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Politics
North Korea’s senior official Kim Yang-gon dies
Kim Yang-gon, secretary of the North Korean Workers’ Party and the director of the United Front Department, died Tuesday in a car accident, the North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Wednesday. He was 73. The KCNA referred to Kim, who was a member of the party’s Central Committee Politbureau,…
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West Asia
Iranian President says it’s up to Muslims to correct Islam’s image
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that Muslims must improve the image of their religion, which has been tarnished by the violence of hardliner groups such as Daesh (or Islamic State). “It is our greatest duty today to correct the image of Islam in world public opinion,” Rouhani told…
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Politics
Court rejects review of 1965 Korea-Japan treaty
The Constitutional Court rejected Wednesday a petition to review the constitutionality of Korea’s 1965 post-occupation agreement with Japan with regard to compensation claims from forced wartime laborers. The court said it has decided not to review the case because the Korea-Japan Claims Agreement cannot be seen as the grounds for…
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Culture
Quentin Tarantino receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Days before the release of his latest venture “Hateful Eight”, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino received his star on Hollywood Walk of Fame. Tarantino spoke to a crowd that had gathered for the event outside the Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard Monday, recalling his childhood memories of his parents bringing him to watch…
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South Asia
Plane crash in Delhi kills 10 on board
A Ranchi-bound Border Security Force charter flight crashed near Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Tuesday morning, killing all the 10 people on board. Indian news agency PTI said the flight was carrying paramilitary technicians. According to initial reports, the flight hit a wall at Badpola village in Dwarka,…
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Politics
President Park replaces five ministers
President Park Geun-hye nominated five new Cabinet minister candidates Monday to replace incumbents who are expected to step down in order to run in the general election scheduled for April 13. Rep. Yoo Il-ho of the ruling Saenuri Party was nominated to be finance minister and Seoul National University professor…
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East Asia
Star Wars topped by local movie in Korean box office
While ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ tops the international charts, breaking box-office records worldwide, in Korea, it is a totally different story. ‘The Himalayas’, based on the true story of Korean mountaineer Um Hong-gil, topped the weekend box office, outperforming other strong candidates including the international phenomenon, Star Wars. The…
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Politics
South Korean parties may lower voting age to 18
Rival parties are in talks to lower the voting age by one year to 18. National Assembly speaker Chung Ui-hwa said Wednesday that parties are holding negotiations to increase the number of eligible voters by lowering the voting age. “They are talking about lowering the voting age to 18,” Chung…
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Business
South Korea and Laos agree to work on hydropower project
South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn and his Lao counterpart, Thongsing Thammavong, agreed Monday to work closely on a hydro-power project in the Southeast Asian country, a South Korean official said. The two sides had planned to sign a deal on the development of Sepon III hydro-power plant at their…
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