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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N.K. risk adds new worries to S. Korean economy
Heightened inter-Korean tension has dealt a fresh blow to the South Korean stock market already stung by concerns over a U.S. interest rate hike and China's currency move, but its impact is likely to be short-lived, analysts said Friday. Straining frayed bilateral ties further, North Korea fired artillery shells over the western part of the heavily armed border on Thursday, prompting the South to fire back dozens of rounds. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ratcheted up his offensive by ordering
Aug. 21, 2015
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S. Korea working with int'l community over N.K. attack
South Korea is in close consultations with its ally the United States and other partner countries in handling soaring tension on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea's artillery attack, a government official said Friday. North Korea shelled a South Korean military unit Thursday in retaliation for anti-Pyongyang broadcasts along the heavily fortified border. South Korea fired back multiple rounds of artillery. No casualties have been reported. "Our government has explained the details reg
North KoreaAug. 21, 2015
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Rival parties slam N. Korean shelling
South Korea's rival political parties slammed North Korea Friday for firing artillery shells across the inter-Korean border. On Thursday, the two Koreas engaged in a brief exchange of artillery shells over the western part of the heavily fortified border. "National security and peace can be achieved when the government shows determination to ruthlessly retaliate against North Korea's provocations," Kim Moo-sung, chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, said during an emergency meeting. The meet
North KoreaAug. 21, 2015
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Arrest warrant sought for man for threatening to explode ex-first lady's plane
Police said Friday they have requested an arrest warrant for a man suspected of sending letters to local media, threatening to explode the plane the widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung planned to take on her visit to North Korea. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said they arrested a 33-year-old Park on Thursday who wrote a one-page letter threatening to blow up the plane on either the departure or the return of Lee Hee-ho's trip to the North. In the letter pretending to be
Social AffairsAug. 21, 2015
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N. Korea rejects S. Korea's call for apology over provocations
North Korea has refused to accept South Korea's message calling for it to make a sincere apology and taking responsibility for the latest military provocations, the Unification Ministry said Friday. Earlier in the day, the ministry attempted to send the message in the name of Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo, urging the North to admit its responsibility for its recent firing of artillery shells, but the North refused to accept it. "The government has made it clear that the South's loudspeake
North KoreaAug. 21, 2015
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Head of district prosecutor's office found dead
The head of a district prosecutor's office was found dead at his residence, police said Friday. The body of Nam Jae-ho, 47, the head of the prosecutor's office in Uiseong, South Gyeongsang Province, was found by his driver, who came to Nam's house because Nam didn't show up at work. The district police said they were investigating the cause of the incident. (Yonhap)
Social AffairsAug. 21, 2015
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Man arrested for threatening to explode the plane of ex-first lady
Police said Friday they have arrested a man suspected of sending letters to local media, threatening to explode the plane the widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung planned to take on her visit to North Korea. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said they have arrested a suspect who wrote a one-page letter threatening to blow up the plane in either the departure or the return of Lee Hee-ho's trip to the North. Lee returned home on Aug. 8, after a four-day trip to promote reconci
Social AffairsAug. 21, 2015
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Won hits 4-year low, stocks sink on rising geopolitical tension
The local currency further weakened late Friday morning from the earlier session, jolted by heightening tension on the peninsula following the exchange of cross-border artillery fire between the two Koreas, analysts said. The Korean won was changing hands at 1,192.70 won against the U.S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m., down 7.4 won from Thursday's close. The won declined to the 1,190.00-won mark again, nine days after it dipped to that level following the consecutive yuan devaluations by China's cen
Aug. 21, 2015
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S. Korea voices doubts over NK's sincerity for talks
South Korea expressed doubts Friday about whether North Korea is sincere about holding inter-Korean dialogue, citing the North's firing of shells across the border. North Korea called on South Korea Thursday to take "practical" measures to end its loudspeaker propaganda campaign against the North, threatening to take military action. At the same time, the North said that it has the intent to make efforts to open a channel for the improvement of inter-Korean ties. The Ministry of Unification sa
North KoreaAug. 21, 2015
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Monthly household spending inches up 1 pct in Q2
South Korea's monthly household spending edged up in the second quarter from a year ago, weighed down by the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, a government report showed Friday. The average household spent just over 3.28 million won ($2,750) per month in the April-June period, up 1 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to the report by Statistics Korea. The average consumption propensity, or the ratio of total consumption spending to disposable income, stood at 71.
Aug. 21, 2015
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Mont St. Clair opens two more stores in Korea
Until a few weeks ago, dessert fiends who wanted to taste Mont St. Clair’s famous cakes could only find them at the Japanese brand’s first overseas outpost in Seoul’s Banyan Tree Club and Spa. Now, one can find them at two more locations in Korea. Mont St. Clair’s two new Korean outlets sell around 100 varieties of desserts, pastries and bread. (Mont St. Clair Korea)Mont St. Clair’s second overseas boutique launched on Aug. 11 at Hyundai Department Store’s Coex branch, and the third outlet opene
FoodAug. 21, 2015
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[Travel Bits]
Ride bikes in ChuncheonThe Korea Tourism Organization will be expanding its bicycle riding tour program in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, in an effort to boost tourism in the region in the aftermath of the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak.It recently launched a pilot program enabling tourists to travel to Chuncheon from Yongsan Station via train and ride their bikes on a 30-kilometer course, and visit various attractions such as an animation museum.Some 70 people participated in the bikin
TravelAug. 21, 2015
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Market actors urged not to overreact to N.K. shelling
South Korean financial authorities called on market players Friday not to overreact to growing jitters sparked by North Korea's latest provocation against the South. North Korea fired artillery rounds at the South on Thursday, demanding a halt to loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts. South Korea responded by firing dozens of shells and warned it will deal firmly with any future provocations. Both countries have placed their militaries on high alert. At a hurriedly called meeting, senior officials
North KoreaAug. 21, 2015
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S. Korea warns North of strong retaliation against any attacks
South Korea said Friday it will powerfully counterattack any provocations from North Korea as the communist North is expected to launch another attack over the weekend. South Korea "will strongly retaliate against any kind of North Korean attacks and the North will have to take all the responsibility for such retaliative actions," the Defense Ministry said, quoting a message sent to the North earlier in the day. The warning message was delivered as North Korea's shelling at South Korea's wes
North KoreaAug. 21, 2015
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Park‘s visit to China sends message on history to Japan: Chinese media
President Park Geun-hye's presence at celebrations marking China's victory over Japan in World War II would send the message to Japan that Seoul and Beijing have a common stance on historical issues, a state-run Chinese newspaper said Friday. Park will be in China from Sept. 2-4 to attend events marking the 70th anniversary of the victory, though it remains undecided on whether she will attend a huge military parade that is expected to highlight the rivalry between China and Japan. China's Co
InternationalAug. 21, 2015
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Man nabbed for spreading prank conscription messages
A 23-year-old man has been arrested on charges of distributing prank text messages announcing conscription in case of an emergency amid the spike in inter-Korean tension over the exchange of artillery fire, police said Friday. The National Police Agency said the suspect, only identified by his surname Kim, is accused of sending the bogus text messages to four of his former fellow comrades in the military right after North Korea attacked the South on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. North Korea fired ar
Social AffairsAug. 21, 2015
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KEB-Hana accelerating merger process after regulatory nod
Hana Financial Group Inc.'s flagship bank units -- Hana Bank and the Korea Exchange Bank -- are swiftly moving to wrap up their merger after receiving regulatory approval earlier this week, according to the two banks Friday. On Wednesday, the Financial Services Commission gave its final nod for the two lenders to merge into an integrated unit called "KEB Hana Bank," paving the way for the creation of the country's largest commercial bank by assets. The new unit's launch is scheduled for Sept.
IndustryAug. 21, 2015
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S. Korean TV makers losing footing in global market: report
South Korean TV makers have lost ground in the global market in the face of Chinese rivals and faltering TV demand worldwide, a report showed Friday. The combined share of Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc., two major South Korean players, came to 34.8 percent in the first half, down 4.3 percentage points from a year ago, according to the latest report by market tracker DisplaySearch. Samsung's share dipped to 20.8 percent, while LG's retreated to 13.9 percent over the same peri
IndustryAug. 21, 2015
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Minister pledges to nurture industrial complexes: trade minister
South Korea's trade minister said Friday that the country needs to shape up and boost the efficiency of industrial complexes to help the country overcome a recent slump in outbound shipments. "In order to help boost exports, we should strengthen the competitiveness of the country's industrial complexes, which account for the production of 80 percent of our shipments of manufactured goods," said Yoon Sang-jik, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy at a forum. In July, exports shrank 3.4 p
North KoreaAug. 21, 2015
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U.N. watching inter-Korean tensions with ‘serious concern’
The United Nations is closely following tensions between South and North Korea with "with serious concern," a U.N. spokesperson said Thursday, after the two Koreas exchanged artillery fire across their border. "What we can say, on the exchange of artillery fire that we saw reports of today, is that we are closely following the developments with serious concern," Eri Kaneko, associate spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said at a briefing. Earlier in the day, North Korea fired a she
North KoreaAug. 21, 2015