Most Popular
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Opposition mulls delay of financial investment income tax
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Immigration policy must go beyond labor supply: experts
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‘Korea crossed the line too far’ disgraced singer’s lawyer cries foul after 3rd visa denial
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Nasrallah's killing reveals depth of Israel's Hezbollah penetration
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S. Korea to showcase Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile on Armed Forces Day ceremony for 1st time
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Park Zi-a, the actor who played 'The Glory' heroine's mother, dies
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Korean American documentary ‘Free Chol Soo Lee' wins Emmy
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KMA chief under pressure after surveyed doctors refuse to back him
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Meditation brings calm to Gwanghwamun
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KT and Microsoft to develop AI models for Korea
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[Album review] Rick Springfield adds country chops to ’Rocket Science‘
Rick Springfield “Rocket Science” (Frontiers Records) Rick Springfield sprinkles the sounds of country music across his 18th album, with banjos, steel guitars and mandolins underpinning electric guitars and his energetic vocals on “Rocket Science.” Even at age 66, Springfield has been working hard, building up his resume like a Boy Scout trying to earn an elusive merit badge. A stint on the second season of HBO’s “True Detective,” a role opposite Meryl Streep on “Ricki and the Flash,” a novel an
PerformanceFeb. 26, 2016
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[Album review] Vince Gill’s latest album shows artist at his best
Vince Gill “Down To My Last Bad Habit” (MCA Nashville) Perhaps Vince Gill highlights his Gibson ES-355_the guitar B.B. King made famous_in his new publicity photos and CD artwork for a reason. “Down To My Last Bad Habit,” Gill‘s first album in four years, features plenty of blues tones, sustained notes, and gut-bucket grooves. A top-tier guitarist, Gill emphasizes that skill on southern roadhouse rockers “Reasons For The Tears I Cry” and “Make You Feel Real Good.” His interplay with steel guit
PerformanceFeb. 26, 2016
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[Album review] Lovely melding of cultures on Rodriguez 'Lola'
Carrie Rodriguez and the Sacred Hearts “Lola" (Thirty Tigers/Luz) On “Lola,” singer Carrie Rodriguez alternates between English and Spanish, sometimes switching in midsentence as she creates a distinctive musical language. The melding of cultures can be a beautiful thing, especially when orchestrated by such a talented cast. The Sacred Hearts includes bassist Viktor Krauss and the ubiquitous guitarist Bill Frisell putting their special stamp on the material. And then there’s Rodriguez, a vers
PerformanceFeb. 26, 2016
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[Box office] Latest movie releases
Unforgettable (Korea)Romance. Directed by Lee Eun-huiOpened Feb. 24 When radio show host Hyeong-jun (Park Yong-woo/Doh Kyung-soo) receives a letter from someone with the same name as his first love, he begins to reminisce about the memories he shared with his friends and his love, 23 years ago. Spirits' Homecoming (Korea) Drama. Directed by Cho Jung-lae Opened Feb. 24 Young shaman Eun-kyung (Choi Ri) inexplicably finds herself afflicted with fainting spells, during which she has flashbacks to
FilmFeb. 26, 2016
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Samsung’s Lee Kun-hee top dividend earner in 2015
Samsung Group head Lee Kun-hee trumped all business tycoons in the country in terms of dividend earnings in 2015, data showed Friday.The 2015 dividend income of Lee, chairman of Samsung Electronics, reached 177.16 billion won ($143.3 million), according to data by financial information provider FnGuide. Samsung’s Lee Kun-hee (Yonhap)Lee, who has been hospitalized since May 2014 after suffering a heart attack, will receive 99.71 billion won in dividends from Samsung Electronics alone, the group’s
IndustryFeb. 26, 2016
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Sharp shares plunge as takeover thrown into question
Sharp's shares dived nearly 15 percent on Friday, after the Taiwanese multinational that owns Foxconn said it would delay its multi-billion-dollar takeover to review new information it had received about the ailing Japanese giant.Analysts had cheered Hon Hai Precision's bid for Sharp -- the first overseas acquisition of a major Japanese electronics firm -- which has teetered on the edge of bankruptcy for years as its consumer electronics division piled up massive losses.But after markets closed
IndustryFeb. 26, 2016
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Korean household spending dips to record low in 2015
Korea's household spending fell to an all-time low in 2015 despite a slight increase in income, as households repaid debts and spent less amid an economic slump, a government report showed Friday.The average consumption propensity, or the ratio of total consumption spending to disposable income, came to 71.9 percent, down 1 percentage point from a year earlier, according to a report from Statistics Korea. Shoppers at a department store in Seoul (Yonhap)It is the lowest reading ever since the sta
Feb. 26, 2016
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Korea's auto market grows to world's 10th largest in 2015
Korea's automobile market grew 10.3 percent in 2015 in the face of an economic slump, becoming the world's 10th largest in vehicle sales, data showed Friday.More than 1.83 million domestically made and imported cars were sold here last year, accounting for 2 percent of auto sales around the globe, according to the data compiled by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers' Association (KAMA).In 2014, the country was the 11th-largest auto sales market.The organization said the increase in auto sales was
MobilityFeb. 26, 2016
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Korea's card spending jumps 16% in January
Korea's card spending rose sharply in January, data showed Friday, on the back of increased consumption for the Lunar New Year holiday and a gradual recovery in domestic demand.Purchases made with plastic cards reached 56.1 trillion won ($45.4 billion) last month, up 15.9 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Credit Finance Association (CREFIA). (Bloomberg)The data includes transactions on credit, debit and prepaid cards. Cash advances, overseas spending and card loans
Feb. 26, 2016
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Lending rates on new household loans rise in January
Bank lending rates on new household loans ticked up in January from a month earlier, central bank data showed Friday, possibly indicating local lenders' anticipation of rate hikes down the road.The average interest rate on new household loans gained 0.05 percentage points from a month earlier to 3.28 percent last month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).January marked the third consecutive month of a rise in the average rates on new household loans.Such an increase apparently ca
Feb. 26, 2016
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Korean shares up in morning trade
Korean shares traded bullish on Friday morning as investors eyed a meeting of the world’s top finance officials in China. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index wrapped up the morning session in the positive, rising 0.21 percent to trade at 1922.51 points. Traders monitor share prices at a local bank. (Yonhap)Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 economies gathered in Shanghai today for a two-day discussion on ways to stabilize the global market and spur growth. To
Feb. 26, 2016
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Rayence to go public in April
Rayence, a manufacturer of detectors for digital X-rays, plans to get listed in April on Korea’s tech-heavy secondary bourse KOSDAQ, the company said Thursday. The company said it filed a registration statement for an initial public offering to sell 4 million shares in an expected price range of 22,000 won ($17.8) to 25,000 won per share. (Rayence)The subsidiary of a Korean X-ray manufacturer Vatech, it provides imaging solutions for medical, dental, veterinary, and industrial X-ray application
Feb. 26, 2016
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Cardinals' Oh Seung-hwan to stick to trusted arsenal
Having thrown live batting practice for the first time with the St. Louis Cardinals, South Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan said Thursday he will mostly stick to his tried and tested arsenal in the majors.Oh faced hitters for the first time Wednesday to solid reviews. Infielder Greg Garcia said Oh's ball "was jumping" and the right-hander didn't offer up anything straight.Oh, a lights-out closer in both South Korea and Japan for a decade before joining the Cards this offseason, built his career mos
BaseballFeb. 26, 2016
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Korean sports chiefs to meet IOC next week over merger
The South Korean sports ministry plans to meet the International Olympic Committee next week with two leaders of local sports governing bodies at odds over their merger, a government official said Friday.An official at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports told Yonhap News Agency that the ministry is preparing to send its vice minister Kim Chong, along with the Korean Olympic Committee head Kim Jung-haeng and the Korea Council of Sport for All chief Kang Young-joong, to Lausanne, Switzerla
Olympic GamesFeb. 26, 2016
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U.N. ban on mineral exports to hurt North Korea's revenue: Seoul
North Korea's foreign currency earnings would be cut drastically if the United Nations adopts sanctions on the country's mineral exports, the South Korean government said Friday.The United States and China have agreed on a package of new sanctions against Pyongyang for its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and long-range missile test on Feb. 7.The reclusive country is banned from such tests under previous U.N. resolutions that seek to counter North Korea's development and proliferation of weapons of
North KoreaFeb. 26, 2016
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Politicians collected least amount of donations last year since 2012
South Korean lawmakers collected the lowest amount of political donations last year since 2012, official data showed Friday, in an apparent reflection of growing political apathy.A total of 291 lawmakers received just over 36.2 billion won ($29.2 million) in political donations through their supporters' associations, according to the country's election watchdog the National Election Commission.On average, each lawmaker collected 124 million won in donations, about 25 million won short of an uppe
PoliticsFeb. 26, 2016
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'Strongest' U.N. sanctions agreed, but implementation still challenging
The United States and China have agreed on tougher-than-expected U.N. sanctions on North Korea, if not "terminating," government officials here said Friday.But they acknowledged the challenges inherent in enforcing the resolution likely to be adopted at the U.N. Security Council early next week.It contains "unprecedented strong and comprehensive" sanctions on Pyongyang for its Jan. 6 nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch a month later, a South Korean official said. "If the resolution is im
North KoreaFeb. 26, 2016
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Debate heats up over Korea's nuclear armament
A debate is heating up over whether South Korea should pursue nuclear armament after North Korea has fueled security jitters here by conducting a fourth nuclear test last month.Experts and politicians are sharply divided as they contemplate the potential benefits and perils of the South's nuclearization, which they say is bound to reshape the contours of regional politics and security. The Seoul government has said that its vision of a nuclear-free peninsula will remain unchanged with the U.S.'
DefenseFeb. 26, 2016
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Official renews call for parliamentary approval of anti-terrorism bill
The presidential office on Friday asked the parliament to endorse an anti-terrorism bill in the latest push to try to better protect South Korea from any possible terror attacks.Presidential spokesman Jeong Yeon-guk expressed hope that the National Assembly "would take into account public safety exposed to terror threats."Opposition lawmakers staged a marathon filibuster for the third straight day Friday, dimming prospects of any bipartisan breakthrough on the bill.The rival parties have been at
PoliticsFeb. 26, 2016
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New U.N. resolution expected to dent North Korea-China trade
A draft U.N. resolution aimed at imposing more stringent sanctions on North Korea after its nuclear test and rocket launch is expected to curtail bilateral trade between Pyongyang and its ally China, but it remains to be seen how far Beijing will go in limiting trade with the country. The draft resolution came after an agreement between the United States and China, which has been reluctant to put crippling economic sanctions against North Korea due to fears over a collapse of the North Korean ec
North KoreaFeb. 26, 2016