Most Popular
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Who's lying? Hybe vs. Min conflict continues to intensify
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Seoul should engage Kim Jong-un’s elites for change, ex-North Korean diplomat says
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Most teen sex offenders get away with slap on wrist
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Ex-Trump official calls for S. Korea to raise defense spending to 3 or 3.5% of GDP
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Thousands rally in Seoul to call for Yoon resignation
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Man sentenced to 1 year, 8 months for stealing from elementary school classrooms
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FM champions multilateralism, stresses S. Korea's vision as 'global pivotal state'
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Same-sex couple denied insurance clearance despite landmark ruling
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Panmunjom tours for select Korean nationals may resume in October
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Young Poong says no better offer for Korea Zinc
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Beverly Cleary at 100: A salute
When we first meet Ramona Quimby, she’s only 4 years old and already showing signs of greatness. She can secretly summon 15 friends to her house without her mother suspecting a thing -- at least until the children start arriving on the doorstep, expecting a party. She can ruin two birthday cakes in a single day, turn the house upside down with only a box of apples, and make herself the center of attention anywhere, any time -- with or without the paper Easter bunny ears she proudly dons for, say
BooksApril 20, 2016
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Funds in stock accounts hit record on hopes of higher returns
With no suitable or attractive assets to invest in amid low interest rates, the market is seeing more and more investors parking their money -- mostly savings -- into stock or mutual trust accounts offered by brokerages rather than banks’ savings accounts.Offering higher yields than deposit rates and relatively stable returns over the benchmark interest rates with flexible transactions, brokerages saw their outstanding balance of cash management accounts reach a record 52.6 trillion won ($46.3 b
April 20, 2016
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‘Love will always win,’ says Syrian artist whose graphic novel tells of war’s hell
PARIS (AFP) - Two nights after the Paris attacks in November, a young couple stripped to their waists and kissed in the rain on the Place de la Republique as crowds gathered to grieve and share their shock at the killings. She was French and he Syrian, and the photo of them holding a handwritten placard saying “Love will always win” went viral. “I knew it was bad when my friends began calling me from Syria asking if I was OK,” said artist Hamid Sulaiman, of the jihadist attacks in which 130 peop
BooksApril 20, 2016
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An intricate novella of the mundane, the otherwordly
“Springtime: A Ghost Story” By Michelle de Kretser Catapult (85 pages, $11.95) Disturbing ripples run through this novella from an award-winning Sri Lankan author who grew up in Australia. We join the life of lead character Frances as she moves to modern-day Sydney to pursue her studies of elements of composition in 18th-century art. She’s a keen observer of details, researching the significance not only of what’s in a painting, but what’s not. Her story is both simple and intricate. Our first
BooksApril 20, 2016
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Understated novel observes family dynamics
“Miller’s Valley” By Anna Quindlen Random House (257 pages, $28) When society’s volume seems cranked to 11, there’s something to be said about a quiet book. Understated almost to a fault, Anna Quindlen’s eighth novel pulls together themes of rural life, Vietnam, mental illness, eminent domain, abortion and ambition in prose that never shouts, yet still explores a family’s depths. We meet Mimi Miller as a child growing up in Miller Valley, the family history flowing across the land as surely as
BooksApril 20, 2016
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Girlfriend-killer arrested a day after murder
A man who killed his girlfriend and fled the scene was caught on Wednesday, a day after the murder. The 31-year-old identified by his surname Han, had stabbed his girlfriend multiple times in broad daylight at the parking lot of an apartment complex in Songpa-gu, Seoul. (123RF)Han had later fled on a motorcycle but was caught in a field near a greenhouse in Guri-si, Gyeonggi Province. The Songpa police said Han had admitted to attacking the victim. The motive of his crime is currently unknown.
Social AffairsApril 20, 2016
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'Samsung Display's automotive push late but in right direction'
SHENZHEN, China -- Samsung Display’s latest automotive push may have come late but it is the right direction for its future profitability, a top analyst told The Korea Herald on Tuesday. “Car is becoming an electronic, smartphone-based device. And you need displays to go with it,” said Paul Gray, principal analyst of market research firm IHS.“Those applications are also far more valuable. You are working with companies where you can secure businesses for three to five years as opposed to consume
TechnologyApril 20, 2016
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GS Caltex bolsters safety first management
GS Caltex is bolstering its safety management in its facilities to fulfill its commitment to creating safe environment at workplaces, company officials said Tuesday.The nation’s second-largest oil refiner has pushed for a safety-first management since its vice chairman Huh Jin-soo pledged to strive to check every small process to ensure employee safety last year.GS Caltex’s Safety Training Center in Yeosu (GS Caltex)Under the management, new employees have a mandatory 60-hour safety training cou
April 20, 2016
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Japanese exports drop as strong yen clouds trade picture
Japanese exports to key market China fell back in March after a brief holiday-linked boost, official data showed Wednesday, as a stronger yen clouds the country's trade picture.The figures also showed Japan's trade surplus hit 755 billion yen, ($6.9 billion), more than tripling from a year ago and its highest level in five-and-a-half years, largely thanks to a fall in oil prices.The drop in Japan's shipments to China, down 7.1 percent from the same month last year, came after a rise in February,
April 20, 2016
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Teen masturbates in class, let off for ‘playfulness’
The Busan education authority is looking into a case of a male middle school student masturbating during a class run by a female teacher, local media reported Wednesday. According to reports, the student masturbated during a female teacher’s class on April 14. An ordinary Korean schoolroom. (Yonhap)The teacher was alerted to the situation when other students started laughing, and instructed the boy to stop immediately. The incident was reported to the school management, but the school alerted th
Social AffairsApril 20, 2016
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Finance minister says no immediate plan for extra budget
Korea's finance minister said Wednesday that he has no immediate plan to draw up a supplementary budget to stimulate the economy, but hinted at cutting the country's 2016 growth target from 3.1 percent."I'm not considering an extra budget as of now," Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said in a press conference to mark his 100th day in office. "I will use any fiscal measures to prop up the economy when we have a sudden spell of challenges at home and abroad. But I don't think the country is not in such
April 20, 2016
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Korea, China hold high-level economic talks
Korea and China held their high-level economic talks Wednesday as they seek to capitalize on their free trade agreement (FTA) that took effect last year, a key framework to boost bilateral economic cooperation.Second Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Gao Yan led the joint economic committee session to discuss the implementation of the bilateral open trade pact and recent trends in the global economy and the economies of the two countries. Second Vice Foreign Mi
April 20, 2016
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Gangnam to reduce cigarette venders
Seocho-gu area in Gangnam will be reducing its number of cigarette vendors by widening the distance between each vendor starting October. The Seocho-gu district government said on Wednesday it will increase the minimum distance between vendors from 50 meters to 100 m. (Yonhap)This new rule will also apply within building complexes, therefore making it difficult for an establishment to house more than one cigarette seller. Previously, buildings over six stories in height and 2,000 square-meters i
Social AffairsApril 20, 2016
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More Korean customers to sue Audi, BMW over tax refunds
Three additional Korean owners of major foreign auto brands will file lawsuits against their local units here, demanding they be compensated for unpaid tax refunds, their legal representative said Wednesday.The three owners of the Audi or BMW vehicles will file the suits with the Seoul Central District Court, according to Barun, a local law firm that will represent the customers. The suits are intended to get compensation for what they claim are damages caused by the foreign brands' decision to
MobilityApril 20, 2016
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Kia Motors' Sportage sales in Europe hit record high in March
Kia Motors, Korea's second-largest carmaker, saw its sales of the Sportage SUV in Europe hit a record high last month thanks to strong demand for its latest model, industry data showed Wednesday.According to the data, Kia Motors sold a total of 18,092 units of the Sportage in Europe in March, up 43.6 percent from year earlier. Of them, the sales of its latest fourth-generation Sportage stood at around 14,000 units. The all-new Sportage was first unveiled in September for European customers but i
MobilityApril 20, 2016
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Mobile messengers expanding presence to financial transactions
The operators of mobile messengers are expanding their roles from just connecting users to a wider scope to cover financial transactions, industry watchers said Wednesday, as more users preferred to have a single comprehensive application over installing many.In line with the trend, the operator of KakaoTalk, Korea's most popular mobile messenger, said it will allow users to make banking transactions in the chat screen without having to open another application.Although Kakao currently operates
IndustryApril 20, 2016
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Korea's exports of used cars spike over 20% in Q1
Korea's exports of used vehicles jumped over 20 percent on-year during the first quarter, helped by the weak local currency that boosted their price competitiveness in overseas markets, industry data showed Wednesday.According to the data provided by trade and automotive associations here, Korea exported 59,142 used cars during the January-March period, up 23.4 percent from the same period a year earlier. Of the total, 42,352 units were passenger vehicles, while the remainder was trucks and othe
MobilityApril 20, 2016
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4 firms win award for strengthening Korea-China economic ties
Four Korean companies including Hyundai Motor Group will receive an award for contributing to boosting bilateral economic ties with China, trade and economic associations from the two countries said Wednesday.The companies, also including SK Networks, LG Display and LS Group, were picked for the grand award granted jointly by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and three other trade organizations.They were chosen based on a comprehensive evaluation of their contributions t
April 20, 2016
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Antitrust watchdog dwells on SK Telecom's takeover deal
Korea's antitrust watchdog has been deliberating top mobile carrier SK Telecom's takeover of the country's No. 1 cable TV operator for more than four months, fueling speculation it may grant conditional approval to the controversial deal, watchers said Wednesday.In November last year, SK Telecom signed a 1 trillion won ($880 million) deal to purchase CJ Hellovision from its parent firm CJ O Shopping, the home shopping unit of food and entertainment conglomerate CJ Group. SK Telecom plans to merg
IndustryApril 20, 2016
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Best Korean hotel booking application
Among the many accommodation booking applications, WithInnovations’ Yeogi-Eoddae took the crown as the “most-used app” in the Accommodation and Leisure Application criteria for three consecutive months. Yeogi-Eoddae translates to "How's this place?"According to market research firm Nielsen Korea on Wednesday, Yeogi-Eoddae marked 680,000 monthly Android users in March, leading by a great margin over runner-up Yanolja which recorded 456,000 users. Daily Hotel followed with 387,000 users and Skysc
IndustryApril 20, 2016