The Korea Herald

President Lee calls opposition leaders seeking support for KORUS FTA ratification

Oct 21, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak on Friday placed calls to senior representatives of opposition political parties, seeking their cooperation in ratifying South Korea's free trade agreement with the U.S., sources said.They said Lee spoke on the phone with five opposition members: Kim Jin-pyo, floor leader of
N.K. shows signs of cutting in on overseas voting

Oct 20, 2011

National security officials detected signs that North Korea has attempted to influence overseas voting in next year’s general and presidential elections by sending out agents into overseas Korean societies, according to a local newspaper Thursday.The communist state especially targeted Japan, where
Lee: Protecting ’socially weak’ top government priority

Oct 20, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday that one of his government’s top priorities is to protect "socially weak" people, amid calls from small merchants for further cuts in the commission rates that credit card firms levy on retailers.“We believe we have to protect the socially weak and the governmen
SNS battle rages in mayoral race

Oct 20, 2011

Park ahead of Na in cyber campaign; Twitter users criticize online crackdownWith the Seoul mayoral by-election looming next Wednesday, the online campaigns are heating up, with independent candidate Park Won-soon taking a visible lead over Na Kyung-won of the ruling Grand National Party.The SNS batt
Court rejects arrest warrant for ex-vice culture minister

Oct 20, 2011

A Seoul court on Thursday turned down a request by state prosecutors to arrest Shin Jae-min, former vice minister of culture, who is accused of having received bribes from a local businessman.Prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Shin, a close confidant to President Lee Myung-bak, earlier this we
Korea, Japan expand currency swaps

Oct 19, 2011

Lee-Noda summit addresses FTA, N.K., but not comfort womenSeoul and Tokyo agreed to expand their currency swaps to $70 billion from $13 billion for stronger financial cooperation amid global economic uncertainties during President Lee Myung-bak’s summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yos
Mayoral runners strive for public poll lead

Oct 19, 2011

Rival camps battled on Wednesday to take the lead in the last public polls for the Oct. 26 Seoul mayoral by-election.According to the election law, public survey results may not be made public during the last six days of campaigning, which is next Wednesday.Also, the increasing number of swing votes
N.K. speeds up work to spruce up Pyongyang

Oct 19, 2011

Major construction works set to mark Kim Il-sung’s centennial birthdayNorth Korea is carrying out a slew of construction works in Pyongyang despite its economic woes, in an apparent move to cosmetically improve the capital ahead of its self-imposed 2012 deadline to become a “strong and p
Obama to sign FTAs on Friday

Oct 19, 2011

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will sign the free trade accords with South Korea, Colombia and Panama on Friday, completing Washington's long-delayed legislative and administrative procedures necessary for the implementation of the deals, according to the White House.Oba
Lee to hold summit with Japan's prime minister

Oct 19, 2011

SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Wednesday to talk mainly about bilateral relations, North Korea and a possible free trade agreement between the two neighbors.Noda arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for a t
Opposition blocks committee’s action on U.S. FTA bill

Oct 18, 2011

Committee to hold more debates on Korea-U.S. FTA later this weekThe parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, trade and unification on Tuesday decided to extend the debate on the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement Thursday and Friday before voting on the bill, as opposition lawmakers boycotted a comm
Park hits back at Na and GNP

Oct 18, 2011

Change of stance seen as move to make up for image tarnished by attacksThe race for Seoul mayor is to intensify this week as liberal candidate Park Won-soon launched an aggressive counterattack against the ruling party’s negative campaigning.The liberal bloc’s unified candidate, together with the ma
By-elections a prelude to presidential race?

Oct 18, 2011

Some potential candidates going all out in campaign activitiesGreeting a group of senior citizens at a Busan welfare center last Friday, Rep. Park Geun-hye used only her left hand.“Sorry but my (right) hand hurts,” said Park, who had shaken hands with voters all day long. The former chairwoman of th
Park counterattacks Na and GNP

Oct 18, 2011

Change of stance seen as move to make up for image tarnished by mudslingingThe race for Seoul mayor is to intensify this week as liberal candidate Park Won-soon set to launch aggressive counterattacks against the ruling party’s negative campaigning.The liberal bloc’s unified candidate, together with
Prosecutors seek arrest warrant for former vice culture minister

Oct 18, 2011

The Seoul prosecution requested arrest warrants Monday for a former vice culture minister and a local businessman for investigation into allegations that the former official received a huge amount of money from the businessman in return for influence peddling, prosecutors said.Shin Jae-min, the ex-v