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Politics
More hurdles remain in NK-China biz ties
Despite bolstered business ties between North Korea and China, accusations by a Chinese firm over boorish conduct suggest that the allies have yet to clear major hurdles. Analysts say that the case of Xiyang, which claims the North reneged a major mining deal, show the need for caution in gauging…
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Politics
Taking Japan back to past
Noda turns nationalistic on neighbors Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is a determining factor in Japan’s confrontational stance in dealing with historical disputes with Korea, China and Russia. The history of Tokyo’s militarism and its devastating effects are on many people’s minds. Experts say that Noda was conciliatory at least…
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Politics
Anti-graft agency to submit bill on civil servants
The country’s anti-corruption agency announced Thursday that it will seek to introduce a law that would significantly help the country eliminate corruption in the public sector. Kim Young-ran, the head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), said that her agency spent more than a year consulting with related…
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Politics
Is North Korea becoming China’s satellite?
China has struck deals with North Korea this week to develop economic zones and foster investment in the impoverished country. The moves, analysts say, signals Beijing’s full support of fledgling North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The promises boost the viability of Kim, who is in his late twenties, but also…
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‘Japan massacred Koreans on Sakhalin’
A recently released Soviet Union report suggests that a large-scale massacre of Koreans by Japanese soldiers took place on Sakhalin, off Russia’s east coast. It also sheds more light on the fate of victims of forcible conscription for wartime labor under Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945). The National Archives of Korea…
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Politics
‘Japan’s sex slavery is anti-humanity crime’
President Lee Myung-bak said Wednesday colonial Japan’s conscription of sex slaves who were forced to serve soldiers amounted to a crime against humanity. “The issue involving mobilization of comfort women by the Japanese military goes beyond relations between Korea and Japan,” Lee said in a speech to mark the 67th…
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Politics
Japan differs over Dokdo, Kuril Islands
Japan’s reaction to President Lee Myung-bak’s trip to Dokdo last Friday was almost identical to that when former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visted Kuril Islands in 2010, except for one fact. Back then, Japan didn’t threaten to involve the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This time Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba…
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UN chief calls for ethical corporate management
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged business leaders in Korea to take a greater responsibility for eradicating poverty and ensuring sustainable, equitable development, Tuesday. “I expect corporations to proactively engage in social and economic issues, such as the eradication of poverty,” the U.N. chief said in a meeting hosted by…
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Politics
‘Akihito should make apologies first’
President Lee Myung-bak indirectly demanded Tuesday that Japan offer sincere apology for its 36-year-long brutal colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and war crimes committed during World War II. Lee made the remarks amid a worsening Seoul-Tokyo diplomatic row after his surprise visit to Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo last…
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Politics
China, NK in deal on economic zones
China and North Korea have agreed to accelerate the development of economic zones in the North, Beijing said Tuesday amid signs that Pyongyang is seeking to boost its economy. Under the agreement, the two sides will establish committees to oversee the zones. It also deals with the supply of electricity…
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