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SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — The impeachment of South Korea’s embattled President Park Guen-Hye in a snowballing corruption case inched closer Monday when the main opposition party said it was examining its options. The move comes the day after prosecutors named Park a criminal suspect in a major influence-peddling case, tightening the noose on an already hugely unpopular leader. “We will immediately review the timing and methods of impeachment and set up a subcommittee to […]
by Park Chan-Kyong Agence France Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Tens of thousands of protestors gathered in Seoul on Saturday for the fourth in a weekly series of mass protests aimed at forcing President Park Geun-Hye to resign over a corruption scandal. The demonstrations — among the largest seen in South Korea since the pro-democracy protests of the 1980s — have provided a stark challenge to Park’s authority, but the president has defied […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea lashed out Friday at a new South Korea-Japan intelligence-sharing accord, accusing Seoul of a gross act of betrayal with the “sworn enemy” of the Korean people. The deal to share defence intelligence — largely driven by the growing threat of the North’s nuclear and missile programmes — was reached and provisionally signed in Tokyo on Monday. It was a controversial move in South Korea, where the legacy of […]
by Park Chan-Kyong / Hwang Sunghee SEOUL, South Korea | AFP |– Pressure on South Korea’s scandal-hit president to resign escalated sharply Saturday, with organisers claiming a million-strong turnout at one of the largest — and loudest — anti-government protests the country has ever witnessed. Chanting “Step down Park Geun-Hye!” enormous crowds, including high school students, Catholic nuns, labourers, farmers, retirees and young couples with babies, massed in the streets of central Seoul in […]
by Jung Ha-Won SEOUL, South Korea | AFP | — South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Friday agreed to be questioned in a formal corruption probe, portraying herself as an over-trusting, “lonely” leader who dropped her guard with a close friend arrested for fraud. In a highly personal televised address to the nation, Park said the scandal involving her long-time confidante Choi Soon-Sil was “all my fault”, but denied reports linking her and Choi […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — The United States will deploy an advanced missile defense system in South Korea in eight to 10 months despite strong objections from China and Russia, a US military chief said Friday. Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in the South after North Korea conducted a series of missile launches in the wake of its fourth nuclear test in January. The decision was […]
by Park Chan-Kyong SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — A snowballing political scandal moved closer to embattled South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Thursday, with her newly nominated prime minister warning she could face a probe, hours after prosecutors detained a former presidential aide. Ahn Jong-Beom was detained late Wednesday over suspicions that he helped Park’s friend Choi Soon-Sil coerce companies into donating large sums to dubious non-profit foundations that she then used for personal gains, […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean coastguard vessels have, for the first time, fired machine guns against Chinese boats illegally fishing in Korean waters, an official said Wednesday. There were no casualties reported from the incident on Tuesday, which was the first of its kind since the coastguard announced last month that it would pursue a “more aggressive” firearms policy with Chinese trawlers. Disputes over illegal fishing have dogged relations between South Korea and […]
by Jung Ha-Won SEOUL, South Korea | AFP | — South Korean President Park Geun-Hye is facing calls to resign over allegations she allowed a close personal friend to meddle in state affairs. The woman at the heart of the scandal is an elusive figure with no government post or security clearance but a reportedly Rasputin-like grip on the president’s trust and affections. Here are five key questions about an ongoing and sometimes bizarre […]
by Park Chan-Kyong SEOUL, South Korea | AFP | — Pressure mounted Saturday on beleaguered South Korean President Park Geun-Hye over a personal and political scandal, as prosecutors raided the homes of senior aides and thousands joined a protest in central Seoul demanding her resignation. With just over a year left to run, Park’s presidency has suddenly unravelled over shocking revelations of how she allowed a close personal friend, with no official position, to […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Monday called for constitutional reform that could allow future presidents to serve two terms — a sensitive issue for a country tainted by memories of long-term, autocratic rule. While its constitution grants enormous power to the executive, South Korea is one of the only economically advanced liberal democracies to restrict the presidency to a single five-year term, with no possibility of re-election. The limit […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — The Apple iPhone 7 went on sale in South Korea on Friday, seeking to fill a void left by arch-rival Samsung on its home turf following a damaging recall fiasco over the Note 7 smartphone. The South Korean electronics giant discontinued the Note 7 — one of its key iPhone challengers — on October 11 following reports that replacements for combustible models were also catching fire. The decision is set […]
