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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Thousands rally in Seoul to call for Yoon's resignation
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Most teen sex offenders get away with slap on wrist
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FM champions multilateralism, stresses S. Korea's vision as 'global pivotal state'
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Man sentenced to 1 year, 8 months for stealing from elementary school classrooms
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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is killed in Beirut strike, Israel's military says
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Suicide attempts spike among youth in Korea
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[Weekender] How Seongsu, once an industrial zone, has become ‘Seoul’s Brooklyn’
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Panmunjom tours for select Korean nationals may resume in October
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[Photo News] Pledge for fair trade
PLEDGE FOR FAIR TRADE---POSCO chairman Kwon Oh-joon (seventh from right) poses with Fair Trade Commission chairman Chung Jae-chan (eighth from right) and executives from the steelmaker’s affiliates and their subcontractors after signing an agreement with the antitrust watchdog for fair trade. (POSCO)
IndustryApril 7, 2016
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Korea in talks to use U.S. military GPS
South Korea is in talks with the United States to win permission to use the country's military Global Positioning System as it moves to develop guided munitions that can better deal with Pyongyang's growing artillery threat, the government said Thursday.The military procurement agency said it is seeking to finish the development of the new weapon system with a range of 120 kilometers by 2018, and it will use the U.S. military's GPS which is immune to jamming attempts. The military plans to depl
DefenseApril 7, 2016
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Mixed-race adoptees seek to reunite families through DNA bank
An American non-profit organization has started to build a DNA database to help reconnect Korean adoptees with their birth families, but the task remains a daunting one as few people in Korea have heard about it, organization officials said Thursday.325Kamra was launched in September after a group of mixed-race adoptees found their own families through DNA testing and realized it could be a game-changer for adoptees wanting similar closure in their lives.So far, the group has only been able to t
Social AffairsApril 7, 2016
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Five short track speed skaters charged with illegal gambling
Five short track speed skaters have been charged with allegedly placing illegal bets on sports games online, the police said Thursday. The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency said they have booked without physical detention five short track speed skaters on charges of regularly betting on sports games on illegal websites last year. The police said that three of them finished in the top eight in the second round of the short track speed skating national team qualification for the 2016-17 seas
SportsApril 7, 2016
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Top Heilongjiang official to visit Seoul
A top Chinese official from the resource-rich Heilongjiang Province in the country's northeast will visit South Korea this week for a three-day stay focusing on bolstering bilateral trade and exchanges, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Thursday.Wang Xiankui, the Communist Party Secretary of the province, will arrive here on Sunday on the invitation of the ministry. He will pay a courtesy call on South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and meet with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, the ministry said
Foreign AffairsApril 7, 2016
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Abortion not violation of dignity: Seoul court
A firefighter’s appeal for nullification of his suspension was upheld by the Seoul Administrative Court, Thursday. The man had been given a month’s suspension by his fire station after it was made known that he and his girlfriend had two abortions. The man has been a firefighter for 10 years, and had been common-law married since 2014 with a woman he had met online following his divorce. Court reports say the woman became pregnant four months into their cohabitation, but the man decided they cou
Social AffairsApril 7, 2016
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Appeals court orders Dongwha Pharm to pay penalty for illegal rebates
An appeals court on Thursday dismissed a suit filed by Dongwha Pharm Co., one of South Korea's major drug makers, asking for the cancellation of fines slapped on the company for giving billions of won in kickbacks to local hospitals.The drug maker filed the suit against the Fair Trade Commission after it handed down a fine of 898 million won to Dongwha Pharma in 2014 for bribing over 900 hospitals from 2010 to 2011.It was the largest rebate scandal since a law regulating such practices first too
Social AffairsApril 7, 2016
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Park calls for thorough investigation into senior prosecutor over stock purchase
The presidential office on Thursday called for a thorough investigation into a senior prosecutor who has come under public scrutiny for the way he accumulated personal wealth.Jin Kyung-joon offered to quit five days ago, when it was discovered that he pocketed millions of dollars by selling stocks of Nexon Corp., a local online game developer.A presidential official said it's important to shed light on whether Jin may have broken the law when he bought and sold the stocks.Another official also s
Social AffairsApril 7, 2016
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S. Korea declares war on excessive sugar intake
The government here on Thursday announced an unprecedented campaign to reduce sugar consumption by its people, designating sugar as the main culprit behind the rising rates of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases in Korean society.In the initial five-year phase of the anti-sugar campaign, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will make an intensive effort to keep the intake of sugar from processed foods, except for milk, below 10 percent of people's daily total energy.For instance, an adu
Social AffairsApril 7, 2016
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Court orders gov't to cancel dismissal of acquitted energy ambassador
An appeals court on Thursday ordered the government to cancel its dismissal of a former energy and resources ambassador who was acquitted of the charge of manipulating stock prices.Overruling a lower court's decision, the Seoul High Court ruled in favor of Kim Eun-seok, who had been indicted on charges of colluding with a mine developer to reap massive profits from a stock price rigging scam linked to a diamond mining project in Cameroon.Ok Deok-gyun, the former head of CNK International, was fo
Social AffairsApril 7, 2016
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Ministry to bolster security after break-in
The government vowed Thursday to overhaul the entire security system at government complexes in the wake of multiple break-ins by a civilian last month.The Interior Ministry announced it will fortify security levels by forming four separate task forces -- for security management, security personnel, computer security and service measures -- joined by private security experts. It also immediately blocked entrances at the basement floor of the Seoul Government Complex in central Seoul that are con
Social AffairsApril 7, 2016
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Media watchdog to consult U.S. FCC over SK-CJ deal
Korea Communications Commission chairman Choi Sung-joon said Thursday he will have discussions with top officials from the U.S. communications regulator over a proposed merger of IPTV firm SK Broadband and cable TV company CJ HelloVision this month.Chairman Choi and officials from the Korean regulator are scheduled to fly to the U.S. on Feb. 17 and meet with the Federal Communications Commission officials including chairman Tom Wheeler.Choi Sung-joong, the chairman of Korea Communications Commis
TechnologyApril 7, 2016
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Migrant workers call for end to government crackdown
A migrant workers advocacy group called for an end to the government’s “inhumane” crackdown on unregistered foreign workers in Seoul on Thursday, following the government’s announcement to reduce the rate of illegal migrants to below 10 percent by 2018. An association of some 60 lawyers, foreigners and labor rights groups urged the government to revise the Employment Permit System to curb illegal migration in a press conference held in front of the immigration building in western Seoul. Migrant
Social AffairsApril 7, 2016
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Ministry to toughen watch on enrollments at international schools
YonhapInternational schools in South Korea will face suspensions in enrollment if they are caught illegally admitting Korean students four times, the Education Ministry said Thursday.The Education Ministry released revised regulations aimed to strengthen the control of illegal admissions at international schools here. There are currently 43 schools and three international kindergartens nationwide.This is the first time the government has specified punishments against schools in cases of illegal
Social AffairsApril 7, 2016
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Progressive groups pick 'worst' election candidates
A group of progressive civic groups stirred the political pot on Thursday by vowing an anti-campaign against the “worst” candidates running in next week’s April 13 parliamentary election.While progressive voters praised the move, calling it justified political expression, the nation’s election watchdog suggested that it may constitute an illegitimate public survey ahead of the election.The “10 Worst Candidates” for next week’s parliamentary elections, as selected by progressive civic group Citiz
PoliticsApril 7, 2016
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Economic pledges turn from rosy to delusive
Realizing that they may no longer be able to rely on their conventional supporters for next week’s general election, political parties are announcing new economic pledges daily, hoping to attract pragmatic centrist voters.But the hastily drafted pledges mostly fail to suggest detailed solutions, rekindling concerns that they may once again end up as empty promises that fizzle out after the elections.Former Finance Minister Kang Bong-kyun, Saenuri Party’s chief policy strategist attends a press c
PoliticsApril 7, 2016
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Air Jordan, fashion reawaken ghosts of Japanese imperialism
“It’s gotta be the shoes!” exclaimed director Spike Lee in the hit Air Jordan shoe commercial of the 1990s, images of which were soon branded into the minds of sports fans around the world.Since then, basketball legend Michael Jordan’s sneakers have transcended sports gear to become symbols of pop culture and must-have items for anyone striving to “be like Mike.”Former NBA superstar Michael Jordan / MCTBut the shoes have become a social hot potato in Korea, as the design of the recently released
Social AffairsApril 7, 2016
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Is K-beauty ready for global halal market?
From China to the U.S., South Korean cosmetics firms have been making inroads into the global market by diversifying their product lines and brand image to satisfy customers with different skin conditions, culture and style. Despite their rapid growth overseas, they may be missing a big opportunity to take a lead in the Islamic countries -- seen as markets with great potential and demand for beauty products, industry insiders said.The reason for Korean companies’ passive attitude has a lot to do
IndustryApril 7, 2016
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Early election voting kicks off
The two-day early voting of South Korea’s 20th general election kicks off Friday, five days ahead of the official polling day, officials said Thursday.The National Election Commission said Korean nationals are allowed to cast their votes early in any of the 3,511 polls installed at district offices across the country regardless of their permanent addresses. The early voting will run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Saturday. Three preliminary voting polls are also installed at Seoul Station, Yongsan
PoliticsApril 7, 2016
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Korea declares war on sugar
South Korea on Thursday released a set of measures to reduce its citizens’ sugar consumption, after a recent government study revealed almost half of young Koreans aged 3-29 are eating too much sugar, leaving them vulnerable to a number of health conditions, including obesity and diabetes. “Our goal is to make sure every citizen’s sugar consumption only makes up 10 percent of their daily calorie intake,” said an official from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. “For example, if an in
Social AffairsApril 7, 2016