Most Popular
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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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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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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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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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[KH Explains] Will alternative trading platform shake up Korean stock market?
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S. Korea lowers COVID-19 warning level, lifts last-remaining antivirus mandates
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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
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Clock ticks toward FTA showdown
Political tensions continued to mount Monday as the clock ticked toward a plenary sitting of the National Assembly later this week, where the ruling Grand National Party looks set to ram through the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. The conservative party may take action on Tuesday or Wednesday to move the FTA bill forward, making it ready for the final vote on Thursday. Or it could ask National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae to call a direct floor vote on the bill, by-passing committee-level proc
PoliticsNov. 21, 2011
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‘Elderly in Seoul feel alienated’
Four out of 10 elderly people in Seoul feel alienated and depressed, a survey on quality of life among senior citizens in Seoul showed Monday. The Seoul Welfare Foundation surveyed 1,590 people age 60 or older currently living in Seoul, and suggested the Seoul city government reflect the research in formulating its welfare policies for the aged, officials said. According to the survey, 41.1 percent of respondents raised concerns about being alienated in society. Regarding their health, 23.7 perc
Social AffairsNov. 21, 2011
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S. Korean students expected to get Chinese visa waiver next year
SEOUL, Nov. 21 (Yonhap) -- Teenage South Korean students are expected to enjoy visa-free travel to China for short-term school trips beginning early next year, an official at Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.Seoul and Beijing have been in talks to grant visa-waiver status to South Korean element
Foreign AffairsNov. 21, 2011
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Assembly speaker says time has come to 'make decision' on U.S. FTA
SEOUL, Nov. 21 (Yonhap) -- Parliamentary Speaker Park Hee-tae said Monday that the time has come to "make a decision" on the free trade deal with the United States, indicating that he could step in to put the much-debated, long-pending bill to a floor vote."I don't have any other arbitration plan an
PoliticsNov. 21, 2011
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Lifespan for Koreans to hit 89 by 2040: report
The average lifespan of Koreans will hit 89.38 years by 2040 in an economy where per capita income will have doubled to $38,408, a state report said.The Ministry of Strategy and Finance Ministry said Asia’s fourth largest economy will continue to expand exports and that 2009’s per capita income of $
Social AffairsNov. 21, 2011
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Air Force throws away confidential documents: lawmaker
SEOUL, Nov. 21 (Yonhap) -- The Air Force last year negligently disposed of classified documents but only reported the files as missing nine months after the fact, a lawmaker said Monday.According to Democratic Party Rep. Shin Hak-yong, an orderly of a senior Air Force officer threw away the Air Forc
DefenseNov. 21, 2011
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S. Korea, China, Japan reaffirm commitment on N.K. nukes
BALI, Indonesia (Yonhap News) ― The leaders of South Korea, China and Japan reaffirmed their commitment Saturday to working together to resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff and deepen all-round cooperation, the presidential office said.South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda held a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of regional summits with Southeast Asian and other nations in the Indonesian resort island of Bali.“The thre
PoliticsNov. 20, 2011
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Korea, Australia to push for FTA
Lee stresses regional financial cooperation to prevent future crisesThe leaders of South Korea and Australia agreed to step up efforts on a free trade pact during their talks in Indonesia on Saturday, according to Seoul officials.President Lee Myung-bak and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard also agreed to broaden bilateral cooperation in politics, security, trade, energy, diplomacy and other areas of mutual concern.Their meeting were held on the resort island of Bali where they attended a
PoliticsNov. 20, 2011
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Committee defers decision on easier access to drugs
The parliamentary health committee is facing criticism over its decision to delay until next year the handling of a bill that would allow supermarkets to sell over-the-counter drugs.Proponents of the revision claim that ruling and opposition lawmakers on the committee defied public demands, fearing that a group of some 60,000 pharmacists would campaign against their re-election in April.The legislators argued that more caution should be taken, as the revision could trigger a set of problems such
PoliticsNov. 20, 2011
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Libyan delegation to visit S. Korea to discuss economic cooperation
A delegation of Libyan government officials and executives will visit Korea this week to discuss ways to cooperate in the sectors of communications, electricity and others, Seoul officials said Sunday.The Libyan delegation is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Tuesday for a five-day visit that will be the first official visit to Korea since Libya’s nine-month civil war ended last month with the capture and killing of Moammar Gadhafi, who had ruled there for more than four decades.The areas of coope
Foreign AffairsNov. 20, 2011
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Three Chinese trawlers seized for illegal fishing
JEJU ISLAND (Yonhap News) ― Maritime police on this resort island said Saturday they have seized three Chinese fishing boats for poaching and obstruction of duty in South Korean waters.Jeju maritime police first seized a Chinese boat which was illegally fishing inside South Korea’s exclusive economic zone off Jeju at around 4:25 a.m. Soon after, 25 Chinese trawlers approached a South Korean maritime police vessel in the area to demand the release of the seized Chinese boat.As the Chinese boats i
Social AffairsNov. 20, 2011
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Online address reporting opens for foreign residents
Long-term foreign residents of Korea may now register their new addresses online after moving, the Justice Ministry said Sunday.The ministry announced that starting Monday, foreigners and Koreans living overseas may register their change of residence or address online, following digital verification.Until now, foreigners were required to complete change of residence applications at their local immigration or government office within 14 days of moving, according to officials.The ministry believes
Social AffairsNov. 20, 2011