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East Asia
Park Geun-hye must enforce affirmative action
President-elect Park Geun-hye has pledged to recruit highly qualified people for various government posts fairly. According to her, such impartial recruitment is necessary to end the vicious cycle of division and hatred that has haunted South Korea for the past half century. Park’s predecessors have reneged on their promises of…
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East Asia
‘Inter-Korean summit in 2014,’ ex-unification minister suggests
Park Jae-kyu, 68, president of Kyungnam University and former unification minister, advised the upcoming administration of Park Geun-hye to adopt a “gradual step-by-step” approach to improving relations between the two Koreas. The North Korean expert, in an interview with The Korea Times, Monday, cautioned that a sudden shift from the…
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East Asia
Kolleen Park joins team
Renowned musical director Kolleen Park was tapped as a member of the Special Committee for Youth of President-elect Park Geun-hye’s transition team, Thursday. According to Park’s chief spokesman Yoon Chang-jung, Park will join the committee set up to tackle youth unemployment and other policy headaches. The 45-year-old artist is a…
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East Asia
Esteemed ex-judge to head Park’s transition committee
President-elect Park Geun-hye appointed Kim Yong-jun, a former head of the Constitutional Court, to lead the presidential transition team, Thursday, while naming a close aide and ruling party lawmaker as its deputy chief. During the 60 days of its existence, Chairman Kim will oversee the team laying the groundwork for…
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East Asia
Cancer survival rate up
The survival rate for cancer patients has increased significantly over the past five years, a positive sign for those trying to overcome the disease, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Thursday. In a report, the ministry said the rate reached 64.1 percent between 2006 and 2010, up from…
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Seoul submits new claim on East China Sea shelf
Seoul has submitted a claim to the United Nations to extend a portion of its continental shelf toward Japan, clarifying its stance over boundary limitation in the resource-rich East China Sea. The claim was submitted to the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in New York,…
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East Asia
2013 ‘It’ color Emerald
Selected as ‘2013 Color of the Year’ by Pantone, the refreshing shade of emerald green brings a sense of rejuvenation to a multitude of designs, from home decor to fashion runways worldwide. Expect more green in 2013 Customers can expect to see more green in fashion and home decor this…
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Turkey rejects Korea’s nuclear reactor bid
Korea’ bid to win a contract to build a nuclear reactor in Turkey has hit a stumbling block as the government there has rejected its initial one, saying the proposal was not acceptable. According to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Thursday, Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said…
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East Asia
Divided nation
A few days ago, I received a widely circulating Kakao Talk message from a friend who vehemently supported Park Geun-hye during the presidential election. It read as follows: “A totally new era seems to be in store for the nation given Park’s victory and numerous signs of good fortune.” It…
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East Asia
Why I won’t go to North Korea
“Have you ever been to North Korea?” This is the question I am almost always asked here in South Korea when people learn that I have become an activist for North Korean escapees. My response is curt: “No.” “Do you plan on going?” they ask next. My answer remains the…
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