Most Popular
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10-man S. Korea lose to Indonesia to miss out on Paris Olympic football qualification
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Hybe-Ador feud should have limited effect on Hybe's overall performance: analysts
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Second Gimpo civil servant found dead, after apologizing for not finishing work
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DP leader says he will meet Yoon without conditions
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First-ever meeting of president, opposition chief set to finally happen
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NewJeans' singles, Japanese debut to proceed as planned, despite Hybe-Ador feud
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Experts raise concerns about Japan putting pressure on Naver over Line
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Samsung mobile chief, Google device head meet in Seoul
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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Ship linked to NK arms shipments to Russia is moored in China: State Dept.
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Korean junior diplomat to work at U.S. State Dept. for first time
A Korean foreign service official is to work at the U.S. Department of State for the first time as part of a personnel exchange program between Korea and the U.S. The South Korean Foreign Ministry said Sunday that Kim Hye-jin, a 29-year-old female diplomat, has been chosen for the stint. Kim currently works at the ministry’s North Korean Nuclear Affairs Bureau. She will start in August, although t
July 31, 2011
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Three Japanese lawmakers vow to visit island near Dokdo
TOKYO (Yonhap News) -- Three Japanese lawmakers vowed Saturday they will go ahead with their trip to a Korean island next week, a day after Seoul formally informed Tokyo that it will bar them from entry.Korea quickly reaffirmed its stance on Saturday that immigration officials will deny entry to the lawmakers upon their planned arrival at an airport on Monday and send them back to Japan.The loomin
July 31, 2011
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S. Korea, Bolivia to cooperate on lithium battery business
LA PAZ, Bolivia -- South Korea and Bolivia agreed on Friday to cooperate on a lithium battery business with the two countries seeking to set up a joint venture here to produce parts for rechargeable batteries.In April 2009, the two countries signed a deal to develop lithium resources in the South American country, which boasts nearly half of the world's known reserves.The deal allows South Korean
July 30, 2011
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Five S. Koreans 'arrested for spying for N. Korea'
SEOUL, July 29, 2011 (AFP) - South Korean prosecutors have arrested five people on charges of spying for North Korea, a report said Friday.The five, led by an information technology company chief identified only as Kim, were charged with violating South Korea's security law, Yonhap news agency said.They were accused of setting up an underground communist group on the instructions of an espionage u
July 29, 2011
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Lee pays respect to policeman killed while trying to rescue citizen from flood waters
SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak paid his respect Friday to a young conscripted policeman who was killed while trying to rescue a citizen from a stream swollen in this week's torrential rains.Lee offered flowers and a moment of silence before the funeral photo of the 21-year-old policeman, Cho Min-soo, who was found dead Thursday after being swept away in flood waters in Dongduch
July 29, 2011
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Row escalating over island visit by Japan lawmakers
Seoul plans to slap entry ban on fourA diplomatic conflict between South Korea and Japan is escalating as four Japanese lawmakers are pushing ahead with their plan to visit Ulleung Island, while Seoul plans to ban their entry into the country.Despite repeated warnings, the lawmakers of Japan’s main opposition Liberal Democratic Party have stuck to their plan to visit the island, the closest they c
July 29, 2011
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N.K. vows to begin disposal of resort assets
Seoul hints it could rely on international law to resolve issueNorth Korea on Friday notified South Korea that it would begin taking “practical steps” to dispose of South Korean assets at its Mount Geumgang resort, a move that could further aggravate inter-Korean ties.Friday was the deadline by which the North had demanded the South “dispose of its rights to the properties” at the scenic resort on
July 29, 2011
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Parties focus on flood countermeasures
GNP calls for emergency action; DP slams Seoul’s ‘neglect’ of safety dutiesAmid the record-breaking flood damage in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, political parties cancelled most of their parliamentary schedules and focused on aid measures and victims’ relief activities.The Grand National Party was especially tense as Seocho-gu and Gangseo-gu, the two districts hardest hit, are both represented by
July 28, 2011
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Lee not to grant special pardon for Liberation Day
President Lee Myung-bak will not grant special pardons for local prisoners and convicted people on the National Liberation Day, which falls on Aug. 15, one of Lee's close aides said Thursday. South Korea's president usually grants a special pardon in commemoration of major national holidays. The Liberation Day marks the end of the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula. "This yea
July 28, 2011
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GNP to push special law for savings banks victims
The ruling Grand National Party set to work on legal measures to guarantee comensation for the victims of the savings bank scandal.GNP members of the special committee met with Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Seok-dong and Financial Supervisory Service Governor Kwon Hyouk-se on Wednesday to discuss the revision of related laws and the legislation of a special law, officials said.“The go
July 27, 2011
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S. Korean pastor indicted over celebrating N.K. founder's birthday
A South Korean pastor was indicted on charges of secretly entering North Korea to celebrate the birthday of the late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, prosecutors said Wednesday.The pastor, a U.S. resident who was identified only by his surname Hong, is accused of visiting the communist state in April without government approval, and taking part in celebrations of the late leader's birth on April
July 27, 2011
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Letter from U.K. urges passage of N. Korea rights bill
Some members of the U.K. Parliament have sent letters to major political parties in Korea, urging them to work together to pass a long-delayed bill on North Korean human rights, a North Korea watcher here said. “Twenty U.K. MPs sent the letter on July 20, directed to four major political parties of Korea,” Ha Tae-keung, who runs Open Radio for North Korea, a Seoul-based radio station that broadcas
July 26, 2011
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GNP floor leader spurs tuition talks
Grand National Party floor leader Hwang Woo-yea urged the parliamentary education committee to accelerate the university tuition cut discussions and come up with detailed measures by the beginning of the fall semester.“I have been told that the education committee has made little progress lately,” said Rep. Hwang in the ruling party’s floor meeting on Tuesday.“Should the committee fail to reach a
July 26, 2011
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Women‘s rights advocates call for election nomination reform
Women’s rights advocates called for reform in the male-dominated political system on Tuesday to help more female candidates run for election, as part of efforts to expand their presence in politics.In a forum held by the state-run Korea Women’s Development Institute, panelists pointed out that a small fraction of the National Assembly and local legislatures were made up of women, suggesting variou
July 26, 2011
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Cabinet approves revised ethics code for government official
The Cabinet authorized the implementation of a revised ethics code for government officials Tuesday that bans retired officials working for private firms from seeking favors from their former colleagues and handling issues they directly dealt with while in office.The revision, set to take effect after a three-month notification period, came after a series of former financial regulators were arrest
July 26, 2011
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Korea, India sign nuclear energy pact
South Korea and India on Monday signed a nuclear energy cooperation pact that will allow Seoul firms to sell atomic power plants in India’s multi-billion-dollar nuclear energy market, Korean officials said. President Lee Myung-bak and his Indian counterpart Pratibha Patil signed the agreement after their summit talks in Seoul. The agreement, forged after years of discussions, will provide South Ko
July 25, 2011
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Lee’s brother to visit Latin America as envoy
Lee Sang-deuk, former parliamentary vice speaker and elder brother of President Lee Myung-bak, left for South America on Monday as a special presidential envoy.Lee is to attend the Peruvian presidential inauguration ceremony Thursday and deliver President Lee’s personal letter to the new President Ollanta Humala, officials said.He is also expected to hold talks with Humala over a wide range of iss
July 25, 2011
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Panel starts probe on savings banks, watchdogs
The special parliamentary committee on the savings banks corruption scandal began its investigation on Monday, but is still mired in conflict over witness selection, the key factor in the upcoming public hearing.Members of the committee visited the central headquarters of Busan Savings Bank on Monday morning to meet with victim representatives and to audit the related documents.“Financial authorit
July 25, 2011
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Lee urges people to vacation here for economy
President Lee Myung-bak called Monday for South Koreans to head to domestic destinations for vacation, saying it will contribute greatly to spurring domestic demand that is key to revitalizing the country’s economy.Lee made the appeal in a biweekly radio address, saying that sluggish domestic demand is to blame for economic difficulties felt by low-income people, though South Korea’s economy is fa
July 25, 2011
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Bali talks give green light for six-party talks
Hopes are rising that the long-stalled six-party talks may resume as the two Koreas held a rare official talk for the first time since 2008.The South Korean top nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac and his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho held surprise talks in the Indonesian island of Bali on Friday.“Our meeting was constructive and fruitful,” Wi told reporters after the talk. “We have agreed to make joi
July 24, 2011