By Kim So-hyunPresident Lee Myung-bak agreed with visiting Iraqi Prime minister Nouri Kamil Al-Maliki during summit talks Thursday to extend economic cooperation, hoping for greater participation of South Korean businesses in developing Iraqi oil.The two countries signed an agreement to promote economic and energy cooperation which is expected to provide a framework for increased two-way trade and

By Kim So-hyunDemocratic Party presidential hopeful Sohn Hak-kyu now has a good chance of becoming the strongest candidate of the entire opposition.Having won his ticket back to the National Assembly in Wednesday’s by-election, Sohn is set to regain his clout in the DP, which had fizzled out after the defector from the Grand National Party lost in the DP’s internal race for presidential candidacy

The Korea Baseball Organization signed an agreement with a Korean sponsor group of the International Vaccine Institute to join its efforts to improve the health of children around the world, the institute said Thursday.Under the agreement, the KBO will support promotional events to raise funds for the IVI program for children.The KBO will put an IVI logo on tickets to its official games including

The foreign affairs and trade committee of South Korea's National Assembly on Thursday passed the nation's free trade deal with the European Union in a vote after rival parties agreed to tax cuts for small livestock farms.The parliamentary committee approved the ratification bill for the long-stalled free trade agreement with the EU by a vote of 17 to 2 in a plenary session after hearing protectiv

  South Korea's ruling party suffered a humiliating defeat in Wednesday's by-elections, heralding a political upheaval ahead of next year's presidential polls.   In the most closely-watched contest, Sohn Hak-kyu, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), defeated Kang Jae-sup, former head of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP).    Sohn's win bolstered his profile as a potential presid

 Sohn Hak-kyu, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), scored a victory in the ruling party's stronghold of Bundang, just south of Seoul, which is considered the biggest match of Wednesday's by-elections, according to an exit poll by a local TV station.  Sohn's triumph, if confirmed, will boost his bid to become South Korea's next president, while dealing a blow to the Lee Myung-b

High voter turnout in the by-elections was a result of all-out campaigns by the parties, which had forecast the elections would be a prelude to the general and presidential elections in 2012, experts said Wednesday. They also said the presence of political heavyweights in the races and big-name politicians extending their support for candidates got the attention of apathetic voters.According to th

Sohn Hak-kyu, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, scored a victory in the ruling party's stronghold of Bundang, just south of Seoul, which isconsidered the biggest match of Wednesday's by-elections, accordingto an exit poll by a local TV station.   If the forecast is correct, Sohn's triumph will boost his bidto become South Korea's next president, while dealing a blow to theLee Myu

Diverse issues put on hold due to the by-elections, which are expected to shake up the nation’s political circles.The government plans to submit the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement to the National Assembly for ratification in early May after finishing translation checks, according to local news reports.The trade pact will likely cause a clash between the rival parties, which are already fiercely d