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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Government to focus on aiding bio, non-memory chip, automotive industries
The Korean government will focus resources into boosting non-memory semiconductors, bio industry and next-generation automotive technology.According to reports, the presidential office has selected the three industries to lead the country’s economic growth into the future and will tailor policies to facilitate their growth. President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with senior aides on April 15. YonhapThe decision was reportedly based on the Moon Jae-in administration’s goal to aid the deve
April 22, 2019
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4 parties agree to fast-track election reform, investigation unit bills
The ruling Democratic Party and three opposition parties agreed Monday to fast-track bills on an electoral reform and the establishment of a unit to investigate high-ranking government officials over corruption. (Yonhap)(Yonhap)
April 22, 2019
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Feud between ruling and opposition bloc deepens
The friction between the ruling bloc and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party is showing signs of intensifying following a conservative rally Saturday. On Saturday, estimated 20,000 conservatives gathered in central Seoul in a rally organized by the Liberty Korea Party. The party’s rally, the first major demonstration organized by the party since Hwang Kyo-ahn took office as its leader, was joined by members of smaller conservative groups supporting former President Park Geun-hye. Hwang Kyo-a
April 21, 2019
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Decision likely this week on whether to allow suspending prison sentence of ex-President Park
Prosecutors are expected to decide this week whether to allow a stay of execution to former President Park Geun-hye, who is imprisoned for corruption.Park has asked for a suspension of her imprisonment for "searing" back pain and other health issues, and prosecutors, together with doctors, plan to visit her at the Seoul Detention Center early this week to check her condition, and review medical and other records. (Yonhap)A seven-member panel of prosecutors and outside experts will then look into
April 21, 2019
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Ex-lawmaker, eldest son of former President Kim Dae-jung, dies
Kim Hong-il, an ex-lawmaker and the eldest son of former South Korean President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kim Dae-jung, died on Saturday. He was 71.A local fire station said that it received a report at around 4 p.m. that Kim had collapsed at his home in Mapo District, western Seoul.He was immediately transferred to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later. The exact cause of his death has yet to be confirmed. (Yonhap)Kim, a three-term lawmaker, had suffered from Pa
April 21, 2019
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Moon rams through Constitutional Court picks
President Moon Jae-in on Friday appointed Lee Mi-sun and Moon Hyung-bae as Constitutional Court justices, pushing ahead with the appointments despite fierce objections from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party.The appointment did not come as a surprise as the National Assembly’s Judiciary Committee had failed to reach a consensus on the two nominees Thursday, the deadline for the National Assembly to submit its confirmation hearing reports.Ruling party lawmakers refused to attend the Judiciar
April 19, 2019
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S. Korean president arrives in Uzbekistan
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in the capital of Uzbekistan on Thursday for a four-day state visit that will include a summit with his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Moon's arrival here follows his state visit to urkmenistan. The South Korean leader is currently on a three-nation tour that will later take him to Kazakhstan. (Yonhap) Moon and Mirziyoyev will meet Friday to discuss ways to further improve the countries' bilateral relationship and e
April 18, 2019
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Opposition Liberty Korea Party backs Park Geun-hye’s request for release from jail
Former President Park Geun-hye, imprisoned since March 2017 for corruption and abuse of power, has asked for a temporary suspension of the execution of her penalty, citing health reasons.Park’s lawyer Yoo Young-ha asked the prosecution for a stay of execution on Wednesday, according to sources on Thursday.Park has received treatment on multiple occasions to relieve pain stemming from a lumbar disc condition, but there has been no improvement, Yoo said. (Yonhap)“She can’t sleep normally as she su
April 18, 2019
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Chinese government rejects meeting with Korean lawmakers to address fine dust issue
The National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee’s proposed visit to China to address the issue of fine dust has fallen through due to the Chinese government’s refusal, the committee said Wednesday.The neighboring country’s refusal to meet with lawmakers of the committee to discuss reducing fine dust -- high levels of which hit South Korea last month -- has sparked controversy that China is attempting to shirk responsibility.Earlier this month, China’s National People’s Congress declined
April 17, 2019
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S. Korea issues travel ban for Myanmar-Bangladesh border
South Korea's foreign ministry said Tuesday that it has decided to issue its highest-level travel restriction to ban travel by its citizens in the northern part of Myanmar's Rakhine state that borders Bangladesh, citing high safety risks. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued its second-highest travel warning, recommending the evacuation of areas neighboring China, Laos, Thailand and India in Myanmar.It issued the third-highest alert of its four-tier travel warning system to call for ext
April 16, 2019
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Moon heads to Turkmenistan for start of 3-nation tour
President Moon Jae-in embarked on a trip Tuesday to make state visits to three Central Asian nations, including Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.The eight-day trip will also take him to Kazakhstan, according to his office Cheong Wa Dae.The president will arrive in Ashgabat later in the day for a three-day visit that will include a summit with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow.Turkmenistan, along with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, is at the center of South Korea's New Northern Policy that is aimed at g
April 16, 2019
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Stricter standards to be applied for multicultural family support measures
The Justice Ministry on Sunday outlined plans to draft a policy on support programs for multicultural families by the end of this year, in response to growing complaints of reverse discrimination.During a meeting held by the Justice Ministry, officials reached a consensus to apply stricter standards for support provided to multicultural families, the ministry said. (123rf)It added the government currently offers benefits to multicultural families without considering income, wealth, and the lengt
April 14, 2019
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Assembly session held hostage over Constitutional Court nomination
Political parties have failed to agree on a schedule for this month’s parliamentary extraordinary session as of Sunday, with Liberty Korea Party objecting to Constitutional Court Justice nominee Lee Mi-sun, raising concerns the National Assembly may fail to take swift action on key bills. During last month’s extraordinary session, the parties agreed to fast-track 10 key bills, but they remained deadlocked over details regarding electoral reforms and an independent investigative agency. The lates
April 14, 2019
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Parties give mixed responses to Moon-Trump summit outcome
Rival political parties gave mixed assessments of the latest summit between South Korea and the United States Friday, with the ruling Democratic Party hailing the meeting for reaffirming the strong alliance between the two countries.The main opposition Liberty Korea Party claimed, however, that the summit failed to produce concrete progress in efforts to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.(Yonhap)President Moon Jae-in held a summit with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, in Washington
April 12, 2019
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[Newsmaker] [News focus] Constitutional Court justice candidate faces conflict of interest allegation over stock ownership
Constitutional Court Justice nominee Lee Mi-sun was in the hot seat Thursday over stocks worth around 3.5 billion won ($3 million) she and her husband hold, igniting allegations of a possible conflict of interest.The couple bought the stocks through 5,200 transactions -- 1,200 times by Lee and 4,000 times by her husband Oh Cheong-jin -- prompting financial authorities to look into alleged irregularities.Lee claimed she was unaware of the scope of the transactions as stock trading was done by her
April 11, 2019
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Moon arrives in US to meet Trump on stalled NK dialogue
South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in the United States on Wednesday for talks with US President Donald Trump that will focus on ways to bring North Korea back to the dialogue table.Moon's visit follows Trump's second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, held in Hanoi in late February.President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook walk on a red carpet after arriving at a Washington airport on Thursday. (Yonhap)Talks between Washington and Pyongyang have since stalled as the
April 11, 2019
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Speaker proposes referendum on constitutional revision in 2020
National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang on Wednesday proposed putting a motion for constitutional revision to a referendum in tandem with general elections slated for April 2020.Moon suggested the parliament propose multiple candidates for the position of prime minister and the president select the country's No. 2 official from among them.(Yonhap)"Let's allow people to vote on this proposal during the 2020 general election and discuss ways to pass a proposed constitutional revision that will tak
April 10, 2019
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Moon says equal opportunities for all people will complete founding of nation
President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for stepped-up efforts to ensure equal opportunities for all people, asserting the building of the nation that began 100 years ago will be completed when all people fully and equally enjoy the benefits of development.Moon's remarks came as the country celebrates the centennial of the establishment of its provisional government on Thursday."The Provisional Government of Korea is the origin of the Republic of Korea, the driving force that created what is now
April 9, 2019
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[News Focus] Parties wage familiar war over appointments
An extraordinary session of the National Assembly began Monday, but the latest feud between the two main rival parties appears likely to bog down the business of the legislature. On Monday, President Moon Jae-in appointed Rep. Park Young-sun as the new minister of SMEs and startups, and scholar Kim Yeon-chul as the new unification minister. Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn (right) and floor leader Rep. Na Kyung-won attend the party`s supreme council meeting on Monday. YonhapThe main op
April 8, 2019
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Moon approves nomination of unification, SME ministers
President Moon Jae-in approved Monday the appointment of two new ministers, respectively in charge of unification matters and small and medium-sized enterprises, in a decision that split the political world sharply along party lines.Kim Yeon-chul, a former president of the Korea Institute for National Unification, a government-funded think tank, was appointed unification minister. Park Young-sun, an incumbent lawmaker with the ruling Democratic Party, will lead the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
April 8, 2019