Most Popular
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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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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[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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4 in 10 young South Koreans take up 'irregular' jobs: data
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[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
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Seoul aims to halve current suicide rate by 2030
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'1 million' Christians join anti-LGBTQ+ marriage rally
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Opposition parties condemn ruling party chief’s comment Vietnamese women
Opposition parties have criticized the ruling party chief’s recent remarks on Vietnamese women, demanding an official apology.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s chief Lee Hae-chan was quoted as saying, “Many Korean men marry Vietnamese women as they prefer them over women from other countries,” during a meeting at the National Assembly with a high-level Vietnamese delegation headed by Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung on Monday.Democratic Party of Korea’s chief Lee Hae-chan (Yo
Dec. 5, 2018
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Moon orders measures to strengthen presidential officials' discipline
President Moon Jae-in has ordered a senior aide to draw up measures to strengthen presidential officials' discipline following allegations of irregularities against some officials, his spokesman said Wednesday.Moon on Tuesday instructed Cho Kuk, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, to immediately come up with measures to improve the operation of a team of special inspectors that has recently come under fire for its members' alleged wrongdoings. (Yonhap)Last week, the presidential off
Dec. 5, 2018
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Liberty Korea Party attempts to reduce factional gap over ex-President Park’s impeachment
While the main opposition Liberty Korea Party continues to suffer from low approval ratings and factional conflicts, the party is discussing the adoption of a resolution demanding that two of the nation’s former presidents be freed from detention as they await their appeal trials, having already been convicted on various corruption charges. The lawmakers of the conservative party are broadly divided between those “loyal to” ousted former President Park Geun-hye after her impeachment and her oppo
Dec. 4, 2018
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[Newsmaker] Moon’s Blue House under fire for discipline
The opposition parties on Monday continued raising pressure on the presidential secretary for civil affairs, as President Moon Jae-in remains silent on the recent series of misconduct by Cheong Wa Dae officials. On Monday, the conservative main opposition Liberty Korea Party renewed its criticism of Cheong Wa Dae over related matters, with its interim leader Kim Byung-joon accusing the administration of turning a blind eye to wrongdoings within its ranks. President Moon Jae-in and his Senior Se
Dec. 3, 2018
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Speaker presses rival parties to reach agreement over govt. budget proposal
South Korea's parliamentary speaker said Monday that he will open a plenary session later in the day to put the government's 2019 budget proposal up for vote, unless rival parties reach an agreement on the schedule for its passage.The 470.5 trillion won ($421.8 billion) budget bill was automatically sent to a plenary session as the legal deadline to handle the proposal passed Sunday amid partisan wrangling. Hong Young-pyo (center), the floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party and his two oppo
Dec. 3, 2018
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Prosecutors seek warrants for former top court justices, first in Korean history
The prosecution on Monday filed for arrest warrants for former top court justices over their suspected involvement in a massive judiciary power abuse case. It is the first time in Korean history that arrest warrants have been requested for former Supreme Court justices. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said it submitted the request early Monday for former Supreme Court Justices Park Byong-dae and Ko Young-han over their alleged abuse of power. They are suspected of colluding with f
Dec. 3, 2018
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Moon's approval rating dips to record low since his inauguration: poll
President Moon Jae-in's approval rating fell last week to the lowest point since he took office in May last year, amid an economic slowdown and a stall in progress toward North Korea's denuclearization, a poll showed Monday.Moon's support level came to 48.4 percent last week, down 3.6 percentage points from the previous week, according to a weekly poll conducted by Realmeter on 2,513 adults across the country. (Yonhap)Moon's approval rating has declined for nine straight weeks since hitting 65.3
Dec. 3, 2018
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Japanese newspaper echoes Abe, discards term ‘forced labor’
A major English-language newspaper in Japan said it would no longer use the term “forced labor” when reporting on Koreans who worked in Japan before and during World War II, despite the fact that many of the workers were there against their will.In an editor’s note on the paper’s website Thursday, the Japan Times said people previously described as victims of “forced labor” would now be called “wartime laborers” instead. (A capture image of the Japan Times)“Because the conditions they worked und
Nov. 30, 2018
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Cho urged to step down over misconduct allegations against Blue House audit team
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Friday renewed its attack on Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Cho Kuk and the presidential office over alleged misconduct by investigators on Cheong Wa Dae’s inspection team.Allegations of wrongdoing by officials on the inspection team, which is under the authority of the office of the civil affairs secretary, surfaced earlier this week. Senior Secretar for Civil Affairs Cho Kuk. YonhapIn one case, an official from the team allegedly attempted to gain
Nov. 30, 2018
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Ex-Seoul mayor joins main opposition party, vows efforts for conservatives' unity
Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon joined the main opposition Liberty Korea Party Thursday, amid expectations that he will run in the troubled conservative party's leadership election next year.Oh came back into the fold after he defected from the party's predecessor in January 2017 and entered a new central-right party following the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye due to a corruption scandal. This photo, taken on Nov. 29, 2018, shows former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaking to reporters
Nov. 29, 2018
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Minor parties press major parties to join parliamentary electoral reform
Minor parties on Wednesday called on bigger rivals to immediately join a push for adopting a new proportional representation system as they seek to reform the parliamentary electoral scheme.The ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party remain lukewarm toward minor parties' call to introduce the German-style mixed-member proportional representation system.Under MMP representation, the number of parliamentary seats that each party receives is tied to the percentage of vot
Nov. 28, 2018
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Judge council's resolution for impeachment of judges in scandal not legally binding: NCA head
The latest announcement by a judges' council in support of the parliament's push for impeachment of judges implicated in a power abuse scandal is not legally binding and is to be viewed as more of a declaration, the chief of the top court's governing body said Wednesday. Supreme Court Justice Ahn Chul-sang, also the head of the National Court Administration, issued the statement in response to a written question filed by an opposition lawmaker regarding the council's decision. Supreme Court Jus
Nov. 28, 2018
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University points finger at hackers, denies connection to alleged Blue House document
A document claiming that Seoul’s presidential office is aware of Washington’s disapproval of its North Korea policies was the work of hackers, and the information in it did not come either from Cheong Wa Dae or Ajou University, the chief of the university’s China research center said Tuesday. Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom. Yonhap“The file was made by a hacker group, and sent to me using (presidential secretary) Kwon Hee-seok’s name to steal information,” said Prof. Kim Heung-gyu, dir
Nov. 27, 2018
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Uncertainty grows over parliamentary passage of govt. budget proposal
Rival parties on Tuesday continued to clash over the government's 2019 budget proposal, clouding the prospect of its timely passage ahead of this weekend's deadline.Dec. 2 is the legal deadline for the parliament to pass the government's record-high 470.5 trillion-won ($416.6 billion) budget bill for next year. (Yonhap)Despite a shortage of time ahead of the deadline, conservative parties on Monday suspended a budget review amid rival parties'wrangling over an expected 4 trillion-won shortfall i
Nov. 27, 2018
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Korea seeks to cut card fees for smaller businesses
Officials from the government and the ruling Democratic Party agreed Monday to cut card commission rates for smaller business owners to help them tide over economic difficulties.The move came as small businesses are feeling the pinch the most amid the economic downturn and the government's hikes in minimum wages.President Moon Jae-in ordered government officials last week to draw up measures to support small and medium-sized business owners, including a reduction in card processing fees.After a
Nov. 26, 2018
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Moon’s protocol secretary busted for drunk driving
President Moon Jae-in’s protocol secretary Kim Jong-cheon resigned Friday after he was caught driving under the influence of alcohol.According to Cheong Wa Dae, Kim was caught driving under the influence at around 1 a.m. Friday, near the presidential office. Kim Jong-cheon (Yonhap)The presidential office said Kim immediately reported the incident to presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok and handed in his resignation. Kim also filed a report with Cheong Wa Dae’s disciplinary office. Moon was
Nov. 23, 2018
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Parliament passes economic bills after deadlock broken
The National Assembly passed bills linked to livelihoods of ordinary people Friday as rival parties put parliament back on track after a weeklong hiatus amid partisan conflicts.Lawmakers approved 90 proposals, including a revised bill aimed at protecting and supporting small merchants, at a plenary session earlier in the day.A session was originally slated for last Thursday, but the main opposition Liberty Korea Party and the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party boycotted it to protest President M
Nov. 23, 2018
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Parties agree to normalize parliament, probe state organizations’ hiring
Five political parties on Wednesday agreed to normalize parliamentary operations in a last-minute meeting organized by National Assembly Speaker Rep. Moon Hee-sang.Under the agreement, the parties will resume operation of all committees, including that of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang (third from left) and floor leaders of the political parties pose for a photograph at the National Assembly on Wednesday. YonhapThe parties also agreed that
Nov. 21, 2018
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Govt. to expand medical checkup benefits for youths
South Korea will expand providing free medical examinations to more than 7 million people in their 20s and 30s next year, the government said Wednesday.According to a revision to the relevant health law that will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2019, some 7.2 million people who had been in the "blind spot" of the national health insurance system will benefit from the change, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. (Yonhap)In South Korea, the National Health Insurance Service provides support
Nov. 21, 2018
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Appeals court upholds 2-yr term for ex-leader Park for election interference
A Seoul appellate court on Wednesday upheld a district court decision to sentence ousted former President Park Geun-hye to a two-year prison term for election law violations, dismissing the prosecution's request to increase the jail term by one year.The district court in July convicted Park for interfering in the candidate nomination process of the then ruling Saenuri Party for the 2016 Assembly elections. (Yonhap)The prosecution appealed the ruling, seeking its original three-year prison term f
Nov. 21, 2018