Most Popular
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Torrential rainfall forces 1,500 to evacuate, causes widespread damage to homes, roads
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[KH Explains] Can smart chargers ease tensions over EV fires?
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1 in 5 households to have breadwinner over 80 in 30 years
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[Online Predators] Online reviews of sex tourism in Southeast Asia proliferate
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Middle East’s big AI push lures Korean tech firms
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[Herald Review] 'Culinary Class Wars': fresh, creative survival show minus the drama
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Arrival of fall calls for more outdoor festivals
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Pikki Pikki dance: Korean cheerleader dance routine takes social media by storm
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New Fifty Fifty off to strong start
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Assembly to review disputed appointment of national soccer team coach
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Korean banks rush to issue foreign currency bonds
[THE INVESTOR] Commercial and state-run banks of South Korea are planning massive foreign currency-denominated bond issuances in the second half of the year. According to industry sources, KB Kookmin Bank is planning to raise US$1 billion by issuing foreign currency denominated bonds. The bank is reported to be planning two issuances of equal amount. The first is set for between late July and early August, and the second is planned for sometime between October and November. Headquarters of KB K
July 18, 2016
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THAAD electromagnetic radiation in Guam near background level
GUAM -- The U.S. showed its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery stationed in Guam for the first time to the outside world on Tuesday as South Korea struggles to defuse concerns over the possible health and environmental impact of the system’s planned deployment here. Members of the local press kicked off a three-day tour to the Anderson Air Force Base alongside officials from Seoul’s Defense Ministry with the support of the U.S. military. They were scheduled to look around the battery, i
DefenseJuly 18, 2016
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Must-visit summer festivals of 2016
For those adventure-seekers looking to combat the summer time humidity by basking in all its heat-sinking glory, look no further because the next few weeks will see some of the country’s most famed annual summer festivals. Undoubtedly high on the charts as one of Korea’s most highly anticipated summer outdoor fests, the Boryeong Mud Festival kicked off its mud-flinging-fun festivities on Friday. Attracting the largest number of international visitors of all the country’s top festivals, tens of t
CultureJuly 18, 2016
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Debate escalates over THAAD protest
Debate is escalating over the violent protest during the prime minister’s visit to the potential site for a U.S. advanced missile system last week, with the ruling camp condemning the incident as a criminal act of violence and the opposition accusing the government of politicizing it.The Saenuri Party demanded firm punishment against the violent protesters who they said came from other neighborhoods to incite illegal activities. The opposition parties in turn rebuked the government for cracking
PoliticsJuly 18, 2016
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Presidential secretary denies link to prosecutor embroiled in scandal
A senior presidential secretary denied on Monday local news reports that said arrested senior prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon had pulled strings for him, allegedly leading to local gaming company Nexon buying his family’s real estate.Woo Byung-woo, a presidential secretary for civil affairs, flatly denied in a statement Jin’s involvement in his personal real estate dealings, saying that his wife sold the property legally through a real estate agency.Local news reports raised speculation on Monday that
Social AffairsJuly 18, 2016
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HyunA returns as solo artist
HyunA of the recently disbanded K-pop girl group 4Minute made her debut as a solo artist at Viral Fest Asia 2016 in Bali, Indonesia, last Saturday. The one-day international music festival brought together more than 30 groups from 12 countries, with HyunA, hip-hop artiste MC Mong and singer-songwriter Suran representing Korea. “To be honest, I was very nervous,” she told a local media outlet regarding her first performance as a solo musician. “I’m performing alone, joined by singers from all acr
PerformanceJuly 18, 2016
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U.S. lawmakers voice bipartisan support for cooperation between Seoul and Washington
A delegation of U.S. lawmakers visiting Seoul on Monday voiced their Congress' bipartisan support for cooperation with Korea in diverse areas including diplomacy and military affairs, the foreign ministry said.The delegation consisting of five lawmakers from the Senate and the House of Representatives held a breakfast meeting with Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam on Monday, according to the ministry. They all came from the Democratic Party.The ministry quoted Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI),
Diplomatic CircuitJuly 18, 2016
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Dynamic Duo, Primary, Boi B and Crush to release collaborative single
Four Korean hip-hop groups are coming together for a collaborative summer project. Dynamic Duo, Primary, Boi B, and Crush will be releasing a new single “HighfiVe” this week, announced the artistes’ management agency Amoeba Culture on Monday. Produced by Choi Dong-hoon, who is better known by his stage name Primary, the single encompasses each group’s unique sound and charisma, according to the entertainment company. “This single is the start of Amoeba Culture’s 2016 summer project,” said the c
PerformanceJuly 18, 2016
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Runaway teenagers forced into prostitution
A group of men and women who coerced runaway teenagers into prostitution were arrested by the police, Monday. South Jeolla Province’s Gwangyang police said it booked a total of 11 people on charges of arranging prostitution. Among the booked 11, four were arrested, six were transferred to the prosecutors without detention and one who ran away was put on a wanted list. According to the police, the men and women, some of them married couples, are accused of recruiting six runaway girls aged betwee
Social AffairsJuly 18, 2016
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Horseback library serves Indonesia's remote readers
SERANG, Indonesia (AFP) - Astride his white mare, a wide-brimmed hat shielding his eyes, Ridwan Sururi looks more cowboy than librarian as he winds towards the hilltop village, his horse Luna saddled with books.Their arrival sends ripples of excitement through Serang, a quiet hamlet fringed by rice fields and a volcano on Indonesia's main island of Java.“The horse library!” children shriek, sprinting towards the mosque where Luna is tethered. Slung over her saddle are two handmade wooden boxes f
CultureJuly 18, 2016
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Tongyeong to throw music fest in autumn
Tongyeong, one of the country's leading music cities, has prepared a series of colorful concerts for the autumn, the Tongyeong International Music Foundation said Monday. "We'll provide nine concerts at the Tongyeong Concert Hall from Sept. 4 to the end of October," a foundation official said. (Tongyeong International Music Foundation)On Sept. 4, Korea's Novous Quartet and Son Yeol-eum, who won the silver medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition 2011, will perform Shostakovitch's Stri
PerformanceJuly 18, 2016
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Furniture imports hit all-time high in H1
[THE INVESTOR] The total value of furniture imports in the first half of this year recorded an all-time high breaking last year’s record, according to customs data on July 18. Furniture imported in the first half of 2016 was worth US$1.54 billion, according to Korea Customs Service, a 13.1 percent increase from the same period last year, which saw the highest figure in the 2000s, with US$2.85 billion for the whole year. (123rf)Growth in furniture imports had slowed down in the late 2000s due to
IndustryJuly 18, 2016
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N. Korea's largest steel mill not operating properly due to material shortage: report
North Korea's largest steel mill, the Kimchaek Iron and Steel Complex, is unable to operate properly due to fuel and material shortage, a U.S.-based media report said Monday, citing internal sources in the reclusive country.A source in the North Korean city of Chongjin told Radio Free Asia that the steel mill has only been operating seven days a month recently, apparently due to the shortage of raw materials such as coal coke and scrap metal.The source said that China appears to be holding back
North KoreaJuly 18, 2016
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[EQUITIES] Korea Investment & Securities sees improved Q2 earnings for Naver
[THE INVESTOR] Korea Investment & Securities on July said it expects Naver to show improved performance in the second quarter of this year.The brokerage said the nation’s top search engine would post a 58 percent increase in operating profit, at 264.1 billion won (US$231.74 million), while sales will climb 26.3 percent to 986.5 billion won.Korea Investment said the seasonal factors, along with the sale of LINE Corp.’s new ad, Timeline, is expected to help bolster Naver’s earnings.Line’s second-q
July 18, 2016
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[DECODED] Samsung goes back to basics
[THE INVESTOR] Many start-ups want to be like Samsung. Ironically enough, Samsung wants to be like a start-up. And for the past few years, the nation’s largest conglomerate has been working hard to go back to basics. Some liken it to a patient lying on an operating table: Some of its affiliates are being removed like dead tissue, while others are being stitched back together, at times after receiving several blood transfusions. The head surgeon is Samsung Group vice chairman and heir Lee Jae-yon
IndustryJuly 18, 2016
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Coldplay kicks off stadium tour with colorful show
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (AP) -- Coldplay kicked off its U.S. stadium tour with a colorful show that included fireworks, confetti and balloons, mixed with American pride, sympathy for France, moving words from Muhammad Ali and audio from President Barack Obama.The British foursome led by Chris Martin performed for feverish fans Saturday at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. They started their two-hour show on a bright, high note -- jamming onstage as fireworks burst to the sk
PerformanceJuly 18, 2016