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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Arduous history of sex slavery victims
Braving social bias and ostracism, Kim Hak-soon, a South Korean comfort woman, took to the podium in 1991 to testify about her wartime forced prostitution experiences for the first time in public. Another 237 Korean women, forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II, followed suit, demanding a sincere apology and legal compensation from the Japanese government. Later that year, Kim and three other victims filed a lawsuit against Japanese authorities. But Japan’s highest
NationalDec. 28, 2015
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Hyundai highlights Genesis, global talent in reshuffle
Hyundai Motor Group on Monday promoted 368 staff at the executive level of 25 affiliates, highlighting the company’s globalization strategy as well as its new standalone premium sedan brand, the Genesis. Luc Donckerwolke and Manfred Fitzgerald“The promotion is designed to beef up our core competitiveness in future technologies, quality and brands, to become the global market leader,” a Hyundai spokesman said. The company appointed Luc Donckerwolke as the head of Hyundai Design Center, and Manfre
IndustryDec. 28, 2015
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Hanwha opens skyscraper duty-free store
Hanwha Group, the country’s ninth-largest conglomerate, opened the Galleria Duty Free 63, a new urban duty-free store located in the iconic 63 City building of Yeouido, southwestern Seoul, on Monday. It aims to generate more than 500 billion won ($430 million) in sales with annual growth of more than 14 percent. The burgeoning duty-free unit under Hanwha Galleria Time World ― retail arm of the group ― threw open 60 percent of the 10,153 square-meter store stocked with 369 glitzy brands attractin
IndustryDec. 28, 2015
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[Best Brand] The Ritz-Carlton Seoul -- height of luxury
The Ritz-Carlton Seoul offers guests a unique city experience with its private balconies overlooking Korea’s capital. Located in the heart of the buzzing Gangnam area, the Ritz-Carlton Seoul boasts easy accessibility while setting itself apart from the busy cityscape, allowing guests to find a moment of quiet and luxurious retreat. In addition to its private guest room balconies -- provided by no other hotel in Seoul -- the Ritz-Carlton Seoul’s all-day fine dining restaurant also features an ou
TravelDec. 28, 2015
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Lotte replaces duty-free chief
In the aftermath of its failure to retain the license for an urban duty-free shop, Lotte Group appointed Chang Sun-wook as the new head of Hotel Lotte’s duty-free operations on Monday.Chang will replace Lee Hong-kyun, who resigned after taking responsibility for having to shut down Lotte Duty Free Shop in Jamsil, southern Seoul. Lee will remain as an advisor.The country’s fifth-largest conglomerate said Chang, who currently heads Lotte’s advertising agency Daehong Communications, has a long hist
IndustryDec. 28, 2015
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[Best Brand] Banyan Tree Club and Spa Seoul, urban oasis in the heart of Seoul
Banyan Tree Club and Spa Seoul is an award-winning urban resort located in the heart of South Korea’s capital. Overlooking the lush greenery of the Mount Namsan, it is the ultimate place to fully enjoy the serenity and privacy offered by the resort. The 21-story hotel is designed to offer relaxation and comfort with only four guest rooms on each floor. Each guest room is equipped with the hotel’s signature Relaxation Pool and other luxurious amenities. The hotel also offers diverse indoor and
TravelDec. 28, 2015
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[Best Brand] Fraser Suites downtown leads serviced apartment business
Located just minutes away from central of Seoul, Fraser Suites Insadong offers all its guest a rich cultural experience with palaces, traditional markets and museums all within walking distance. Fraser Suites has 213 fully furnished suites from a single up to four bedrooms, along with its penthouse suite. The luxury apartment hotel also features a heated indoor swimming pool, with a separate children’s pool, and a fully-equipped gym to ensure its guests stay fit during their stay. As a leading
TravelDec. 28, 2015
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[Best Brand] Grand InterContinental Seoul honored for service quality
Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas has achieved a series of outstanding recognitions both in Korea and abroad this year. It has gained the five-star hotel status this year as the first foreign luxury hotel chain in Korea. Also, the hotel has earned the ISO 22000 certification for its excellence in food safety management system. Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas topped the country’s Korean Standard-Service Quality Index, which measures companies’ quality of services, for seven consecutive year
TravelDec. 28, 2015
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Private debt’s ratio to GDP exceeds 180%
South Korea’s private sector debt reached a record high in proportion to its gross domestic product at nearly double the national economic output in the third quarter this year, data from the Bank of Korea showed Monday. Loans extended to households and private companies stood at a record 182.6 percent of the country’s GDP at the end of September, hitting the highest level in the country’s history, the data noted. The country’s private debt-to-GDP ratio remained under 180 percent through the fir
Dec. 28, 2015
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[Newsmaker] Hyundai Elevator-Schindler feud resurfaces
Years of bitter feuding between Hyundai Elevator, the nation’s leading elevator manufacturer, and Schindler Group, its No. 2 shareholder, resurfaced on Monday after a top Swiss envoy had a rare meeting with Cheong Wa Dae officials requesting the government’s intervention.According to local reports, Swiss Ambassador to Korea Jorg Al. Reding recently met An Chong-bum, senior presidential secretary on economic affairs, to ask South Korea’s top office to step in. He claimed that the Swiss firm has s
IndustryDec. 28, 2015
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Extended ‘Inside Men’ gets more personal
The director’s cut of the hit webtoon-turned drama film “Inside Men” is set to be released at the end of the year with 50 additional minutes of footage, bringing the running time to three hours. The added footage to the story -- which follows a deeply corrupt triangular conspiracy involving politics, corporate interests and the media -- focuses mainly on providing personal histories and context for the complex relationships between the main characters. Baek Yoon-sik (left) and Lee Byung-hun star
FilmDec. 28, 2015
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[Editorial] No. 1 arms buyer
A U.S. Congress report showed that South Korea emerged as the world’s biggest arms importer last year, overtaking major Asian competitors including India, Saudi Arabia and China. Between 2004 and 2013, the country was ranked between third and eighth in arms purchases, according to an earlier report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Considering Korea’s military power, which is assessed at No. 7 in the world, along with its gross domestic product position of 11th, its arms i
EditorialDec. 28, 2015
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[Editorial] Undue refinery concerns
Some stock analysts say that the nation’s oil refining industry is estimated to have suffered heavy losses in inventory values due to a deep slide in international crude oil prices. Dubai crude is staying under $40 a barrel while it hovered over $100 in the first half of 2014. The analysts argue that local oil refiners see the loss from the gap between the amount paid for oil in its inventory and the current low price of crude. But ordinary citizens don’t seem to quite agree. The research report
EditorialDec. 28, 2015
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Mirae Asset still thirsty for growth
Mirae Asset Financial Group chairman Park Hyeon-joo speaks at a press conference in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)Park Hyeon-joo, the founding chairman of Mirae Asset Financial Group, said Monday the proposed acquisition of Korea’s second-largest brokerage KDB Daewoo Securities will bring his self-built empire one step closer to becoming Asia’s leading investment bank, calling it “a perfect fit” for Mirae Asset. “The value of Daewoo Securities depends on the synergy it would bring to its proposed buy
Dec. 28, 2015
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SBS’s year-end music festival drops the ball on music
Broadcaster SBS’ long-awaited year-end music festival “Gayo Daejeon” was a huge disappointment for fans after sound, camera work and captioning mishaps put a damper on the all-star performances.The most noticeable mistakes were in sound coordination. The sound volume of the artists’ tracks and microphones continued to fluctuate, with recorded tracks frequently drowning out the artists’ voices. At times, the microphones did not function at all, cutting out the vocals for EXO’s performance of “Cal
TelevisionDec. 28, 2015
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SPO board postpones decision on director’s contract
Upheaval at the controversy-plagued Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra continued as its board of directors decided to postpone its decision on renewing maestro Chung Myung-whun’s contract as the city orchestra’s music director.Members of the orchestra’s board of directors met Monday morning to discuss whether to keep Chung, who has promised to fulfill next season’s conducting commitments with the SPO regardless of his contract status. Conductor Chung Myung-whun (Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra)Earlier i
PerformanceDec. 28, 2015
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[Dick Meyer] The best political dramas of 2015
In holiday seasons past, I have had fun recommending good novels about American politics. Alas, I haven’t read any this year, old or new. The fault is mine; I’ve been too discouraged with real-life politics to relax with fictional versions. But 2015 was a good year in drama for politics and political history. The year’s masterpiece has to be the musical “Hamilton” by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which tells the story of Alexander Hamilton in hip-hop and other modern musical dialects. It is one of the mos
ViewpointsDec. 28, 2015
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[Photo News] S-Oil donates to charity fund
S-OIL DONATES TO CHARITY FUND — S-Oil CEO Nasser al-Mahasher (left) delivers $2 billion won ($1.71 million) in donations to the Community Chest of Korea, a local charity organization, last week as part of its year-end efforts to help underprivileged citizens across the country. (S-Oil)
IndustryDec. 28, 2015
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Two models rumored for Galaxy S7 release
With the launch date of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S7 nearing, market speculation is rampant about the looks and specifications of the latest smartphone model.A local media outlet reported Monday that Samsung’s new Galaxy smartphone will come in two variants -- one equipped with a 5.2-inch display and the other with a 5.5.-inch curved display.Samsung’s move for the next flagship handset is aimed at beating its archrival Apple, which has also deployed a two-track strategy by releasing two produc
TechnologyDec. 28, 2015
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‘Disconnect to connect’ in Wonju’s budding art scene
WONJU, Gangwon Province -- Very much overshadowed by the neighboring snow-filled scenes of bliss in PyeongChang, the site of the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics, Gangwon Province’s Wonju seeks to attract the attention of travelers. The small-time city of Wonju, less than a two-hour drive from central Seoul, has always flown under the radar in terms of its tourism pull. While it does not have a reputation as one of the peninsula’s “must-see” destinations, it beckons a second look as an unlikely hav
CultureDec. 28, 2015