Most Popular
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AI textbook bubble could burst, expert warns
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Food tycoon Paik Jong-won's Theborn Korea pushes toward IPO
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Samsung tightens its belt amid crisis winds
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North Korean trash balloons cross border day after Seoul military parade
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Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
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Prosecution closes 'Dior bag' case amid opposition uproar
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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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Court confirms sentence for rapper who attempted to evade national service
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Prosecution to launch fresh probe into pyramid scandal
The prosecution said Monday that it will launch a fresh investigation into South Korea’s largest-ever fraud case as a close aide of Cho Hee-pal, a notorious swindler, was arrested in China three days ago. Kang Tae-yong, Cho’s No. 2 man in the pyramid scheme, was caught by the Chinese police at his apartment in Jiangsu Province on Saturday, seven years after he fled to China to avoid the police probe. “We expect Kang, who is a key suspect, to give us decisive clues in investigating the fraud cas
Social AffairsOct. 12, 2015
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LGBTI activists blocked from Assembly audit in South Korea
South Korean lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex activists claimed they were denied entry to the National Assembly audit of the Gender Ministry, which was held Monday, although they had been previously scheduled to attend the session as witnesses. The two activists included Ryu Min-hee, an attorney at the Korean Lawyers for Public Interest and Human Rights, and Jeong Min-seok, the director of the DDing Dong LGBTQ Youth Crisis Support Center, who said they were abruptly told Oct. 5 b
Social AffairsOct. 12, 2015
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Refugee law fails to protect asylum seekers
With risks and challenges faced by refugees across the world having become one of the greatest global issues today, the status and conditions of asylum seekers in South Korea have also been highlighted. The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles shedding light on refugees in Korea, their hardships, the systematic fallout, the country’s own history and ways to go forward. The following is the second installment. - Ed. When Yiombi Thona, a former spy agent for the Democratic Republi
Social AffairsOct. 12, 2015
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[Newsmaker] Lotte chairman hits back in rekindled family feud
Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin speaks during a news conference at Lotte Duty Free’s logistics center in Incheon on Monday. Lotte GroupLotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin on Monday slammed his father and elder brother for dragging him into another family spat over the company’s management and putting the 90 trillion won ($79 billion) business empire in danger.“Let me tell you one thing about what happened over the weekend,” the chairman said in a news conference at Lotte Duty Free Store’s logi
IndustryOct. 12, 2015
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KEPCO to establish ‘energy valley’ in Naju
KEPCO CEO Cho Hwan-eik delivers the opening speech Monday at the 2015 BIXPO at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju. KEPCO The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp., the nation’s largest utility giant, has vowed to build an “energy valley,” a global hub city for smart energy, in Naju, South Jeolla Province. KEPCO revealed its vision during the CEO‘s opening speech Monday for the 1st Bitgaram International Exposition of Electric Power Technology. “As a global energy leader, KEPCO has c
BusinessOct. 12, 2015
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GM Korea seeks local production of Impala
Models pose next to the Chevrolet’s Perfect Black Special Edition trim package, in an event in Seoul on Monday. Ahn Hoon/The Korea Herald GM Korea, the local unit of U.S. carmaker General Motors, may start producing Chevrolet’s popular flagship full-size sedan Impala at its Bupyeong plant, in Incheon, next year.“The market response for Impala has been just amazing,” GM Korea CEO Sergio Rocha said during the launch event Monday for the limited black-color edition of four Chevrolet models, dubbed
BusinessOct. 12, 2015
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SME operating rate dips to 6-year low
The slump in private consumption and exports has undermined small and medium-sized enterprises in terms of the capacity utilization of their factories, a bank-based think tank said Monday.A survey by IBK Economic Research Institute on 3,169 SMEs showed that their factory operating rate posted 70.2 percent in August, down 1.2 percentage points from a year earlier. Many of the respondents cited their huge inventories for the low rate.The factory operating rate, which peaked at the yearly average o
Oct. 12, 2015
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Korea, Germany to bolster ties to press NK
Leaders of South Korea and Germany on Monday agreed to bolster their bilateral alliance to curb North Korea‘s nuclear ambitions and improve human rights conditions in the reclusive regime."We have shared the urgency and the importance of denuclearizing North Korea and agreed to urge North Korea to abandon its (development) of nuclear (weapons) and to come forward as a responsible member of international society,” said President Park Geun-hye in a joint press conference after a summit with her Ge
Foreign AffairsOct. 12, 2015
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State history textbook revived
The Education Ministry announced Monday it will reintroduce state-published history textbooks for secondary education to impart accurate knowledge of modern history, stoking vehement opposition from progressive students, scholars and the opposition, who claim it will stamp out diversity of views and distort facts.The ministry commissioned the state-run National Institute of Korean History to exclusively author middle and high schools textbooks from 2017.“I feel compelled to educate students with
PoliticsOct. 12, 2015
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Hyundai shows Mexican art at Tate Modern
Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s leading automaker, has joined hands with London-based art gallery Tate Modern to showcase the work of Mexican conceptual artist and sculptor Abraham Cruzvillegas. The company held a ceremony at the Tate Modern on Tuesday to mark the opening of its inaugural exhibit “Hyundai Commission 2015,” which will display “Empty Lot,” an installation artwork by Cruzvillegas, at the gallery starting from Wednesday and going until April 3.Abraham Cruzvillegas: Empty Lot/Abraham Cr
IndustryOct. 12, 2015
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CJ mulling Coway acquisition
CJ Group is reviewing plans to acquire a majority stake in Coway, South Korea’s leading water purifier-maker, joining a slew of potential foreign investors who have expressed interest in the takeover bid valued at around 3 trillion won ($2.6 billion), according to industry sources Monday.CJ is set to join the preliminary bidding Thursday to purchase Seoul-based private equity fund MBK Partners’ 30.9 percent stake in Coway, having chosen Deutsche Securities to guide its efforts, investment bankin
IndustryOct. 12, 2015
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KT seeks global cooperation for 5G network
South Korea’s leading telecommunications firm KT has been paving the way for the era of the 5G network as it actively engages in global efforts to establish technological standards for the faster network technology. Participating in ITU Telecom World, a global information and communications technology conference, in Budapest, KT vowed to cement its leadership in the telecom sector by contributing to the growth of the world’s telecom industry and nurturing the ecosystem for technological converg
TechnologyOct. 12, 2015
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GS E&C completes huge hospital project in Singapore
South Korea’s leading builder GS Engineering & Construction has completed a hospital project worth 600 billion won ($524 million) in Singapore, the company said Monday. The Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in Jurong, Singapore.(GS E&C)The 237,000-square-meter Ng Teng Fong General Hospital consists of three wards that can hold 1,100 beds and is 16 stories at its highest. In 2012, GS E&C became the sole company to sign a contract with the Singapore Ministry of Health to build the hospital wards in th
IndustryOct. 12, 2015
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Bizet's opera 'Pearl Fishers' to hit Seoul
Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” is one of the most beloved operas, with its incredible drama and music featuring an alluring gypsy enchanting fans around the world. The timeless classic is a Korean favorite, having ranked No. 1 in a 2013 Korea National Opera survey. A lesser-known work of the French composer is set to hit the local stage this week, marking the very first time for it to be staged in Korea. The KNO will stage a production of “The Pearl Fishers,” with an international cast, at Seoul Arts
PerformanceOct. 12, 2015
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Sebang Group chairman stresses stronger competitiveness
Sebang Group, a South Korean midsized conglomerate specializing in logistics services, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sept. 11. Established in 1965 by founder Lee Eui-soon, the group has grown into a global name with 16 affiliates. One of its key affiliates is Sebang Global Battery -- widely known for its Rocket battery brand. During a ceremony with all employees in attendance, chairman Lee Sang-woong stressed the need to further strengthen the group’s competitiveness. “Mongolian warrior Gen
IndustryOct. 12, 2015
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New IPCC head urges carbon pricing
The newly elected chairman of a U.N. panel on climate change pledged Monday to urge the countries to price carbon emissions as part of the efforts to curb global warming. Lee Hoe-sung, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, speaks during a news conference in Seoul on Monday. (Korea Meteorological Administration)“During the election campaign, I realized how much the countries longed for the organization’s leading role in solving the problem of climate change. The practical to
Oct. 12, 2015
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[Foreigners Who Loved Korea] Zhou Enlai, Chinese revolutionary and like-minded comrade of Korean patriots
In Korea’s turbulent path toward independence and nation building, there were foreign nationals who stood steadfastly by the Korean people, although their contributions have been largely overshadowed by those of Korean patriots. The Korea Herald, in partnership with the Independence Hall of Korea, is publishing a series of articles shedding light on these foreigners, their life and legacies here. This is the sixth installment. ― Ed.Zhou EnlaiMany Koreans are well aware of Zhou Enlai as a represe
PeopleOct. 12, 2015
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Ticket sales open until Nov.3 for Herald Design Forum 2015
2014 Herald Design ForumThe annual Herald Design Forum returns for its fifth edition on Nov 10, bringing together the design world’s big names to Seoul. This year, the forum will explore the potential of design when it integrates with other fields such as technology, management, psychology, humanity and art. It will focus on how design acts as an intermediary and comprehensive platform between different industries, merges them, and creates new values in the process. The forum signals the start o
Arts & DesignOct. 12, 2015
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Korean encryption device missing in Russia
South Korea’s state-run arms development institute was found Monday to have lost a fax encryption system in Russia, stoking concerns over a potential compromise of sensitive information that may pose a threat to the country’s national security. The Agency for Defense Development acknowledged that the device disappeared from its office in Moscow last October. The equipment, last used in June 2014, is attached to a fax machine and designed to encode plain text and decipher encrypted messages. (Yo
Foreign AffairsOct. 12, 2015