Most Popular
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Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
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Bae Doo-na shares portraying Korean identity in Hollywood's 'Rebel Moon'
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S. Korea votes in favor of Palestinian bid for UN membership
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[From the Scene] Monks, Buddhists hail return of remains of Buddhas
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Medical schools granted enrollment quota flexibility for next year
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Yoon offers first one-on-one meeting with opposition leader next week
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France rejects opening Paris flight routes to T'way Air, deals blow to Korean Air merger
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Chinese man behind drug scam targeting teens nabbed in Cambodia
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Iran fires air defense batteries in provinces as sound of explosions heard near Isfahan
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Police find more evidence of murder-suicide in Paju hotel death case
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Activists to appeal to U.N. over Chinese torture
Civic organizations plan to request a U.N. agency this month to investigate alleged torture of Kim Yong-hwan, a North Korea human rights activist, by Chinese investigators.The Committee on the Torture of Kim Young Hwan which launched on Thursday said it will submit a petition to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. They are also planning to refer the case to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Work
Aug. 9, 2012
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Youth must help meet challenge of sustainability
Just last week the United Nations General Assembly adopted the outcomes from the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development. That conference on June 20-22 in Rio de Janeiro was held not to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original Rio Earth Summit and creation of a comprehensive global action plan, Agenda 21, that contributed to the adoption of three major conventions ― United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity and United Nations Conventio
Aug. 9, 2012
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More cases of China abuse reported
The government has discovered additional cases of abuse of South Korean detainees in China and other countries from recent consular meetings prompted by a high-profile activist’s torture allegations, officials said Wednesday. The Foreign Ministry is interviewing all 1,169 Korean inmates around the world this month to see whether they were abused. Consuls have so far met with 175 prisoners in 14 countries including 13 out of 346 in China, a senior official told journalists. During the meetings, o
Aug. 8, 2012
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Spats mar 20 years of China ties
Rows over history, territory, N.K., torture put strain on relationsThis is the second in a series of articles to mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and China. ― Ed.China’s release of a Korean activist late last month was supposed to remove a sharp thorn in relations between the neighbors set to celebrate their 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties. But it was only the start of a new diplomatic spat as the former detainee, Kim Young-hwan, revealed torture and inhumane
Aug. 8, 2012
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Korea draws more support for East Sea name
NEW YORK (Yonhap News) ― South Korea has garnered growing international support of its diplomatic efforts in the United Nations on the naming of the waters separating the Korean Peninsula and Japan, a senior diplomat said Tuesday.International organizations formally call the waters “the Sea of Japan” but South and North Korea contend the original name of the “East Sea” should be used at least concurrently.The two Koreas’ war of diplomacy against Japan has continued during the 10th U.N. Conferenc
Aug. 7, 2012
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Vietnam donates rice to flood-hit North Korea
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) ― Vietnam’s president said his country would donate 5,000 tons of rice to flood-stricken North Korea, Vietnamese state media reported Tuesday.The pledge was made by President Truong Tan Sang in a meeting with North Korea’s visiting nominal head of state Kim Yong Nam in Hanoi on Monday, the Communist Party newspaper Nhan Dan reported.Flooding in North Korea has killed 169 people since late June, while leaving 400 missing and around 212,000 homeless.The paper quoted Sang as exp
Aug. 7, 2012
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Chinese diplomats to visit this week
A group of junior diplomats from China will visit South Korea later this week as part of efforts to boost exchange and cooperation between the two countries, the foreign ministry said Monday.A total of 11 working-level diplomats will arrive in Seoul on Wednesday for a six-day visit at the invitation of Seoul’s foreign ministry, after Seoul and Beijing agreed last March to launch an exchange program for their young diplomats, according to the ministry.During the visit, the delegation plans to mee
Aug. 6, 2012
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Torture dispute strains Seoul-Beijing ties
South Korea has come under mounting pressure as its dispute with China over the suspected torture of a North Korea human rights activist is showing no signs of abating, with both sides reiterating their own claims. Beijing on Friday again denied allegations that its investigators abused Kim Young-hwan during his detention, in response to Seoul’s request for a reinvestigation into his claims. During the 114-day confinement, Kim said he was tortured with electricity, beaten on the face, deprived o
Aug. 5, 2012
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Peru honors national day, FTA anniversary
The Peruvian Embassy celebrated its 191st national day in Seoul on Thursday as this year marks the first anniversary since the free trade agreement between both countries went into effect.Peruvian charge d’affaires Eduardo Castaneda also noted the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between both countries in 2013, adding that the “ties between our nations will grow stronger day by day.”He also hoped that the FTA, which went into effect on Aug. 1 last year, would increase commercial trade between
Aug. 5, 2012
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Korean course opens in Myanmar
The ASEAN-Korea Center will open a Korean language training course in Myanmar on Monday to help boost tourism from Korea to the country.The Korean Language Training Course is a joint effort by those from the public and private sectors of tourism from both countries.According to the center, the course will provide lectures on reading, listening, writing and basic conversational skills that are focused on tourism.Myanmar will be the fifth ASEAN country to hold such a training course.The center add
Aug. 5, 2012
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Poland polishes image with exhibit
The Polish Embassy is set to open an exhibition that will feature works of art by some of Poland’s most famous young designers at the Korea Foundation Cultural Center on Thursday.The exhibition titled “Unpolished ― Young Design from Poland” will attempt to show the country’s modern and dynamic contemporary image.The artists behind the displays are between 30 to 40 years old.Curated by Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka and Pawel Grobelny, the exhibit will be stopping in Korea as part of a worldwide tou
Aug. 5, 2012
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Swiss ambassador bids farewell at national day event
The Swiss ambassador celebrated his last national day event in Seoul on Wednesday, which fell on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea.Swiss Ambassador Thomas Kupfer said that the relations between both countries are “mature and on a very friendly and solid basis” during his welcoming speech, before he moves onto his next post.Kupfer also noted Switzerland’s unique and sad historical relationship with the Korean peninsula, referring to their required presence at the Neutral Nations
Aug. 5, 2012
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Morocco marks national day, diplomatic ties
Morocco celebrated its national day in Seoul on July 30 the same day as its 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea.Moroccan Ambassador Mohammed Chraibi welcomed ambassadors and dignitaries with a speech to commemorate the country’s relationship with Korea.“These 50 years of diplomatic relations attest outstandingly to the excellent ties that so happily exist between our two nations on the political, economic and socio-cultural levels,” said the ambassador.Chraibi also addressed the growi
Aug. 5, 2012
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KOTRA opens Paraguay office
The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency is set to open a new office in Asuncion, Paraguay, in September.The state-run agency will be setting up the office to help businesses from both countries enter each other’s markets.“This is very important as the office of KOTRA will open in Paraguay to assist Korean businessmen in selling Korean products to Paraguay and look for investment opportunities in the country,” said Paraguayan Ambassador Ceferino Valdez.The office will also receive help from i
Aug. 5, 2012
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Paraguay seeks Korean investors
Rich in natural resources and with a foreigner-friendly environment, Paraguay is rife with business opportunities for Koreans, the Paraguayan Ambassador said on Friday.Ceferino Valdez said in an interview with The Korea Herald that Paraguay also has no restrictions for foreign companies when buying land.And both governments are working to help Korean companies in Paraguay by eliminating double taxation.“The negotiation is already quite advanced and a delegation is coming to finish the matters,”
Aug. 5, 2012
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Foreign ministers discuss Korea-Myanmar ties
Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan hailed Friday the progress made by both South Korea and Myanmar in improving bilateral relations, saying he believes that ties with the Southeast Asian country “have been strengthened almost every day.” Kim made the remarks as he held talks with his Myanmarese counterpart Wanna Maung Lwin, who is on a four-day visit to South Korea. Following a landmark visit by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to Myanmar in May and summit talks with President Thein Sein, how to
Aug. 3, 2012
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Seoul to push consular pact with China
South Korea is pushing for a consular agreement with Beijing as part of its measures to step up protection of its citizens living overseas amid controversy over alleged torture of a North Korea human rights activist during his detention in China. The Foreign Ministry said Thursday it plans to speed up efforts for the pact to facilitate consular access to Koreans in Chinese custody. “We see the agreement as contributing to better protection of our citizens in China,” spokesman Cho Tai-young said
Aug. 2, 2012
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S. Korean activist seeks to prove torture through medical checkup
A South Korean human rights activist who has accused Chinese security agents of torture during his four-month arrest said Thursday he will prove his claims through a medical checkup amid Beijing's denial of the alleged abuse.The dramatic story of Kim Young-hwan, who was expelled from China and returned home on July 20, has taken another turn in recent weeks following his revelations of torture und
Aug. 2, 2012
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Police clamp down on child pornography
Police on Wednesday launched a nation-wide crackdown on child pornography as part of a government drive to root out sex-related crimes in the wake of brutal sexual offenses against children.The move comes after a 10-year-old girl was killed by a convicted sex offender who allegedly owned almost 70 items of child pornography, the police said. Police suspect the girl was also raped. “We will strengthen monitoring of activities related to child pornography, judging that watching pornography featuri
Aug. 1, 2012
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Kim named to U.N. panel on global development
UNITED NATIONS (Yonhap News) ― South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan was selected as a high-profile international adviser Tuesday to recommend agenda for global development and prepare visions for social and environmental targets beyond 2015. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked the 26-member panel to present “a bold yet practical development vision next year” to the193 U.N. member states to replace the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, the U.N.-initiated anti-poverty and sustainable
Aug. 1, 2012