Most Popular
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Korea enters full election mode
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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Lee Jong-sup resigns as envoy to Australia
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Yellow dust engulfs S. Korea, advisory alert issued
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Court upholds jail term for man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend
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S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families
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Kia EV9 wins world car of year
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Korea misses out on global bond index boost
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S. Korea eyes chip alliance with Netherlands
President Yoon Suk Yeol's upcoming state visit to the Netherlands will lay the groundwork for the new chip alliance with the country, a semiconductor industry powerhouse home to the world's sole extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment supplier, to enable the production of more sophisticated microchips, according to the presidential office, Thursday. Yoon's state visit to the Netherlands, upon the invitation of King Willem-Alexander from Monday to Thursday, could "magnify bi
Dec. 7, 2023
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Moon officials tried to cover up North Korea’s murder of South Korean: state inspectors
The South Korean national inspection service concluded Thursday that the previous Moon Jae-in administration attempted to cover up North Korea’s killing of a South Korean government official in 2020, after failing to make rescue efforts while the official was in North Korean captivity. In its final report, the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea accused the preceding administration of mishandling the events leading to and after the death of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official.
Dec. 7, 2023
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Ruling party reform committee disbands early, says job half done
The South Korean ruling party’s reform committee announced its early disbandment on Thursday, with its head saying that it saw it as “50 percent successful” in laying out its vision. The People Power Party’s committee, which was formed on Oct. 26 to lay out a vision for realigning the party for the 2024 general election, decided to disband in a largely expected move. The disbandment came some two weeks before the committee's initial plan to disband by Dec. 24. The co
Dec. 7, 2023
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Auditor says Moon govt distorted 2020 death of fisheries official
The state audit agency on Thursday announced the final results of its inspection into the 2020 death of a South Korean fisheries official at the hands of North Korea, concluding that the then Moon Jae-in government did little to save him and covered up and distorted facts related to the case. The Board of Audit and Inspection reached a conclusion after its yearlong inspection into the preceding Moon government's handling of the killing of the fisheries official, Lee Dae-jun, by the North's milit
Dec. 7, 2023
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NYT picks Yoon as one of most stylish people of 2023
President Yoon Suk Yeol was selected as one of the 71 most stylish people of 2023 by US newspaper The New York Times on Wednesday local time, for his rendition of the US folk rock song "American Pie" at the White House dinner in April which ended on a high note. "His pitch-perfect performance of 'American Pie' at the White House was worthy of 'American Idol,'" noted the NYT's Styles desk, with a reference to US singer-songwriter Don McLean's cl
Dec. 7, 2023
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Yoon visits Busan after failed World Expo bid
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday reiterated his push for Busan's infrastructure development in his visit to South Korea's second-most-populous city, in an apparent attempt to appease Busan residents' sentiment after the port city's failed bid to host the 2030 World Expo. Yoon told some 100 Busan residents that he would work to open a new international airport on the small islet of Gadeok-do near Busan's ports, relocate the state-run Korea Development Bank's headquarters from Seoul to Busan a
Dec. 6, 2023
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Yoon nominates former boss to head broadcasting watchdog
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday nominated Kim Hong-il, the incumbent chief of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, as the head of the Korea Communications Commission, the state broadcasting watchdog. Kim, who joined the prosecution in 1982, was Yoon's boss in the early 2010s when the two worked at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. Kim quit his job at the prosecution in 2013. He has been leading the anti-corruption watchdog since July. Kim is set to go through a confirma
Dec. 6, 2023
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Yoon's approval rating drops to 33%: Yonhap News Survey
President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating dropped 4 percentage points from a month earlier to 33 percent, according to a survey conducted jointly by Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV on Wednesday. The survey also showed that the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) would secure 31 percent and 36 percent of the vote, respectively, if the general elections were to take place tomorrow. Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV jointly commissioned the survey
Dec. 6, 2023
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Left-leaning 'News Factory' sanctioned for calling president's English 'pretentious'
A top-rated, left-leaning news program formerly on broadcaster TBS has received an official warning for calling President Yoon Suk Yeol's English use "pretentious" last year, a matter decided by the state censor on Monday afternoon. The Korea Communications Standards Commission decided to issue a warning, which is the lowest of the statutory sanctions that can be issued by the state-run body. Any broadcaster that receives such a punishment can be penalized by the KCSC when applyin
Dec. 5, 2023
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6 outgoing ministers ‘strong candidates’ for general elections: ruling party
Six soon-to-be ex-ministers from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Cabinet have been identified as “strong candidates” to represent the ruling party in the 2024 general elections, a party spokesperson said Tuesday. “The six soon-to-be ex-ministers, including Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, are currently being considered as strong candidates to represent our party for the parliamentary elections slated for April next year,” a spokesperson for
Dec. 5, 2023
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Rival parties call for measures after China halts urea exports
The rival parties called Monday for the government to come up with countermeasures against Beijing's recent halt in urea exports to South Korea, voicing concerns it could lead to another urea crisis. On Sunday, government and industry officials said that China has recently halted customs procedures for urea exports to South Korea and has yet to respond to Seoul's request for an explanation. Sources have said the government assumes the Chinese action was not a formal export control meas
Dec. 4, 2023
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Former ambassador to Vietnam tapped SMEs minister
Oh Young-ju, formerly ambassador to Vietnam, has been nominated as the new minister of SMEs and startups, the presidential office said Monday. The 60-year-old is an international relations expert who has worked as the nation’s first female second vice minister of the Foreign Ministry since July this year. Before that, Oh served as Korea’s ambassador to Vietnam. Oh majored in political science and international relations at Ewha Womans University. “These days when our economy
Dec. 4, 2023
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Ocean specialist tapped as maritime affairs minister
Kang Do-hyung, president of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, has been nominated as the new minister of maritime affairs and fisheries, according to the presidential office Monday. Born in 1970 on Jeju Island, Kang studied ocean science at Inha University. He earned his doctor’s and doctorate degrees in maritime life science at Jeju National University. Kang initiated his professional career at KIOST, a private oceanography research organization based in Busan, as a seni
Dec. 4, 2023
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Korean War veteran’s daughter named veterans affairs minister
The descendant of a veteran who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War was tapped on Monday to head the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office nominated Kang Jung-ai, a 66-year-old business professor and the former president of Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, to replace Park Min-shik, who has been handling affairs related to veterans and their families since 2022. If her appointment is confirmed, she would be the second to lead the government age
Dec. 4, 2023
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Rural development expert nominated as agriculture minister
Song Mi-ryung, former deputy director of the Korea Rural Economic Institute, has been nominated as the new minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, the presidential office said Monday. Born in 1967, Song studied political science at Ewha Womans University. She earned her master’s degree in urban design and planning and her doctorate in public administration at Seoul National University. Having started her professional career at the KREI in 1997, she has devoted almost 30 years to t
Dec. 4, 2023
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Yoon replaces 6 ministers ahead of his 3rd year, general election
President Yoon Suk Yeol replaced six ministers on Monday, in an apparent move to set free current Cabinet members seeking to run in the April general elections and to seek fresh momentum in his leadership. It was the biggest reshuffle of the Cabinet since Yoon's term began in May 2022, with economic affairs firmly in focus. Yoon named Choi Sang-mok, former senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, to succeed Choo Kyung-ho as the new deputy prime minister and minister of finance. Choi,
Dec. 4, 2023
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Bills, budget plan left in limbo ahead of elections
Several key bills aimed to provide stronger social safety nets and confirm next year’s budget plan were stuck in limbo as of Monday, as rival parties continued to lock horns ahead of the general elections in April. With less than a week remaining for the plenary session of the 21st National Assembly, observers expressed concern that the bills could be scrapped altogether, with the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea remaining in a standoff. "We
Dec. 4, 2023
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Another search targets opposition leader in corruption probe
Prosecutors searched an office in Gyeonggi Province on Monday as part of a criminal investigation surrounding the province's former governor and the current chairperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, Rep. Lee Jae-myung. The main opposition chief’s spouse, Kim Hye-kyung, and at least one of his close aides are accused of having misappropriated the province’s public funds while he was serving as governor. Prosecutors in Suwon in Gyeonggi Province said they seized records of pay
Dec. 4, 2023
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[Bills in Focus] Removing elevated railways, deferring taxation on inherited shares
Proposed bill: Special Act on the Transition of Elevated Metro Lines Including Line 1 of Seoul to Underground Lines Proposed by Rep. Lee In-young (Democratic Party of Korea) ● Elevated railways, such as Seoul Subway Line 1, are perceived to be the cause of noise pollution and safety issues. This bill aims to facilitate the implementation of projects to transform elevated railways into underground railways by establishing a dedicated organization and offering subsidies, loans and other incentives
Dec. 4, 2023
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Yoon's approval rating inches down to 37.6%
President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating inched down to 37.6 percent, falling for the first time in three weeks, according to a poll released Monday. The survey, conducted by the polling agency Realmeter, showed that the positive assessment of Yoon's performance inched down by 0.5 percentage point from the previous week. Yoon's approval rating had previously rebounded from 34.7 percent to 35.6 percent and then to 38.1 percent, lingering in the high 30 percent range. By region, re
Dec. 4, 2023