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Politics
Military calls pro-NK groups ‘foe’
The military has begun classifying pro-Pyongyang groups in the South as “enemies” in its educational guidelines for soldiers, saying such organizations cause agitation in society, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The guidelines, which were submitted to an opposition lawmaker, name nine civic and student groups that fall into the category…
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Politics
Who would head Moon-Ahn ticket?
Joint candidacy is viable option to beat Rep. Park The camps of presidential candidates Ahn Cheol-soo and Rep. Moon Jae-in have dismissed it, but the scenario of an alliance based on sharing power could prove irresistible if the two decide they can’t beat the Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye individually. The…
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Politics
NK newspaper runs rare advertisements
A North Korean newspaper has in recent weeks run advertisements for clothes and other products in the latest sign of the Stalinist state attempting to update its economy. The ads in the Pyongyang Sinmun include those for flowers and flowerpots; “hanbok” or traditional Korean dress; and a water-heating device using…
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Candidates’ shift toward NK engagement draws concern
Experts are concerned that both liberal and conservative presidential candidates are leaning too much toward a policy of engagement with North Korea as part of campaign tactics geared at signaling a departure from the hard-line policies employed by President Lee Myung-bak. What matters, they say, is that the major candidates…
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Turkey deploys military vehicles along border with Syria
Turkey deployed additional tanks and missile defense systems to the Syrian border following five days of artillery exchanges with President Bashar al-Assad’s armed forces. The vehicles sent to Suruc town of the southeastern Sanliurfa province included a large number of tanks and missile defense systems, according to the report. Turkey…
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Politics
Saenuri hit by internal dispute
The ruling Saenuri Party was mired in a feud Monday as disgruntled members showed no signs of backing down on their call for a campaign shake-up even after a key post holder quit. Rep. Park Geun-hye, presidential candidate of the ruling party, warned the rebels, urging them not to play…
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Politics
Lawmaker calls for overhaul of NK defector services
Seoul needs to overhaul its support system for North Korean defectors as too many escapees from the Stalinist state live in sub-standard living conditions here, a lawmaker said Monday. Rep. Shim Yoon-joe of the ruling Saenuri Party said that because President Lee Myung-bak and previous administrations have not done enough…
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Politics
Seoul will cover NK with ballistic missiles
New agreement with US allows S. Korea to hike range to 800km The government said Sunday that it has reached an agreement with Washington, allowing it to develop longer-range ballistic missiles with bigger warheads that will put the whole of North Korea within striking range. Chun Yung-woo, a senior presidential…
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Politics
‘Japan’s claim to Dokdo illegitimate’
This is the third in a series of contributing articles by international and Korean experts shedding light on Japan’s claim on Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo and other affairs that prove Japan’s lack of remorse about historic misdeeds it has committed. ― E.D. As neighboring countries, Russia, China, Korea and…
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Politics
All 3 candidates vow closer ties with China
The next president will face a tough foreign policy landscape featuring the U.S.-China rivalry in East Asia and intensified territorial disputes between China and Japan. The three major presidential candidates echoed that boosting relations with China will be a key policy task for the next president as Seoul-Beijing ties are…
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