Most Popular
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Psy's touch or new trend in music? P Nation’s solo stars lose their shine
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Seoul to hold grand military parade on Tuesday, disrupting major city routes
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Park Zi-a, the actor who played 'The Glory' heroine's mother, dies
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Shut up and dance
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NewJeans fans corner Hybe amid PR backlash, looming National Assembly audit
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Israel targets Palestinian group in first strike on Beirut center
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Brit pop legend Oasis to perform in Seoul next year
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BTS’ Suga fined W15m for e-scooter DUI
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[KH Explains] Is Hyundai-GM partnership win-win to beat Tesla, Chinese rivals?
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Court rules Itaewon tragedy was 'foreseeable'
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Seoul seeks to bolster loans for mid-credit borrowers
Korea is moving to encourage local banks to lend more to mid-credit borrowers, a segment typically underserved in Korea’s retail loan market, polarized between cheap, but hard-to-get, bank loans and expensive nonbank loans. According to industry sources and multiple local reports, the Financial Services Commission is currently devising measures to bolster retail banks’ middle-market lending, with its sights set on borrowers with credit scores just below levels that would qualify them for a bank
Jan. 22, 2016
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Korea not considering closure of Kaesong complex
South Korea's pointman on inter-Korean affairs made it clear Friday the government is not considering shutting down a joint industrial complex in North Korea or withdraw South Koreans from there despite the North's nuclear test."The government is seeking to focus on how to operate the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North in a stable manner,"Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said in a press briefing.His remarks came amid concerns that an extension of inter-Korean tension sparked by the North'
North KoreaJan. 22, 2016
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Korea's overseas arrivals, departures hit record high in 2015
The number of locals and foreigners going in and out of South Korea recorded the largest figure last year, a 7.7 percent increase from the previous year, the Ministry of Justice said Friday.The tally came to some 66.37 million, with the number of locals reaching 39.11 million and that of foreigners coming in at 27.26 million.But the number of foreigners visiting South Korea stood at13.35 million, a 6.3 percent decrease from the previous year, the ministry said.The decline, the first in 12 years
Social AffairsJan. 22, 2016
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[The Palate] Eat like a local on Jeju-do Island
Christine Cho, a Korean-American expat in Seoul, has been eating and cooking her way around the world for 16 years as a private chef. -- Ed.The list is long as to what one should eat on Jejudo Island as a visitor, but it is a top culinary destination. Some of the most flavorful fruits and vegetables in the country grow on the island and it is prized for its Jeju black pigs and the abundance of seafood from the surrounding waters. Jeju black pig is a heritage breed indigenous to the island and pr
FoodJan. 22, 2016
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Rival parties seek breakthrough on pending bills
Leaders of the rival parties are set to meet Saturday to speed up their negotiation on deadlocked bills, as they inched toward a compromise this week amid growing public frustration. Floor leaders of the Saenuri Party and The Minjoo Party of Korea will meet along with Assembly speaker Rep. Chung Ui-hwa in a follow-up to their Thursday breakthrough to push forward some of the contentious bills. The Minjoo Party has yielded their position and agreed to put to a vote the bills on easing regulatio
PoliticsJan. 22, 2016
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Olje Classics’ latest series focuses on writing well
Non-profit publishing house Olje released the 17th set in its “Olje Classics” series Thursday, focusing on the art of writing.The four-book series includes “Classic of Poetry,” the oldest collection of Chinese poetry in existence, “The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons,” a treatise on Chinese literary aesthetics, Aristotle’s “Poetics,” and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.”According to Olje, these classic texts have been reinterpreted for the series. “Classic of Poetry” has been
BooksJan. 22, 2016
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Antitrust watchdog probes VW over clean diesel ads
(AP-Yonhap)The nation’s antitrust watchdog has launched a full-scale investigation upon suspicions that Volkswagen Korea ran false advertisements about vehicles for which it had rigged emissions tests, officials said Friday. The probe is expected to strike a blow to the Korean unit of the German carmaker, which is already facing a separate criminal probe and a series of class action suits both in local and U.S. courts.The Fair Trade Commission is zeroing in on speculation that the carmaker claim
IndustryJan. 22, 2016
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Weekend Box Office Guide: Jan. 23-24
Thinking about watching a movie this weekend? The Korea Herald offers a guide to the top movies playing on the big screen.A Melody to Remember (Korea)Drama, war. Directed by Lee HanOpened Jan. 21 Sang-ryeol (Im Si-wan) is a soldier who has lost everyone he loves in the Korean War. He is sent to another division, and meets a group of children who have lost everything, just like him. Along with volunteer teacher Ju-mi (Ko A-sung), he creates a children’s choir to bring a little warmth to the cold
FilmJan. 22, 2016
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[Editorial] Preemptive measures
Foreign investors’ stock selling spree — while not surprising — is sending a cold wind as freezing as the weather through financial markets and ringing alarm bells in the Korean economy. Overseas investors kept dumping shares this week, breaking the 33-day selling streak record set in June and July 2008. Traders and analysts blame fears over, among other things, uncertainty in the Chinese economy and low oil prices. Stock markets are supposed to see investors come and go, depending on many fa
EditorialJan. 22, 2016
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[Editorial] Street politics
The ongoing signature-collecting campaign for a petition to the National Assembly to legislate key pending bills demonstrates how pitiful Korean politics is at the presidential and parliamentary levels alike. The campaign, launched by business organizations such as chambers of commerce, got a big boost when President Park Geun-hye joined it Monday. She said that the campaign expressed the people’s frustration with the parliament and that she wanted to provide her personal support. It would be s
EditorialJan. 22, 2016
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[Kenneth Roth] The key to reaching a Syrian accord
The Syrian peace talks that are scheduled to resume in Geneva on Jan. 25 will take place under a framework set out in Vienna in October. These principles, agreed upon by the most important foreign players in Syria’s war, include a commitment to secular governance, the eventual defeat of the Islamic State and other terrorist groups, the maintenance of Syria’s prewar borders, the preservation of its state institutions and the protection of minority groups. What they do not include is an effort to
ViewpointsJan. 22, 2016
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[David Ignatius] The chill from China’s slowdown
For the past 15 years, the mere mention of the word “China” has brought smiles to the faces of global business executives who gather annually for the World Economic Forum. This year, with Chinese stock and currency markets in turmoil, it brings a chill. China, so long described as an economic miracle, has become a contagion, setting off negative shocks in markets around the world. A correction in perceptions of China was overdue, but financial markets this month have probably been overreacting
ViewpointsJan. 22, 2016
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[Album Review] The Legend finally turns it around
The Legend“Sound Up!”(Loen Entertainment) It’s almost a shame that “Sound Up!” wasn’t boy group The Legend’s first EP. Making a 180-degree flip from rookie group’s original pained, brooding image, “Sound Up!” brings out the commercial pop appeal of the group, who had previously had trouble getting off the ground despite the tall, handsome looks. The five-track EP kicks off with the lead track “Crush on You,” a funky, fun and brass-heavy dance track about a guy who falls in love at first sight wi
PerformanceJan. 22, 2016
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Kpop group Shinhwa plans concerts in March
Longest-running Korean boy band Shinhwa will stage concerts in March commemorating the 18th anniversary of its debut, the group's agency said Friday.Shinhwa Company said the concerts will be held on March 26 and 27 at Seoul Olympic Gymnasium in the southern part of the capital city.The six-member boy band achieved huge success with their latest album released in February last year, as the act earned 10 trophies, topping weekly TV music show "M Countdown" numerous times. The album pays tribute to
PerformanceJan. 22, 2016
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Korea denounces Japan for Dokdo claim
South Korea called on Japan Friday to drop its reckless claim to sovereignty over a pair of rocky islets in the East Sea.It was responding to a Tokyo speech by Japan's top diplomat Fumio Kishida. He reiterated that Dokdo belong to Japan and said his government will deliver the position constantly.In a statement, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said it can't help deploring Kishida's repeat of such an "unfair claim.""(We) urge the Japanese government to immediately abandon its reckless claim to Dokdo, wh
Foreign AffairsJan. 22, 2016
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North Korea detains American for hostile acts against Pyongyang
North Korea said Friday that it has arrested a U.S college student for allegedly conducting hostile acts against the North's regime.The student is being questioned by North Korean officials after being caught taking part in anti-North Korea activity, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said in a brief dispatch.The state news agency claimed that the student entered North Korea nominally for tourism, though the real intention was to undermine North Korea's unity under the U.S. governme
World NewsJan. 22, 2016
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Korea to allow companies to fire 'noticeably' underperforming workers
The government announced Friday contentious labor guidelines as part of its efforts to make the rigid labor market more flexible and help revitalize the sagging economy.The guidelines finalized and released by the Ministry of Labor and Employment ease restrictions for employers to fire "noticeably"underperforming workers and allow companies to change employment rules more easily.Labor representatives strongly voiced opposition to the move, saying that the government policy would make it easier f
Social AffairsJan. 22, 2016
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Activist gets suspended jail term for leading violent rallies
A local court on Friday sentenced an activist to three years in prison for organizing violent rallies in central Seoul over a deadly ferry disaster.Still, the Seoul Central District Court suspended the sentence for Park Rae-gun for four years and ordered him to perform 160 hours of community service.The 55-year-old activist was convicted of holding unauthorized rallies and injuring police officers in 2014 and 2015 over the ferry sinking. The 6,825-ton ferry Sewol sank in waters off the country's
Social AffairsJan. 22, 2016
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Abe says South Korea, Japan share 'strategic interests'
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described South Korea on Friday as his country's "most important neighbor that shares strategic interests," an expression reflecting the mood of improved bilateral ties.In his annual policy speech in parliament, Abe pointed out that Seoul and Tokyo have put an end to a longstanding source of conflict with a deal on the "comfort women" issue late last month.Under the agreement, Japan admitted that it's responsible for the sexual enslavement of many Korean women
Foreign AffairsJan. 22, 2016
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Gov't extends pig movement ban to control FMD
The government decided Friday to extend its pig movement restrictions for a southwestern province for seven days to help stem the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.Two new cases of the highly contagious animal disease were confirmed at pig farms in Gimje and Gochang, North Jeolla Province, earlier in the month, the Agriculture Ministry said. It said the outbreaks in the southwestern part of the country caused 10,842 animals to be culled. "The restrictions will be pushed back to midnight on Jan. 2
Social AffairsJan. 22, 2016