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Rival parties should seek compromise through dialogue The floor leaders of the three major parties met Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss bills on electoral and prosecutorial reforms that were fast-tracked. But their meetings ended with no agreement. In April, the governing Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) joined forces with minor opposition parties to fast-track the controversia..

Japan should be sincere in dialogue with Korea The latest squabble between Seoul and Tokyo over an agreement on keeping a military intelligence-sharing pact alive does not bode well for their efforts to find a negotiated solution to an ongoing trade and diplomatic row. It has made South Koreans question if Japan is ready to resume dialogue to discuss a potential exit from the ..

LKP floor leader went too far to win election Main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) floor leader Rep. Na Kyungwon is in the hot seat following media reports that she asked the United States to avoid holding any possible summit with North Korea during the general election in South Korea, scheduled for April 15 next year. Na partially confirmed the reports, Thursday, saying ..

Another sudden death of a K-pop singer has shocked the nation just a month after Sulli saddened Korean and overseas fans by committing suicide. Fellow celebrities left tributes to Goo Hara, who was found dead at her home in southern Seoul on Sunday, on social media. Police are investigating the cause of her death but said they have found no signs of foul play. Officers held a ..

Town hall meeting didn't impress critics President Moon Jaein had a two-hour town hall meeting, Tuesday, with 300 people chosen from 16,000 applicants in the audience, which was broadcast live. As he appeared, the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" was played in the hall. The song, chosen by moderator Bae Chulsoo, a popular radio host, was exactly about what politicians here are ..

Expanded coverage cannot last long without fiscal health Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests have increased at an alarming rate, ever since health insurance coverage expanded in accordance with President Moon Jaein's generous healthcare policy. More and more people have been given MRI tests even for light symptoms. Such unnecessary high-cost tests and overtreatment are putt..

Joint research holds China accountable for air pollution China's contribution to ultrafine dust in Korea has been confirmed in concrete figures for the first time. According to the summary of a joint study by Korea, China and Japan, about 32 percent of ultrafine dust in Korea can be attributed to China. An average of 51 percent of ultrafine dust here originates from domestic f..

Opposition leader should return to parliament Hardly anyone can understand why the leader of the main conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) is on a hunger strike. Even some party members are questioning why he is adopting such an extreme method. LKP Chairman Hwang Kyoahn stopped eating food Wednesday to head off a looming "national crisis," which he claimed Preside..

With the expiration of a military-intelligence sharing pact between Seoul and Tokyo only days away, the U.S. is intensifying its pressure on South Korea to maintain the agreement for security cooperation. More Koreans are concerned Cheong Wa Dae's August announcement of its intention to end the General Security of Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in response to Japan's July trad..

Time to rectify chronic export-import imbalance with Japan Korea's trade deficit with Japan is improving at a rapid pace. The nation's trade shortfall with the neighboring country in the first 10 months of the year stood at $16.36 billion, down 20.6 percent from last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Monday. This is Seoul's lowest trade deficit wit..