Most Popular
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AI textbook bubble could burst, expert warns
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Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
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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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Pay debate plagues foreign nanny pilot
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Prosecution closes 'Dior bag' case amid opposition uproar
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K-pop star lip-syncing controversy flares up again
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Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over
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35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
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POSCO settles legal dispute with Nippon Steel
POSCO has reached an agreement with Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. to end their prolonged legal dispute, the Korean steelmaker said Wednesday. Under the agreement, the Korean steelmaker will pay its Japanese rival about 300 billion yen ($2.5 billion) in compensation for its alleged corporate espionage activity. “The company has sought the settlement so as not to breach the long-term partnership with NSSMC over the past three years,” a POSCO official said. The two steelmakers have waged lega
IndustrySept. 30, 2015
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Urban duty-free bidding heats up
Business conglomerates have reignited their competition to win a license to run three urban duty-free stores in Seoul and another in Busan. Having witnessed the jaw-dropping success of duty-free stores thanks to the recent Chinese tourists’ influx, business tycoons are vowing to win the license allowing the semi-exclusive operation for the next five years. The application process wrapped up on Sept. 25, and the result is due to be announced in November. “Because of the expensive rent inside airp
IndustrySept. 30, 2015
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Blue House bashes party nomination proposals
The presidential office on Wednesday expressed strong opposition to the bipartisan agreement on a new nomination process for next year’s general election, signaling a full-fledged power struggle between the ruling party’s chairman and the president.Cheong Wa Dae, flip-flopping from its earlier position of “no comment,” said later in the day that the revised open primary system for the nomination of the parliamentary race would distort public sentiment. “There are a number of concerns surrounding
PoliticsSept. 30, 2015
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Seoul slams N.K. for threats over family reunions
Seoul on Wednesday blasted Pyongyang for its apparent threats to thwart their agreement to hold the reunions of families separated by the border, reiterating that the humanitarian issue should be insulated from political and military factors.The communist regime renewed the threat on Tuesday as it criticized President Park Geun-hye’s speech at the U.N. General Assembly that increased pressure on it to abandon its nuclear ambitions and take a path toward economic development and regional peace.“I
North KoreaSept. 30, 2015
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Korean consumers sue Volkswagen
Two owners of Volkswagen vehicles filed a lawsuit against the German carmaker over its emission-rigging scheme, the first legal action of its kind in the country, their lawyers said Wednesday. Corporate logo of Volkswagen Lawyer Ha Jong-sun said the owners had decided to take the case to a Seoul court to demand Volkswagen and its local dealers cancel their contracts and refund the cost of the vehicles. One of the two Korean plaintiffs involved in the case owns a 2014 Audi Q5 2.0 TDI, while th
MobilitySept. 30, 2015
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Buddhist leaders of Koreas to meet in N. Korea for joint events
Buddhist leaders of the two Koreas will meet in the North Korean border town of Kaesong this week to discuss planned joint events, the South Korean organizer said Wednesday.The representatives from South Korea's Cheontae Order will "meet with officials from the North's Buddhist federation on Saturday to set details about a couple of joint religious events," the sect said in a release.The planned functions include one to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the reconstruction of Ryongtong Temple in
North KoreaSept. 30, 2015
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Google counters Apple with Nexus phones, new tablet
Google fired back at Apple on Tuesday with a pair of new smartphones, a “convertible” tablet and other gadgetry ahead of the year-end holiday shopping season.The California tech giant unveiled two new Nexus smartphones with enhanced features including fingerprint sensors and improved cameras aimed at the high end of the market dominated by Apple and Samsung. The Nexus 5X smartphone made by Korean tech giant LG Electronics. (LGE)The California tech giant said it was partnering with South Korea‘s
TechnologySept. 30, 2015
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Ex-U.S. intelligence chief criticizes Abe statement
A former U.S. intelligence chief has denounced Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's war anniversary statement, saying it is a "disappointment." Marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a speech on Aug.14 that the position "articulated by the previous Cabinets will remain unshakable into the future." He, however, did not offer a fresh apology of his own, saying instead that Japan has repeatedly expressed deep remorse and heartfelt apologi
InternationalSept. 30, 2015
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Google‘s driverless car drivers ride a career less traveled
After a friend recommended that he join a secret Google project six years ago, Brian Torcellini suddenly found himself on the road to an occupational oxymoron. He became a driver in a driverless car.Torcellini, 31, leads a crew of test, or “safety,” drivers who are legally required to ride in Google’s fleet of 48 robot cars. They only take control in emergencies. Otherwise, they make observations that help the Internet company‘s engineers program the cars to navigate the roads without human assi
TechnologySept. 30, 2015
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Stars flock to Busan for film fest
Korea’s largest international film festival will welcome stars from all over the globe as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.The Busan International Film Festival will kick off Thursday with a ceremony hosted by Afghan actress Marina Golbahari and Korean actor Song Kang-ho. For the gala presentations, the festival will feature visits from Japanese actress Nagasawa Masami, who appears in “Our Little Sister” and British actress Tilda Swinton, from “A Bigger Splash.” Nagasawa Masami (Toho Entertain
FilmSept. 30, 2015
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[Photo News] KT expands B2B services
KT EXPANDS B2B SERVICES -- South Korea’s leading telecommunications firm KT said Wednesday that the number of corporate subscribers for its GiGA Office -- a package of ICT solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses to manage and control ICT equipment, Web-hosting and system security -- has crossed 700 since the services were launched in November last year. (KT)
TechnologySept. 30, 2015
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Int'l coalition launched to urge N. Korean human rights bill passage
An international coalition has been launched to raise awareness about the North Korean human rights bill that has been stalled in the South Korean parliament for a decade now, a U.S.-based human rights group said Wednesday.If signed into law, the bill would improve the human rights situation in the North by promoting activities such as supporting defector organizations in the South and educating South Koreans on these issues in the North, Thor Halvorssen, president of the Human Rights Foundation
North KoreaSept. 30, 2015
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Blinken due in Seoul for Park-Obama summit prep
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit South Korea next week to prepare for the upcoming summit talks between President Park Geun-hye and her American counterpart Barack Obama, the Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday.He is scheduled to stay here from Tuesday through Thursday for meetings with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong.His visit will be in line with the "high-level policy coordination" between the two countries, which are growing close
InternationalSept. 30, 2015
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S. Korea hopes to hold family reunion with N. Korea as scheduled
South Korea expressed hope Wednesday that the two Koreas would stage reunions as scheduled next month for families separated since the 1950-53 Korean War.Ju Chul-ki, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs, made the comment a day after North Korea warned that it could cancel the reunions in anger over President Park Geun-hye's recent address to the U.N. General Assembly.The two Koreas have agreed to stage the reunions for 100 separated family members from each side on Oct. 20-26 at Mou
North KoreaSept. 30, 2015
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K-pop Herald notches up 300,000 likes on Facebook
Within a year since its launch, K-pop Herald (www.kpopherald.com) has hit 300,000 likes on its Facebook page, establishing itself as the go-to website for the most credible, up-to-date news and information in English on Korea’s pop culture trends and entertainment scene. The K-pop Herald crossed the milestone on its first anniversary on Sept. 24, and, as of Wednesday, the website has 304,168 followers on its Facebook page. K-pop Herald websiteRun by the nation’s No. 1 English news outlet, The
Sept. 30, 2015
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Yap aims to reign supreme in mobile services
Mobile coupon application operator Yap Company has been expanding its businesses ranging from public transportation apps to smart beacons in a bid to lead the mobile services sector.The latest moves by the 2-year-old company include takeover of emerging mobile services, such as the nation’s most popular mobile subway map provider Smarter Subway with around 14 million subscribers, and the launch of new mobile services including restaurant recommendation app Yap Place and Yap, a beacon-based app w
TechnologySept. 30, 2015
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Hi Seoul Fest to highlight street performances
A promotional image of the upcoming Korea-France collaboration performance piece, “Beautiful Escape: Emergency Exit,” which will be held as part of the 2015 Hi Seoul Festival lineup on Oct. 2 and 3 at the Seoul Museum of Art and the Cheonggye Plaza, respectively. (Hi Seoul Festival)This year’s Hi Seoul Festival will highlight more than 50 acts and street performances, including eight acts invited from overseas. Under the theme of “Let’s play on the street,” the festival is being held from Oct. 1
PerformanceSept. 30, 2015
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Naver Band’s downloads surpass 50m worldwide
Camp Mobile, a mobile service subsidiary of Web-portal operator Naver, said Wednesday that the number of downloads of the firm’s social networking service Band had surpassed 50 million worldwide as of Sept. 22.Launched in August 2012, the invite-only mobile app has permeated around 180 global markets with its number of monthly active users standing at 18 million, and has recently gained traction in Taiwan and India. The number of downloads for social networking service Band exceeds 50 million as
TechnologySept. 30, 2015
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'Gunhamdo,’ director Ryoo’s next film, to begin shooting next summer
Director Ryoo Seung-wan of hit-film “Veteran” said his next film on Hashima Island (“Battleship Island”) will begin shooting from next summer. Hashima is an outlying island abandoned by Japan off the coast of Nagasaki, where countless Koreans were drafted into forced labor during World War II to work in dangerous conditions. Director Ryoo Seung-wan (left) with actor Hwang Jung-min (CJ Entertainment)“This film will show the draftees escaping from the island,” Ryoo said. Early reports have noted t
Sept. 30, 2015
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Artistry zooms in on Korea’s beauty industry
Local and international cosmetics experts gathered in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss South Korea’s burgeoning beauty industry and culture, dubbed “K-beauty,” at the “K-Beauty Close-up” event hosted by global skin care brand Artistry. “Korean women are highly interested in skin care and hold strict standards in regards to choosing their skin care products,” said Kim Malewitz, Artistry’s global beauty marketing director.Sulli of K-pop girl group f(x) speaks during Artistry’s “K-Beauty Close-up” ev
IndustrySept. 30, 2015