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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103 autumn foliage paths in Seoul
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Hanwha, HD Hyundai vie for Poland’s $2.7b submarine program
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Seoul aims to halve current suicide rate by 2030
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First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders
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When two worlds collab: K-pop flexes power with global stars
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Bipartisan panel formed to address livelihood issues amid tension over first lady probe
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Ruling party chief to meet Chinese leader Xi this week
Choo Mi-ae, the leader of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party, will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping for talks during her trip to Beijing this week, her aide said Wednesday.The meeting is slated to take place on the sidelines of an international conference of political parties in the Chinese capital Friday, amid heightened tensions sparked by North Korea's long-range ballistic missile launch on Wednesday.Choo embarks on her four-day visit to China on Thursday to attend the conference, titled the
Nov. 29, 2017
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Govt to write off long-overdue small debts
The ruling party and the government agreed Wednesday to write off long-overdue small debts for those who are incapable of reimbursement in a bid to curb household debts and spur consumption.Liabilities of 10 million won ($9,230) or less that are overdue for 10 years or more will be canceled for people who the authorities find do not have the ability to pay back their debts. (Yonhap)“We plan to immediately stop debt collection and cancel the debts within a certain period of time for those who ar
Nov. 29, 2017
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Leaders of Korea, Sri Lanka agree to bolster ties
President Moon Jae-in and Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena agreed during summit talks here Wednesday to bolster bilateral ties and work together to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. The two countries agreed to enhance their economic and diplomatic cooperation to boost two-way trade as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of bilateral relations this year. South Korea agreed to increase its low-interest loans to Sri Lanka under its Economic Development Cooperation Fund to
Nov. 29, 2017
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Spy agency seeks to change name, delegate investigative authority
South Korea's spy agency will seek to change its name and relinquish all of its investigative authority this year as part of efforts to revamp the institution long accused of political interference and to restore public trust, officials said Wednesday.The National Intelligence Service said it will push for a revision to the law governing its operations."We will do our best to be reborn as a national security agency that will dedicate itself to the nation and citizens, and can be loved by citizen
Nov. 29, 2017
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Speaker urges parties to meet Saturday deadline for budget approval
National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun on Wednesday exhorted rival parties to pass the government's 2018 spending plans by the deadline this week, as they dug in their heels on many sticking points, such as proposed outlays for job creation.Ahead of Saturday's deadline, the ruling and opposition parties engaged in grueling negotiations over a raft of disputed budget proposals, many of which are key to funding President Moon Jae-in's priority policies to spur growth and enhance public welfare."
Nov. 29, 2017
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Moon urges govt to speed up projects for innovative growth
President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for ministries to speed up their projects on innovative growth and produce visible results. “The concept of innovative growth can only be abstract,” Moon said at a meeting on innovative growth with some 120 officials of the government, the ruling party and the presidential office.“What is more important than the concept is to show the people what innovative growth is, through specific projects.” Innovative growth is one of the “four wheels” of the “people-
Nov. 28, 2017
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Moon names new political affairs aide
President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday appointed Han Byung-do as his senior secretary for political affairs. The post had remained vacant since Jun Byung-hun resigned from the post on Nov. 16, after being implicated in a corruption investigation. “Han has a keen understanding of the president’s philosophy in state affairs. As he has shown during the 17th National Assembly, and as the political affairs secretary, he is the right man for conveying the president’s thoughts to the National Assembly,” Cheo
Nov. 28, 2017
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FM dismisses Chinese media's calls to restrict THAAD operations
South Korea's foreign minister on Monday dismissed Chinese media's call to restrict the operations of a U.S. missile defense system here as part of efforts to settle a yearlong bilateral feud over the deployment. Kang Kyung-wha also reiterated that Seoul has just reaffirmed to Beijing its existing stance against three issues -- deploying additional Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems, joining the U.S.-led global missile defense program and developing a security alliance with t
Nov. 27, 2017
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Opposition lawmaker quizzed over NIS fund scandal
Prosecutors said Monday they questioned an opposition lawmaker over allegations that he took part in helping the former Park Geun-hye government conduct an illegal election survey using the state spy agency's money. Rep. Kim Jae-won of the Liberty Korea Party was summoned earlier in the day and has been undergoing an interrogation over the allegations, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said. Kim is suspected of carrying out the survey intended to gauge public opinion in North Gyeong
Nov. 27, 2017
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New Constitutional Court chief calls for balanced perspective
New Constitutional Court chief Lee Jin-sung said Monday he will ensure the court excludes any political dichotomy of conservative or liberal thinking and brings a balanced perspective to any case. "I will focus on reaching a balanced resolution of every major case, including the very oldest one, through which the court will further build public trust if we do our job in the right and honest way, at the right time," he said in an inauguration ceremony held earlier. The former chief of a high cour
Nov. 27, 2017
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Govt. ruling party outline housing welfare program
The government and ruling Democratic Party agreed Monday to roll out a series of housing support programs tailored to different life cycle stages and income levels of potential homebuyers.During their policy coordination meeting, the two sides outlined a rough road map for "housing welfare" designed to support young adults, newlyweds, senior citizens and others in low-income brackets.Under the plan, the government will seek to provide a total of 1 million homes across the country for ordinary ci
Nov. 27, 2017
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Former senior NIS official probed over surveillance allegations
Prosecutors on Sunday questioned a former deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) allegedly involved in the spy agency's illegal surveillance of officials and civilians. A former deputy director of the National Intelligence Service Choi Yun-su. YonhapChoi Yun-su, who was in charge of information gathering of domestic affairs between February 2016 and June 2017, appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in the morning. He was the supervisor of Choo Myeong-ho,
Nov. 27, 2017
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Ex-NIS officials, ex-prosecutors indicted over NIS scandal
Prosecutors on Sunday indicted four former National Intelligence Agency officials and two former prosecutors for attempting to block a 2013 prosecution probe into the spy agency's alleged political interference, according to the office. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said the six former ranking public officials, including Suh Cheon-ho, a former NIS chief of domestic affairs division, and Chang Ho-joong, former chief prosecutor of the Busan District Prosecutors' Office, have been
Nov. 26, 2017
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[Herald Interview] Ahn calls for stronger stance on North’s violation of armistice agreement
The South Korean government must take on a firmer stance on North Korea, according to Ahn Cheol-soo, the chairman of the minor opposition People’s Party. Ahn, who ran against President Moon Jae-in in the presidential election in May, also criticizes the Moon administration of “inaction” with regards to North Korea’s recent violation of the armistice agreement of the Korean War.Ahn Cheol-soo, the chairman of the minor opposition People’s Party, speaks during an interview with The Korea Heraldon T
Nov. 26, 2017
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Former senior NIS official probed over surveillance allegations
Prosecutors on Sunday questioned a former deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) allegedly involved in the spy agency's illegal surveillance of officials and civilians.Choi Yun-su, who was in charge of information gathering of domestic affairs between February 2016 and June 2017, appeared at the Seoul Central District Court in the morning.Choi Yun-su (Yonhap)He was the supervisor of Choo Myeong-ho, who was arrested on Nov. 3 for illegally spying on public servants, activists
Nov. 26, 2017
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Main opposition party requests parliamentary probe into NIS fund scandal
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) submitted a request Friday for a parliamentary probe into allegations that the spy agency and prosecution used their funds improperly during past liberal governments.A total of 113 LKP lawmakers signed the request in a counteroffensive against the ongoing probe into suspicions that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) offered illicit money, part of their "special activity funds," to the presidential office during the former Park Geun-hye governmen
Nov. 24, 2017
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Parliament passes law to reinvestigate Sewol sinking
The National Assembly on Friday passed a special law on the reinvestigations of the 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry and a scandal involving deadly humidifier disinfectants.Under the new law, a nine-person special committee will be set up within 30 days to investigate the ferry sinking again for a maximum of two years. A Sewol special committee inquired into the ferry sinking from Jan. 1, 2015 to Sept. 30, 2016. The bill was put to a plenary vote on Friday morning, following an agreement reached
Nov. 24, 2017
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Speaker pledges to share Korea's development experience with Uzbekistan
National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun pledged Friday to "actively" share South Korea's development experience with Uzbekistan, voicing hopes for the two countries to cement a "mutually beneficial" partnership.Chung made the remarks during his talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev who arrived here on Wednesday for a four-day state visit."South Korea and Uzbekistan are close countries with a longstanding historical relationship," Chung said during the president's visit to Seoul's parlia
Nov. 24, 2017
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Constitutional Court ends 10-month leadership void
President Moon Jae-in appointed senior justice Lee Jin-sung as the new head of the Constitutional Court on Friday, ending a 10-month leadership void at the top of the judiciary. Lee, former head of the high court in Gwangju, was named in a ceremony in Cheong Wa Dae on Friday, which was held after the National Assembly approved Lee‘s appointment in a 254-18 vote.Lee became the latest member of the court’s 9-member panel, Cheong Wa Dae officials said. He was designated a new Constitutional Court j
Nov. 24, 2017
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President set to appoint new Constitutional Court chief: Cheong Wa Dae
President Moon Jae-in was set to appoint the new head of the Constitutional Court on Friday, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.Lee Jin-sung, the new chief justice of the Constitutional Court, will be appointed in a ceremony to be held in Cheong Wa Dae at 4 p.m., it added.The ceremony comes after the National Assembly approved Lee's appointment in a 254-18 vote. Lee Jin-sung (Yonhap)In the ceremony, Moon will also appoint the latest member of the court's 9-member panel, Yoo Nam-seok, Che
Nov. 24, 2017