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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Parties agree to abolish special activity funds amid criticism
Rival political parties agreed Monday to scrap controversial special activity funds for lawmakers, amid criticism that the money has been spent without proper oversight.The ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party reversed their earlier stances of keeping the funds intact, joining smaller opposition parties that called for abolishing the funds.Last week, the two largest parties agreed to manage the funds more transparently and disclose the receipts, but faced fierce cr
Aug. 13, 2018
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Govt. mulls ways to keep basic pension intact for people also getting national pension
The government plans to treat the state pension and the basic pension separately so that recipients of both will not have their payments cut when the sum of the benefits exceeds a certain level, welfare authorities said Monday.People who receive the national pension that is more than 150 percent of their basic pension amount normally have the latter's sum reduced. For instance, recipients that are entitled to 250,000 won ($221.33) a month in basic pension will receive less if their monthly natio
Aug. 13, 2018
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Govt. mulls extending pension subscription period by five years
The state pension operator is considering extending the subscription period by about five years to narrow the gap years before payouts and to improve the fund's finances, multiple sources said Friday.The government is scheduled to announce the results of its latest review and long-term sustainable operation of the pension plan at a public hearing Aug. 17.According to the sources at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the National Pension Service and the parliamentary committee on welfare, the pr
Aug. 10, 2018
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Moon urges all-out efforts to improve people's livelihood, develop democracy
President Moon Jae-in on Friday called for all-out efforts to revitalize the economy and further develop the country's democracy, appealing for legislative and judiciary support for the causes."As you may know, the most important steps in our reform drive, especially those related to the people's livelihoods, require legislation by the parliament, and there are already many related legislations waiting to be processed at the National Assembly," he said while meeting with new National Assembly Sp
Aug. 10, 2018
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Gov. Kim, Druking face joint questioning
South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo was questioned alongside influential blogger, Kim Dong-won, better known by his online nickname Druking, in a joint questioning session by special investigators late Thursday. According to the special counsel, the questioning of the two suspects, whose version of events disagree with each other, began around 8:30 p.m. at its office in Gangnam, southern Seoul.Gov. Kim was being grilled for a second time since 9:30 a.m. that day.Prosecutors called him
Aug. 9, 2018
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National Assembly under fire over illicit overseas trips, budget spending
The National Assembly is under fire following revelations that politicians have been taking overseas trips funded by state organizations, as well as pocketing special activities funds. On Wednesday, the National Assembly said it would refer lawmakers suspected of having taken such illicit overseas trips to the ethics committee if irregularities are found. The announcement came after the state-run Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission revealed in late July that 38 incumbent lawmakers were s
Aug. 9, 2018
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PM meets with US ambassador
Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon met with US Ambassador Harry Harris on Wednesday and discussed ways to strengthen the two countries' alliance, North Korea and other issues of cooperation, his office said.Lee welcomed Harris taking over as the American envoy in Seoul, saying the former Pacific commander is knowledgeable about South Korea, and expressing hope that relations between the two countries will further strengthen, the office said. US Ambassador Harry Harris (left) and Prime Minister Lee Nak-y
Aug. 8, 2018
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Minor party chief hopes to visit now-closed Kaesong Industrial Complex
The new chief of the minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace will seek government approval for his plan to visit the now-shuttered joint industrial park in North Korea's Kaesong, an aide said Wednesday.Chung Dong-young, who was elected as the party chairman Sunday, plans to apply for permission when he meets with Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon in the afternoon, the aide said. This file photo shows Chung Dong-young, the new chairman of the minor opposition Party for Democracy and Pea
Aug. 8, 2018
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Investigators to summon Gov. Kim again for questioning over opinion-rigging scandal
The independent counsel team looking into a massive opinion-rigging scandal will summon South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo again for questioning.The independent counsel team said in a press briefing Tuesday that it has not completed its investigation of Kim, who is suspected of colluding with a power blogger nicknamed “Druking” to manipulate internet comments in order to sway public opinion in favor of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo
Aug. 7, 2018
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Gov. Kim heads home after overnight interrogation in opinion rigging probe
South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo returned home early Tuesday after undergoing an 18-hour questioning by special prosecutors over his alleged involvement in a massive rigging of online political comments led by a power blogger. Kim emerged from the special counsel's office at about 3:50 a.m., looking fatigued but wearing a smile. "I explained myself sufficiently and in detail," he told reporters. "I cooperated with the investigation with confidence." South Gyeongsang Province Gov. K
Aug. 7, 2018
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Korea to cut residential electricity bills for July-Aug.
South Korea will adjust the residential progressive electricity tariffs for July and August to ease the household burden from heavy electricity bills caused by the unprecedented summer heat, the energy ministry said Tuesday.The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it will temporarily upgrade the ceilings of the first two stages of the progressive tariffs for residential power use, which would save about 276.1 billion won ($245.2 million), or about 20 percent of the total, in energy costs
Aug. 7, 2018
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President Moon appoints 3 new Supreme Court justices
President Moon Jae-in on Monday appointed three new justices to the Supreme Court in a ceremony held at his office Cheong Wa Dae. The appointment ceremony came nearly two weeks after parliament endorsed all three new justices on July 26, following their confirmation hearings held earlier that month. The three new Supreme Court justices are Kim Seon-soo, Noh Jeong-hee and Lee Dong-won. From left, Supreme Court Justice Lee Dong-won, Justice Kim Seon-soo, President Moon Jae-in, Chief Justice Kim My
Aug. 6, 2018
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Gov. Kim grilled over allegations of colluding with Druking
Kim Kyoung-soo, a provincial governor and key aide to President Moon Jae-in, was questioned by special prosecutors on Monday over allegations that he colluded with a power blogger to manipulate political comments online in order to sway public opinion. Kim, governor of South Gyeongsang Province, appeared in front of the independent counsel team’s office in Seoul at 9:30 a.m. He denied his involvement in the opinion-rigging case. “I have asked for the independent counsel investigation for this ca
Aug. 6, 2018
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Rep. Chung elected as new leader of minor opposition party
The minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace on Sunday elected four-term lawmaker Chung Dong-young as its new leader tasked with cementing internal unity and shoring up public support.In a national party convention, the former unification minister took the helm of the party whose approval ratings have been languishing in woeful single digits, with its members still smarting from a humiliating election debacle in June. Chung Dong-young (Yonhap)Chung replaced four-term lawmaker Cho Bae-sook,
Aug. 5, 2018
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Gov. Kim to be summoned for questioning over alleged link with Druking
South Gyeongsang Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo is to be questioned Monday over his alleged collusion with a blogger who is standing trial over a political opinion-rigging scheme.The independent counsel team led by special prosecutor Huh Ik-bum is expected to grill Kim at its office in Seoul from 9:30 a.m. The special investigators believe the former lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea could be an accomplice of Kim Dong-won, the blogger nicknamed “Druking,” in the online opinion-rigging case.
Aug. 5, 2018
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Ex-President Lee returns to jail after visit to hospital for treatment
Former President Lee Myung-bak, who is standing trial on a string of corruption charges, returned to jail Friday after five days of treatment for his chronic illnesses at a local hospital, correctional authorities said.Lee was treated at Seoul National University Hospital starting Monday. He received treatment for sleep apnea and diabetes, according to the authorities. (Yonhap)The former president, who led the country from 2008 to 2013, has been under presentencing detention at the Seoul Easter
Aug. 3, 2018
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Ruling party to launch task force on martial law documents
The ruling Democratic Party said Friday that it will form a task force to look into a controversy over the military intelligence unit's documents that reviewed the possibility of imposing martial law last year to quell anti-government protests.The task force, which will be launched Monday, will consist of DP lawmakers from the parliamentary committees on defense, house steering and intelligence, it said. It will be headed by Rep. Min Hong-chul. Rep. Min Hong-chul, the chief of the ruling Democra
Aug. 3, 2018
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Moon replaces chief of scandal-ridden defense unit, orders creation of 'new command'
President Moon Jae-in on Friday replaced the commander of the scandal-ridden defense intelligence unit and ordered the creation of a new command "in a break with its past" marred by a slew of political allegations.Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan made the announcement as part of efforts to reform the Defense Security Command following revelations that the unit reviewed the possibility of imposing martial law last year to quell anti-government protests. (Yonhap)The president appointed
Aug. 3, 2018
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[Newsmaker] Gov. Kim denies collusive ties with blogger at center of opinion rigging scandal
CHANGWON -- South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo on Friday rejected allegations that he offered a diplomatic position to a power blogger with expertise in manipulating Internet comments while asking for help in this year's local elections.Kim called the allegations "totally untrue" as he spoke to reporters a day after special investigators raided his office and residence in the southeastern city of Changwon as part of a probe into the online opinion rigging scandal.(Yonhap)The scandal c
Aug. 3, 2018
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Govt. affirms next year's minimum wage raise won't be changed
South Korea's labor ministry said Friday that the country's 2019 minimum wage will be set as earlier decided, rejecting calls from businesses for the sharp raise to be reconsidered.The ministry posted next year's minimum wage in the government's official gazette, reaffirming the state-commissioned council's recent decision to hike the wage by 10.9 percent to 8,350 won ($7.44) per hour after a 16.4 percent rise this year. (Yonhap)The move indicated that the government will not review it in respon
Aug. 3, 2018