Most Popular
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Who's lying? Hybe vs. Min conflict continues to intensify
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Seoul should engage Kim Jong-un’s elites for change, ex-North Korean diplomat says
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Most teen sex offenders get away with slap on wrist
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Ex-Trump official calls for S. Korea to raise defense spending to 3 or 3.5% of GDP
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Man sentenced to 1 year, 8 months for stealing from elementary school classrooms
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Same-sex couple denied insurance clearance despite landmark ruling
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Panmunjom tours for select Korean nationals may resume in October
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Young Poong says no better offer for Korea Zinc
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Korea's first global webtoon festival lights up Seongsu-dong
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Four individuals face charges over illegal surrogacy 13 years ago
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Ex-democratic activist becomes new Minjoo whip
An activist-turned-politician Rep. Woo Sang-ho was elected as a floor leader of the main opposition party on Wednesday in a race against five to spearhead the party’s legislative negotiations in the new parliament opening later this month. With Woo’s election, floor leaders of all three major parties have now been settled, as they face the joint challenge of regaining public trust in politics and seizing the lead in the legislative battle toward next year’s presidential race.Rep. Woo Sang-ho, a
PoliticsMay 4, 2016
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Trump, Clinton all but certain to face off in fall campaign
Once dismissed as a fringe contender, businessman Donald Trump now is all but certain to lead the Republican Party into the fall presidential campaign against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton -- a stunning political triumph for a first-time candidate whose appeal to frustrated voters was widely underestimated. Trump's victory in Indiana Tuesday and Ted Cruz's abrupt decision to drop out resolved the Republican nominee for 2016, but it still left the party in a deep state of uncerta
NationalMay 4, 2016
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PyeongChang formally nominates ex-commerce minister as new chief
Organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Wednesday formally nominated former Commerce Minister Lee Hee-beom as their new president.The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games made the decision at its executive committee meeting in Seoul, a day after Lee was tapped to replace Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho.Cho abruptly resigned Tuesday to tend to pressing issues at Hanjin Shipping, one of the group‘s affiliates mired in debts.Lee will be o
Olympic GamesMay 4, 2016
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Migrant workers call for change at May Day rally
Migrant workers staged a rally in central Seoul on Sunday to call for improved working conditions.About 200 workers gathered in front of the Bosingak Bell next to Jonggak Station, demanding in particular the replacement of the Employment Permit System through which workers on E-9 visas are hired.The workers later joined hundreds of thousands of Korean workers at a larger rally in Daehangno, Seoul.Udaya Rai, president of the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union, said that more workers had
Expat LivingMay 4, 2016
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Slide in number of registered foreign residents ends
The number of foreign residents ended four months of decline in March, according to Justice Ministry figures, but the population is still below its peak due mainly to a reduction in the number of young migrants.Widely reported statistics released last week by the ministry showed that the headline number of foreign nationals in Korea rose past 1.9 million at the end of March, but this increase was mainly due to a rise in the number of tourists. The number of foreign residents -- split by the mini
Expat LivingMay 4, 2016
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Comics to vie in new monthly panel show
A new monthly show in Seoul will seek to pit comics’ wits against each other, as two teams of stand-ups from across the country compete to be the funniest.LOLympians will pitch three expat comedians on each side against each other to see who can be the funniest. The first round is “Mock Rock,” in which teams will be challenged on various topics, and the second round, “Meme a Minute,” challenges them to come up with captions for pictures. The final round will be a set list-style head-to-head stan
Expat LivingMay 4, 2016
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Migrants Arirang Music Festival gears up for 2016 contest
The Migrants Arirang Music Festival’s main singing competition has kicked into gear this year, opening its first round contests this month. MAMF is a nationwide singing competition for foreign residents run in three rounds: Regional heats, followed by national semifinals and finals.Entrants must sing a K-pop song or other song in Korean, with extra marks going to songs they have written themselves.The first festival was held in 2005 in Seoul, with 3,500 people attending. Since then it has moved
Expat LivingMay 4, 2016
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[Graphic News] South Korean children feel least happy
A recent study showed that South Korean children were the least happy with their lives among the OECD member states. One out of five children and teenagers said they felt the urge to commit suicide at least once.In the report released by Yonsei University’s social development research institute this week, the “subjective happiness level” among South Korean children came at 82 points, the lowest among the 22 researched OECD members. The score was calculated based on the OECD average of 100 by ask
Social AffairsMay 4, 2016
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Single mom sentenced for discarding newborn girl
A woman who discarded her newborn baby in a plastic bag was sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison suspended for three years Wednesday by the Suwon District Court. (Yonhap)The 26-year-old woman surnamed Hong was indicted in August 2015 for discarding her baby girl in a black plastic bag in the veranda of her apartment. She had given birth in the bathroom of her residence in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The baby was rescued by a passerby who heard her wail and reported Hong to the authorities. The Suw
Social AffairsMay 4, 2016
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Daebudo victim’s identity confirmed through fingerprints
The murder victim whose dismembered body was found in Gyeonggi Province’s Daebudo Island is a 40-year-old Korean, according to the police who confirmed the victim’s identity through his fingerprints. The Ansan Danwon police, who is in charge of the case, will keep the rest of the victim’s personal information confidential until the case is closed. (Yonhap)According to the police, the victim was yet to be reported missing, which led the police to assume he had no family or had separated.The Natio
Social AffairsMay 4, 2016
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Gyeongju provides discounts for long weekend
The city of Gyeongju will provide massive discounts for tourists during the four-day weekend that starts from Thursday. The iconic town in north Gyeongsang Province, is a popular travel destination, boasting well-preserved national treasures and historic sites. (Korea Tourism Organization)On May 5, which is Children’s Day, Gyeongju’s Yangdong Folk Village, which dates back to the Joseon Dynasty, will offer free entry to children and a 15 percent discounted entry price for family members. Shilla
TravelMay 4, 2016
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Korean, Thai women arrested for prostitution
A Korean man was arrested along with four Thai females for brokering sex trade on Wednesday. The 31-year-old man surnamed Park had used a smartphone chatting application to arrange paid sex between the Thai women and Korean men since February. (123RF)The Mokpo Police said Park had used a suggestive profile photos to attract male customers. Each meeting cost 100,000 won ($86) to 150,000 won at motels and rented flats in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province. The Thai women were turned over to the Korea Im
Social AffairsMay 4, 2016
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Seoul expands ‘car-sharing’ network
The Seoul city government has launched the second stage of car-sharing network aimed at expanding the number of vehicles and use of electric cars in the city, officials said Wednesday.The project named Nanum-Car service will be operated under a partnership with four car-sharing firms including SOCAR and Green Car. Vehicles for Seoul Metropolitan Government’s car-sharing service, Nanum-Car, are parked at a parking lot in Seoul. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)Through the partnership, officials pla
IndustryMay 4, 2016
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[Market Now] SK Chemicals vice chairman sells stake in SK E&C
Chey Chang-won, vice chairman of SK Chemicals, has sold his entire stake in SK Engineering and Construction, the builder said Wednesday.SK E&C said in a regulatory filing that Chey sold off 156.9 million shares of the company, or 4.45 percent of all shares. The sale is worth 52 billion won ($45 million) given the share price of 33,000 won.SK Holdings is the largest shareholder of SK E&C with a 44.48 percent stake, followed by SK Chemicals with a 28.25 percent stake.Chey sold his shares in SK E&C
May 4, 2016
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Korean Air chairman sued for defaming pilots
The labor union for pilots at Korean Air Lines Co. said Wednesday that it has filed a suit against its chairman claiming defamation by his recent SNS comment allegedly ridiculing pilots' daily work.The suit was filed against Cho Yang-ho, chairman of Korean Air, with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, according to the union that represents the pilots."We were defamed and insulted by Chairman Cho's SNS comment," the union said.On March 13, Cho posted a comment on his Facebook page in
Social AffairsMay 4, 2016
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[Editorial] Social germs
The case of harmful sterilizers used in humidifiers shows that a combination of social germs, such as money-grubbing corporations and negligent government officials, could pose an immense threat to public health. The primary blame, of course, should go to the makers of the toxic sterilizers, which have claimed the lives of more than 100 people since 2002, including pregnant women and babies. Outrageously, Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, the leading maker of the sterilizers, and other suppliers tried to s
EditorialMay 4, 2016
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SNU professor arrested over alleged manipulation of Oxy reports
Prosecutors raided the office of a Seoul National University professor in the country's capital and arrested the scholar Wednesday over allegations he manipulated reports on Oxy Reckitt Benckiser products in return for money.Oxy is currently being probed by state prosecutors over its toxic humidifier sterilizers that have been cited for causing many deaths and illnesses.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said the professor, identified only by his surname Cho, is accused of writing fa
Social AffairsMay 4, 2016
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Korea says alliance with U.S. will develop regardless of U.S. presidential election
South Korea's alliance with the United States "based on shared values" will continue to develop irrespective of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election in November, a senior Seoul official said Wednesday.His remarks came amid growing concerns that Republican front-runner Donald Trump's electoral win could hurt the alliance given his past statements depicting America's core allies -- South Korea and Japan -- as free riders on U.S. security protections."We are confident that regardless of th
Foreign AffairsMay 4, 2016
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[Editorial] Fair society
One essential thing you need to live in a fair society is solid legal justice, for which highly ethical and capable legal professionals -- prosecutors, judges and lawyers -- are indispensable. Sadly, this is not the case with Korean society. A recent case highlights that the legal community is as vulnerable to corruption as other sectors of society. The central figure in the latest scandal involving legal professionals is Jung Woon-ho, CEO of cosmetics firm Nature Republic, who is serving a pris
EditorialMay 4, 2016
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Busan film fest may soon see new leadership
The Busan International Film Festival’s organizers and Busan Metropolitan Government are negotiating to appoint the festival’s new chairman, the two parties said Wednesday. The two sides denied that a conclusion had been reached on the appointment, despite reports earlier that said that BIFF’s honorary executive director Kim Dong-ho had been appointed the festival’s new chairman. The reports raised speculations that the drawn-out feud over the festival’s autonomy could be resolved soon. There ha
FilmMay 4, 2016