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East Asia
‘Park’s challenge comes from inside’
BEIJING — The most daunting foreign policy challenge for incoming president, Park Geun-hye, will be to ensure that the nation is strong enough domestically to confidently handle its foreign affairs, according to an eminent U.S. security expert on Asia. Pundits largely agree that the most important global challenge Park faces…
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East Asia
Aung San Suu Kyi to meet ‘Hallyu’ stars
Myanmar’s pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi plans to meet actor and singer Ahn Jae-wook Thursday, indicating that she is a big fan of hallyu, the Korean culture boom, according to foreign ministry officials Monday. Suu Kyi arrived here Monday to attend the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Special Olympics…
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East Asia
More dads taking ‘maternity’ leave
The number of male workers taking paternity leave increased by nearly 30 percent last year from 2011, government data showed Monday. While they accounted for only 2.8 percent of the total workers who used the leave in 2012, it is the largest figure so far. According to data from the…
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East Asia
‘GHnomics’ shaping up slowly
President-elect vows to focus on addressing debts, welfare issues Change and happiness were the watchwords of Park Geun-hye’s presidential campaign. But converting the huge hopes and expectations she has generated into practical policies will be a difficult challenge for the incoming Korean president set to inherit an economy crippled by…
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East Asia
Mahindra objects to Ssangyong audit
Mahindra & Mahindra, the Indian owner of Ssangyong Motor, said Monday that it objects to an audit by the National Assembly and that if it is pursued, it could affect the firm’s investment plan to the tune of 1 trillion won. “Funds for this (1 trillion won) investment will have…
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East Asia
NK Top Leader Kim Jong-un Presides Over A Security Affairs Meeting
This photo provided by KCNA on Jan. 27, 2013 shows Kim Jong Un (3rd L), top leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), attends a work meeting of officials for national security and external affairs held recently on current situation. Kim Jong Un pledged to resort to “powerful…
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East Asia
Open letter to Park’s advisers
As soon as Park Geun-hye won the 2012 presidential election, she became like the main character in “The Marriage of Figaro” (“The Day of Madness”). She was getting so much advice from so many people that she didn’t know which way to turn. Some of the advice in open letters…
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Is China enough?
BUENOS AIRES ― For many countries in Latin America, demand from China has been essential to maintaining high GDP growth rates over the last decade. But will Chinese demand for commodities be enough to sustain high prices for the region’s exports in the coming years? During the last two decades,…
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East Asia
N. Korea threatens ‘substantial measure’
North Korea said Sunday that its ready to take substantial and important measures, in an apparent response to the latest U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution adopted last week. The Norths Central News Agency said Kim expressed the firm resolution to take substantial and high-profile important state measures in view of…
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East Asia
‘Unity’ picked as inaugural theme
The presidential transition team Sunday said the main theme for President-elect Park Geun-hye’s inaugural ceremony would be summarized as “unity, advancement and people’s livelihood.” “The words reflect the president-elect’s will to enter into a new era of happiness in terms of both mentally and economically along with the people,” said…
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