Most Popular
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Psy's touch or new trend in music? P Nation’s solo stars lose their shine
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Seoul to hold grand military parade on Tuesday, disrupting major city routes
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Park Zi-a, the actor who played 'The Glory' heroine's mother, dies
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Shut up and dance
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NewJeans fans corner Hybe amid PR backlash, looming National Assembly audit
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Israel targets Palestinian group in first strike on Beirut center
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Yoon warns North Korea against nuclear attack attempt
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Brit pop legend Oasis to perform in Seoul next year
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BTS’ Suga fined W15m for e-scooter DUI
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[KH Explains] Is Hyundai-GM partnership win-win to beat Tesla, Chinese rivals?
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Korea resumes exchange program between public and private sectors
The government said Wednesday that more than 50 public officials will be working at Samsung and other private companies in the resumption of a program meant to boost exchange between the public and private sectors.A total of 57 officials in central government ministries and agencies are scheduled to take a leave of absence to work at 51 different firms, including major conglomerates such Samsung and Hyundai, according to the Ministry of Personnel Management.The ministry did not provide a specifi
IndustryJan. 20, 2016
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Red Cross' projects with Pyongyang suspended over nuke test
South Korea's Red Cross said Wednesday its programs for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War and humanitarian aid to North Korea now face a murky prospect as North Korea's fourth nuclear test froze ties between the two countries. The Red Cross has made video messages of about 10,000 separated family members to be possibly delivered to their relatives in North Korea, but whether they can be delivered remains uncertain due to the strained inter-Korean ties following the North's nuclear tes
North KoreaJan. 20, 2016
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[Editorial] Economic democracy
The debate on economic democratization is likely to be rekindled in the run-up to the upcoming parliamentary elections as the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea is staking its campaign on the controversial concept. The Minjoo Party recently named Kim Jong-in, an iconic advocate for economic democratization, to lead its election campaign. The appointment was a surprise, given that Kim had worked as a key strategist for President Park Geun-hye in the 2012 presidential election. Kim is known as
EditorialJan. 20, 2016
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Seoul shares plunge 2.34 pct on foreign selling
South Korean stocks plunged 2.34 percent on Wednesday as foreign investors dumped local shares amid fears over China's hard landing and swings in oil prices. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar to the lowest level for 2016.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index tumbled 44.19 points to end at 1,845.45. Trade volume was moderate at 399 million shares worth 5.26 trillion won , with losers far beating winners 743 to 110.Analysts said Seoul shares lost ground due to the uncertainty o
Jan. 20, 2016
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Koreans nabbed in Vietnam for running online gambling ring
A group of South Koreans operating an illegal high-stake sports gambling website in Vietnam has been apprehended in the Southeast Asian country, the South Korean police said Wednesday.The seven-member ring, including a 39-year-old surnamed Joo, were to be extradited to Seoul later in the day by the local police in Hanoi, the National Police Agency said. The extradition is the first since South Korea and Vietnam agreed to strengthen cooperation in investigations last month.South Korean authoritie
Social AffairsJan. 20, 2016
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Gov't to increase student enrollment for vocational high schools
The government will expand the ratio of student enrollment for vocational high schools up to 30 percent of all high school students in the country in a bid to resolve youth unemployment. In a report to President Park Geun-hye, the education ministry said Wednesday it will also decrease by 160,000 the enrollment quota of the nation's university students by 2022 by restructuring universities nationwide.Instead, it will increase the enrollment of students majoring in technology and engineering scie
Social AffairsJan. 20, 2016
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Eight out of 10 Koreans drink over one cup of coffee a day
Eight out of 10 adult Koreans drink at least two cups of coffee a day, and many of them make their own coffee at home in addition to visiting cafes, a poll showed Wednesday.According to the survey conducted on 1,076 respondents who attended a global cafe exhibition in November, 36 percent said they drink about two cups of coffee a day, while a quarter drink three cups, and 15 percent indulge in four or more cups. The Seoul International Cafe Show, the annual cafe exhibition's host, said six out
FoodJan. 20, 2016
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[Editorial] Reform hits snag
The government’s labor reform drive has hit a major snag, as the labor representative of the tripartite dialogue with management and the government declared Tuesday the breakdown of a landmark agreement reached in September. The Federation of Korean Trade Unions, which represented the labor side at the tripartite social dialogue, also said it would not participate in future talks. FKTU chairman Kim Dong-man said in a news conference that the Sept. 15 agreement, which was hailed as a historic ac
EditorialJan. 20, 2016
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Mercedes-Benz aims for double-digit sales growth this year
Mercedes-Benz Korea, the local importer of the luxury German car brand, said Wednesday that it is targeting a double-digit gain in sales in South Korea this year on the back of a diversified lineup.The German carmaker said it will roll out 11 new models, including SUVs, this year, and plans to invest 190 billion won in expanding its sales network and other facilities, which marks a 30-percent rise from a year earlier.Mercedes-Benz Korea, however, did not give details about how many vehicles were
MobilityJan. 20, 2016
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Top U.S. diplomat urges China to 'show leadership' on Pyonyang's nuclear issue
The No. 2 U.S. diplomat urged China on Wednesday to "show leadership" on the North Korean nuclear issue, saying Beijing has more leverage over Pyongyang than any other country.Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken issued the call shortly after talks with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam in Seoul, where he is on a two-day visit to coordinate the allies' response to North Korea's fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6."China shares our commitment and our conviction that
World NewsJan. 20, 2016
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Korea trading firms turn eyes to post-sanctions Iran
South Korean general trading companies are turning their eyes to a potentially big Iranian market following the lifting of economic sanctions on the Middle Eastern country, industry sources said Wednesday.South Korea's five leading GTCs, including Daewoo International, are moving to restore ties with their former trading partners in Iran and consider various ways to explore new business opportunities there.In particular, the companies are considering participating in such businesses as energy, m
Jan. 20, 2016
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Japan‘s ’Tuna King‘ laments Tsukiji market move
TOKYO (AFP) - Kiyoshi Kimura‘s ear-to-ear grin is tough to miss in Japan -- it’s splashed across ubiquitous billboards advertising his nationwide sushi chain. But the self-styled “Tuna King” isn't smiling about plans to move Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji market, the world's biggest fish emporium, and warns that its unique identity is at risk of being destroyed. Kimura’s office is a block away from the historic site where in 2013 he famously slapped down a record $1.8 million bid at the traditional New
CultureJan. 20, 2016
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Penthouse halts magazine after 50 years, goes digital
NEW YORK (AFP) - Adult magazine Penthouse will end its print edition after 50 years, becoming the latest publication to go exclusively digital. Parent company FriendFinder Networks Inc. said the magazine will henceforth be released in online-only format and that subscriptions would be converted to digital. “This will be a new way for its readers to experience the world's best adult magazine,” said FriendFinder chief executive Jonathan Buckheit in a statement. “Reimagined for the preferred consu
CultureJan. 20, 2016
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New North Korean alcohol leaves ‘no hangover’
SEOUL (AFP) -- North Korea has created a hangover-free liquor that is between 30 and 40 percent alcohol but leaves you clear-headed in the morning, according to state media. A recent edition of the Pyongyang Times said the drink, Koryo Liquor, used a cunning combination of six-year-old, top quality ginseng and “scorched glutinous rice.” The resulting tipple is a subtle blend of sweet and savory that is “highly appreciated by experts and lovers as it is suave and causes no hangover,” the Times sa
FoodJan. 20, 2016
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Drew Barrymore‘s sets new sights for beauty brand
NEW YORK (AP) -- Hollywood actress, director and author Drew Barrymore may soon add a new title to her resume: international retailer.Barrymore launched her Flower brand of affordable cosmetics exclusively at Wal-Mart in 2013. Now she says she’s in talks with retailers overseas to sell the cosmetics in such places as China, South America, Australia and the United Kingdom. She‘ll also be launching her own e-commerce business later this year.Last year, she started selling an eyewear collection, al
Arts & DesignJan. 20, 2016
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Chaebol join petition to enact business laws
With a debate roiling over President Park Geun-hye’s participation in a petition for the prompt legislation of economic bills, Korean conglomerates are stepping up efforts to turn the campaign into a nationwide business movement. Samsung Group became the first private business to join the campaign, with other big conglomerates, such as Hyundai Motor Co. and LG Group, reportedly mulling whether to follow suit, industry sources said Wednesday. A booth was opened at Samsung’s Seocho office for exec
PoliticsJan. 20, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Professor stands trial for defaming ‘comfort women’
Only a week after a Seoul court ordered a university professor to compensate the nation’s sex slavery victims on defamation charges, she appeared in court again on Wednesday to face a criminal trial. Park Yu-ha, a professor at Sejong University, was brought to the court after prosecutors indicted her in November on charges of defaming former “comfort women” -- the euphemistic term for Korean women coerced into sex slavery for the Japanese military during World War II -- with her book “Comfort W
Social AffairsJan. 20, 2016
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Authorities play chicken over ‘child care crisis’
Even as payday for kindergarten teachers across the country looms, the impasse between government and regional education authorities over financing the country’s free child care “Nuri” program persisted Wednesday as both sides insisted the other back down. Five education chiefs are at loggerheads with the Education Ministry over the funding of the Nuri program, which subsidizes child care costs for children aged 3-5.Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province, North Jeolla Province, Seoul and Gwangju ha
Social AffairsJan. 20, 2016
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[Herald Interview] ‘Art is a safe investment’
Despite the economic slump in China and its effects on the rest of the world, wealthy art collectors from emerging markets will still splurge on masterpieces, according to Gilles Dyan, chairman of the Opera Gallery Group. “The most expensive painting sold at auction in New York last year was the $170 million Modigliani painting purchased by a Chinese collector who owns private museums in Shanghai,” he said, in an interview at Seoul Opera Gallery on Monday. Gilles Dyan, chairman of the Opera Ga
PerformanceJan. 20, 2016
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Park vows to push ahead with labor reforms
President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday remained unfazed by the umbrella labor unions’ withdrawal from the tripartite deal on labor reforms, calling for the relevant parties to compromise and indicating the government would continue to spearhead the measures regardless. “I expect the labor and management to make a decision so that we can achieve labor reforms within this year,” Park said before receiving annual business reports from the Ministry of Employment and Labor and three other departments.
PoliticsJan. 20, 2016