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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Cabinet OKs budget bill with largest on-year rise since 2009
The government on Tuesday approved next year’s budget bill, which would see the biggest year-on-year increase in a decade. The bill, approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, calls for a budget of 470.5 trillion won ($423.5 billion), up 9.7 percent from this year. This is the largest on-year increase since 2009, when the annual budget was raised by 10.7 percent from the previous year, due largely to difficulties caused by the global financial crisis. Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon holds a briefing on
Aug. 28, 2018
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New ruling party chief to hold first meeting with presidential office, govt. this week
The new chief of the ruling Democratic Party will hold a meeting with senior officials from the presidential office and the government this week, mainly to discuss the economy, party officials said Tuesday.The three-way consultative meeting will be held Thursday, the first such gathering since Lee Hae-chan, a staunch liberal and former prime minister, was elected chairman of the DP last Saturday.The meeting is expected to touch upon the Moon Jae-in government's signature economic policy of "inco
Aug. 28, 2018
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Rival parties' floor leaders meet over key bills
The floor leaders of rival parties held a closed-door meeting Tuesday to discuss how to handle key bills on bank deregulation and the economy at the ongoing extraordinary parliamentary session.The parties earlier agreed to deal with bills on deregulating Internet-only bank ownership and protecting tenants at commercial buildings at a plenary session slated for Thursday. But their negotiations hit a snag as they differed on details. (Yonhap)A parliamentary subcommittee reviewed bills on easing no
Aug. 28, 2018
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Assembly panel fails to agree on Internet bank deregulation bill
A parliamentary subcommittee once again failed to reach an agreement on allowing nonfinancial firms to take bigger stakes in Internet-only banks Monday, hampering the government’s bid to promote innovation in the financial sector.Lawmakers at the National Policy Committee reviewed bills on easing the ownership limit for Internet banks of 4 percent for nonfinancial firms, but they differed on the scope of the cap and how to define nonfinancial firms subject to the envisioned deregulation, followi
Aug. 27, 2018
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Vice-ministerial appointments feed speculation of imminent Cabinet reshuffle
President Moon Jae-in‘s naming of six new vice minister-level officials on Sunday has added fuel to speculation that a Cabinet reshuffle could occur as early as this week. Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom at a briefing in July. YonhapOn Sunday, Moon named Min Won-ki as vice minister of science, Park Chun-kyoo as vice environment minister and Kim Yang-soo as vice minister at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Moon also named Kang Shin-wook as the new head of Statistics Korea, Kim Jong-se
Aug. 27, 2018
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Moon to mediate deal between US, N. Korea in summit with Kim: official
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will likely seek to mediate a breakthrough in talks between the United States and North Korea when he visits Pyongyang for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a Seoul official said Sunday. The presidential aide highlighted the importance of Moon's role in advancing apparently stalled talks on the North's denuclearization following the cancellation of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to the North scheduled for this week."I believe President M
Aug. 26, 2018
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Moon seeks to have lawmakers join North Korea visit
President Moon Jae-in said Sunday the government is discussing ways to have ruling and opposition party lawmakers join his trip to Pyongyang next month for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Moon made the remark during his phone conversation with new ruling Democratic Party chief Lee Hae-chan to congratulate him on his election the previous day.Moon called for the political parties' support for advancing inter-Korean ties, according to party spokesperson Kim Hyun. "President M
Aug. 26, 2018
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Veteran politician Lee Hae-chan elected new ruling party chief
Lee Hae-chan, a staunch liberal and former prime minister, was elected the new chief of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Saturday on pledges of unwavering efforts toward national reforms and inter-Korean peace. Former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan reacts after being elected the ruling party's new leader at a party convention on Saturday. (Yonhap)The 66-year-old seven-term lawmaker beat two rivals, Kim Jin-pyo and Song Young-gil, both four-term lawmakers, at the party's national convention. Lee
Aug. 25, 2018
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Ruling party set to elect new leader
The ruling Democratic Party is set to hold a national convention on Saturday to elect its new chief, with Lee Hae-chan, a charismatic former prime minister, leading the three-way race.Last month, the DP shortlisted three candidates for the election to succeed incumbent chairwoman Choo Mi-ae -- Lee, former Finance Minster Kim Jin-pyo and former Incheon Mayor Song Young-gil.Lee, 66, a seven-term lawmaker, is leading opinion polls by a large margin. The seasoned politician has close ties to Preside
Aug. 25, 2018
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Moon to discuss job creation with mayors, governors next week
President Moon Jae-in plans to hold a meeting with big city mayors and provincial governors next week after the session was postponed due to an approaching typhoon, an official said Friday.Moon had planned to hold the meeting with the heads of 17 large cities and provinces on Wednesday, but called it off to allow the local governments to focus on preparing to cope with Typhoon Soulik."We're going to reschedule the meeting for the closest possible date," a Cheong Wa Dae official said. "It's going
Aug. 24, 2018
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Ahn to leave for Germany next week following defeat in Seoul mayorship
Ahn Cheol-soo, a former candidate for the Seoul mayorship, will leave for Munich next week, his aides said Thursday, following his defeat in the June local elections.Last month, Ahn of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, said he will stay away from the political scene for a while after he ranked third in the race on June 13. (Yonhap)Ahn temporarily returned to South Korea last week having left for Germany earlier this month, where he spent two weeks preparing to study at a think tank, accord
Aug. 23, 2018
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Moon urges complete measures to reduce damage from typhoon
President Moon Jae-in on Thursday called for all-out efforts to minimize damage from an approaching typhoon and measures to ensure the safety of separated families from the two Koreas set to hold their first reunions this week."I feel burdened hearing the news of the damage on Jeju Island.The government must fully utilize its crisis management capabilities over the next two days when the typhoon will pass through and minimize damage inflicted on the people," Moon said.His remarks came in a visit
Aug. 23, 2018
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[Newsmaker] Partisan strife continues over special probe of online opinion rigging
A partisan squabble over an opinion-rigging scandal involving an incumbent governor resumed Thursday as the team of investigators led by special counsel Huh Ik-bum decided not to request an extension of its operating term.Thirteen special counsel investigations have been carried out in Korea, and Huh is the first not to seek an extension of the team’s term.The special counsel team’s probe lost momentum after the court rejected its request for a warrant to detain South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Ki
Aug. 23, 2018
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Typhoon makes landfall with strong winds, heavy rains
Typhoon Soulik made landfall on the Korean Peninsula on Thursday, bringing strong winds and heavy rains, the nation’s weather agency said.The government raised the level of warnings to the highest, as the powerful typhoon is expected to arrive in the nation’s central area Friday. News reports said the typhoon is expected to pass areas about 90 kilometers southeast of Seoul around 11 a.m.President Moon Jae-in called for all-out efforts to minimize damage from the approaching typhoon and measures
Aug. 23, 2018
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Special counsel won’t seek extension of term for opinion-rigging probe
Special prosecutors probing a high-profile political scandal involving an influential blogger and a prominent governor said Wednesday it will not seek to extend their designated term and plans to wrap up the investigation this Saturday.The team of 87 investigators, led by special counsel Huh Ik-bum, was launched on June 27 after the National Assembly passed a bill on the independent probe into an alleged massive rigging of online news comments. South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo, then
Aug. 22, 2018
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Cheong Wa Dae launches crisis management system as typhoon approaches
The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday that it put its crisis management center in operation as a strong typhoon was expected to soon make landfall in South Korea.The center opened Tuesday, one day after President Moon Jae-in ordered complete preparations to help minimize damage and any human casualties from Typhoon Soulik.(Yonhap)The typhoon was expected to make landfall here early Thursday, becoming the first of its kind to do so in six years, according to the state-run Korea Met
Aug. 22, 2018
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Government, party to hold emergency meeting on jobs
Senior officials from the government and ruling party will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss measures to tackle the worsening employment situation, party officials said.The meeting, slated for 2 p.m., will involve officials from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, relevant ministries and the Democratic Party, they said. Data showed Friday that the nation logged the lowest level of job addition in more than eight years in July, a blow to President Moon Jae-in, who pledged that jo
Aug. 19, 2018
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S. Korean PM meets with senior N. Korean official in Jakarta
South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon met with a senior North Korean official in Jakarta on Saturday just before the opening ceremony of the Asian Games.Lee encountered North Korean Deputy Prime Minister Ri Ryong-nam at around 6:20 p.m. at a trilateral meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.South and North Korea marched together behind the Korean Unification Flag at the opening ceremony in Jakarta later in the day.The rival Koreas are scheduled to field joint teams in three sports -- wo
Aug. 18, 2018
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S. Korean gov't committed to nuclear phase-out policy goal
The South Korean government is firmly committed to reducing the country's dependence on nuclear power and will expand the use of renewable power sources despite growing public support for time-tested atomic energy, observers in Seoul said Saturday. (Herald DB)According to a poll conducted by the Korean Nuclear Society, 71.6 percent of respondents supported the use of nuclear power in the country, far more than the 26 percent that said the country will be fine without it. The survey was conducted
Aug. 18, 2018
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Court denies arrest warrant for Gov. Kim in opinion rigging scandal
A Seoul court on Saturday refused to grant an arrest warrant for South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo over his alleged involvement in a massive opinion-rigging case. The Seoul Central District Court said the charges against Kim are disputable and that he presents little risk of fleeing given his current position. (Yonhap)Special Counsel Huh Ik-bum has been investigating suspicion that he colluded with Kim Dong-won, better known by his nickname Druking, to manipulate comments in news ar
Aug. 18, 2018