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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Yoon says medical licenses should not be used as tool against people
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Yoon critic vows to stay in PPP
Yoo Seong-min, a former four-term lawmaker, said Sunday he would not run in the April general election but rather protect his party, deflecting speculation that he would leave the party. Yoo, a former lawmaker who is considered a key critic of President Yoon Suk Yeol in the People Power Party, announced in a Facebook post that he will not apply for the election nomination and would continue to wait as he has done. "Twenty-four years ago, I joined the Grand National Party (the predecessor
Jan. 28, 2024
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Ruling party lawmaker leaves hospital after brick attack by teenager
Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) was discharged from the hospital Saturday, days after she was hit in the head with a brick by a teenager. Bae described the attack she suffered as an accident that can happen to anybody, vowing to work "harder than ever" to ensure the safety of the people as soon as she fully recovers. "I realized, after becoming a direct victim of an unimaginable incident, that this kind of a terrible thing is a fatal threat to which an
Jan. 27, 2024
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Second attack on politician amplifies safety concerns as election looms
A teenager's attack against a ruling party lawmaker on Thursday, which came less than a month after a stabbing incident involving the main opposition leader, has fueled worries over the safety of politicians ahead of April's general election. People Power Party Rep. Bae Hyun-jin remained hospitalized as of Friday afternoon after the 41-year-old lawmaker was repeatedly struck in the head with a blunt object by a teenage assailant in Gangnam-gu the previous day. Bae was rushed to hospita
Jan. 26, 2024
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Opposition leader accuses Yoon of covering up first lady's allegations
Main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung accused President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday of interfering in the affairs of the ruling People Power Party and covering up suspicions of wrongdoing involving the first lady. The comments followed Yoon's public clash with Han Dong-hoon, the chief of the ruling People Power Party, over allegations that first lady Kim Keon Hee received a luxury bag as a gift in 2022 and concerns about party nominations for the upcoming general elections in April. "The pr
Jan. 26, 2024
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Speaker blasts Yoon bodyguards' 'excessive' use of force
National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo on Thursday criticized the president's bodyguards' use of force against a minor party lawmaker at a recent event. Calling the restraint "excessive," he warned that such actions should not be repeated and called for the Cabinet and the parliament to have mutual respect. "Appropriate solutions must be adopted, to prevent such excessive measures from the president's bodyguards," Kim said during a speech at Thursday's pl
Jan. 25, 2024
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Ruling party lawmaker assaulted by teenager
People Power Party Rep. Bae Hyun-jin was struck multiple times in the head with a blunt object by a teenage assailant on Thursday, police said. Bae was entering a building in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, when she was attacked at around 5:18 p.m., according to a report filed with the police. The report identified the blunt object as a stone. The 41-year-old TV broadcaster-turned-lawmaker was immediately rushed to the hospital. Bae suffered a "1-centimeter laceration" on her scalp,
Jan. 25, 2024
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Presidential office names new senior science secretary in R&D push
President Yoon Suk Yeol's office announced on Thursday it has created a new senior secretary post for science and technology to embolden the administration's push for research and development. Park Sang-ook, associate professor of science policy at Seoul National University, will take the new role, according to Yoon's office. Park, under Sung Tae-yoon, presidential chief of staff for policy, will supervise four presidential secretaries -- each dedicated to R&D-related policy,
Jan. 25, 2024
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Reality check: How diverse is Korea really? LGBTQ+ and politics (4)
South Korea defaults to heterosexuality as the predominant sexual identity publicly represented by political leaders. Among national politicians and elected parliamentarians, there have not been any public disclosures of a politician's sexual orientation throughout Korea’s entire legislative history. This lack of openly acknowledged LGBTQ+ representation in the country's top political leadership underscores the degree of exclusion and discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in
Jan. 25, 2024
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Korea unveils W134tr rail plan to cut Seoul commutes to 30 minutes
South Korea on Thursday unveiled a spending package worth 134 trillion won ($100.4 billion) to achieve a 30-minute commute for residents in the Greater Seoul area, mainly through a new suburban rail network called the GTX. The plan encompasses spending 38.6 trillion won to build GTX routes aimed at shrinking daily commute times to a quarter of what they are currently. The GTX, or Great Train Express, will comprise six lines covering the Greater Seoul area, as well as potentially parts of Gangwon
Jan. 25, 2024
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Main opposition leader proposes military pay raise
The main opposition party on Wednesday rolled out a set of pledges aimed at improving the livelihoods of soldiers here, including raising their night and weekend shift payments. The pledges were announced by Democratic Party of Korea Chair Lee Jae-myung during his visit to the Second Marine Division in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, in the morning. The party plans to help the Ministry of Defense raise the weekday late shift pay for soldiers from the current 10,000 won ($7.50) to 30,000 won per shif
Jan. 24, 2024
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Reality check: How diverse is Korea really? Disabilities and politics (3)
As of 2022, individuals with disabilities make up 5.2 percent of South Korea's population. Using basic arithmetic, this percentage corresponds to approximately 15 seats in the country’s 300-member unicameral parliament. In reality, just four seats are currently occupied by individuals with disabilities, constituting only 1.3 percent. The first person with a disability to win a parliamentary seat as a constituency representative was Lee Chul-yong. In 1988, on the ticket of the libera
Jan. 24, 2024
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Yoon-Han meeting at fire-torn market signals mending ties
President Yoon Suk Yeol and the People Power Party's interim leader Han Dong-hoon met on Tuesday at a traditional market in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province, signaling their efforts to mend the political rift that stemmed from differing views toward allegations of graft involving first lady Kim Keon Hee and questions about Han's fairness in the candidate nomination process. Han told reporters at Seoul Station, as he returned to the capital city after the surprise trip, his "deep respect
Jan. 23, 2024
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Yoon's ex-boss named justice minister nominee
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday picked his former boss Park Sung-jae, who led the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, as the nominee for the minister of justice. The Justice Ministry oversees legal affairs, correctional services, the prosecution service and immigration. The nominee must go through a confirmation hearing in the National Assembly before receiving Yoon's final approval. Presidential Chief of Staff Lee Kwan-sup said Park would be a good fit for the Yoon administration'
Jan. 23, 2024
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[KH Explains] How Dior bag footage shook Korean politics
When a YouTube video of South Korea's first lady receiving a Dior handbag went viral last year, it initially made few waves in mainstream news media. In the weeks before April's general election, the footage has become a wedge that is straining relationships among People Power Party lawmakers, as well as a piece of political ammunition for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Opposition lawmakers have been raising their suspicions that first lady Kim Keon Hee violated anti-gr
Jan. 23, 2024
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[Bills in Focus] Substitute holidays, solid fuel restrictions, tech leak prevention
Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on Public Holidays Proposed by Rep. Yoo Gyeong-joon (People Power Party) ● The existing law does not specify a deadline for announcing the designation of substitute holidays, which has caused difficulties for people to plan for the holidays. Therefore, this amendment requires the government to designate substitute holidays at least two months (60 days) in advance except in cases where it is "unpredictable." Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to
Jan. 23, 2024
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Han refuses presidential office's request to resign
People Power Party interim Chair Han Dong-hoon said Monday he had rejected the presidential office’s request that he step down from his current leadership position, in a surprising turn of events ahead of April's general election. “I’m not going to make an assessment on the matter,” Han told a group of reporters, who asked about the resignation request and the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s involvement in the ruling party’s affairs as he entered th
Jan. 22, 2024
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Parties recruit ex-presidents of Samsung, Hyundai Motor
The ruling People Power Party on Monday recruited Koh Dong-jin, a former president of Samsung Electronics who was considered to be the driving force behind the launch of the Galaxy range of mobile devices. On the same day, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea brought in Kong Young-woon, a former president of Hyundai Motor dedicated to the company's strategy planning and communications. Both figures, who formerly represented South Korea's largest business conglomerates, are lik
Jan. 22, 2024
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Yoon to skip public debate amid clash between presidential office, ruling party chief
President Yoon Suk Yeol skipped a government-public debate scheduled for Monday, triggering speculation as to whether the decision was related to a clash between the presidential office and the ruling party chief. The presidential office sent a notice to reporters half an hour before the start of the debate that Yoon had no events on his public schedule for the day. The debate was the fifth in a series of sessions on people's livelihood issues and Yoon had led all previous sessions. Monday&
Jan. 22, 2024
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Reality check: How diverse is Korea really? Women in politics (1)
Half of Korea's population are women, yet in the realm of politics, women are a minority group. In the current 21st session of parliament, the representation of female lawmakers stands at 57 out of the total 300 members -- only 19.1 percent. This percentage places South Korea significantly below average in terms of gender diversity in politics compared to other nations. The average among the 38 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member nations is 33.8 percent, while the
Jan. 21, 2024
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Skepticism grows over alliance among new parties
The endeavor of new political parties to forge an alliance may face challenges in garnering momentum in the run-up to the legislative elections in April, as the former leader of the ruling party Lee Jun-seok declared that the opportune moment for the so-called "big tent" strategy has elapsed. Lee on Saturday openly distanced himself from the increasing calls for a union, while supporters of an alliance argued that the strategy is the best way to gain ground against the current two-part
Jan. 21, 2024