Most Popular
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Yoon warns North Korea against nuclear attack attempt
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81-year-old model awarded ‘best dressed’ in Miss Universe Korea
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Seoul mayor suggests shift in immigration policy
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'Smart pill'? ADHD treatment prescriptions spike this year
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[KH Explains] Korea pursues ‘fire-free’ batteries amid EV fears
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AI textbook bubble could burst, expert warns
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[Herald Review] One of Netflix's most expensive Korean originals returns, but at what cost?
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Man calls 119, found dead 1 week later because officials went to wrong place
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Food tycoon Paik Jong-won's Theborn Korea pushes toward IPO
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Samsung tightens its belt amid crisis winds
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Samsung’s new mobile chief vows to retain market leadership
Samsung Electronics’ new mobile business chief Koh Dong-jin vowed to maintain the company’s leadership in the world’s smartphone market despite market concerns about competition from rivals.Entering Samsung’s head office in Seocho-dong, Seoul, on Wednesday, the new president of the mobile communications business -- a smaller unit under the firm’s IT and mobile communications division -- told reporters that Samsung’s smartphone unit is “not at the end of its rope.” He also pledged that he would m
TechnologyDec. 2, 2015
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Putin takes ineffectual aim at Turkey
President Vladimir Putin is so angry with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey that he won’t talk to him on the phone or meet with him at the United Nations climate talks in Paris. But Putin can’t do much to hurt Erdogan or his country; he can only make life a little more difficult for Russians. Putin has demanded an apology and compensation from Turkey for shooting down a Russian bomber that had strayed into its airspace. Erdogan wants Russia to apologize. The war of words, waged through t
ViewpointsDec. 2, 2015
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America’s optimism gap: It’s not what you think
Whether it’s myth, mush or gospel truth, optimism — the can-do spirit — has always been a core trait in the American “brand.” In this Thanksgiving season, however, the menu of who is feeling thankful and hopeful and who isn’t is unusual. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll tried to get at Americans’ feelings about the future. Among the questions were ones basically asking people if they were feeling “cautiously optimistic” about the direction of the country or if they had a sense of “unea
ViewpointsDec. 2, 2015
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[David Ignatius] One step out of the inferno
A modest diplomatic breakthrough seems near in Lebanon, as the allies of Saudi Arabia and Iran appear to have tentatively agreed on a new president after an 18-month deadlock. Under a political deal blessed by the U.S., the vacant Lebanese presidency would be filled by Suleiman Franjieh, a Maronite Christian politician who has long been friendly with the Iranian-supported regime in Syria. Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim leader strongly backed by Saudi Arabia, would become prime minister. The deal
ViewpointsDec. 2, 2015
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[Jean Pisani-Ferry] Three fault lines in European Union’s security crisis
Ten or 20 years ago, the existential question facing the European Union was whether it still had a purpose in a globalized world. The question today is whether the EU can respond effectively to major external shocks. Europe’s neighborhood is poor and dangerous. South of Gibraltar, income per capita drops more than fivefold. War has recently raged in Ukraine. The Israel-Palestine conflict has continued for more than 50 years. And the war in Iraq barely ended before the mayhem in Syria commenced.
ViewpointsDec. 2, 2015
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[Kim Ji-hyun] An uneasy cohabitation
Last week, I chaperoned a field trip at my son’s school. In more ways than one, it turned out to be quite a memorable event. Physically, it was one of the most challenging days of my life since, oh, let’s say my last hangover. Try dragging five incredibly energetic and highly opinionated second graders on a scavenger hunt, and you’ll know what I mean. Among the items we were instructed to collect was an “unusually shaped leaf.” One of the boys kept scooping up rotten foliage off the ground, in
ViewpointsDec. 2, 2015
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[Editorial] Korea-China FTA
President Park Geun-hye, now on a tour of Europe, must be happy to hear that the National Assembly has finally ratified free trade agreements with China, New Zealand and Vietnam. Park had been obsessed with the parliamentary approval of the trade pacts, especially the Korea-China FTA, which will help open a market of 1.3 billion people to Korean products and services. Outraged by the parliament’s foot-dragging, Park kept putting pressure on the Assembly, mixing personal appeals with direct ver
EditorialDec. 2, 2015
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[Editorial] Energy policy
Leaders and officials from more than 140 countries gathered in Paris to kick off historic talks to set a new legally binding regime to cut greenhouse gas emissions. President Park Geun-hye was also in the French capital to express Korea’s commitment to joining the global endeavors to fight global warming. “We must marshal the collective will and capacities of the entire world and make absolutely sure that this Climate Change Conference gives birth to a new climate regime,” Park told the leader
EditorialDec. 2, 2015
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Hanwha Q Cells begins operating Turkey’s largest solar plant
Hanwha Q Cells, the world’s leading solar cell manufacturer, has begun operating a portion of its solar power plant in Turkey which will become the largest of its kind in the country upon completion in 2016. The South Korean solar cell manufacturer said Wednesday it has finished building its first plant -- with a production capacity of 8.3 megawatts of solar energy -- in Burdur, a city in southwestern Turkey.Hanwha is scheduled to complete another plant with a 10 MW capacity by next year, drivin
IndustryDec. 2, 2015
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[Photo News] ExxonMobil, KOGAS to cooperate for LNG business
LNG COOPERATION -- ExxonMobil vice president of gas and power marketing Richard Guerrant (left) and the president and Korea Gas Corp. chief executive Lee Seung-hoon pose after signing a memorandum of understanding to jointly pursue new opportunities in the natural gas value chain at a ceremony held in Seoul on Wednesday. LNG -- a cleaner burner fuel compared to other non-renewable energy sources -- is expected to replace coal as the No. 2 global source of energy, a shift that reflects the versat
IndustryDec. 2, 2015
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‘Korea can create 2nd Pucca’
Pucca, an animated character created by Korea’s Vooz in 2000, has shown that Korea’s characters can reach the global audience through international partnerships and merchandising deals.The wacky Chinese character earns over 300 billion won ($257.7 million) per year on average globally, thanks in part to the Disney Channel, which has been broadcasting “Pucca” short animated TV series in more than 100 countries.LIMA Korea chief Kwak Kyeong-won (LIMA)Kwak Kyeong-won, the Korean representative of th
CultureDec. 2, 2015
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[Design Forum] Design changes lives for physically impaired
Swinging-door bathtubs (Chung Joo-won/The Korea Herald)Universal Design Expo was launched Wednesday to display some of the latest technologies and art objects with “universal designs,” or designs that all walks of life including the physically impaired can enjoy. On display from Dec. 2-6, the main exhibition of Seoul Design Week 2015 consists of 11 experience zones, seven “life experience zones” and four “transportation experience zones.” The life experience zones include five experience-yours
IndustryDec. 2, 2015
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Police raids labor union for staging violent protest
Police raided the local branch offices of an umbrella labor union Wednesday as part of their ongoing probe into a violent anti-government rally held last month.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency raided three regional offices of the plant construction labor union affiliated with the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions in South Chungcheong Province and one in South Jeolla Province.The members of the union are suspected of preparing iron pipes for the rally, as well as brandishing them against po
Social AffairsDec. 2, 2015
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Seoul shares fall 0.72% ahead of ECB meeting
South Korean stocks retreated 0.72 percent Wednesday as investors took to the sidelines ahead of the European Central Bank's two-day policy meeting to decide on expanding its stimulus step. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 14.64 points, or 0.72 percent, to 2,009.29. Trade volume was moderate at 623.96 million shares worth 4.3 trillion won ($3.69 billion), with losers far outpacing gainers 532 to 286.Investors expect the ECB t
Dec. 2, 2015
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Hyundai, Kia see China sales stay robust in Nov.
Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors Corp. saw their sales in China continue to rebound from a deep trough on the back of firm demand for sports utility vehicles and new models, industry data showed Wednesday.The two leading South Korean carmakers sold a total of 180,159 vehicles in China last month, up 11.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the data.Their sales in China grew on-month for the first time in six months in October with a 4.7-percent rise following an 11-pe
MobilityDec. 2, 2015
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SK Telecom sets out new vision with takeover amid criticism
South Korea's No. 1 mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. vowed Wednesday to beef up its efforts to tap deeper into the media industry through the acquisition of the nation's top cable operator, amid rising criticism from its rivals over the deal.In early November, SK Telecom struck a deal to buy CJ Hellovision, the country's biggest operator of cable channels and Internet TV content, and plans to merge the firm with its wholly owned subsidiary SK Broadband Co.The merger needs to win approval from the a
IndustryDec. 2, 2015
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Former gov't agency chief questioned over illegal political funds
Prosecutors said Wednesday they have summoned a former head of a government public relations agency in connection with allegations he received illegal political funds worth some hundreds of millions of won.Kim Chang-ho, the former head of the Government Information Agency, appeared before the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office in the morning.The 59-year-old is suspected of receiving the money from the jailed head of Value Invest Korea, a local investment company, for election campaignin
PoliticsDec. 2, 2015
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Foreign native hired as nat'l museum director amid censorship controversy
The national contemporary art museum has hired a foreign director for the first time, amid protests of his history of censorship.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Bartomeu Mari, former head of the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, will now head the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Mari is the first foreign-born figure to head any institute under the auspices of the culture ministry.The ministry said Mari will take over from acting director Kim Jeong-bae as early
Social AffairsDec. 2, 2015
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Soldier who lost leg in land mine blast completes rehabilitation
A South Korean solider left a hospital on Wednesday with a new prosthetic leg after completing rehabilitation treatment for the injury suffered in a land mine blast blamed on North Korea in August, the Defense Ministry said.The 23-year-old Kim Jung-won is one of the two South Korean soldiers who were seriously injured by the mine explosion blamed on North Korea near the inter-Korean border on Aug. 4.Following four months of treatment, the staff sergeant was discharged from a hospital in Seoul wi
Social AffairsDec. 2, 2015
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New chief prosecutor vows stern action against violent protesters
Kim Soo-nam vowed on Wednesday to take stern actions against violent protesters as he was sworn in as the country's new prosecution chief."(We should) break the vicious cycle by thoroughly investigating not only the violent protesters but also those who instigate and protect them," the prosecutor general said in his inauguration ceremony at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul.The remarks were made ahead of a massive rally planned for this coming weekend, after an association of lib
Social AffairsDec. 2, 2015