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South Korea

South Korea ruling party defeated in Seoul poll

South Korea’s conservative ruling party lost Seoul’s mayoral election Wednesday, results showed, in a severe setback for it before national polls next year.
Opposition-backed civic activist Park Won-Soon had 53.3 percent against his ruling Grand National Party (GNP) rival Na Kyung-Won’s 46.3 percent with 95.5 percent of the votes counted, the National Election Commission said.
With an [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 27, 2011

South Korea tells Japan not to forget history

South Korea called for better relations with Japan Wednesday but urged its leaders to work harder to settle disputes arising from the bitter 20th-century colonial era.
President Lee Myung-Bak made the call after a summit with Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, in which they agreed to try to restart free trade talks and to expand [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 19, 2011

SKorea, Japan agree to expand currency swap deal

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The leaders of South Korea and Japan agreed Wednesday to expand the size of a currency swap deal and push to resume stalled free trade negotiations, as Tokyo returned looted Korean royal documents in a goodwill gesture.
Seoul and Tokyo have close economic ties and are key U.S. allies in [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 19, 2011

China’s vice premier to visit two Koreas

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang — who is tipped to take over the premiership next year — will visit both North and South Korea next week, it was announced Wednesday.
Li, whose country is Pyongyang’s closest ally and major economic partner, will visit the North from October 23-25, the North Korean official news agency reported.
The South’s [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 19, 2011

Choi holds off Tseng to win in Malaysia

South Korea’s Choi Na-Yeon held off a hard-charging world number one Yani Tseng to win the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia in an exciting finish at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club on Sunday.
The world number four carded a nervous 3-under 68 to finish on 15-under 269 to claim the top prize of $285,000.
Taiwan’s Tseng, [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 17, 2011

Iranian, Filipino take top Asian film awards

An Iranian film that reveals the “heart and soul” of its director has shared the top award with a production from the Philippines at Asia’s largest cinematic event.
Morteza Farshbaf?s “Mourning” was handed one of two US$30,000 prizes given in the New Currents award at the 16th Busan International Film Festival and the first-time director said he hoped his film [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 14, 2011

Schumacher fastest in rain-hit Korean Grand Prix

German legend Michael Schumacher held off heir-apparent Sebastian Vettel to top the timings in a rain-hit opening free practice session for the Korean Grand Prix on Friday.
In conditions so poor that some drivers did not take part, the seven-time champion delivered the fastest time in the closing seconds to wind up narrowly ahead of newly-crowned double champion and fellow German Vettel.
Schumacher, 42, [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 14, 2011

Obama hails ‘bulldozer’ SKorean Lee in state visit

President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak radiated warmth and praised a finally unblocked trade deal as a win for both nations during a friendly state visit.
Standing side-by-side the leaders also spoke with “one voice” onNorth Korea, warning the Stalinist state faced even deeper isolation if it continued provocations and its nuclear program.
Obama feted Lee at the White House with [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 14, 2011

Tseng wins sixth of season in Korea

Yani Tseng made it six LPGA wins this season as she triumphed over two-time defending champion Na Yeon Choi to take the LPGA HanaBank Championship in Incheon, South Korea on Sunday.
“It was very tough out there… Na Yeon Choi was playing so good,” Rolex Rankings No. 1 Tseng said after notching up her 11th career [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 10, 2011

Samsung Sees Weaker Earnings

SEOUL—Samsung Electronics Co. said it expects weaker third-quarter earnings, reflecting a decline in demand for its computer chips and flat panels, although brisk sales of its smartphones may help offset slower sales of other products.
The relative strength of the Korean giant’s telecom sector underscores the significance of a global legal battle [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 8, 2011