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East Asia
‘Korea still male-dominated’
One of the salient characteristics of the Dec. 19 presidential election is that a female presidential candidate has led the race so far with consistently strong showings in surveys. Ruling Saenuri Party candidate, Park Geun-hye, a frontrunner in the polls, within margins of error, is a new phenomenon in Korean…
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Foreigner-only casinos to open in Saemangeum
The government announced Tuesday that it will allow the building of foreigner-only casinos in Saemangeum from September 2013. The 400-square-kilometer-wide reclaimed tidal flat, about two-thirds the size of Seoul, is currently in the process of being transformed into an industrial park with tourism and leisure facilities. According to the Ministry…
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East Asia
Chinese Foreign Minister Speaks In New Year Reception Attended By Some 400 Guests
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi addresses a New Year Reception hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 10, 2012. More than 400 guests, including Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo, attended the reception. Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (R) talks with Nolana Ta-Ama, dean of…
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East Asia
Chinese Writer Mo Yan Shows Medal After Receiving Nobel Literature Prize
Chinese writer and Nobel Prize in Literature winner Mo Yan (2nd L) and his wife Du Qinlan (1st L), Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland Lan Lijun (1st R) and his wife Gu langlin (2nd R) attend an evening reception after Mo received Nobel Prize in Literature from Sweden’s King Carl XVI…
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East Asia
Chinese Community In Athens Opens Christmas Charity Bazaar Annually
Chinese Ambassador to Greece Du Qiwen (3rd L) and Athens’ Deputy Mayor Fotis Provatas (3rd R) take a group photo with people in charge of some Chinese communities at a Christmas charity bazaar in central Athens, Greece, Dec. 10, 2012. The annual Chinese Community Christmas charity bazaar was hosted in…
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East Asia
Candidates, don’t bore us!
As she may be our next president, it is germane to now ask: Has Park Geun-hye had charisma-bypass surgery? If you have not noticed, it is election season. Hence, we members of the foreign press corps are privileged to meet the candidates at press conferences. What normally happens at these…
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NK extends launch window until Dec. 29
North Korea on Monday extended its schedule for a planned rocket launch by one week to Dec. 29, citing technical difficulties in the first stage of its Unha-3 rocket. In a statement, the Korean Committee of Space Technology said its scientists and engineers had been making the final preparations for…
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East Asia
Biz leaders prefer Park to Moon
Conservative ruling party contender Park Geun-hye and opposition rival Moon Jae-in will explain how their policies would help the business community until their faces turn red. But to the billionaire owners of chaebol, the mighty family-owned conglomerates that pull Korea’s export-dependent economy, only one of the presidential candidates sounds convincing.…
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East Asia
No big surprises!
Park, Moon trade jabs on policy-oriented TV debate There were no big surprises. In their second TV debate Monday night, conservative presidential candidate Park Geun-hye and opposition contender Moon Jae-in traded jabs on chaebol, jobs, taxes and welfare, while minor leftist candidate Lee Jung-hee did her share of catfighting on…
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East Asia
Be wise, voters!
Nuts and bolts of negative campaigning As the Dec. 19 presidential campaigning is entering its final stretch, mudslinging and smear tactics between two major candidates are reaching fever pitch. As a result, some voters turn cynical and become disenchanted. One U.S. scholar sounds an alarm, saying that it is exactly…
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