Most Popular
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Seoul blanketed by heaviest Nov. snow, with more expected
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NewJeans to terminate contract with Ador
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NewJeans terminates contract with Ador, embarks on new journey
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Seoul snowfall now third heaviest on record
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Korean Air gets European nod to become Northeast Asia’s largest airline
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Samsung shakes up management, commits to reviving chip business
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Hybe consolidates chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s regime with leadership changes
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Heavy snow of up to 40 cm blankets Seoul for 2nd day
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How $70 funeral wreaths became symbol of protest in S. Korea
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Chaos unfolds as rare November snowstorm grips Korea for 2nd day
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‘N.K. admits to some surviving Japanese abductees’
North Korea has allegedly confirmed the survival of some Japanese nationals kidnapped decades ago, a Japanese news report claimed Thursday, suggesting a potential breakthrough in the two countries’ long-festering diplomatic tug-of-war. During a meeting in Beijing last week, North Korean officials presented a list of 30 survivors along with their birthdates, occupations and family members’ names, including “several” of the 17 people officially recognized as abductees by Tokyo, the Nikkei daily re
July 10, 2014
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S. Korea, China set for fresh round of FTA negotiations next week
South Korea and China will hold a new round of negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement next week, the South Korean government said Thursday, the first such meeting after the leaders of the two countries agreed to conclude the pact within this year.The 12th round of the FTA talks will be held in Daegu, 300 kilometers south of Seoul, from Monday through Friday, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping ag
July 10, 2014
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WTO chief rules out another delay of S. Korea's rice market opening without cost
South Korea will have to make compensation to other member nations should it decide to again delay opening its rice market, head of the world trade negotiation body said, as the country nears a deadline to make a decision on one of the most sensitive domestic issues.In a written interview Monday with Yonhap News Agency in Geneva, Director General Robert Azevedo of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said South Korea, pursuant to an earlier agreement, will be required to liberalize its rice market
July 10, 2014
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Experts give mixed responses to Park’s Northeast Asia peace plan
Seoul’s ambitious initiative for peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia drew mixed reactions from experts from around the world as they examined the region’s security landscape and discussed ways to foster trust at a conference in Seoul on Wednesday. About 20 renowned foreign and security policy specialists took part in the one-day event jointly hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The meeting was designed to assess President
July 9, 2014
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Iran's supreme leader reveals demands in nuclear talks
TEHRAN (AFP) -- Iran's supreme leader revealed Tuesday his country's demands for a massive long-term increase in its nuclear enrichment capability, laying bare huge gaps between Tehran and world powers negotiating a deal.The comments, published on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's website, represent a dramatic intervention in the talks currently taking place in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 group of Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany, for a nuclear accord.His remarks re
July 8, 2014
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U.S., China launch joint projects to cut greenhouse gases
BEIJING (Yonhap) -- The United States and China on Tuesday kicked off eight joint projects to reduce greenhouse gases, committing to work together in fighting the disastrous effects of climate change despite their differences on diplomacy and security in this region.U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy on climate change, Todd Stern, and Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, oversaw the signing ceremony for the joint projects at the China Hall of
July 8, 2014
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Abe hails start of ‘special’ relationship with Australia
Shinzo Abe used the first speech by a Japanese prime minister to Australia’s parliament to mark the beginning of what he termed a “special” bilateral relationship that will expand into the field of security.Japan and Australia, key allies of the U.S. as it pivots power into the Asia-Pacific to counter China’s military expansion, signed a trade agreement and an accord on the transfer of defense technology during Abe’s meeting with Prime Minister Tony Abbott today. The trip is the first formal vis
July 8, 2014
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U.S.-China strategic talks get test this week
BEIJING (AP) -- The United States and China will spend time over the next couple of days testing whether their annual "Strategic and Economic Dialogue'' can produce tough compromises or just serve as a venue to talk about greater cooperation.The Obama administration comes with a clear set of priorities to this year's meeting in the Chinese capital: closer coordination against climate change, an end to Chinese industrial cyber-espionage and stricter rules governing maritime claims in Asia's conte
July 8, 2014
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[Reporter's Column] Park’s short-sighted diplomacy limits her policy options
Just like the namesake board game, diplomacy needs at least two players. Your every move entails a message for your counterparts, while shaping your options for the next step. Seoul officials have long been grumbling about the cozy relationship between the Japanese government and the media. In particular since Shinzo Abe was sworn in as prime minister in late 2012, Tokyo officials have apparently been trying to test public opinion by leaking a secret policy agenda or pursue domestic political in
July 7, 2014
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S. Korea, Turkey reach de facto free trade agreement for service, investment
South Korea and Turkey have reached a de facto agreement for free trade in the investment and service sectors, the trade ministry here said Monday.The agreement, once implemented, will complement a free trade pact for products between the countries that went into effect in May 2013, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.Negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA) in the investment and service sectors were resumed in August 2013 after a 17-month suspension due to what minist
July 7, 2014
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Security breached at foreign embassies
The security of two foreign diplomatic missions and an ambassador’s residence in Seoul was breached in June by individuals that witnesses described as mentally disturbed.In the three unrelated diplomatic incidents, a person who was described as “disturbed” attempted to barge into the diplomatic premises. In all three cases, the security present were overwhelmed and the local police had to be called in to reestablish security and to remove them from the premises.In one case, at a European diploma
July 6, 2014
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‘Regional powwow indicates improving Korea-Cuba relations’
Two multilateral meetups here between high-level diplomats and other government officials from South Korea, Latin America and the Caribbean signals the government’s efforts to improve long-dormant diplomatic relations with Cuba, according to diplomatic sources.The participation of Cuba’s deputy foreign minister in those talks adds to a unique opportunity to further improve ties between Seoul and Havana, said Costa Rican Foreign Minister Manuel Gonzales, who heads the regional delegation that inc
July 6, 2014
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Georgia, Ukraine celebrate EU association agreements
Envoys from Georgia and Ukraine celebrated historic association agreements between their countries and the European Union in a reception here in Seoul on Wednesday.Georgian Ambassador Nikoloz Apkhazava and Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Marmazov hosted a reception that featured Georgian and Ukrainian wine and spirits for government officials and dozens of foreign envoys, including the European Union Ambassador Tomasz Kozlowski, and many other envoys representing EU countries.Georgia’s association ag
July 6, 2014
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Xi offers Park to jointly celebrate Korean peninsula's liberation
Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered South Korean President Park Geun-hye to "jointly hold memorial activities" next year to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japan's colonial rule as well as the end of World War II, according to China's foreign ministry on Friday. The proposal, which would mark a significant effort for China to join with South Korea in criticism of Japan, was made during summit talks between Park and Xi in Seoul on Thursday, the Chinese min
July 4, 2014
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Chinese first lady engages in 'culture diplomacy'
The Chinese president's state visit to South Korea has drawn sharp attention not only for its political implications but also for the cultural exchange led by first lady Peng Liyuan.While her husband, Xi Jinping, held summit talks Thursday with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Peng toured Changdeok Palace, which dates back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), and expressed her interest in Korean culture. (Yonhap)Dressed elegantly in a long white jacket and white skirt, with a touch of green a
July 4, 2014
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Kimchi exports to China may get long-awaited boost from bilateral summit meeting
Exports of kimchi to China may finally get a boost following the bilateral summit meeting between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.At talks held Thursday, the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation and exchanges in the food sector as well as review various regulatory standards that Seoul has argued effectively made it impossible to export kimchi to China.Kimchi is a salted, spicy fermented side dish made with either pickled cabbage, cucumber or radish
July 4, 2014
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Leaders send message to North Korea
The leaders of South Korea and China raised pressure on North Korea to renounce its nuclear ambitions on Thursday, saying they were “adamantly” against the development of nuclear weapons on the peninsula.In a joint statement issued after the summit between Presidents Park Geun-hye and Xi Jinping in Seoul, the two sides also stated the need to create conditions for the resumption of the six-party denuclearization talks. The talks involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia have be
July 3, 2014
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Park-Xi summit draws regional powers’ attention
The summit between the leaders of South Korea and China took the international spotlight Thursday as it proceeded amid growing volatility in a Northeast Asian security landscape beset by geostrategic rivalries and territorial antagonism. The fluid security environment has posed a tough foreign policy challenge to Seoul, which has been striving to deepen its long-standing security alliance with the U.S., strategic partnership with China and practical cooperation with Japan.“Given the volatile pol
July 3, 2014
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Chinese leader Xi arrives in S. Korea for summit with Park
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in South Korea on Thursday for talks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, officials said, amid fresh tensions over a series of missile and rocket launches by North Korea. Xi and his wife were greeted by South Korean officials at an airport just south of Seoul before heading to their hotel.(Yonhap)Park and Xi were to hold a summit meeting later in the day -- the fifth since they took office in 2013 -- to discuss how to further deepen their relations and
July 3, 2014
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Beijing eyes closer ties with Seoul, increased clout
China is working to strengthen its strategic partnership with South Korea as it seeks to shape a new security architecture and financial institution in the region, and deepen trade relations with Asian nations in apparent efforts to undercut U.S. influence and raise its regional clout.Chinese President Xi Jinping is to arrive in Seoul for a two-day state visit, during which he and President Park Geun-hye are to discuss ways to deepen cooperation in areas including security, trade and business.Ex
July 2, 2014
