Most Popular
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying
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[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country
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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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Hanwha, HD Hyundai vie for Poland’s $2.7b submarine program
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First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders
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Former justice minister denies power abuse charges at first court hearing
Former Justice Minister and presidential aide Cho Kuk denied charges against him Friday over the alleged suspension of the presidential office's inspection into a high-profile corruption case. Cho attended a court hearing for the first time since he was charged with abuse of power in January for allegedly halting the probe in 2017 into bribery allegations involving Yoo Jae-soo, then a senior Financial Services Commission official. At that time, Cho was senior presidential secretary for civil
May 8, 2020
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Ruling party approves bid to merge with sister party
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) approved a bid Friday to merge with its sister party created to seek proportional representation seats in the latest parliamentary elections. Of nearly 180,000 party members who participated in an electronic vote, 84.1 percent approved the proposal, according to party officials. The vote was conducted for 24 hours beginning at 6 a.m. Thursday. The DP created a satellite party, named the Platform Party, in the runup to the April 15 parliamentary elections, in a
May 8, 2020
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Schools at forefront of quarantine: Moon
President Moon Jae-in said Friday schools have become the front line of South Korea's anti-coronavirus fight, as it's preparing to reopen in-person classes next week following a two-month delay. "Now, schools are the front line of quarantine (measures)," he said during a visit to Jungkyung High School in central Seoul. He checked quarantine-related steps and had an on-site discussion with a group of parents, teachers and quarantine experts. The visit came amid renewed concerns about
May 8, 2020
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Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon elected Democratic Party floor leader
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday elected Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon as its new floor leader to head the party which secured an absolute majority in parliament amid a stack of pressing issues involving the economy dampened by the coronavirus pandemic awaiting to be solved. In his second attempt, four-term lawmaker Kim succeeded to take the position by defeating two other candidates Rep. Jeon Hae-cheol and Rep. Jung Sung-ho. He received 82 votes out of 163. “I will gather the party
May 7, 2020
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Defeated opposition lawmaker asks top court to nullify election results
Rep. Min Kyung-wook of the main opposition United Future Party filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Thursday, asking it to nullify the results of last month’s general elections. He claimed that the government rigged the vote to help his rival from the ruling party win. “The April 15 election was a fraudulent election with QR code computer manipulation and voting fraud. We should carry out a fresh round of elections,” the journalist-turned-politician said in a press co
May 7, 2020
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Financial official tapped as Moon's economic policy secretary
President Moon Jae-in has picked a veteran finance ministry official as his new secretary for economic policy, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. Moon nominated Lee Eog-weon, director general of the economic policy bureau at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, to assume the Cheong Wa Dae post, according to presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok. Lee worked as chairman of the World Trade Organization's working party on domestic regulation from 2015-2016, when he was a minister-counselor at South Kore
May 7, 2020
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Govt. to create civil service jobs on data management, disaster prevention
The government will create new civil service positions dedicated to data management and utilization and disaster prevention, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Wednesday. The ministry said that along with the Ministry of Personnel Management, it will revise the current classification system for civil service duties in the second half of the year to create new positions exclusively in charge of managing and utilizing data, including those on infectious diseases and regional economic a
May 6, 2020
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No plans for Cabinet shake-up: Cheong Wa Dae
President Moon Jae-in has no plans to carry out a Cabinet reshuffle in the near future, Cheong Wa Dae emphasized Wednesday, in response to a news report that foreign and defense ministers will likely be replaced next month. "Currently, a Cabinet shake-up is not being considered at all," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok told reporters in an unusually quick and clear reaction to media speculation on the sensitive issue. A Cheong Wa Dae official later said there is no chance that
May 6, 2020
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Moon hails opening of pro sports as meaningful step toward normal life
President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that South Korea is setting a precedent for how to enjoy professional sports in the coronavirus era, a day after the opening of the country's new baseball season. Games began on Children's Day following a monthlong delay, though fans were not allowed into ballparks over concerns of COVID-19. Players were even prohibited from spitting on field. It demonstrated South Koreans' cautious return to normalcy, as COVID-19 infections have slowed remarkably in recen
May 6, 2020
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[News Focus] NK-born lawmakers-elect in hot water after Kim Jong-un’s return
Two North Korea-born lawmakers-elect in South Korea are in hot water after the North’s leader Kim Jong-un resurfaced in the public eye Saturday, contrary to their previous comments. On Monday, Thae Gu-min apologized for his inaccurate assessment of Kim’s health, two days after North Korean media released images of the leader appearing healthy. Thae, along with fellow North Korea-born lawmaker-elect Ji Sung-ho, claimed that Kim was either dead or in serious condition, citing unna
May 4, 2020
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Lawmakers to vote on bill to permit voters to propose constitutional revision Friday
The National Assembly will hold a plenary meeting this week to vote on a bill to permit a million voters to propose a constitutional revision, as the ongoing extra session is set to end in mid-May, lawmakers said Monday. In March, nearly 150 ruling and opposition lawmakers submitted to the parliament a motion to amend a constitutional clause in a bid to allow voters to propose a constitutional revision, along with a majority of lawmakers and the president. Rival political parties agreed to ho
May 4, 2020
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KAIST professor tapped as presidential science policy adviser
President Moon Jae-in has picked a female scientist and professor as his new adviser for science and technology, Cheong Wa Dae announced Monday. Park Su-kyung, who teaches mechanical engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), is to assume the vice ministerial position, becoming the youngest member of Moon's senior Cheong Wa Dae aide team. Born in 1973, she studied mechanical engineering at KAIST and earned a master's degree from the school in Daejeon, 160 k
May 4, 2020
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Parties gear up to choose new floor leaders
South Korea’s ruling and main opposition parties are set to elect new floor leaders this week, individuals who will play vital roles in the country’s newly elected National Assembly. As soon as they take the helm, the new floor leaders are expected to convene the last plenary session for the outgoing Assembly and prepare to deliberate on a third supplementary budget, drawn up with the aim of minimizing the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The main opposition Unite
May 3, 2020
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S. Korea to give cash payouts to 2.8m households this week amid pandemic
The government plans to start giving cash payouts to around 2.8 million virus-hit households starting this week, the interior ministry said Sunday. Under the measure, eligible households -- including those under the government's low-income support or disabled pension scheme -- will receive up to 1 million won ($817) in cash on Monday without going through a separate application process. In order to receive the payout in cash, all members of the household must be a recipient of the government'
May 3, 2020
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Cabinet approves details to allocate extra budget over coronavirus
The government approved details in a Cabinet meeting Friday to allocate a 12.2 trillion-won ($10 billion) extra budget to fund emergency handouts for households over the new coronavirus. The move is a follow-up to the National Assembly's passage of the supplementary budget designed to provide emergency aid to all households to help them cope with the economic impact of COVID-19. At a provisional Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun ordered government officials to take steps for the
May 1, 2020
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Moon gives credit to public after daily internal virus infection cases come to zero
Celebrating the zero local cases of coronavirus reported Thursday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in gave credit to the collective power of South Koreans. "Zero locally confirmed COVID-19 patients (for the first time) in 72 days. Zero infections in the 14 days since the general elections," the president said on Twitter. "This is the power of the Republic of Korea and the South Korean people," he said. The celebratory message followed another sharp dive in the daily numb
April 30, 2020
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Moon orders officials to look into fire safety measures after deadly warehouse blaze
President Moon Jae-in has ordered officials to look into why enhanced fire safety measures did not work, his spokesman said, a day after a warehouse fire killed at least 38 people and injured 10 others. Moon made the remarks while presiding over an emergency meeting with his chief of staff and other senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae's crisis management center to discuss Wednesday's warehouse fire in Icheon, about 50 kilometers south of Seoul. "Fire safety measures have been strengthened
April 30, 2020
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All Koreans to get COVID-19 relief money
The National Assembly on Thursday passed a 12.2-trillion-won extra budget bill to offer disaster relief money to all Koreans to help them tackle the economic fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak. The second supplementary budget to be approved this year was increased from the government’s earlier proposal of 7.6 trillion won as the scope of recipients was expanded from the bottom 70 percent of the income bracket to all households. The government will provide 1 million won in emergency disa
April 30, 2020
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Ex-PM Lee's popularity tops 40% in presidential hopeful poll
Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon's favorability rating as a potential presidential contender has climbed to above 40 percent, further strengthening his front-runner position, according to a survey Thursday. The journalist-turned-politician's favorability rating stood at 40.2 percent, according to a Realmeter survey of 2,522 voting-eligible adults nationwide. The poll, commissioned by media outlet OhmyNews, was conducted from April 20-24. The latest figure represents a 10.5 percentage point i
April 30, 2020
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Moon notes Buddhist spirit over virus crisis, deadly blaze
President Moon Jae-in on Thursday mourned the victims of a warehouse fire that left at least 38 people dead and 10 others injured the previous day, saying the disaster has added woes to the coronavirus crisis. "Many people were killed. It is so sad that this unfortunate accident has happened when everybody is working hard to overcome COVID-19," Moon said in a message marking Buddha's Birthday. "I deeply mourn the victims and wish those injured a quick recovery." South Kore
April 30, 2020