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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[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
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4 in 10 young South Koreans take up 'irregular' jobs: data
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'1 million' Christians join anti-LGBTQ+ marriage rally
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SM founder Lee Soo-man is back with A2O Entertainment
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Prosecution chief to cut short trip amid escalating tensions with police
Amid heightening tension between the country’s police and prosecution, Prosecutor-General Moon Moo-il is to cut short an overseas official trip and return home over the weekend, the prosecution said Friday.In light of his criticism of the fast-tracked bill that realigns investigative authority between the police and prosecution earlier this week, Moon’s latest move has sparked the possibility of a resignation.There are precedents of previous administrations’ prosecutor-generals stepping down fro
May 3, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Justice minister urges prosecution and police to end judicial reform dispute
Amid an escalating conflict between the prosecution and the police over investigative rights reform, the justice minister called on both sides to approach the issue from the "perspective of the people" Friday.Justice Minister Park Sang-ki said now is the time to overhaul the prosecution's investigative practices and rights in accordance with the principle of checks and balances."Both the prosecution and the police should approach the issue of rearranging investigative rights from the people's st
May 3, 2019
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New ‘control towers’ to coordinate youth policies
Representatives of the ruling party, government and presidential office agreed in a meeting Thursday to each set up new “control towers” to coordinate and manage youth policies that are scattered across ministries.A new office for youth policies will be opened at the Blue House, while the government launches a committee to coordinate and manage jobs, housing and welfare policies for the youth. Democratic Party of Korea floor leader Hong Young-pyo said in the beginning of the meeting that his par
May 2, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Seoul mayor condemns Liberty Korea Party sit-in plans
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Wednesday said he will “not stand idly by” as the main opposition Liberty Korea Party plans to set up tents at Gwanghwamun plaza in central Seoul as part of its protest against key reform bills that have been fast-tracked.Pledging to take firm action against the Liberty Korea Party, Park posted on social media that “taking over the plaza without authorization from Seoul government is illegal. I will not stand idly by as (Liberty Korea Party) tramples on the plaza.”“I
May 1, 2019
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Prosecutor-General Moon Moo-il slams fast-tracking of reform bills
Prosecutor-General Moon Moo-il on Wednesday criticized reform bills that have been fast-tracked in the parliament, saying they fly in the face of democracy.In a statement released by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Moon said these bills, including one aimed at empowering police, "run counter to the democratic principles of checks and balances."Moon added that the process of criminal justice must follow these democratic values."As prosecutor-general, I couldn't help but feel concerned about the
May 1, 2019
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Bills fast-tracked, but tension remains in parliament
The bills at the center of contention between the ruling and opposition parties have been put on the fast track, but the National Assembly remains tense and there is a long road ahead before they are passed into law. The bills -- which deal with election reform, the authority of police and prosecutors to investigate cases and indict suspects, and the establishment of a new investigative body that would look at allegations against high-level government officials -- were placed on the fast track e
April 30, 2019
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S. Korea to create posts for gender equality in gov't offices
South Korea will set up new departments dedicated to handling gender equality policies in eight government offices to better deal with sexual discrimination and abuse in the cultural and educational sectors, the gender ministry said Tuesday.Under a plan endorsed by the Cabinet , the new posts will be established at eight government offices, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the National Police Agency, accordi
April 30, 2019
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Parliamentary panels fast-track key reform bills
Two parliamentary panels fast-tracked key reform bills, including a proposal to overhaul the election system on Tuesday, despite strong objections from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party.The ruling Democratic Party and three minor parties agreed last week to a package deal to fast-track four reform bills without the participation of the conservative LKP.Opposition LKP lawmakers protest the passage of the reform bills through the National Assembly's special committee on Tuesday. (Yonhap)The
April 30, 2019
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[KH Explains] What is behind political impasse, violence at National Assembly?
Physical and verbal violence, sit-ins, sleep-ins and property damage have dominated the National Assembly in the last few days, bringing back the zoo comparisons "Animal National Assembly" it had managed to shake off for a while.To list but a couple remarkable incidents, Rep. Chae Yi-bae of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party was locked in his office for six hours by Liberty Korea Party officials and called police for help, while National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang was hospitalized for hy
April 29, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Politics take over Blue House petitions board
The petitions board of the presidential office website is once again making headlines, this time over calls for the dissolution of political parties.A petition filed on April 22 requesting the dissolution of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party had garnered over 461,177 signatures as of 5:30 p.m. Monday.Liberty Korea Party lawmakers hold a protest at the National Assembly on Monday. YonhapThe petition claims the party is hampering legislative activities by staging protests outside the parliam
April 29, 2019
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Ruling party, main opposition continue to lock horns over reform bills
A tense standoff between the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party over the fast-tracking of reform bills continued Sunday, with both parties ordering their members to remain in the National Assembly building in case the special committees on political reform and judiciary reform hold surprise meetings.Vowing to spare no effort to stop the ruling party from fast-tracking key reform bills, the Liberty Korea Party was on the alert throughout the weekend. Divi
April 28, 2019
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[Video] Standoff between ruling and main opposition results in violent clash
Deadlock between ruling Democratic Party of Korea and main opposition Liberty Korea Party over fast-tracking key bills turned to violent clashes overnight Friday.Violence sparked Thursday as Liberty Korea Party members formed human barricades in front of rooms on the second and fourth floors of the National Assembly, where the special committee on political reform and judiciary reform convene. (Yonhap)In doing so, the main opposition bloc sought to prevent the committees from opening a meeting t
April 26, 2019
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Ko Min-jung named new presidential spokesperson
Seoul’s presidential office on Thursday appointed Ko Min-jung as its new spokesperson, filling the post left vacant since last month. Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Ko Min-jung. YonhapKo, 39, had served as deputy spokesperson for the presidential office since President Moon Jae-in took office in May 2017. She began her career as a television announcer in 2004 with public broadcaster KBS. Ahead of the 2017 presidential election, she left KBS and later joined then-candidate Moon’s campaign. Ko replaces
April 25, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Speaker okays change of judiciary reform panel member amid political turmoil
National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang on Thursday approved a minor opposition party's plan to replace its member on the special parliamentary committee on judiciary reform, a crucial move in efforts to fast-track a relevant bill.Earlier in the day, the center-right Bareunmirae Party sent a document by fax to Moon suggesting Rep. Oh Shin-hwan be replaced by his party colleague Rep. Chae Yi-bae as a member of the committee. National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang (Yonhap)Moon signed it without h
April 25, 2019
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Ko Min-jung named new presidential spokesperson
The presidential office said Thursday it has appointed its deputy spokesperson, Ko Min-jung, as its new spokesperson to fill a post that had been vacant for a month.Ko was a well-known TV anchor before joining the campaign team of President Moon Jae-in. Since Moon's inauguration on May 10, 2017, she had worked as his deputy spokesperson. (Yonhap)"(She is) one of the presidential staff who understands the philosophy of the Moon Jae-in government in handling state affairs best," Yoon Do-han, senio
April 25, 2019
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Agreement to fast-track key bills roils National Assembly
An agreement reached Monday by leaders of the ruling party and three minor opposition parties roiled the country’s political scene Wednesday, intensifying divisions within the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party and sparking backlash from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party. In a dramatic turn of events, the Bareunmirae Party sent an official document to National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang notifying him of its plans to replace Rep. Oh Shin-hwan on the special committee on judiciary reform
April 24, 2019
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President Moon returns home from 3-nation Central Asia tour
President Moon Jae-in returned home Tuesday after an eight-day trip to Central Asia aimed at improving the country's relations with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.His arrival here came hours after he left Kazakhstan, where he made a three-day state visit for a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.In their first bilateral summit, Moon and Tokayev agreed to greatly boost their countries' bilateral ties, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.To this end, the countries
April 23, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Parliament to fast-track election reform, investigation unit bills this week
The National Assembly is expected to fast-track bills on electoral reform and establishing a unit to investigate high-ranking government officials over corruption this week, party officials said Tuesday.Four parties on Monday reached a package deal on the adoption of a new proportional representation election system, the establishment of the investigative unit and enhancing the police's authority to conduct probes.(Yonhap)Earlier in the day, they approved the agreement at their respective meetin
April 23, 2019
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[News Focus] Voters split on support for anticorruption efforts vs. desire to punish Moon: survey
SEJONG -- The next president of South Korea will be elected in 35 months, on March 9, 2022, two months prior to the end of incumbent President Moon Jae-in’s term.But before then, the Moon government faces a turning point with the upcoming general election. With Moon now 40 percent of the way through his five-year tenure, it is the parliamentary election slated for April 15 next year that will likely determine how he fares during the remainder of his term. (Graphic by Heo Tae-seong/The Korea Hera
April 23, 2019
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Ruling, three minor opposition parties agree to fast-track key reform bills
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea and three minor opposition parties on Monday agreed to fast-track key reform bills this week after months of discussion amid strong opposition from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party. Floor leaders of the four parties, including Rep. Hong Young-pyo of the ruling party and Rep. Kim Kwan-young of the minor conservative Bareunmirae Party, reached a consensus on the electoral reform bill and the establishment of an independent investigative agency, among oth
April 22, 2019