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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[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
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Parties make last-minute appeals to voters
With masks and gloves on, Koreans go to the polls to elect their parliamentary representatives in nationwide elections Wednesday, becoming the first country to do so amid a global virus pandemic. With 300 seats up for grabs, the ruling and main opposition parties concentrated on the capital area on Tuesday, in a last-minute attempt to sway voters on the last day of election campaigns. With 121 of 253 constituencies located in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, the three regions are consi
April 14, 2020
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Govt. speeds up emergency coronavirus relief payment process
The government decided Tuesday to begin the process immediately of handing out "emergency disaster relief payments" to a majority of households in South Korea suffering from the impact of the coronavirus, instead of waiting for the passage of a related extra budget bill. The payment plan, announced late last month, was approved formally in a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Moon Jae-in on the day, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. All families here except the t
April 14, 2020
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Moon says int'l ties on quarantine, economy crucial
President Moon Jae-in stressed the importance of close international coordination on both antivirus quarantine and the economy Tuesday in the face of a shift in global order. He was speaking at a weekly Cabinet meeting hours before participating in a video summit on COVID-19 with the leaders of China, Japan and 10 ASEAN member states. "Quarantine cooperation and economic cooperation are two sides of the same coin," he said. "The government will cooperate actively with the entir
April 14, 2020
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[Photo News] Preparations for parliamentary elections
A stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, prepares for the upcoming April 15 parliamentary elections, on Monday, two days ahead of the elections. The polls will fill South Korea's 300-seat unicameral National Assembly. (Photos: Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)
April 14, 2020
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Parties implore voters, highlight shortfalls of rivals ahead of elections
The country’s two main political parties are scrambling to reach out to voters, with both sides highlighting the perceived failures of their rivals ahead of Wednesday’s general elections. Rep. Lee Hae-chan, head of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, on Monday highlighted the importance of Seoul and the surrounding regions in the general elections and urged voters to pick the party’s candidates in constituency elections while picking the Citizen Party for proportional repr
April 13, 2020
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Main opposition party expels candidate over controversial remarks
The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) decided Monday to kick out election candidate Cha Myeong-jin over his controversial remarks about families of the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. The decision, made at an emergency meeting of the conservative party's leadership council, will deprive Cha of candidacy to run in the April 15 parliamentary elections. During a TV debate last week, Cha, who ran in Bucheon, west of Seoul, cited an unconfirmed news report that a bereaved family
April 13, 2020
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[Newsmaker] COVID-19 concealed president’s missteps: Ahn
Ahn Cheol-soo, chief of the minor People’s Party, said Monday that President Moon Jae-in’s missteps have been concealed by the COVID-19 crisis, appealing to voters to support his reformative center-right party in the April 15 general elections. Referring to a news article published by Bloomberg headlined “Virus helps bury controversy in South Korea’s pandemic election,” Ahn said the Moon administration and the Democratic Party of Korea were fortunate to rebuild
April 13, 2020
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Moon urges policy measures to shield employment amid coronavirus crisis
President Moon Jae-in on Monday instructed his economic team to map out timely "special" measures to insulate jobs in the private sector, hours after the release of a report showing a surge in the number of dole applications in South Korea. He stressed the need to help firms maintain employment despite challenges from the coronavirus pandemic and suggested an initiative by the public sector for those who are not covered by the government's insurance system. He pointed out that the n
April 13, 2020
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Election watchdog prioritizes preventing COVID-19 self-isolators from having contact with other voters
South Korea's election watchdog said Monday it will prioritize preventing those in self-isolation over the new coronavirus from having contact with other voters when they cast ballots in this week's elections. The government will allow people ordered to go into self-quarantine from April 1-14 and without symptoms of the virus to vote in Wednesday's parliamentary elections after regular voting ends at 6 p.m. Under measures revealed by the National Election Commission (NEC), self-isolators wear
April 13, 2020
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Moon's approval rating hits 17-month high on coronavirus response: poll
President Moon Jae-in's approval rating rose to a 17-month high last week on the back of positive assessment of the government's handling of the new coronavirus, a poll showed Monday. Moon's support reached 54.4 percent last week, up 0.7 percentage point from the previous week, according to a Realmeter survey of 2,522 voters nationwide. The poll was conducted between last Monday and Friday. It marked the highest rating since November 2018, when Moon's rating hit 55.4 percent. "The asses
April 13, 2020
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U2 leader asks S. Korean president to support Ireland in fight
Bono, the lead vocalist of Irish rock band U2, has sent a letter to South Korean President Moon Jae-in asking for support in his country's fight against the novel coronavirus, the presidential office here said Sunday. In the letter, Bono asked for South Korean protective equipment and diagnostic kits and said he would personally pay for it, according to Cheong Wa Dae. In a reply sent Friday, President Moon said he would have the health authorities discuss the issue and he hoped Ireland will o
April 12, 2020
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Self-isolators without coronavirus symptoms allowed to vote
Self-isolators will be allowed to cast ballots in the upcoming parliamentary elections if they do not show symptoms of coronavirus infection, authorities said Sunday. "People who were ordered to go into self-quarantine from April 1-14 and show no symptoms on the day of voting can cast ballots," Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said in a press briefing. "Wearing face masks, they should go to polling stations on foot or by car, while using mass transportation is strictly banned.&quo
April 12, 2020
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Parties strive to turn early voting enthusiasm to their favor
More than a quarter of all eligible voters in South Korea have already cast their votes in last week’s advance voting period. And parties are all out to turn the higher-than-expected voter enthusiasm to their favor in the lead up to Wednesday’s main voting. Voter turnout in the two-day early voting Friday and Saturday reached a record high of 26.67 percent with 11.7 million voters, according to the National Election Commission. The ruling Democratic Party interprets it as
April 12, 2020
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Ex-Prime Minister Chung passes away at 91
Former Prime Minister Chung Won-shik, known for his role in crafting a pact for inter-Korean reconciliation in 1991, passed away Sunday after months of battling a kidney ailment, his family said. He was 91. Chung, who served as premier from 1991-1992, died at around 10 a.m. His memorial altar has been set up at Asan Medical Center in southern Seoul. Chung is best remembered for his efforts to reach a historic agreement with Pyongyang over cross-border reconciliation, nonaggression and exchang
April 12, 2020
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Moon holds out hope for overcoming COVID-19 through unity in Easter message
President Moon Jae-in held out hope for overcoming the new coronavirus with a "single mind" in his Easter message Sunday, amid concerns the major Christian holiday could hamper the fight against the pandemic. "Although there are still many challenges ahead of us, and we cannot relax our containment efforts until the last patient fully recovers, we will definitely overcome this with a single mind and stand back up again," Moon tweeted. "Like the resurrection of Jesus C
April 12, 2020
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Rival parties expect sweeping victory in longtime strongholds
This year’s general elections are shaping up to be a battle between the ruling party that aims to maintain dominance and the main opposition party that hopes to “pass judgment” on the Moon Jae-in administration. Both project that they will take majority, but the outlook remains unclear. The exceptions are centered on the southwestern city of Gwangju and surrounding North and South Jeolla provinces for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, and Daegu and adjoining North Gyeongs
April 11, 2020
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[Photo News] Early voting despite virus fears
Voters were advised to wear face masks and disposable gloves while casting their ballots for the April 15 general elections, on the first day of the two-day early voting Friday. Strict quarantine guidelines were presented to prevent virus spread, as public safety is a top priority in this year’s elections. (Photos: Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)
April 10, 2020
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Moon, Gates agree on coronavirus vaccines, treatment in phone talks
President Moon Jae-in and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates agreed Friday to expand cooperation in efforts to develop vaccines and treatments against the new coronavirus during their phone talks, Cheong Wa Dae said. In their 25-minute conversation, made at Gates' request, they focused on ways to tackle COVID-19 sweeping through the world. Leading the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for philanthropic campaigns, Gates has been striving to help the international community overcome the virus cris
April 10, 2020
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Early voter turnout hits record high as of Friday noon amid health concerns
South Korea’s early voter turnout for the parliamentary elections flagged a record high as of Friday at noon on the back of voters seeking to avoid large crowds on April 15 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of 43.9 million eligible voters, 2.5 million, or 4.9 percent, had voted, according to the National Election Committee. By comparison, this is two times the turnout by the same time during the 2016 parliamentary elections and the highest ever since early voting for national elections w
April 10, 2020
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Moon casts early vote for next week's general elections
Wearing a face mask and disposable gloves, President Moon Jae-in cast his ballot Friday, as South Korea began two-day early voting for the April 15 parliamentary elections that are seen as a referendum on Moon. He voted at a polling booth inside the Samcheong-dong community service center near Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. Moon cast his ballot early to help enhance public awareness of the elections and raise voter turnout, according to his aides. He showed up at the center with first lady Kim Ju
April 10, 2020