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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103 autumn foliage paths in Seoul
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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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Court grants freeze on ex-President Lee's assets
A Seoul court approved Wednesday the prosecution's request to freeze assets of former President Lee Myung-bak, who has been charged for corruption. The Seoul Central District Court said the decision forbids Lee from making any form of asset transaction, such as selling of properties, until the court reaches a verdict. Prosecutors lodged the request with the court last week to put on hold his assets worth 11.1 billion won ($10.4 million), the same as the amount of bribes he is accused of receivin
April 18, 2018
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[Newsmaker] Who is ‘Druking’ -- power blogger behind online rigging scandal?
The ongoing online opinion rigging scandal involving ex-members of the ruling Democratic Party has the public curious about the now-indicted power blogger at the center of the controversy, who is suspected of working as a “political broker” in the online space for the party before President Moon Jae-in came into office last year.The blogger, surnamed Kim, has been a popular figure in the local online space. With the nickname “Druking,” Kim, 48, operated a liberal-leaning current affairs blog, ti
April 18, 2018
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Inside ‘Druking’ scandal: Between freedom of expression and illegal opinion rigging
When reading the news in the morning, Kim Jeong-ah, 28, habitually checks the most popular comments.But a recent scandal has raised concerns that their popularity has been illegally manipulated. On Tuesday, prosecutors indicted three former members of the ruling Democratic Party for online opinion rigging on the country’s dominant internet portal and search engine, Naver. A power blogger, nicknamed "Druking," is suspected of rigging the popularity of online comments critical of the Moon administ
April 17, 2018
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Petition urging probe into lawmakers’ overseas trips gains momentum
A petition calling for a probe into lawmakers that may have participated in illegal overseas trips or tampered with political donations is gaining traction, following the resignation of the country’s newly appointed financial watchdog chief on such misconduct. A screen capture of a petition uploaded on Cheong Wa Dae website, calling for a probe into lawmakers. (Cheong Wa Dae/The Korea Herald)As of early Tuesday, more than 90,000 people had signed a petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website, request
April 17, 2018
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[Newsmaker] FSS chief’s resignation casts doubt on Blue House vetting process
Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Kim Ki-sik resigned Tuesday, once again highlighting problems in Cheong Wa Dae’s vetting process.After Kim took office, it emerged that he had donated 50 million won ($46,800) to an association of Democratic Party lawmakers near the end of his term in the parliament in 2016. The former FSS chief was also found to have gone on a number of overseas business trips funded by state-run organizations during his parliamentary term. Former Financial Supervisory Service
April 17, 2018
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After four years, Korean government holds first memorial for Sewol ferry disaster
Some 5,000 Koreans gathered in the city of Ansan for the government’s first memorial remembering victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster on Monday, which marked the fourth anniversary of one of the country’s worst maritime disasters that claimed the lives of more than 300 people. Ansan in Gyeonggi Province is where the vast majority of the victims -- high school students who were on a school trip to Jeju Island -- lived. Most of them were second-year students at Danwon High School located in th
April 16, 2018
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[Newsmaker] Another online scandal engulfs politics
The country’s political arena is being engulfed by yet another online public opinion manipulation scandal, this time with the ruling Democratic Party in the hot seat. According to the police, a Democratic Party member identified by the surname Kim ran automated software to boost exposure of comments critical of the Moon Jae-in administration on Jan. 17. Kim, currently in custody, is a power-blogger operating under the name “Druking.” Kim openly supported President Moon in last year’s presidentia
April 16, 2018
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Ruling party expels two members suspected of online comment rigging
The ruling Democratic Party decided Monday to expel two members involved in an online opinion rigging scandal amid fears that the scandal could negatively affect its preparations for the June local elections.The party's Supreme Council also agreed to form a fact-finding panel to look into the scandal so as to "restore the honor of the party members," party officials said.Last Friday, three DP members were detained for allegedly using a computer program to jack up the number of "like" or "feel th
April 16, 2018
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Moon's approval rating declines amid controversy over FSS chief
President Moon Jae-in's approval rating declined last week for the second consecutive week, amid an escalating controversy surrounding the chief of a financial watchdog, a poll showed Monday.In the weekly survey, conducted by local pollster Realmeter from Monday to Friday, 66.8 percent of respondents approved of Moon's job performance, down 1.3 percentage points from a week earlier.Those who disapproved of his performance made up 26.7 percent, up 1 percentage point from the previous week, while
April 16, 2018
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S. Korea denounces alleged chemical attack in Syria
South Korea on Sunday denounced an alleged chemical attack by the Syrian government on rebels. “We strongly condemn (Syria‘s suspected action) under the position that the proliferation and use of chemical weapons cannot, under any circumstances, be tolerated because they threaten the peace and security of the international community,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. “We strongly support the international community’s effort to prevent the use of chemical weapons and the loss of innocent
April 15, 2018
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Main opposition party beefs up criticism of ruling party over cyber opinion rigging
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Sunday urged the prosecution to thoroughly investigate the ruling Democratic Party's alleged involvement in online opinion rigging. Three DP party members allegedly used a computer program to drive up the number of "like" or "feel the same way" clicks for comments critical of the government on news stories carried by the online portal Naver.They reportedly told police earlier that they obtained a rigging program by chance and wanted to make it look like
April 15, 2018
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Opposition renews calls for financial watchdog chief to resign
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party reiterated calls Saturday for the embattled chief of the country's financial watchdog to step down over allegations he took overseas trips paid for by institutions under the oversight of his parliamentary committee. This file photo shows Kim Ki-sik, governor of the Financial Supervisory Service. (Yonhap)Kim Ki-sik, governor of the Financial Supervisory Service, has been under mounting pressure to resign in the wake of revelations that three overseas trips
April 14, 2018
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Moon rallies opposition support for inter-Korean summit
President Moon Jae-in asked for opposition support for his upcoming inter-Korean summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, holding a rare meeting with the head of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Friday. “As the inter-Korean summit begins, healthy advice from the opposition bloc is desirable, but it is not desirable to deny the summit,” Moon was quoted as saying by Han Byung-do, Moon’s top secretary for political affairs. President Moon Jae-in and Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joo
April 13, 2018
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President vows support for neutrality of govt. officials
President Moon Jae-in called for increased efforts Friday to improve working conditions of government officials and also ensure their political neutrality, saying public workers must only work for the good of the people."We must straighten the relationships between the people and the government, the people and public offices to meet the people's expectations. More simply, it means the government and public offices only exist for the people," he said while speaking in a ceremony to award a handfu
April 13, 2018
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Ruling party chief urges start of parliamentary talks on extra budget bill
The chief of the ruling Democratic Party appealed Friday for the start of parliamentary deliberations on the government proposal for a 3.9 trillion-won ($3.6 billion) supplementary budget aimed largely at creating jobs for young people.The government submitted the proposal last Friday, hoping to secure parliamentary approval this month. But no talks on it have been held amid partisan squabbles over a set of contested bills and alleged missteps by the Financial Supervisory Service chief."It is a
April 13, 2018
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[Newsmaker] Moon says FSS chief will be asked to step down if illegality found
President Moon Jae-in said Friday he would remove the controversial financial watchdog chief if his overseas trips are found to have been illegal or unethical as a lawmaker. Kim Ki-sik, who was appointed head of the Financial Supervisory Service on April 2, has been under fire for overseas trips in 2014 and 2015, when he was a lawmaker and member of the National Policy Committee. Opposition parties called for Kim’s dismissal, saying the trips had been sponsored by the Korea Exchange, Korea Insti
April 13, 2018
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S. Korean culture minister says Kim Jong-un 'sincere' about improving inter-Korean ties
South Korean Culture Minister Do Jong-whan said Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is serious about trying to improve inter-Korean ties, adding that it is a cause for optimism with the Seoul-Pyongyang summit just days away.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (left) and South's cultue Minister Do Jong-whan (Yonhap)In an interview with CNN, Do said Kim seemed "sincere and genuine" about wanting to improve relations with Seoul during their meeting at a K-pop concert in Pyongyang earlier this
April 12, 2018
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President Moon's son sues lawmakers for defamation
The son of President Moon Jae-in has filed two damages suits against opposition lawmakers and officials of their parties for defaming him with false allegations about his job ahead of the May presidential election last year, prosecution sources said Thursday. Moon Joon-yong (Herald DB)Moon Joon-yong lodged a suit late last month against incumbent deputy parliamentary speaker Shim Jae-chul of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and two others seeking 80 million won (US$74,700) in damages from each. Ano
April 12, 2018
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Park declares bid for third term as Seoul mayor
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon officially announced his candidacy for a third term Thursday, joining the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s primary for the June local elections.Park will compete against four-term lawmaker Park Young-sun and three-term lawmaker Woo Sang-ho for the party’s nomination.The winner of the primary will run against former presidential hopeful Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor Bareunmirae Party and former Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Moon-soo of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party
April 12, 2018
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Major parties urged to end deadlock over constitutional revision
Minor parties on Thursday urged the two major parties to quickly narrow their differences over a constitutional revision to keep their standoff from further hampering parliamentary discussions on the highly divisive issue.In a joint statement, the Bareunmirae Party, the Party for Democracy and Peace, and the Justice Party called for a "grand compromise," highlighting that the revision talks have been fruitless due to the partisan confrontation between the major parties.The ruling Democratic Part
April 12, 2018