Most Popular
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Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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Samsung chip business back on track, logs W1.9tr operating profit in Q1
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Shinsegae faces showdown with investors over SSG.com's delayed IPO
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Hopes rise for possible Gaza truce deal
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Ex-pro baseball player who killed debtor appeals sentence
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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Donations now part of political discourse
Public not so enthusiastic about presidential hopefuls’ ‘calculated’ acts of givingOn Nov. 15, a throng of reporters waited in front of a graduate school in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, armed with questions for a man who had returned to the political limelight after pledging to donate a chunk of his wealth to society.As soon as he got out of his car, Ahn Cheol-soo, dean of Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, was surrounded by journalists asking about t
PoliticsNov. 22, 2011
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Govt. to invest 10.2 trillion won to boost IP capabilities
10.2 trillion won earmarked for IP investment by 2016 The government will invest 10.2 trillion won ($8.9 billion) by 2016 in the country’s intellectual property capabilities, the Presidential Council on Intellectual Property announced Tuesday.The figure was included in the national intellectual property plan approved by the council Tuesday.Plans for executing the measures will be drawn up from plans submitted by 21 concerned government ministries and 16 major regional governments. The action pla
Social AffairsNov. 22, 2011
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U.N. drafts resolution on N. Korean human rights
NEW YORK (Yonhap News) -- The human rights panel of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses as part of annual move to put pressure on the communist regime, diplomats here said.The Third Committee of the U.N. General Assembly, which handles social, humanitarian and cultural issues, approved the measure co-sponsored by South Korea and 51 other member states. A total of 103 members voted in favor and 16 were against it, with 55
North KoreaNov. 22, 2011
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Bosworth dissatisfied with ‘management strategy’ on N. Korea
WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- Stephen Bosworth, a former top U.S. envoy on North Korea, said Monday that he does not want to use the words “management strategy” regarding North Korea and pointed out that there is no “hard evidence” of Pyongyang’s nuclear ties with Teheran. “I would not use those words myself,” he said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency, the first with Korean media since he quit two and a half years of service as special representative for North Korea policy last month.As Wash
North KoreaNov. 22, 2011
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Panel recommends inter-Korean talks over Geumgang tours
Advises government to address North’s confiscation of assets at mountain resort A presidential advisory panel on national reunification has recommended to President Lee Myung-bak inter-Korean talks for the resumption of tours to the Mount Geumgang resort in North Korea.The recommendation by the National Unification Advisory Council came as Seoul has softened its hard-line stance toward Pyongyang in efforts to improve ties that turned sour following two deadly attacks last year.“Although the Nort
PoliticsNov. 22, 2011
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DLP lawmarker fills chamber with tear gas in protest against FTA
Rep. Kim Sun-dong (center at the podium) of the Democratic Labor Party stands in silent protest after detonating a tear gas grenade and dousing himself with the powder to block the approval of the free trade agreement with the U.S. in the National Assembly on Tuesday (Park Hyun-ku/The Korea Herald)
PoliticsNov. 22, 2011
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Assembly ratifies US FTA as GNP rams through motion
The National Assembly on Tuesday passed the long-pending Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, with the ruling Grand National Party pressing ahead with the ratification process despite vehement objection from opposition parties.Upbraiding the majority GNP and the government for “unilateral action,” the m
PoliticsNov. 22, 2011
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U.N. drafts resolution on N. Korean human rights
NEW YORK, Nov. 21 (Yonhap) -- The human rights panel of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution condemning North Korea's human rights abuses as part of annual move to put pressure on the communist regime, diplomats here said.The Third Committee of the U.N. General Assembly
North KoreaNov. 22, 2011
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9 S. Korean sailors aboard ship presumed to have sunken in South China Sea
SEOUL, Nov. 21 (Yonhap) -- A cargo ship carrying 21 crewmen, including nine South Korean sailors, is presumed to have sunken in the South China Sea earlier in the day, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.According to the ministry, the 15,000-ton ship lost contact after leaving Penang, Malaysia.Hong
Social AffairsNov. 22, 2011
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Lee Hoi-chang gives up seat in next Assembly
Leading conservative figure and three-time presidential candidate Rep. Lee Hoi-chang of the minority conservative Liberty Forward Party announced he will not contest the next election.“I am fully responsible for failing to provide protective measures for our local industries,” said Lee in a press conference on Monday.“In order to take responsibility and display my sincerity to the agricultural and stockbreeding societies, as well as small-sized industries, I shall not enter candidacy in the 19th
PoliticsNov. 21, 2011
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S. Korean defense companies deny rumors of U.S. technology theft
South Korean defense companies on Monday denied recent rumors that they’re under investigation by U.S. intelligence officials for allegedly stealing key U.S. weapons technologies.The companies, including shipbuilders like Hyundai Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, told the Defense Acquisition Program Administration that they have never attempted to copy or steal U.S. technologies, DAPA officials told reporters.“We’ve checked with each and every related defense compa
DefenseNov. 21, 2011
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S. Korea, China to conduct joint naval exercise, talks
The navies of South Korea and China will hold joint a naval exercise and military talks this week in China, South Korea’s Navy here said Monday.The navies will hold their fourth joint Search and Rescue Exercise, or SAREX, from Tuesday to Friday this week. The exercise will be held in waters off Ningbo and Shanghai, the South Korean Navy said.The two navies have previously held the SAREX in 2005, 2007 and 2008.South Korea will deploy its 4,500-ton Wang Geon destroyer, and China will send a frigat
DefenseNov. 21, 2011
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U.S. unlikely to resume food aid to N. Korea this year: official
The United States is unlikely to provide humanitarian food aid to North Korea this year as it believes food shortages in the communist state have been eased slightly by the autumn harvest, a Seoul official said. The U.S. has been considering an appeal from North Korea for food aid and sent a team in May of this year to assess the needs of the impoverished country, but is withholding its decision because of monitoring concerns. “The U.S. expects North Korea’s harvest volume to increase somewhat t
North KoreaNov. 21, 2011
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U.S. undersecretary of state visits Seoul
Wendy R. Sherman, a top U.S. State Department official, arrived in Seoul on Monday evening for talks with South Korean officials to discuss alliance issues.Sherman’s visit to Seoul is her first since being appointed undersecretary of state for political affairs in July.It is part of her three-day trip to Asia ― Tokyo on Sunday, Seoul on Monday and Tuesday and Beijing later on Tuesday.“Ambassador Sherman travels to Seoul on Nov. 21. On Nov. 22, she will meet with a range of senior officials to ex
Foreign AffairsNov. 21, 2011
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‘Seoul expects favorable response from N.K.’
Unification minister visits China for talks on Pyongyang with Dai Bingguo, Yang JiechiSouth Korea’s Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik said on Monday he hopes North Korea could return Seoul’s favor, taking a more active approach in efforts to improve inter-Korean relations.His remarks came at a meeting with Korean residents in Beijing during his three-day visit there to meet with China’s senior officials for talks on North Korean issues.“I hope our government’s heartfelt efforts could see a favorabl
North KoreaNov. 21, 2011
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Lee pledges development support for Philippines
President Lee Myung-bak on Monday pledged economic support to help facilitate the Philippines’ national development plan in a bid to deepen bilateral cooperative ties, his office said.During his talks with Philippines President Benigno S. Aquino III in Manila, Lee agreed to map out cooperation strategies to make the best of Korea’s development assistance to the Southeast Asian state.Lee flew to the country for a state visit on Sunday after having attended a set of summits with the 10-member Asso
PoliticsNov. 21, 2011
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Police to discard CS teargas by yearend
Decision comes 30 years after Korea started stacking controversial agentPolice have decided to discard the use of controversial 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS) teargas by the end of the year, which was used to disperse protests. Instead, they will utilize less potent agents such as pelargonic acid vanillylamide or capsaicin sprays to reduce health hazards, the National Police Agency said Monday. According to the authorities, there are 4,528 liters of CS teargas liquid, a chemical which can caus
Social AffairsNov. 21, 2011
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Air Force under fire for losing highly classified documents
The Air Force was found to have lost two highly classified documents and failed to notify the proper authorities for several months, once again raising concerns over a lack of security within the military. According to information revealed by Rep. Shin Hak-yong of the Democratic Party, Operational Plan 3600-06 and Operational Order 2500 were lost in December 2010 after the then-chief of Air Force Operations Command Lieutenant General Lee Young-man reviewed them. Lee is currently serving as the d
DefenseNov. 21, 2011
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Rival parties seek pork spending ahead of elections
While the parliamentary budget committee started reviewing next year’s budget bill, on Monday speculation was mounting that parties excessively upped the allocation to new roads construction and welfare projects in an attempt to coax voters ahead of next year’s elections.According to the preparatory reports submitted on Sunday, the 15 standing parliamentary committees raised the budget total by 8.65 trillion won ($7.6 billion), 2.7 percent up from the original amount suggested by the government
PoliticsNov. 21, 2011
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Sentencing guidelines for sex offenders in the works
A sentencing guideline regarding employees of child-care service providers found guilty of sexually abusing adolescents was being drawn up by top court officials on Monday. According to the Sentencing Commission of the Supreme Court, those found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a minor or teen with disabilities will be strictly punished.The commission also announced its plan to prepare sentencing guidelines regarding those found guilty of sexual abuse against a male teen or adolescent,
Social AffairsNov. 21, 2011