Most Popular
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Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
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Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over
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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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Slew of top K-pop stars ready to return from military
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Pianist Lim Yunchan double winner at Gramophone Awards
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S. Korea, US clinch 2026-30 defense cost-sharing deal in pre-election push
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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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South Koreans learn to live with constant threat
A restaurant in a busy metropolitan area of Sinchon, Seoul, on Saturday was packed with families, couples and friends. They engaged in animated conversation, merrily chatting away about their week, vacation plans and dating advice as Seoulites went on with their regular weekend routine. This merry scene was just two days after North Korea had fired artillery shells at the inter-Korea border, and one day after Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong-un declared a “quasi-state of war” and put his troops on wa
Social AffairsAug. 23, 2015
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LG confident of securing lead in world’s washer market
CHANGWON, South Gyeongsang Province -- Since its debut last month, LG Electronics’ Tromm Twin Wash -- a washing machine fitted with a front loader with a separate small top loader below -- has won fans overseas. Inundated with orders from global retailers for what LG calls a revolutionary invention, the tech giant said it has been working flat out to meet demand.LG Electronics employees work at the assembly line in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Friday. (LGE) The electronics firm declin
TechnologyAug. 23, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Han Hyo-joo: ‘Beauty Inside’ is chance of a lifetime
For Han Hyo-joo, the lead role of Yi-soo in the fantasy romance “The Beauty Inside” was a chance that would never come again.“When would I ever get to work with so many actors in one movie?” she mused at a group interview at a cafe in Seoul ahead of the film’s release. “When would I get to kiss so many people in one day?” Han Hyo-joo (Yonhap)In “The Beauty Inside,” Han’s character Yi-soo falls in love with a man, Woo-jin, whose appearance changes every day. Drawing its inspiration from an ad cam
FilmAug. 23, 2015
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‘Infinite Challenge’ songs sweeping charts
Songs from MBC’s “Infinite Challenge Music Festival,” which was held Aug. 13 in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, are sweeping South Korea’s major online music charts, including Melon, Bugs and Mnet.A special edition of the light entertainment program featuring the festival was broadcast Saturday, after which all the tracks performed hit music streaming services. (OSEN)The six tracks are “Oh My God” by G-Dragon, Taeyang and Kwang-hee, “Leon” by IU and Park Myeong-su, “Sponsor” by Zion. T and Haha,
Aug. 23, 2015
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Hyundai E&C stresses safety in Kuwait project
Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co., South Korea’s largest builder, said Friday it was paying “unwavering attention” to safety standards in a $2.6 billion bridge project in Kuwait. The builder has undergone numerous model tests in building the bridge, in collaboration with researchers at Korean universities. The company said it was also focusing on developing materials that could withstand the environment in Kuwait, a desert country famous for its very dry and hot climate. Hyundai E&C’s coa
IndustryAug. 23, 2015
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Police vow stern action against draft hoaxes
South Korean police vowed Sunday to sternly take action against the spread of groundless draft rumors amid escalating tensions between the two Koreas. The move came after a series of false conscription text messages and rumors were massively circulated after the North fired artillery across the border last Thursday. A 23-year-old college student surnamed Kim was arrested Thursday for spreading massive draft texts. The message said “discharged men aged between 21 and 33 will be drafted once the w
Social AffairsAug. 23, 2015
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[Graphic News] Watchcon stages
Watch Condition is an alert system operated by the joint forces of South Korea and the U.S. to measure reconnaissance posture for strategic and tactical warning of attack. The allies late Friday raised the Watchcon by one notch to level 2, which will allow them to strengthen stealth and reconnaissance countermeasures over North Korea with its RC-135 snooper aircraft, Aegis destroyers with radar surveillance systems and spy satellites. Watchcon 1 has not been issued since the end of the 1950-53 K
DefenseAug. 23, 2015
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Mercedes-Benz Korea pushes AMG performance cars
German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz will push for the growth of its high performance sub-brand Mercedes-AMG in Korea, increasing its AMG line-up to 40 vehicles by 2020 from the current 13. Behind the big push is a steep increase in sales of AMG cars. AMG cars, which typically have a more aggressive look and a higher level of performance than other Benzes, compete with BMW’s M vehicles and Audi’s S and RS models. Mercedes, however, has the widest product line-up, ranging from two-door coupes, se
MobilityAug. 23, 2015
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Yuanta Securities eyes European momentum for investment
The European market, which has recently shown signs of an economic rebound, offers a golden opportunity for investors, according to Yuanta Securities.The China-based securities firm recommended its Hana UBS Europe Opportunity Fund, a comprehensive product investing in multinational companies listed in Europe.“The quantitative easing of the European Central Bank, combined with the economic momentum in the region, is an investment opportunity,” said Kim Yong-tae, product development manager of the
Aug. 23, 2015
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Homeplus bidding closes Monday
Private equity groups are expected to submit final bids to take over the nation’s second-largest supermarket chain Homeplus, valued at about 7 trillion won ($5.86 billion), amid growing speculation that two Korean retail firms are mulling to join the deal when the preferred bidder is announced, according to sources on Sunday. Five shortlisted private equity firms formed three consortiums for Monday’s final bidding for Homeplus, wholly owned by Tesco. The British retail giant put up its Korean un
IndustryAug. 23, 2015
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[Editorial] Defusing tensions
South and North Korea sought to find ways of defusing tensions on the peninsula at high-level talks that were resumed Sunday after being adjourned earlier in the day. The talks began Saturday at the truce village of Panmunjeom, an hour after the North’s deadline for the South to halt propaganda broadcasts across their heavily fortified border or face a military attack. The fact that Pyongyang first proposed the talks Friday and accepted Seoul’s counterproposal may suggest the rogue regime has wi
EditorialAug. 23, 2015
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[Andrew Sheng] Is this the end of Laissez-faire?
Hong Kong has prided itself as being the freest economy in the world, but last week Chief Executive CY Leung pronounced that the “positive nonintervention” policy is outdated. Is this the end of the laissez-faire philosophy that has served Hong Kong successfully for the last half century? The phrase “positive nonintervention” was attributed to Sir John Cowperthwaite, a financial secretary from 1961-71 and a Scotsman who inherited the moral philosophy of his countryman Adam Smith. His first spe
ViewpointsAug. 23, 2015
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Beauty meets art in AmorePacific R&D Center
The creativity of young artists has met technological innovation in cosmetics at the research and development center of AmorePacific, Korea’s leading cosmetics-maker.A total of 16 cutting-edge artworks ranging from sound art to architecture will be on display in the courtyard of the research center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, until Oct. 25. The exhibit is part of the annual public art project by the AmorePacific Museum of Art, established in 1979 by the cosmetics-maker to house the art collect
PerformanceAug. 23, 2015
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[William Pesek] China avoids great responsibility
Forty-three years after Richard Nixon made his famous visit to China, that country has seemingly decided to take a page from the former U.S. president’s Treasury Department. As China lowers the value of the yuan, the country’s economic policy makers are mimicking the blase attitude of Nixon-era Treasury chief John Connally, who dismissed international complaints about U.S. monetary policy with a curt remark: “It’s our currency, but it’s your problem.”To be fair, Japan has acted with similar self
ViewpointsAug. 23, 2015
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Court rules Lotte copied rival’s snack design
Pepero Premier/Mega Mart websiteGlico`s Barton d`or/RakutenA Seoul court ruled Friday that Lotte Confectionery, the snack-making arm of Lotte Group, stole a Japanese competitor’s packaging design for its upscale Pepero Premier biscuits. The ruling is expected to force Lotte to halt its rollout of the product and dispose of the existing stock. The verdict came from the Seoul Central District Court, which concluded that the package and snack designs of Pepero Premier were too similar to those of B
IndustryAug. 23, 2015
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[Editorial] Shame on both
Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook will be jailed Monday, four days after the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling that sentenced her to two years in prison for taking illicit political funds from a local businessman. The prosecution has postponed the execution of the sentence to allow her to go through some medical checkups and settle her affairs. The delay seems to have further exacerbated the negative sentiment against what the public saw as Han’s brazen attitude and the judiciary’s
EditorialAug. 23, 2015
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Abe must ditch diluting line for true apology
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s speech last Friday, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II, was keenly awaited upon for an apology. East Asian countries were critical, but for Japan locally, his enunciation was well received by the inference of polls conducted by Pew, which indicated that his approval ratings rose by 5 percent to land at 44 percent, although still lower than his disapproval rating. Reuters quoted a Kyodo News poll, which was conducted after hi
EditorialAug. 23, 2015
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Hanwha Chemical to enter diaper materials market
Hanwha Chemical has launched a pilot production of superabsorbent polymers, a material commonly used for baby diapers, according to a news provider.There are speculations in the market that Hanwha Chemical has currently carried out trial production of 1,600 tons of SAP using raw materials from China in its factory in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.A gram of SAP can absorb up to 500 grams of liquid, and is widely used for materials such as diapers and sanitary napkins.SAP is expected to be a lucrat
IndustryAug. 23, 2015
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Won falls to year low against euro, yen
South Korea’s currency has begun to lose ground against the euro and the Japanese yen, as its slide against the U.S. dollar continues.The Korean won held strong against the two currencies during the first half, amid uncertainty over Greece’s financial woes and Japan’s aggressive quantitative easing. The euro, after trading at a 100-month low of 1,198.59 won on March 17, dipped further to 1,155.86 won on April 14.While the euro usually ranged between 1,170 won and 1,260 won between January and Ju
Aug. 23, 2015
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KB card uses data to target youths
KB Kookmin Card is promoting cards targeted at consumers in their 20s and 30s based on data analysis, company officials said.The KB Kookmin Cheongchundaero Card, released in May, caters to the interests and needs of 20- and 30-somethings, where customers can personalize discount services on select industries based on their spending style.The company ran data analysis on the lifestyles of people in their 20s and 30s, and found that 20- and 30-somethings often purchased products online with their
IndustryAug. 23, 2015