Most Popular
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Yoon calls for dialogue, trust from medical community
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NK leader guides firing drills involving super-large multiple rocket launchers
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Dyson founder visits Seoul for global debut of new hair dryer
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Leaders call for action against threats to democracy posed by AI
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Asiana Airlines wins data transfer certification in China
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Dispute heats up over dispatch of scandal-ridden envoy to Australia
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Dodgers beat S. Korea in final exhibition before MLB opener in Seoul
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Disgraced ex-K-pop star released after serving time for sex crimes
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Trump unlikely to unravel IRA: experts
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Koreans more open to foreigners in society than LGBTQ+: data
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Ex-industry minister named vice chair of presidential committee on aging society, population policy
President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed former Industry Minister Joo Hyung-hwan as vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, presidential chief of staff Lee Kwan-sup said Monday. Joo is a policy expert known for his drive to get things done and is expected to lead the committee in a way that produces visible results in a swift manner, Lee said. Yoon is the ex-officio chairman of the committee. "With the recognition that society's survival is at stake
Feb. 12, 2024
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[Bills in Focus] Prospective tenant protection, Busan global hub
Proposed Bills: Partial Amendment to the Special Act on Public Housing Proposed by Rep. Kim Byung-wook (Democratic Party of Korea) ● This amendment revises the pre-sale housing subscription system to decrease risks for prospective tenants. It ensures that pre-subscription for housing begins only after the approval of the housing construction project plan and mandates the notification of fixed housing sale prices during the pre-sale housing subscription period. It also limits the increase of ho
Feb. 12, 2024
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Yoon's approval rating inches up to 39.2 pct
President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating rose slightly to 39.2 percent from a week earlier, a survey showed Monday. According to the Realmeter survey, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance rose 1.9 percentage points from the week earlier, while the negative assessment fell 1.7 percentage points. The survey was conducted on 2,011 adults from Monday to Thursday last week and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, with a confidence rate of 95 percent. The r
Feb. 12, 2024
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Smaller political powers agree to merge into new party ahead of general elections
Four political parties and factions led by politicians who have left the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) have agreed to merge into one new party ahead of the April general elections, officials said Friday. The envisioned party, named the Reform Party, will be jointly led by former Prime Minister and DP leader Lee Nak-yon and former PPP leader Lee Jun-seok, according to the officials. Lee, the former DP leader, will lead the new party's election
Feb. 9, 2024
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Yoon meets with street sweepers on Lunar New Year holiday
President Yoon Suk Yeol held a breakfast meeting with sanitation workers of a Seoul ward Friday to wish them a happy Lunar New Year and thank them for their hard work, his office said. During his meeting with street sweepers of Dongjak Ward in southern Seoul, Yoon asked them about their working conditions over bowls of "tteokguk," a soup made with rice cakes, often eaten on the holiday. Yoon thanked them for starting work in the early morning hours, even on holidays, and stressed that
Feb. 9, 2024
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Yoon's 'irrational force' remark signals inter-Korean turbulence
President Yoon Suk Yeol's public characterization of the nuclear-armed North Korean regime as an "irrational force," coupled with his emphasis on the imperative of bolstering defense readiness against threats posed by the regime, signals a further tumultuous path for inter-Korean relations. The conservative president's prerecorded interview with the state-run Korea Broadcasting System aired Wednesday night amid simmering tensions on the Korean Peninsula, in the face of North
Feb. 8, 2024
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Opposition parties slam Yoon's explanation for Dior bag scandal
President Yoon Suk Yeol faced a firestorm of criticism from the main opposition and several minor parties on Thursday, a day after he opened up about the luxury bag scandal involving the first lady. The parties either demanded a solid apology from Yoon on behalf of his wife or brushed off his explanation as insincere. In a special New Year's interview with KBS aired late Wednesday, Yoon called the anti-graft violation accusations made against first lady Kim Keon Hee a "political maneuv
Feb. 8, 2024
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Yoon pledges support for small business owners with debt burden
President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged on Thursday to implement various policy support measures aimed at assisting small business owners and vulnerable groups struggling with loan repayments due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yoon made the remarks during a government-public debate, the 10th in a series of sessions addressing people's livelihood issues, with business owners in Seoul. "During the COVID-19 period, small business owners and self-employed individuals suffered from restric
Feb. 8, 2024
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S. Korean president opens up about first lady's Dior bag scandal
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday opened up about a scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee that has shaken up South Korean politics, about two months after a video of Kim receiving a purse by luxury brand Christian Dior worth 3 million won ($2,260) on a hidden camera was released. "(The visitor who gifted the pouch) attached a hidden camera to a wristwatch, so we can say the scheme was deliberately arranged," Yoon said, referring to Korean-American pastor Choi Jae-young as the vi
Feb. 8, 2024
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Yoon's approval rating inches down to 34 percent
President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating inched down to 34 percent from a month ago, according to a survey conducted jointly by Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV on Wednesday. The survey also indicated that the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party would secure 33 percent and 35 percent of the vote, respectively, if the scheduled April 10 parliamentary elections were held tomorrow. Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV jointly commissioned the survey to gau
Feb. 7, 2024
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Yoon pardons tycoons, ex-President Park's aides
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday approved pardons for former President Park Geun-hye's aides, including former chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and former national security adviser Kim Kwan-jin, ahead of Seollal, or South Korea's Lunar New Year holiday. The special pardon announcement came less than a week after both aides' prison terms were finalized by the courts. The ex-chief of staff's two-year imprisonment was confirmed on Feb. 1 for his involvement in the blacklisting of n
Feb. 6, 2024
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Ruling party pledges to spend more on senior citizens
The ruling party on Tuesday announced a set of pledges aimed to improve the lives of senior citizens here, which includes tax benefits and an expanded free lunch system, as the country grapples with the issue of entering a super-aged society. In its sixth pledge announced ahead of the general election on April 10, the People Power Party said it plans to expand the role of the government and taxpayers' money in taking care of Korea's older population. "The government plans to launc
Feb. 6, 2024
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After suspected KF-21 leak, lawmakers blame weak laws on military secrets
Indonesian employees at the Korea Aerospace Industries are under investigation on suspicion of attempting to leak secrets about South Korean fighter aircraft. The incident sparked calls for laws on leaks of confidential military information to be strengthened, the bills for which are currently stuck at the National Assembly. The KAI, the developer for the KF-21 fighters, caught the employees trying to take removable drives containing secret data last month. They have since been reported to the D
Feb. 5, 2024
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Schools to extend extracurricular classes until 8 p.m. for first graders
South Korea on Monday unveiled plans to extend hours for primary schools' extracurricular classes and make the classes available at all schools to make commuting parents' life routines more logistically and financially sustainable. The government has allocated a budget of 1.17 trillion won ($879 million) for this year, more than double the amount earmarked for last year, to allow any first grader to register for the extracurricular program later this year, dubbed Neulbom School. Up to
Feb. 5, 2024
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Main opposition leader hints to set up satellite parties for election
The main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday hinted he would launch satellite parties ahead of this year's general election scheduled for April 10, by upholding the current mixed-member proportional representation system. Lee said the Democratic Party of Korea plans to stick with the electoral system introduced to South Korea ahead of the previous general election in 2020, which critics lambasted for failing to serve its purpose of supporting minor parties. The system was initially ad
Feb. 5, 2024
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South Korea, Saudi Arabia agree to boost cooperation in defense industries
South Korea's public agency for defense acquisition and its Saudi counterpart agreed to expand cooperation between the two countries' defense industries Sunday. According to South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on developing partnerships between the defense industries of South Korea and Saudi Arabia. Under the MOU, South Korea and Saudi Arabia will form a working group for jointly developing and manufacturing
Feb. 5, 2024
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Speculation grows over disgraced ex-President Park Geun-hye's possible return
Ex-President Park Geun-hye held a book event for her autobiography in Daegu on Monday afternoon, fueling speculations that the disgraced former leader of South Korea is seeking to make a comeback as an influential figure in the country's politics. Park addressed the public during the event's Q&A at a hotel in Suyeong-gu in the city of Daegu -- her birthplace, where she still has sizeable support despite having been impeached and convicted on 16 charges of corruption in 2018. She ta
Feb. 5, 2024
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[Bills in Focus] 'Shrinkflation' warnings, tax benefits for tech investment
Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods Proposed by Rep. Park Dae-chul (People Power Party) ● Food manufacturing companies have begun to reduce product volume or alter ingredient content in response to rising prices. To ensure consumers are informed of such changes, this amendment requires companies to indicate changes in product volumes or content on the packaging. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Restriction on Special Cases Concerning T
Feb. 5, 2024
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Yoon records New Year's interview with KBS amid first lady controversy
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday recorded a New Year's interview with public broadcaster KBS, his office said, as all eyes are on what he will say regarding allegations his wife accepted a luxury handbag as a gift in 2022. The filming took place at the presidential office in Seoul, the office said in a notice to reporters, without elaborating. The interview will reportedly air on KBS on Wednesday, two days before the start of the Lunar New Year holiday. Pressure has mounted on Yoon to addr
Feb. 4, 2024
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Major parties compete with populist pledges, proposals
The rival parties in recent weeks have fired off a flurry of competing pledges and proposals as they head into a general election in April, but critics denounced several of those promises for being populist. The ruling People Power Party interim Chair Han Dong-hoon on Thursday indirectly proposed to slash lawmakers' salaries to almost half of what they are now. During a meeting with other decision-makers in the party, Han suggested to "level the amount of tax the lawmakers pay to the amount
Feb. 4, 2024