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Politics
NK leader fast cementing hold on leadership
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has asserted his leadership style with more speed than expected, analysts said Thursday, amid a series of moves aimed to build his personality cult. From attending a concert featuring Disney and other icons of American culture to the surprise acknowledgment of his 2010 marriage, watchers…
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Politics
2 trouble-hit lawmakers to stay in leftist party
The plan to expel two trouble-hit lawmakers of the minor Unified Progressive Party (UPP) was foiled Thursday. Only six out of 13 UPP legislators voted in favor of the move at a party meeting. The leftist party will inevitably face a backlash from the public as the results showed the…
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Politics
Presidential hopeful calls for S-N coalition
Park Joon-yung, a presidential contender of the main opposition party, has expressed his desire to form a coalition government with North Korea, should he win the upcoming presidential election. “I believe South and North Korea will be able to enter the first stage of unification on the assumption that the…
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Politics
Ahn beats Park in 2-way race: poll
Ahn Cheol-soo, professor at Seoul National University, has benefited from being featured in a popular TV show which aired earlier this week, according to a recent poll. The latest Realmeter poll, which was released Wednesday, found that his approval ratings jumped 10 percent, compared with survey results a week ago.…
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Politics
NK confirms myterious woman to be Kim Jong-un’s wife
North Korea confirmed Wednesday that a young woman repeatedly seen closely flanking its leader Kim Jong-un in recent public appearances is his wife. “General Kim Jong-un attended a groundbreaking ceremony along with his wife Ri Sul-joo,” the North’s state-run Korean Central TV reported Wednesday as it describes the young leader’s…
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Korea-Spain forum to focus on economic crisis
A two-day Korea-Spain forum opens at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul today. Organized by the Korea Foundation, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Casa Asia, it is the seventh biannual forum. Amid rising concerns over the economic crisis in the European Union and its ripple effects across the world, the…
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Politics
Activist claims abuse in Chinese detention center
Kim Young-hwan, a human rights activist who was freed last week after 114 days of detention in China, testified Wednesday that the Chinese authorities violated his human rights. Speaking at a news conference held in Seoul, the 49-year-old activist said the Korean government was aware of this, adding he addressed…
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Politics
S. Korean dramas gain hold in NK
It’s no longer just South Korean dramas causing a stir in North Korea: America’s “Desperate Housewives” and “Sex and the City” are also being circulated in the isolated state. This was unveiled by Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the ruling Saenuri Party, who in a report Monday shed new light on…
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Politics
Rivals wary of Ahn’s future course of action
Campaign strategists and senior politicians are curious about what course of action Ahn Cheol-soo will take regarding the December presidential election, a day after a talk show featuring Ahn drew positive responses from viewers. The viewer rating of late-night talk show “Healing Camp” stood at 18.7 percent, higher than that…
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Politics
Lee apologizes for bribery scandals
President Lee Myung-bak offered an apology for the corruption row involving his elder brother Lee Sang-deuk and aides Tuesday. His brother and political mentor is scheduled to be soon indicted on charges of receiving bribes from troubled savings banks. This is the sixth time that President Lee has made a…
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