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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Seoul aims to halve current suicide rate by 2030
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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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103 autumn foliage paths in Seoul
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Iconic liberal lawmaker found dead amid bribery allegations
Rep. Roh Hoe-chan of the far-left minor opposition Justice Party was found dead in front of an apartment building in Jung-gu, Seoul, Monday, amid bribery allegations. Roh appears to have taken his own life, according to police. The three-term lawmaker, who was the party’s floor leader, had just returned the previous day from a six-day visit to the United States with floor leaders of other political parties.Police move the body of Roh Hoe-chan, floor leader of the minor opposition Justice Party,
July 23, 2018
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Parties mourn death of iconic leftist lawmaker
Political parties on Monday expressed condolences over the death of opposition lawmaker Roh Hoe-chan, who jumped from an apartment building earlier in the day amid a probe into allegations that he took illegal political funds.Roh, 62, floor leader of the minor opposition Justice Party, was a towering figure in the nation's labor movement and progressive politics. He was widely popular for his pithy sound bites and sharp criticism against the corrupt establishment. (Yonhap)His image was tarnishe
July 23, 2018
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[Breaking] Opposition lawmaker Roh Hoe-chan, embroiled in bribery scandal, found dead
Three-term lawmaker Rep. Roh Hoe-chan of the minor opposition Justice Party was found dead in front of an apartment building in Jung-gu, Seoul, Monday. According to police, an apartment security guard found Roh lying dead in front of an apartment building and called police at 9:38 a.m. Roh’s jacket and a wallet with a note were found on the staircase between the 17th and 18th floors of the apartment building, according to police. Roh appears to have jumped to his death, police said.(Yonhap)In th
July 23, 2018
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Foreign minister rejects concerns about easing of NK sanctions
South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Monday rejected concerns about Seoul's alleged move to ease international sanctions on Pyongyang, saying it is seeking an "exception" to facilitate cross-border exchanges.Kang made the remarks upon arrival from her visit to the United States, amid media speculation that she stressed the need for an easing of the sanctions during her meetings with the UN Security Council member states."Now is not a phase when sanctions are being eased. ... It is no
July 23, 2018
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Ex-leader Park's jail term rises to 32 years after conviction in NIS scandal
A Seoul court convicted ousted President Park Geun-hye of additional charges and sentenced her to eight more years in prison Friday, raising her total jail term to 32 years.Televised live, the Seoul Central District Court meted out the guilty verdict on Park, 66, and ordered her to forfeit 3.3 billion won ($2.91 million). Prosecutors had demanded 15 years. Friday's sentence adds to her 24-year jail term she's already been serving on 18 counts of corruption in a nation-rocking influence-peddling
July 20, 2018
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Korea cites 'alliance spirit' in talks with US on Iran sanctions
In talks with the United States on Iran sanctions this week, Korea accentuated two things: alliance spirit and the special situations it faces, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday.The government sent an inter-agency delegation, headed by Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Yun Kang-hyeon, to Washington D.C. for consultations on the thorny issue.It met with Francis Fannon, assistant secretary of state for the bureau of energy resources, and roughly a dozen other state and treasury depar
July 20, 2018
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Ousted leader Park faces court verdict in NIS bribery trial
Ousted Korean President Park Geun-hye is set on Friday to hear a court verdict on bribery and other charges involving the state spy agency, after receiving a 24-year prison term for massive corruption that led to her removal from office. The Seoul Central District Court will deliver the judgment on Park, 66, in the sentencing hearing slated for 2 p.m. Prosecutors demanded 15 years in jail. (Yonhap)Friday's sentence will add to her 24-year punishment she is already serving on a string of corrupti
July 20, 2018
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Defense minister offers condolences to chopper crash victims, vows
Defense Minister Song Young-moo on Thursday offered his personal condolences to five deceased victims in this week‘s chopper crash and vowed to get to the bottom of it to prevent a recurrence. In a letter to the victims’ families, Song also pledged that his ministry would do its best to give “respectful treatment and compensation commensurate with the troops‘ sacrifices.” “The soldiers, who passed away while doing their best to fulfill their mission until the end, are true heroes who sacrificed
July 19, 2018
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People’s anger on social issue directed to asylum seekers: experts
The hostile sentiment against asylum seekers in South Korea has grown because public anger about other unresolved social problems is being directed at the foreigners, experts said Thursday.At a parliamentary seminar on how to deal with the influx of refugees on Jeju, Lee Il, a lawyer from Advocates for Public Interest Law, claimed the social anxiety caused by issues such as low unemployment rates and sex crimes have been directed toward asylum seekers -- minorities and strangers in society. (Yo
July 19, 2018
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Opposition lawmaker sentenced to 7 years in prison for taking illegal political funds
A Seoul court sentenced an opposition party lawmaker to seven years in prison Thursday for accepting more than 1 million dollars in illegal political funds and bribes.Rep. Lee Woo-hyun of the Liberty Korea Party was indicted in January on charges of taking about 1.18 billion won ($1 million) from provincial politicians and businessmen, including a former speaker of the city council in Namyangju, who sought Lee's influence for his bid to run for mayor in the 2014 local elections. (Yonhap)Lee was
July 19, 2018
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Moon's approval rating plunges on minimum wage hike woes
President Moon Jae-in's approval rating dropped sharply this week, a poll showed Thursday, amid concerns over a planned minimum wage hike that critics say is likely to further slow the local economy.In a survey conducted by Realmeter on Monday through Wednesday, Moon's approval rating came to 61.7 percent, down 6.4 percentage points from a week earlier. (Yonhap)The rate of decline was the steepest since Moon took office in May 2017, according to the local pollster. The latest reading also was th
July 19, 2018
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S. Korea, Britain discuss N. Korea, Brexit in ministerial talks
South Korea and Britain had a ministerial meeting in London this week on improving strategic partnerships between the two sides on a broad range of diplomatic and economic issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.On her first trip there as South Korea's top diplomat, Kang Kyung-wha met with her new British counterpart Jeremy Hunt. It marked the fourth "strategic dialogue" between the two countries.Kang briefed him on her government's efforts for the complete denuclearization and a peace re
July 19, 2018
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S. Korea, US lawmakers discuss N. Korea, trade
WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan group of leading South Korean lawmakers met with members of the US Congress Wednesday to discuss cooperation on North Korea and trade.The five-member delegation, led by Rep. Hong Young-pyo, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party, arrived in Washington earlier in the day to push South Korea's security and economic agenda, including denuclearization and auto tariffs.At a meeting with Sen. Cory Gardner, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East As
July 19, 2018
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Minimum wage battle threatens to cloud Moon in coming month
President Moon Jae-in’s drive to increase the minimum wage is splitting his supporter base, while at the same time casting doubt on his economic policies. On Sunday, the Minimum Wage Commission set next year’s minimum wage at 8,350 won ($7.40) per hour, up 10.9 percent from this year. President Moon Jae-in at Monday`s meeting with top presidential aides. YonhapThe planned raise has been met with criticism from all sides -- small and large employers, labor groups, as well as conservatives and li
July 18, 2018
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President likely to appoint new Cabinet members but not this week: spokesman
President Moon Jae-in is set to replace some top government officials but the move will likely take more time than expected, an official from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.“How could I know what will come in the future, but what I can say for certain is that it will not be this week,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters, partly confirming the plan to replace some of government ministers.The Cabinet reshuffle, if it takes place, will be the first of its kin
July 18, 2018
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Bipartisan parliamentary delegation departs for Washington
A bipartisan group of leading National Assembly members left for Washington on Wednesday for parliamentary diplomacy aimed at advancing the country's security and economic agenda, such as denuclearization and auto tariffs."The United States is our traditional friend and key security ally," Rep. Hong Young-pyo, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party, told reporters ahead of departure. He's the leader of the delegation that also includes four opposition counterparts."We're going to meet US le
July 18, 2018
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Cheong Wa Dae says it did not realize seriousness of martial law document
Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday the presidential office had not realized the seriousness of a martial law document when it was first reported last month, amid the escalating controversy over the defense minister and presidential aides’ handling of the case. In a meeting with reporters, a senior presidential official said Cheong Wa Dae officials “gradually” began to realize the political significance of the document, which contains a plan to consider declaring martial law at the time of massive protes
July 17, 2018
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[Newsmaker] Human rights watchdog to get first female head
President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday named a women’s rights expert to head the National Human Rights Commission, amid growing calls to better protect the rights of women and minorities. Choi Young-ae, chief of the human rights commission of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, has been tapped as the new chief of the National Human Rights Commission, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom announced at a press briefing. If appointed, the 67-year-old will become the first female chief of the human rights
July 17, 2018
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PM blames high rents, royalty fees amid complaints about minimum wage increase
Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon on Tuesday blamed high rents and royalty fees as the main causes of difficulties for small business owners as he called for measures to help such businesses tide over the rise in minimum wage.Next year's minimum wage has been set at 8,350 won ($ 7.37) per hour, up 10.9 percent from this year. That marked a double-digit rise for the second consecutive year following a 16.4 percent increase in this year's minimum wage.The raise sparked strong protests from businesses, es
July 17, 2018
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Korea to expand financial support for low-income families over minimum wage hike
South Korea plans to increase the amount of tax refunds for low-income households and the beneficiaries to cope with possible side effects of minimum wage hikes, party and government officials said Tuesday.The country will also advance its plan to subsidize those who are aged 65 and older and belong to the bottom 20 percent in the income bracket starting next year as it seeks to expand its basic pension program.The decision was made at a meeting among officials from the ruling Democratic Party a
July 17, 2018