate plea
Social AffairsApril 14, 2016
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BAF receives ideas for Mulmangol Bunker overhaul
The organizing committee of the Busan International Architectural Culture Festival is holding a design competition to revamp a deserted bunker from the early 1900s Japanese colonial era into a new tourist attraction in Busan. The Busan Metropolitan Government has allotted some 100 billion won ($86.5 million) in redeveloping the long-neglected site and its surrounding areas in the district of Yeonje-gu in the city. The application is open to Korean and foreign professional architects and studen
Arts & DesignApril 14, 2016
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'Zootopia' exceeds 4 million in attendance
Disney's "Zootopia" has become the fifth-most-viewed animated film of all time in South Korea, drawing more than 4 million viewers nationwide, data showed Thursday.According to computerized box-office figures from the Korean Film Council, the film amassed 4,057,446 in cumulative viewers as of Wednesday.It is the fifth-highest attendance record ever for animated films in South Korea following "Frozen," "Kung Fu Panda 2," "Inside Out" and "Kung Fu Panda," and is this year's most-viewed film to dat
FilmApril 14, 2016