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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Thousands rally in Seoul to call for Yoon's resignation
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Most teen sex offenders get away with slap on wrist
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FM champions multilateralism, stresses S. Korea's vision as 'global pivotal state'
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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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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is killed in Beirut strike, Israel's military says
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Panmunjom tours for select Korean nationals may resume in October
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Suicide attempts spike among youth in Korea
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Korean shares up 0.6% bucking Wall Street losses
Korean shares climbed 0.56 percent Tuesday, boosted by gains in major industries, despite the overnight slide on Wall Street. The local currency also rose against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 10.95 points to 1,981.32. Trade volume stood at 372 million shares worth 3.8 trillion won ($3.3 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 445 to 367. KOSPI (Bloomberg)Tech firms traded mixed, with top market player Samsung Electronics adding 0.71 percent to
April 12, 2016
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Park Hae-jin appears on cover of Chinese fashion magazine
South Korean actor Park Hae-jin was made a cover model for a Chinese fashion magazine, his talent agency said on Tuesday. Park, 33, appeared on the cover of the May edition of "Yizhou," followed by a photo spread and interview, Mountain Movement said. The heartthrob played the lead character Shen An in "Far Away Love," a Chinese television series that recently aired. Thanks to his prolific acting career at home and in China, Park was nominated for best actor at the upcoming 2016 LETV Movie and D
April 12, 2016
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Ex-chief of umbrella labor union indicted over alleged illegal rallies
Prosecutors said Tuesday they have indicted a former chief of South Korea's second-largest umbrella labor group on charges of holding unauthorized rallies.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said Shin Seung-cheol, former head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), is accused of holding six illegal rallies from 2013 to 2014.Prosecutors said the 52-year-old, who led the union from August 2013 until December 2014, gathered some 3,000 protesters against rail privatization in
Social AffairsApril 12, 2016
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Film on 'comfort women' tops box office in March
A South Korean film depicting the lives of women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II topped the monthly box office in March, but other Korean films fared poorly against the strength of non-Korean flicks, data showed Tuesday."Spirits' Homecoming" drew 2.21 million viewers, followed by "Zootopia" with 2.02 million, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" with 1.65 million, "Gods of Egypt" 920,000 and "London Has Fallen"720,000, according to the March box-office figures
FilmApril 12, 2016
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TWICE's Tsuyu may enter South Korean high school: JYP
A Taiwanese member of South Korean girl group TWICE may enroll in a South Korean high school in May, the K-pop band's agency said on Tuesday. Tsuyu, 17, took the entrance exam and had an interview on Monday for the late admissions of an arts high school located in Seoul, JYP Entertainment said. The teen singer is eligible for the May admissions, as she obtained a completion certificate of junior high curriculum from home last month.Under the current South Korean regulations, high schools are ope
April 12, 2016
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Actor Jang Keun-suk encourages Koreans to vote in upcoming elections
Actor Jang Keun-suk has called on his compatriots to vote in the upcoming general elections, producers of the show he's starring in said Tuesday."The Royal Gambler" production team released photos of the actor holding up a placard that reads, "Voting is 'daebak,'" the last word roughly translating into "bonanza" or "jackpot" in English."It's been a busy April. I peeled snake's skin with my teeth and rolled in mud," he was quoted as saying. "But I'll definitely vote on Wednesday no matter what."S
TelevisionApril 12, 2016
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Providing pension pay to foreigners after departure constitutional: court
The Constitutional Court has ruled in a 6-3 vote that the law stating that pension for foreign workers is to be paid upon their departure from the country is constitutional, court records showed Tuesday.In May 2014, foreign employees from Nepal and Uzbekistan brought the law, stipulating that their pension be paid to them within 14 days of their departure, before the constitutional court for a review, saying it violates their rights to receive insurance.Under the South Korean insurance system, a
Social AffairsApril 12, 2016
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Actor Seo Kang-joon draws thousand at Japan meet-and-greet
South Korean actor Seo Kang-joon met with hundreds of fans at his first solo meet-and-greet in Japan over the weekend, his talent agency said Tuesday.Seo held two fan meetings on Sunday at Osaka Business Park in the namesake city, which together drew more than a thousand people, Fantagio said.Seo stars as Baek In-ho in the tvN drama "Cheese in the Trap."He sang the show's theme song "Tearliner" and Eddy Kim's "The Manual," and put on a piano performance of Yiruma's "River Flows in You.""I was re
TelevisionApril 12, 2016
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Korea, U.S. enter talks on mutual recognition of airworthiness assessment
South Korea has entered talks with the United States to forge an agreement to mutually recognize each other's airworthiness assessment of military aircraft, Seoul's military procurement agency said Tuesday.The negotiations began after the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) signed a deal with the U.S.' National Airworthiness Council on March 23. Under the deal, the allies will have a six-month assessment of each other's airworthiness approval process before deciding in late Septemb
Social AffairsApril 12, 2016
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Korean-German hockey official hoping for 'miracle' for host at PyeongChang 2018
It will take nothing short of a miracle for South Korea to defeat powerhouse Canada in men's hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. After all, South Korea will be making its first Olympic appearance by virtue of being the host, while Canada has won the past two Olympic titles, led by superstars from the National Hockey League (NHL).These two nations clash in the group stage at Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangwon Province, lying east of PyeongChang. And once the puck drops, a miracle will
More SportsApril 12, 2016
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N. Korea attempts to sell clothing made at Kaesong complex in China: RFA
North Korea has been making attempts to sell clothing made at the now shut-down Kaesong joint industrial complex in some Chinese cities, a news outlet said Tuesday.The apparel products being peddled were left behind at the Kaesong Industrial Zone when South Korean firms withdrew from the complex following the Seoul government's decisions to shutter the industrial park on Feb. 10.The park is located just north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas. The factory zone used to
North KoreaApril 12, 2016
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Korea calls U.N. attention to N. Korea's GPS jamming
South Korea has called the attention of the U.N. Security Council to North Korea's recent attempts to jam GPS signals in the South, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.In a letter addressed to China, the council's rotating president, Seoul said North Korea has been "generating electronic jamming signals that dangerously affect" GPS in South Korea."The GPS jamming by the DPRK is an act of provocation that poses a threat to the security of the Republic of Korea and undermines the safety of civil tra
Social AffairsApril 12, 2016
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[Hallyu power] Han Dong-chul, mastermind of Korean hip-hop boom
When Korea’s rap competition series “Show Me the Money” aired in 2012, it was the first and only television program here which showcased Korean rappers to the public. The program uncovered not only underground rappers like Loco, but also introduced major rappers from the mainstream hip-hop scene, such as Swings and Basick, to a wider audience. Hip-hop is now an integral part of Korean pop music, which has long been dominated by idol dance music and ballads. Producer Han Dong-chul speaks at a
TelevisionApril 12, 2016
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[Market Now] National Pension Service increases stake in POSCO
POSCO said Tuesday that its biggest shareholder -- the National Pension Service -- has increased its ownership in the steel giant, from 10.04 percent to 10.22 percent.In 2015, the NPS, the country’s pension manager, owned a 9.04 percent stake in POSCO, according to an audit filing.By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldcorp.com)
April 12, 2016
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SK has most companies in offshore tax havens
SK Group, the nation’s third-largest conglomerate, has the most offshore companies in tax havens, according to market data Tuesday. According to local business tracker Chaebul.com, SK operates 69 paper companies in the havens, the highest number among the nation’s top 61 conglomerates, followed by Lotte with 38 companies, Samsung with 20 and CJ with 12, as of 2014. By country, 32 of SK Group’s companies are located in Hong Kong, 32 on the Cayman Islands, three in Panama, one on the Virgin Island
IndustryApril 12, 2016
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Korean firms' sales growth fall sharply in recent years
Sixteen Korean companies made it on the list of the world’s top 1,000 companies by market capitalization as of the end of March this year, led by Samsung Electronics in No. 28 spot, data showed Tuesday. Samsung, which is by far Korea’s largest public company with a market value of 214.2 trillion won ($187 billion), climbed 17 notches in the global ranking from its 2010 standing, while cosmetics-maker Amore Pacific made an impressive debut at No. 571. The list is compiled by Seoul-based Korea Eco
April 12, 2016
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Coffee franchises battle competition, slowing economy
Major coffee franchise operators in South Korea experienced sharp drops in profits last year in the face of intensifying competition from low-cost coffee vendors and the continued economic downturn.Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a U.S. franchise run by Seoul-based Mirae Asset Private Equity Fund, saw its net income decline by 67.4 percent on-year to 2.54 billion won ($2.22 million) in 2015, its regulatory filing showed. Its sales dropped by 5.1 percent on-year to 138.9 billion won in 2015, while its op
IndustryApril 12, 2016
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[Market Now] Korea to see biggest IPOs this year: KRX
The Korean stock market will see its biggest initial public offerings this year, with net stock floatations to exceed the previous record of 8.7 trillion won ($7.6 billion) in 2010.In a meeting with corporate executives in Seoul on Tuesday, Choi Kyung-soo, chairman and CEO of the Korea Exchange, said that about 20 companies are expected to launch IPOs in the Korean stock market.Local companies planning stock offerings include Hotel Lotte and Doosan Bobcat, he noted.Last year, 16 companies listed
April 12, 2016
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Passengers can carry beverages on airplanes
The Transport Ministry will partially allow passengers to carry beverages when they board an airplane on international routes, official said Tuesday.According to its announcement published in the government bulletin, travelers will be permitted to bring cold, lidded beverages purchased at duty-free zones and from areas beyond security check-ups. Hot beverages, such as coffee and tea, are not included in the list. (123RF)Previously, passengers were only allowed to take liquid items such as cosmet
IndustryApril 12, 2016
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Japanese boycott McDonald's for Korean-style bow in commercial
Some Japanese consumers are boycotting McDonald’s for a commercial that depicts a Korean-style bow, a Japan-based English-language online publication said Friday. (YouTube capture)The commercial in question shows a McDonald’s employee politely bowing to customers before attending to their orders. While the commercial obviously intends to portray polite service, some Japanese viewers have found fault with the way the employee bows, with her hands clasped in front of her stomach, saying it appears
Social AffairsApril 12, 2016