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East Asia
[Asia Round-up] Avoid setting dangerous precedent
The Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito have started talks over the Abe administration’s bid to scrap the government’s traditional interpretation of the Constitution that Japan cannot exercise the right to collective self-defense. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to allow the nation to be able to use force to counter…
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East Asia
IWMF calls for release of detained Chinese journalist Gao Yu
Concerning the detention of the Chinese woman journalist Gao Yu by the Chinese authorities, the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) issued a statement of criticism. The following is the the full text. The statement stresses freedom of the press. – Editor’s note Washington, DC – The International Women’s Media Foundation…
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East Asia
Japan’s traditional wedding style
A couple in traditional wedding attires, leaves a shrine after their wedding ritual in Tokyo, Thursday, May 8, 2014. Shinto wedding is Japan’s traditional wedding style to be attended by a newly-wed couple and their immediate kins. It is common practice among the couples who chose the Sinto wedding, that…
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East Asia
[Asia Round-up] Chinese men shorter than Japanese and S. Korean men
Chinese men are shorter than their South Korean and Japanese counterparts, according to recent data. The average height for a Chinese male is 1.70 meters, while South Korea is 1.74 meters and Japan 1.71 meters. Younger men in China, aged from 7 to 17, are also 2.52 centimeters shorter than…
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East Asia
Pyongyang’s motives behind conciliatory gestures
A remarkable chain of diplomatic initiatives from Pyongyang has marked the last two months. Since early January, North Korean ambassadors in a number of countries delivered public statements and conducted interviews where they emphasized that their government is ready to do all it can to improve inter-Korean relations. A number…
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East Asia
Chinese trishaw drivers take nap
Chinese trishaw drivers take nap while waiting for customers at a hutong alley near the drum tower, a tourist spot in Beijing, China Wednesday, May 7, 2014
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East Asia
North Korea’s bizarre distribution system
When it comes to its economy, North Korea is a very special place. Perhaps not as much as it used to be, with the steady growth of grassroots capitalism, but in the days of Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of the current North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un, North Korea…
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HarryBigButton ready to unleash K-rock
Hongdae band eyes Western rock market Lee Sung-soo roars through the lyrics with his deep voice and stomps on the stage, his shaggy hair flies rhythmically to the powerful guitar sound. As the performance heats up, his hair clings to his sweaty face and the audience of some 300 as…
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Park to stick to current Cabinet for June polls
President Park Geun-hye is expected to engage in a large-scale reshuffle of her administration in the wake of the government’s ham-fisted responses to the Sewol tragedy. However, most observers say that the shake-up will take place either after the June 4 local elections or just before them to help the…
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Why Korean firms don’t build ferries
After the tragic sinking of the ferry Sewol, many are wondering why Korea, which has some of the world’s leading shipbuilders, is importing decades-old ferries from Japan and other countries. According to shipbuilders, they aren’t making ferries, not because they do not have the capability but because doing so is…
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