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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Yoon warns North Korea against nuclear attack attempt
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Seoul to hold grand military parade on Tuesday, disrupting major city routes
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81-year-old model awarded ‘best dressed’ in Miss Universe Korea
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Shut up and dance
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Seoul mayor suggests shift in immigration policy
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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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'Smart pill'? ADHD treatment prescriptions spike this year
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Controversy grows over wartime sex slavery agreement
South Korea and Japan’s epochal agreement Monday to settle the comfort women issue drew angry reactions from surviving Korean victims, ethnic Koreans living overseas, activist groups and opposition politicians, who called for an unconstitutionality suit to invalidate the settlement and the resignation of South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se. The deal, which included Tokyo’s apology for Korean victims and a fund of 1 billion yen ($8.29 million) for Seoul to establish a foundation to suppor
Social AffairsDec. 29, 2015
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POSCO’s auto steel production evolves
For lighter, stronger auto body frames, Korea’s top steelmaker POSCO has been producing advanced high-strength steel, the latest steel sheet production technology, with growing market demand.Advanced high-strength steel is one of the fastest-growing material markets in the automotive industry in and out of the country, as it offers enhanced formability and is lighter in weight but stronger than other steel products. With a growing number of carmakers developing lighter but stronger vehicles to e
IndustryDec. 29, 2015
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[Editorial] More than rhetoric
Independent lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo is keeping up a brisk pace on his plan to launch a new political party by early February. Ahn, who broke away from the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy -- now renamed the Together Democratic Party -- earlier this month, held a news conference Sunday to set out his vision for the new party. It was the first time that he met the media to discuss his plans for the new party. But what Ahn said fell far short of clearly showing what his “new poli
EditorialDec. 29, 2015
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[Editorial] Japan’s sincerity
As with all such agreements, the landmark deal on Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II has both positive and negative aspects. For the first time, Japan acknowledged the involvement of its military in the operation of the war brothels and clearly stated that its government was responsible. The statement read by Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida after talks with his Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se on Monday made the points clear: “The comfort wom
EditorialDec. 29, 2015
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[Lee Jae-min] Equitable share of maritime zone
Equity is an elusive concept. It means the fairest outcome under the circumstances taking all relevant factors into consideration. A perfect standard, but achieving it is easier said than done. When the concept is applied to a particular case, everyone interprets it to his or her own advantage. It’s almost like everyone has their own standard of equity. One of the areas where this concept of equity is employed is the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone between two adjacent states: the 1
ViewpointsDec. 29, 2015
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After accord, Seoul begins work on fund for former sex slaves
The Seoul government on Tuesday set the ball rolling to execute Monday’s bilateral agreement with Tokyo to settle the issue of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, despite escalating controversy over the ambiguity of the clauses and objections from the victims and civic groups.Seoul’s Foreign Ministry began its internal preparatory work for the establishment of a fund to support the Korean victims. Under the agreement, the two countries are to form a fund with Tokyo providing 1 billion yen ($8.3 mill
Foreign AffairsDec. 29, 2015
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[Kim Seong-kon] Where multiple cultures coexist
Traveling to foreign places is an eye-opening process. You learn so many invaluable things about other people and cultures during your trip. While you are traveling, you are exposed to diverse cultures and get to interact with different people. That experience broadens the horizon of your mind significantly. Sometimes, your trip can be a journey to past civilizations. Other times, it can be a soul-searching journey. A few weeks ago, I traveled to Spain with Korean novelist Pyun Hye-young to a
ViewpointsDec. 29, 2015
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Hanwha distributes braille calendars
Hanwha Group said Tuesday it has produced and distributed tens of thousands of 2016 braille calendars to the blind as part of its year-end social contribution efforts. Some 50,000 braille calendars were delivered for free to the Korea Blind Union and some 300 local organizations for the blind, as well as thousands of individuals, according to Hanwha. Hanwha’s 2016 braille calendar (Hanwha Group) The conglomerate has been making braille calendars for 16 consecutive years since 2000, when Hanwha c
IndustryDec. 29, 2015
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Content venture center opens in Seoul
The government Tuesdays launched a tech content venture center called the “Creative Economic Leader,” or CEL Venture Center, in downtown Seoul.Located in the former building of the Korea Tourism Organization, the CEL Venture Center will accommodate some 90 start-ups specializing in creating stories and content using the latest and emerging technologies such as virtual reality, drones and location-based information services. The CEL Academy, an educational institute for training the next-generati
CultureDec. 29, 2015
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Restoring East Asia’s oldest stone pagoda
IKSAN, North Jeolla Province -- Restoring the seventh-century Baekje-era stone pagoda at the UNESCO-registered Mireuksa Temple site in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, has been a daunting task for archaeologists. There were no proven historical records that could guide experts to recreate the original form of the ancient Buddhist pagoda. “I went through every historical record from the 13th-century Samguk Yusa -- memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms. But no book had a record of how tall it was,” said
CultureDec. 29, 2015
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[SUPER RICH] Young chaebol heiresses choose consulting firms as first workplace
SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won’s daughter Chey Yun-jeong, AmorePacific Group chairman Suh Kyung-bae’s daughter Suh Min-jung and LF president & CEO Koo Bon-keul’s niece Koo Min-jeong have a striking similarity.The three women are all next-generation chaebol heiresses currently working as junior consultants at the Korean subsidiary of global consulting firm Bain & Company.They did not enter their family business after graduating, instead choosing to work at a consulting firm to gain experience and
IndustryDec. 29, 2015
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Naughty and nice list for 2015
So many lumps of coal, so little time. We’ve seen a lot of mischief and bad behavior this year, from mean-spirited campaign pledges to deceptive diesel engines to stubbornly profligate water use. (And that’s not even counting the truly evil deeds of 2015, starting with the Charlie Hebdo killings and running through the massacre in San Bernardino.) But like Santa’s tally, our Naughty ledger has a Nice counterpart, and this year the names included those of an unflappable police chief and, yes, a c
ViewpointsDec. 29, 2015
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‘-ism’, identity the world’s real words of 2015
What’s the word? The “Word of the Year” at Oxford Dictionaries is not even a word. It is an emoji, a digital image that is used in text messages to express an idea or emotion in a style that seems in my eyes to be aimed at illiterates. Oxford Dictionaries justified this selection by citing an explosion in “emoji culture” over the last year and not, as I fear, a collapse in the public’s desire to read. “It’s flexible, immediate and infuses tone beautifully,” Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford
ViewpointsDec. 29, 2015
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Clever stars put to the test in ‘Code’
Ten stars, each with different individual strengths in creativity, math or games, lock themselves in a room eight stories underground for JTBC‘s new entertainment program “Code.”The show is an adaptation of popular “escape room” games that began online with versions like “Doors & Rooms” and “The Mansion,” and eventually grew into physical off-line versions. In the games, players are required to find clues in anything from paintings on the walls to bar codes on the backs of books to help them unl
TelevisionDec. 29, 2015
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2015: The most hyperbolic year ever
It’s the end of the year, when newspaper columnists are supposed to fill in the blank — “2015 was the year of ____ ” — and decide whether the phenomenon in question falls into the category of “good thing” or “good riddance.” This year, however, so much of what happened has been framed as larger-than-life, as history in the making that I find myself at a loss when it comes to identifying the One Defining Trend. There was the big stuff, like guns, refugees and government dysfunction. And then ther
ViewpointsDec. 29, 2015
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Kim Bum-soo to hold 17th anniversary concert
Balladeer Kim Bum-soo will hold a two-day concert in March to celebrate the 17th anniversary of his debut. The program will feature the hits of the popular vocalist, including “Promise,” “I Miss You,” “Last Love” and “It Will Pass” in addition to a number of new songs, according to a statement released by the concert's planning agency Delight Company Inc. on Tuesday.Kim Bum-soo (Polaris Entertainment) Kim, 36, known for his smooth vocals and flawless technique, has come to occupy a key position
PerformanceDec. 29, 2015
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Rookie groups Cosmic Girls, UNIQ release New Year’s song
International girl group Cosmic Girls, set to debut early next year, has collaborated on a special New Year’s release with boy band UNIQ, the girl group’s agency announced Tuesday. The two groups have released a track titled “Happy New Year” and its music video in China, marking Cosmic Girls' first video debut. From left: Xuan Yi, Eunseo and Yeoreum from 12-member girl group Cosmic Girls, set to debut early 2016 (Starship Entertainment) “The video is filled with warm colors and a fun, quirky st
PerformanceDec. 29, 2015
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Debt is Korea’s biggest economic setback: FSC chief
Financial Services Commission Chairman Yim Jong-yong attends his year-end press meeting in central Seoul, Tuesday. (FSC)Financial Services Commission Chairman Yim Jong-yong pinpointed household debt and corporate debt as the biggest potential problems for the Korean economy, calling for “fierce reform” to guard against it. “The debt problem, (particularly) household debt and corporate debt, is the biggest risk in our economy,” the chief financial regulator said in his year-end press meeting in
Dec. 29, 2015
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Seoul shares edge up on pharmaceutical, retail gains
South Korean stocks rose marginally high on Tuesday, propped up by rallies in pharmaceutical and retail companies. The local currency lost against the greenback.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 2.25 points, or 0.11 percent, to end at 1,966.31. Trade volume was thin at 394.49 million shares worth 3.76 trillion won ($3.21 billion), with winners beating losers 461 to 368.The market started lower and moved in and out of positive terrain. Propping up the market are individual inv
Dec. 29, 2015
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Kumho Asiana completes 723 bln won payment to win back key unit
Kumho Asiana Group, the parent of South Korea's No. 2 air carrier, said Tuesday it has completed a payment of 723 billion won ($618.16 million) to buy a controlling stake in Kumho Industrial Co.The move came years after Kumho Industrial, the group's construction unit and de facto holding firm, has been under the control of its creditors through a debt-for-equity swap after the logistics-focused conglomerate faced a liquidity crisis in 2009.Under the move, Kumho Asiana Group bought 50 percent sta
IndustryDec. 29, 2015