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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Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over
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35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
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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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S. Korea, US clinch 2026-30 defense cost-sharing deal in pre-election push
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Controversial cult leader’s sentence reduced to 17 years
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All but one MERS-related patients move out of intensive care
A South Korean doctor previously diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome has been removed from an intensive care unit with one patient now remaining in unstable condition, health officials said Tuesday.The 38-year-old doctor from Seoul's Samsung Medical Center has been moved to the general ward after his condition improved, the officials from the Health Ministry said.The doctor, along with six other people previously diagnosed with the viral respiratory disease, had already tested negati
Social AffairsSept. 8, 2015
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Gov't proposes 3 pct increase in 2016 budget
The government seeks to hike its spending for next year by a modest 3 percent from this year to give the country's economy a much-need shot in the arm amid unfavorable domestic and external conditions, the finance ministry said Tuesday.The government will ask the National Assembly to approve its 386.7 trillion won ($324.6 billion) budget for 2016, larger than the 375.4 trillion won earmarked for 2015. The budget proposal, endorsed by the Cabinet on Tuesday, will be sent to the National Assembly
Sept. 8, 2015
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NK leader meets with visiting ranking Cuban official
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has met with a visiting ranking Cuban official in a show of the two countries' friendly relations, the North's media said Tuesday.Kim has met with a Cuban delegation in Pyongyang, led by Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and first vice-president of the Council of State, according to the Korean Central News Agency.The delegation's visit to the North is "of weighty significance" in in
North KoreaSept. 8, 2015
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Koreas locked in talks on reuniting separated families
South and North Korea have been struggling to press forward with their talks over the reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, officials here said Tuesday, following a recent landmark deal on easing military tension.The two Koreas have been holding Red Cross talks, which kicked off Monday, at the truce village of Panmunjom to discuss details, such as the date and the venue of the upcoming event, they said.The long-stretched discussion came as the two Koreas reached a historic ag
North KoreaSept. 8, 2015
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Transparent information release of health agencies important: CDC director
Thomas Frieden, the director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S., stressed the importance of timely and transparent information release when dealing with health emergencies during the Global Health Security Agenda Forum in Seoul on Monday. “The CDC is one of the most trusted organizations in the country,” he told reporters. “And that’s because people know we are going to tell the truth even if it’s going to make them feel uncomfortable. They know that we will provide all th
Social AffairsSept. 8, 2015
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S. Korea, China reaffirm close coordination on N. Korean nuke
South Korean and Chinese nuclear envoys held talks here Monday on ways to bring North Korea back to the bargaining table, capitalizing on the mood of closer security ties between the two nations following President Park Geun-hye's visit to Beijing last week.Park and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed in a summit to push for the resumption of "meaningful" six-party talks on denuclearizing the North. They also warned Pyongyang against further provocations to raise military tensions on the p
Foreign AffairsSept. 7, 2015
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Parties lock horns over audit witnesses
Tension mounted between the rival parties over the scope of their witness lists, as each sought to call in high-profile business leaders in a trial of strength that will unfold during the 22-day audit session kicking off Thursday. The ruling Saenuri Party urged the chiefs of the nation’s two major Internet giants, Naver and Daum Kakao, to take to the stand during the audit, while the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy sought to grill the owners of Korea’s family-controlled congl
PoliticsSept. 7, 2015
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Two Koreas hold talks on family reunions
The two Koreas held working-level Red Cross talks Monday to arrange the reunions of families separated by the border, with Seoul viewing the meeting as a barometer of Pyongyang’s will to improve cross-border ties. An applicant consults officials at the Korean Red Cross headquarters in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)The talks at South Korea’s Peace House in the border village of Panmunjeom came after they agreed last month to hold the reunions around Chuseok, a major Korean holiday that falls on Sept.
North KoreaSept. 7, 2015
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‘Stop asking only women to make compromises’
Blair speaks during a table discussion at Ewha Womans University on Wednesday. (Ewha Womans University)Societies should provide more support for women’s education and careers, as they are directly linked to achieving stability in the community, said Cherie Blair, chancellor of the Asian University for Women.“When women are educated, they contribute greatly to their community’s stability. For example, an educated woman is more likely to ensure her children receive vaccines and proper nutrition,”
Social AffairsSept. 7, 2015
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Parties, education circles divided over state history books
Rep. Moon Jae-in (left), the leader of the opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, and ruling Saenuri Party leader Rep. Kim Moo-sung sit next to each other in Jangchoong Stadium in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)The standoff over the potential reinstatement of state-published textbooks for secondary education history is expected to headline Thursday’s parliamentary audit of the Education Ministry, as the government’s self-imposed deadline to reach a decision will expire by the end of Septem
Social AffairsSept. 7, 2015
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[Newsmaker] Seoul: Asia’s new fashion window?
Move over Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore. Seoul is emerging as Asia’s new fashion showcase, with the world’s top luxury firms seeking to cash in on the regional trend-setting popularity of South Korean pop culture.A woman walks past a Louis Vuitton store in the duty-free shopping area at Incheon International Airport. (Bloomberg)Fast-growing Asia is a key market driving the global luxury industry, with purchases by Chinese consumers accounting for one third of global sales, according to market r
CultureSept. 7, 2015
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Park’s support surges back above 50% after China trip
After a long stretch of twists and turns, President Park Geun-hye is finally back in clover, with her popularity soaring immediately after her three-day trip to China last week, giving her a much needed boost for the second half of the remaining term. President Park Geun-hye waves to the crowd during her visit to a market in Daegu on Monday. YonhapAccording to local pollster Realmeter, Park’s job rating surged to 50.4 percent last week, recovering the 50 percent mark for first time in 10 months.
PoliticsSept. 7, 2015
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Seoul strives to enhance ties with Tehran
South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun plans to visit Iran for a high-level policy consultation meeting later this week, as Seoul steps up efforts to bolster bilateral ties in the wake of the landmark Iranian nuclear deal.During his stay in Tehran on Friday and Saturday, Kim will hold a policy meeting with Ibrahim Rahimpour, deputy minister for Asia-Pacific affairs at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.Kim also plans to
Latest NewsSept. 7, 2015
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‘Half of ethnic Korean women in China underwent abortion’: study
More than half of ethnic Korean women in China have had an abortion at least once, while the population of ethnic Koreans in general continues to decline, a Chinese study showed. The study, written by Choi Seon-hyang from Qingdao Huanghai School, surveyed a total of 161 ethnic Korean women living across China. Almost 80 percent of them attended post-secondary education, and the largest number of them were either schoolteachers or university professors. Her study found that 55.6 percent of the s
Social AffairsSept. 7, 2015
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Lotte becomes No. 1 fair trade rule violator
Retail giant Lotte Group has broken fair trade rules the most among the nation’s large conglomerates over the past 10 years, data showed Monday. Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin (Yonhap)The Fair Trade Commission data showed that South Korea’s fifth-largest conglomerate was charged and fined a total of 147 times for breaching rules of the antitrust watchdog since 2005. The number of Lotte’s unfair practices accounts for over 22 percent of the 649 cases brought against the country’s top five la
IndustrySept. 7, 2015
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KPC partners with Pearson for global business education
The state-run Korea Productivity Center has joined hands with U.K.-based education and media giant Pearson to implement a new English language proficiency exam in Korea in a bid to boost the global competitiveness of local companies.KPC signed an official partnership deal with Pearson last Friday to introduce the EPro Exam, or the English for Professionals Exam -- a business English language proficiency test developed by Pearson -- to the Korean business community. KPC chairman and CEO Hong Soon
IndustrySept. 7, 2015
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MBK Partners buys Homeplus for W7.2tr
A group of investors led by homegrown buyout fund MBK Partners signed a 7.2 trillion won ($5.98 billion) deal to purchase Tesco’s Korean unit Homeplus, the companies said Monday. It marks the biggest deal in the country’s merger and acquisition history. A Homeplus store in Seoul (Yonhap)The MBK-led consortium, formed in partnership with two Canadian pension funds and Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek, struck the stock purchase agreement with Tesco in Hong Kong to buy a 100 percent stake in
IndustrySept. 7, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Merck ready to join Korea’s display, biopharma drive
Merck, the world’s leading chemical and pharmaceuticals giant, is ready to do its part in driving forward Korea’s advancing display business as well as the fast-developing biopharmaceuticals industry -- areas forecast for rapid growth in the future.Michael Grund, managing director of Merck Korea, said the German firm is prepared to become a reliable partner to its major clients like Samsung and LG which are seeking to remain ahead of the game in the highly-competitive display business and pave n
IndustrySept. 7, 2015
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[Graphic News] Incheon airport facility rental fees increase 30% in 4 years
The rental fees in commercial facilities at Incheon International Airport have increased nearly 30 percent in the past four years, data showed Monday.According to a report by Incheon International Airport Corp., which was submitted to Rep. Lee No-keun of the ruling Saenuri Party, the airport gained 777 billion won ($645 million) from commercial facility rent fees last year, a 29.8 percent increase compared to that in 2010.The area with the highest-priced rent was a duty-free shop run by Hotel Sh
IndustrySept. 7, 2015
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Government calls for restructuring in heavy industries
The government urged the heavy industries to push for a drastic reorganization of their business portfolios to boost their international competitiveness on Monday.Industry Minister Yoon Sang-jick made the request to steelmakers, shipbuilders and oil refineries during his meeting with corporate CEOs and business association officials to discuss measures against slumping exports “Korean firms need to voluntarily reshuffle their businesses to diversify and build a competitive export portfolio,” he
IndustrySept. 7, 2015