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Central Asia
Major news in Russia on April 24 2012
Top news in <Moscow Times>: Medvedev Pardons Man Jailed for Hitting Cop at Opposition Rally news@theasian.asia
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East Asia
Major news in China on April 24 2012: Flourishing maternity care market in China
Top news in <CNTV>: Flourishing maternity care market in China news@theasian.asia
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East Asia
Major news in Japan on April 24 2012
Top news in <NHK>: N. Korea military warns of ‘special actions’ soon news@theasian.asia
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Politics
President’s mentor Choi embroiled in bribery scandal
Former Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chairman Choi See-joong is facing being summoned for allegedly taking billions of won in bribes from a businessman. Another key presidential aide Park Young-joon, a former vice minister of knowledge economy, is also suspected of having taken money from the same businessman, the prosecution said…
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Politics
North Korea threatens ‘special action’ against S. Korea
North Korea’s military announced Monday it would soon take “special actions” targeting the conservative administration of President Lee Myung-bak and some media outlets. In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, the military said the actions would last for 3 to 4 minutes and consist of “unique…
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Society
Speak out, Lady!
Gaga concert restricted by age, only in Korea That parental discretion is necessary for children’s choice of entertainment is accepted worldwide, with differences in the level of enforcement. On the Korean government’s controversial restriction of Lady Gaga’s upcoming Friday concert, however, entertainment industry insiders complain that non-local acts suffer from…
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Column
Realistic multiculturalism
The recent National Assembly election produced an unexpected result: a national discussion on multiculturalism. Jasmine Lee, a Filipina immigrant, became the first foreign born Korean to join the National Assembly. Her election through proportional representation drew a number of anti-immigrant comments and criticism of the ruling Saenuri Party on the…
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Colors of political parties
When the Saenuri Party selected red for the party’s color code I thought Park Geun-hye’s team was very smart, though I wasn’t impressed by its logo that looks like a giant tooth. The Democratic United Party (DUP), formerly led by Han Myeong-sook, had no choice but to dye their jackets…
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Column
Is N. Korea really intervening in elections here?
This year, North Korea celebrates the centennial of Kim Il-sung’s birth. For this reason, North Korea declared 2012 as the first year of building a “strong and prosperous nation,” and it has been carrying out propaganda on a massive scale. For North Korea, a “strong and prosperous nation” means a…
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School dropouts turn to crime
A spate of suicides stemming from violence among young classmates has spawned an equal amount of government measures, statistical studies and online debate. What it has ignored are the youngsters “outside of schools.” Those who drop out of schools due to family problems or maladjustment to school systems are more…
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