• Korea-Japan military pact draws fire

    The government’s envisioned military accord with Japan is being heavily criticized by the main opposition party and civic groups amid lingering animosity over Japan’s brutal military rule (1910-1945) and its move to become a nuclear power. Seoul said it will sign the General Security of Military Information Act (GSOMIA) with…

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  • Politics

    President’s brother to be summoned

    Lee Sang-deuk faces bribery allegations The prosecution said Thursday it will summon the elder brother of President Lee Myung-bak, a former ruling party lawmaker, next Tuesday to question him on allegations of bribe-taking from two suspended savings banks. The Central Investigation Bureau at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said it has…

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  • Politics

    Turkish PM: We’ll teach aggressors lesson

    Turkey has no intention of attacking anyone, but will “teach those who dare to test the limits of its might,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday as he introduced Turkey’s first domestically produced training jet to the public in a show of the nation’s increasing defense capacity. Erdoğan…

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  • Politics

    Annan invites Turkey to Geneva meeting on Syria

    UN envoy Kofi Annan has invited Turkey to the upcoming Geneva meeting of world powers to find ways of ending the violence in Syria. Annan said on Wednesday that the action group for Syria will convene at the ministerial level in Geneva on Saturday. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham…

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  • Politics

    Erdogan:Turkish Military Authorized Against Future Syrian Attacks

    The growing conflict between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkish government and Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime worsened on Friday following the shooting down of a Turkish jet by Syria. Erdogan stated that Turkey will no longer tolerate security threats from Syria along its border. Turkish PM Erdogan spoke to…

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  • Politics

    NATO condemns Syria for shooting down Turkish jet

    NATO member states condemned Syria on Tuesday for its shooting down of a Turkish military jet, calling it “unacceptable” and demanding that Damascus take steps to prevent further incidents. Ambassadors of NATO’s 28 member states met in Brussels on Tuesday to consult with Turkey on the incident. Turkey, a NATO…

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  • Politics

    Potemkin village in Pyongyang?

    Sleek and modern: The words are rarely used to describe North Korea. Yet the latest addition to the Pyongyang skyline, a set of new apartments in the central Mansudae district appears from the outside to be just that. But while the North touts it as progress, the jury is still…

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  • Politics

    China-NK economic ties benefit S. Korea

    MANILA –– Growing economic cooperation between China and North Korea could lead to the latter’s economic reform and eventual opening up of its economy to the outside world, experts said. “(South Korea) doesn’t have to look at the strengthening economic relationship between Beijing and Pyongyang only as a threat since…

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  • Turkey: No intention of war, but Syria’s downing of jet won’t go unpunished

    ANKARAㅡ The Spokesperson for the Turkish government and Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc on Monday said that Turkey had no intention of going to war with anyone after one of its jets was shot down by Syria last week and said it would only act in accordance with international law. “Whatever…

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  • Politics

    EU condemns Syria’s downing of Turkish Jet, urges probe

    The foreign ministers of 27 EU members states condemned on Monday Syria’s shooting down of a Turkish military plane and urged a thorough investigation into the incident. “The European Union notes that this is a matter which needs to be investigated thoroughly and urgently,” the EU Council of Ministers said…

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