Most Popular
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Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
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Pay debate plagues foreign nanny pilot
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K-pop star lip-syncing controversy flares up again
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35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
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Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over
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Pianist Lim Yunchan double winner at Gramophone Awards
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[Reporter’s Notebook] Was Netflix film opening BIFF really a bad thing?
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N. Korean leader's sister derides Seoul's Hyunmoo-5 missile as 'useless'
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Controversial cult leader’s sentence reduced to 17 years
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S. Korea, US clinch 2026-30 defense cost-sharing deal in pre-election push
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Blue House denies decision on textbook
Cheong Wa Dae Wednesday denied reports that the government has decided to adopt state-published textbooks for secondary education history, amid growing dispute over the possible change strongly opposed by key educators and progressives.The Education Ministry also released a statement earlier in the day denying a local news report that it had agreed with Cheong Wa Dae to allow only the government to author history textbooks.“As of now, the ministry has yet to reach a decision on the state history
Social AffairsSept. 9, 2015
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[Herald Review] ‘Deep Trap’ brings your fears to life
The new thriller from director Kwon Hyung-jin is interesting in its simplicity. There are basically no twists in the plot, and the terror of the film does not come from surprise moments where things pop out from the darkness. Instead, it builds up a sense of entrapment slowly, almost tediously, and makes it easier for the audience to relate to the protagonists’ desperate situation.The film is about a young married couple who are struggling to restore their troubled sex life and marriage after a
FilmSept. 9, 2015
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Hanmi Global enters construction management market in Japan
The Tojo solar power plant in Japan went into operation on Aug. 31, becoming the first construction management project a Korean firm has conducted in Japan.Hanmi Global, a leading construction management firm, had taken part in the 100 billion won ($84 million) project as the country’s first contractor in this field to expand into the Japanese market. The project order was issued by the Mega Solar Factory, coestablished by South Korea’s S-Energy and Japan’s Clean Energy Factory.Generating more t
IndustrySept. 9, 2015
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East Asia should ensure growth helps the poor
By Axel van TrotsenburgUnprecedented economic growth in the last three decades propelled East Asia into an economic powerhouse responsible for a quarter of the world’s economy. Hundreds of millions of people across the region, including in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, lifted themselves out of extreme poverty and enjoyed greater prosperity, largely because of more labor-intensive and inclusive growth. The success didn’t come without challenges. As of last year, 100 million
ViewpointsSept. 9, 2015
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[Robert Reich] What happened to the moral core of capitalism?
An economy depends fundamentally on public morality — shared standards about what sorts of activities are impermissible because they so fundamentally violate trust that they threaten to undermine the social fabric.At a time when many Republican presidential candidates and state legislators are furiously focusing on private morality — contraception, abortion, gay marriage and what people do in their bedrooms — America is experiencing a far more significant crisis in public morality. CEOs of large
ViewpointsSept. 9, 2015
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Yun to visit Australia, New Zealand
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will embark on a six-day trip to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji on Thursday, aiming to strengthen strategic diplomatic relations with the Pacific nations, the ministry said Wednesday.On Friday in Sydney, Yun and Seoul’s Defense Minister Han Min-koo will attend the “two-plus-two” meeting with their Australian counterparts -- Julie Bishop and Kevin Andrews, respectively -- to discuss a range of bilateral, regional and global issues, including North Kore
Foreign AffairsSept. 9, 2015
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[Kim Ji-hyun] Tokyo’s Olympic blues
The ride to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is turning out to be a mighty bumpy one. First it was the stadium. The budget was too high and had to undergo some drastic cuts. Then, the official emblem was pulled after it was found to be a rip-off. But this is only the tip of the iceberg, according to critics, who say that many decisions regarding the games were made without consensus. For instance, the public was never adequately informed of the criteria for choosing Kenjiro Sano’s emblem design. A
ViewpointsSept. 9, 2015
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Moon stakes leadership on party reform
The main opposition party leader said Wednesday he would leave his post as chairman if the party disapproves a package of reform measures, amid an escalating party feud that has increased pressure on him to resign.In an emergency press conference, Rep. Moon Jae-in proposed a vote of confidence in his leadership in line with the fate of the controversial reform measures, and urged the party to end factional infighting. He called for the unity of the party in order to win the general election next
PoliticsSept. 9, 2015
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AmorePacific eyes Middle East, South America as next targets
AmorePacific chairman Suh Kyung-bae on Wednesday announced that his company will expand to Southeast Asian megalopolises, then to the Middle East and South America in the next few years, targeting the growing middle-class population opening their eyes to beauty regimes. Such a Eurasia trail will help the company take a leap from an Asian beauty leader to a great global beauty company generating 12 trillion won ($10 billion) in annual sales by 2020 with half of it from overseas, he said. AmorePa
IndustrySept. 9, 2015
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‘Dolphin diplomacy’ features in Seoul Defense Dialogue
President Park Geun-hye’s attendance at China’s much-trumpeted military parade last week underscored both increasingly tricky diplomatic challenges facing South Korea, and the potential of its middle-power diplomacy to seek a delicate balance between the U.S. and China. Hwang Jae-hoPark’s trip to Beijing from Sept. 2-4 came amid escalating concerns that it could further reinforce the growing impression that Seoul is tilting too much toward Beijing at the expense of its traditional security alli
DefenseSept. 9, 2015
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Maestro releases iron-free shirts
Maestro, a brand from LF Corp., has launched an iron-free shirt that stays wrinkle-free after washing for the fall and winter season this year, company officials said.Maestro used the functional material from Hong Kong fabric company TAL -- following an exclusive contract in Korea -- for its iron-free shirts.Company officials said the material has gone through a special steam compression process eight times so that it retains its shape after coming through the wash. The new iron-free shirts have
IndustrySept. 9, 2015
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Budget plan focuses on border defense
Seoul has earmarked 38.95 trillion won ($32.7 billion) in its proposal for next year’s defense budget, an increase of 4 percent from the previous year, as it seeks to beef up defense capabilities to better counter North Korea’s evolving military threats.“To realize a robust security, we have reflected the security situations, including North Korea’s recent provocations, and our strong resolve to address them in our budget planning for next year,” Vice Defense Minister Baek Seung-joo said during
DefenseSept. 9, 2015
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Mortgages surge W7tr in July
(123RF)The two key interest rate cuts by the central bank this year have fueled mortgage growth amid the record-low loan rates, data showed Wednesday. The Bank of Korea lowered the nation’s base rate to 1.75 percent on March 12 and further to 1.5 percent on June 11. Following the June rate-cut, housing-collateralized loans to the household sector increased by about 7 trillion won ($5.8 billion) in July, compared to the previous month, BOK data showed. The monthly mortgage growth from June to Jul
Sept. 9, 2015
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In-flight crimes tripled last year
The number of crimes that threaten flight safety has been on the rise in recent years, a lawmaker’s report showed Wednesday. According to Rep. Lee No-keun of the ruling Saenuri Party, over 40 cases in violation of the aviation safety regulations were caught last year, which was triple the figure of 2013. In-flight smoking was the most common violation, accounting for 80 percent. Most of them were caught while smoking in the restroom, the report said. By law, anyone smoking in the airplane can be
Social AffairsSept. 9, 2015
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Multicultural residents make up 3.4% of population
The number of multicultural residents is rising in Korea as more foreign nationals settle in the country, government data showed Wednesday.According to the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, the number of Korean residents with a foreign background reached about 1.74 million as of January this year, accounting for 3.4 percent of the total population. The number has tripled since 2006. The figure includes marriage immigrants, the children of marriage immigrants, naturalized Ko
Social AffairsSept. 9, 2015
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Gov't poised to unveil own labor reform bill: finance minister
The government will unveil its own labor reform bill if parties to the ongoing talks fail to meet the deadline to reach a compromise, the top economic policymaker said Wednesday.Turning up the heat on labor unions, the government has given the so-called tripartite committee until Thursday to come up with an agreement on how to reform the country's rigid labor market."Unless the committee reaches a settlement by the Thursday deadline, the government will be forced to announce a bill and set admin
PoliticsSept. 9, 2015
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Park calls for international security mechanism
President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday underscored the need for a multinational security mechanism in East Asia, saying it would help bring about not only a unification of the Korean Peninsula but also lasting peace and stability in the region. In her keynote speech to the Seoul Defense Dialogue, she pointed to what she called the Asian paradox as a threat to global peace -- regional instability stemming from the perennial standoff on the peninsula and persistent territorial and historical spats b
DefenseSept. 9, 2015
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Job creation tumbles, but outlook bright
South Korea's job creation plunged to the lowest level in six years in August, casting a cloud over the outlook for employment down the road as the economy struggles with weak demand both at home and abroad. Citing the low growth stemmed mainly from seasonal factors, however, government officials painted a rather rosy picture of the labor market, predicting employment will likely gather ground in September.According to latest government data, Asia's fourth-largest economy added 256,000 jobs in
Sept. 9, 2015
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Seoul shares spike 3 pct on China stimulus hopes
South Korean stocks rallied 2.96 percent Wednesday as investor sentiment was boosted by rising hopes for further economic stimulus measures by the Chinese government.The local currency rose sharply against the U.S. greenback.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 55.52 points to 1,934.2. Trading volume was moderate at 509.2 million shares worth 5.2 trillion won ($4.37 billion), with gainers far outnumbering losers 767 to 64."The Chinese optimism swelled up around the globe and drov
Sept. 9, 2015
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Arirang TV to host World Economic Forum session
Arirang TV, a South Korean all-English cable network, said Wednesday it will host a session of the World Economic Forum in China later this week.The session, titled "Asia's Energy Option," will be broadcast live on Arirang's website (www.arirang.com) at 1 p.m., local time, on Thursday.The Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2015, which is part of the World Economic Forum, kicked off in Dalian, China on Wednesday for a three-day run.The session will discuss the Chinese energy demand slowdown, com
Sept. 9, 2015