Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
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Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying
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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country
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N. Korea slams Seoul-Washington joint air exercise
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[Herald Interview] K-pop’s 'best years are ahead of us': Spotify’s general manager for Asia Pacific
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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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Seoul Mayor hires ultra-right YouTuber as ‘message secretary’
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon hired a conservative YouTuber in his 20s as his new secretary for press affairs, a move concerning to some as a sign that the mayoral office could be swayed into certain political stance under Oh’s rule. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday that the YouTuber was hired as a “message secretary” under the mayor’s office. The new hire is in charge of drafting speeches and other press materials to be released from Oh’s office until his
May 7, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Deadlock looms in Natl. Assembly over confirmation approvals of 3 minister nominees
A political standoff between the ruling and main opposition parties appeared imminent Thursday, as key National Assembly committees were scheduled to decide on the parliamentary approvals of scandal-ridden minister nominees recently picked by President Moon Jae-in. Earlier this week, parliamentary confirmation hearings on nominees for science, oceans, land, trade and labor ministers were carried out by the National Assembly. Of those, Lim Hye-sook, Park Jun-young and Noh Hyeong-ouk, nominees f
May 6, 2021
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Moon sends condolence letter to Mexican leader over metro line disaster
South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed his condolences to Mexican people over a deadly metro line disaster in their country, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. In a letter delivered to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador the previous day, Moon noted that the accident was regrettable, having a lot of victims and causing damage, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Moon sent a message of condolence to the victims and their families and hoped for the speedy recovery o
May 6, 2021
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Minister nominee under fire for wife’s alleged porcelain smuggling
Oceans Minister nominee Park Jun-young is facing criticism over allegations his wife smuggled in highly valuable porcelain without a customs declaration and sold it to customers while running a cafe. Rep. Kim Sun-gyo of the main opposition People Power Party first raised the issue last week, suggesting Park’s wife bought a large quantity of porcelain teacups, teapots, plates and ornaments in Britain and brought them back to Korea without reporting it to customs, before illegally selling s
May 5, 2021
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Moon holds online meeting with kids for Children's Day
President Moon Jae-in held an online meeting with a group of elementary school students on the occasion of Children's Day. He joined the event from his Cheong Wa Dae office on Tuesday, together with first lady Kim Jung-sook, and a related video clip was released Wednesday, which marks the 99th Children's Day in South Korea. Invited to the meeting were all 38 students at Doseong Elementary School in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. Located in the county, 180 kilometers east of Seoul, the tiny sch
May 5, 2021
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Oceans minister nominee comes under fire for wife's alleged smuggling of porcelain ware
Oceans Minister nominee Park Jun-young came under fire for his wife's alleged smuggling of porcelain ware during a parliamentary confirmation hearing on Tuesday. Rep. Kim Sun-gyo of the main opposition People Power Party took a swipe at the nominee during the parliamentary session over the allegations of possible tariff evasion. Kim first raised the allegations last week, suggesting that Park's wife bought a heap of porcelain teaware, plates and ornaments in Britain while the nominee was servi
May 4, 2021
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Science minister nominee draws heat for alleged ethical lapses
Science Minister nominee Lim Hye-sook drew heat from opposition lawmakers during a parliamentary confirmation hearing Tuesday for alleged ethical lapses. Lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) bombarded Lim with a barrage of allegations of ethical lapses and demanded she withdraw from the nomination during the parliamentary session. Lim, a professor of electronic and electrical engineering at Ewha Womans University and the chair of the National Research Council of Science &
May 4, 2021
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CIO's authority over indictments faces backlash from prosecutors
The new corruption investigative body's policy to supersede the prosecution has triggered an escalating backlash, offering a potential flash point between the two powerful agencies. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) announced Monday its rules on investigation, including superseding power over indictment in certain cases. The CIO, which began operation in January, is authorized to investigate and prosecute former and current public officials for corruption, in
May 4, 2021
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South Korea eyes production hub for COVID-19 vaccines
President Moon Jae-in on Monday stressed South Korea’s possible role as a production hub for COVID-19 vaccines, pledging efforts to ramp up local production, including securing more licensing deals with global vaccine makers. “Our nation, boasting the world’s second-largest production capacity of biomedicines, is getting renewed attention as a potential global hub for vaccine production,” Moon said in an urgent COVID-19 response meeting with related government offices.
May 3, 2021
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Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Oh-soo named as new prosecutor general: Cheong Wa Dae
zPresident Moon Jae-in named former Vice Justice Minister Kim Oh-soo as the new chief of South Korea's prosecution service, Cheong Wa Dae said. Justice Minister Park Beom-kye recommended Kim, who was a veteran prosecutor, for the position that has been vacant for two months since Yoon Seok-youl stepped down. The president accepted the recommendation, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Kim is required to go through the National Assembly's confirmation hearing, for which a d
May 3, 2021
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Moon's approval rating at all-time low of 33%: Realmeter
President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has fallen to the lowest point since the start of his tenure in 2017, a new poll showed Monday. Just 33 percent of South Koreans approve of his leadership, while 62.6 percent disapprove, according to a survey by Realmeter. It conducted the tracking poll on 2,523 people, aged 18 and older, nationwide for five days through last Friday. The latest approval number marks a 0.8 percentage-point drop from a week earlier. The previous record low of 33.4 percent
May 3, 2021
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5-term lawmaker, ex-Incheon mayor elected new ruling party chairman
Five-term legislator and former Incheon Mayor Rep. Song Young-gil was elected the new chairman of the ruling Democratic Party Sunday as it seeks a major reform drive following a recent election defeat. Song earned 35.6 percent of the ballots cast before and during the party's congress held at its headquarters in Seoul earlier in the day, defeating Reps. Hong Young-pyo and Woo Won-shik, both in their fourth terms. The election of Song comes as the DP, which commands 174 of the 300 parliamentary
May 2, 2021
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'Conflict of interest prevention bill' poised to improve public sector work ethics, transparency
The recent parliamentary passage of the so-called conflict of interest prevention law, which took eight years since its first proposal, is expected to bring about a vast change of culture in the public sector in terms of improved transparency and work ethics. The National Assembly on Thursday passed the bill that prohibits public officials, including lawmakers, from seeking personal gain using information related to their job responsibilities. Similar anti-graft bills were proposed over the pa
May 2, 2021
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Govt. remains unperturbed by mounting calls for pardoning jailed Samsung heir
Calls for pardoning Lee Jae-yong, the incarcerated de facto chief of Samsung Group, have resurfaced after his family unveiled plans to donate a chunk of the immense assets inherited from Lee's late father and company Chairman Lee Kun-hee. But the government and the ruling party remain adamant that it is too early to deliberate on the issue. Prime Minister nominee Kim Boo-kyum on Thursday highly assessed Samsung heirs' donation pledges but stressed it would hardly influence the government's sta
April 30, 2021
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Four-term lawmaker, ex-Ulsan mayor elected as new floor leader of main opposition party
Four-term legislator and ex-Mayor of Ulsan Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon was elected the new floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party on Friday. Kim, based in the southeastern city of Ulsan, secured 66 of the 100 ballots cast in the party's runoff voting to become the new floor leader, defeating rival Rep. Kim Tae-heum. He will replace Rep. Joo Ho-young, who is retiring as floor leader and acting party chairman. One of the most urgent issues facing Kim in the new post is the party's ongoing
April 30, 2021
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Moon's approval rating hits record low of 29%: Gallup
President Moon Jae-in's approval rating dropped below 30 percent for the first time since his inauguration in May 2017, a Gallup Korea poll showed Friday. In its three-day survey from Tuesday of 1,000 adults nationwide, 29 percent of respondents supported Moon's leadership, down 2 percentage points from a week earlier. His approval rating has been on the decline since recording 40 percent in the first week of March. The proportion of those disapproving of his presidency stayed at 60 percent.
April 30, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Moon gets another AstraZeneca vaccine shot for summit with Biden, G-7 session
President Moon Jae-in received his second dose of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine Friday, a few weeks earlier than initially scheduled, as he plans to visit Washington for talks with President Joe Biden in late May. He got the first shot at the Jongno Ward public health center in Seoul on March 23 in order to attend a Group of Seven (G-7) summit to be held in Britain from June 11-13. At that time, he was scheduled to get the second dose in May. Later, South Korea and th
April 30, 2021
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National Assembly passes bill meant to prevent conflicts of interest among public officials
The National Assembly on Thursday passed a long-stalled bill that prohibits public officials, including lawmakers, from seeking personal gains using information related to their job responsibilities. The so-called conflict of interest prevention law was approved during a parliamentary plenary session following its passage through the Legislation and Judiciary Committee earlier in the day. Similar anti-graft bills were proposed over the past eight years in vain before a massive land speculation
April 29, 2021
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Independent panel to review power abuse probe of Seoul prosecution chief on May 10
An independent panel created to review the validity of an ongoing investigation into the Seoul prosecution chief on charges of abuse of power will convene on May 10, judiciary sources said Thursday. Lee Sung-yoon, chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, is being probed over allegations he exercised undue influence in 2019 to stop an inquiry into the alleged illegal exit ban imposed on a former senior official. The Supreme Prosecutors Office last week accepted Lee's request for
April 29, 2021
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Moon’s retirement residence faces resistance from neighbors
Construction of President Moon Jae-in’s post-presidency residence has been halted recently faced with resistance from residents of the area, according to Cheong Wa Dae sources Thursday. Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook plan to relocate to Habuk, a small town in the rural city of Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, after retiring in May 2022. They purchased a 2,630-square-meter property in the area for 1.06 billion won ($870,000) last year. Following the purchase, the Presidential Sec
April 29, 2021