Most Popular
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Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
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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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35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
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Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over
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Pianist Lim Yunchan double winner at Gramophone Awards
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[Reporter’s Notebook] Was Netflix film opening BIFF really a bad thing?
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N. Korean leader's sister derides Seoul's Hyunmoo-5 missile as 'useless'
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Controversial cult leader’s sentence reduced to 17 years
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S. Korea, US clinch 2026-30 defense cost-sharing deal in pre-election push
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[Minghao Zhao] Korea’s middle-power diplomacy
Last week, South Korean President Park Geun-hye, despite the opposition of her country’s closest ally, the United States, stood together with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tiananmen Square to watch the military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of World War II’s end in Asia. The decision provided the most visible image yet of an emerging China-South Korea alliance, one that China believes may prevent the region from sliding into cold war. The region’s other major actors — the U.S., Ja
ViewpointsSept. 11, 2015
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[Editorial] Bad auditors
The National Assembly’s annual inspection of the government is a unique institution in that lawmakers audit almost all major ministries and public offices, including the prosecution and the court, in a short period of time. On the surface, it is a fairly good democratic institution as it intends to ensure checks and balances among the three branches of government, with the legislature acting as a watchdog against the executive and judiciary branches. In fact, the yearly parliamentary audit expo
EditorialSept. 11, 2015
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[Editorial] Future of opposition
Moon Jae-in’s announcement that he will step down as head of the main opposition party if the party does not endorse reform proposals drawn up by an independent panel was yet another blunder by the already troubled leader. It was evident that by staking his seat on the endorsement of the proposals by the Central Committee -- which is very likely because he has a firm control over it as the party leader and head of the mainstream faction -- he was seeking to put an end to his opponents’ consiste
EditorialSept. 11, 2015
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Uncovering history of double eyelid surgery
In 2007, an eight-minute video clip of Tyra Banks “attacking” a young Korean-American woman who underwent double-eyelid surgery went viral. In the still-available clip, Banks, an African-American TV personality, claims that the surgery that the 25-year-old Korean-American named Liz received was an attempt to “look more Caucasian” by Asian women. “You and I are the same,” Banks tells Liz, pointing her own artificially straightened hair. Her voice is firm and even intimidating.“I know I’m not goin
Social AffairsSept. 11, 2015
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Changing faces
Last year, Park Ji-eun, a 26-year-old in Seoul, had a nose job and double-eyelid surgery. It was her final year in university and she wanted to get it done before applying for jobs. “I didn’t have any dramatic reasons for doing it,” she said. “I don’t think I had been particularly unhappy with my looks. I just wanted to improve it, just like the way you would improve your CV.”Park, who now works at a big firm, said she is satisfied with the results and her decision. Yet her experience post-surge
Social AffairsSept. 11, 2015
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Creditors set Kumho Industrial sales price at 722.8b won
Creditors of Kumho Industrial proposed higher sales price for a controlling stake in the firm than the Kumho Asiana Group chairman offered, sources said Friday. During a meeting in the day, the state-invested Korea Development Bank and other 54 creditors agreed on selling the builder’s 50 percent stake plus one share for 722.8 billion won ($610 million), or 41,213 won per share.“Creditors took account of the result of company’s valuation, market price and relative value over companies in the sam
IndustrySept. 11, 2015
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Grenade blast at boot camp kills 1, injures 2
A grenade exploded at an Army recruit training center in Daegu on Friday, killing one instructor and injuring two other soldiers, military officials said. The incident took place at 11:08 a.m. as a 20-year-old trainee, identified only by his surname Sohn, was preparing to throw a K413 hand grenade right after removing its safety hook. A 27-year-old sergeant surnamed Kim who was giving guidelines in the same trench was immediately hospitalized to treat shrapnel wounds all over his body but died a
DefenseSept. 11, 2015
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Korea, Australia to boost defense cooperation
The foreign and defense ministers of South Korea and Australia pledged to jumpstart high-level strategic dialogue, logistics support and other bilateral and multilateral military partnerships as they unveiled their blueprint for defense and security cooperation in Sydney on Friday. Foreign ministers Yun Byung-se and Julie Bishop and defense ministers Han Min-koo and Kevin Andrews held the second round of their “two-plus-two” meeting and explored ways to beef up their defense and security collabo
Foreign AffairsSept. 11, 2015
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FedEx Korea apologizes for anthrax delivery
FedEx Korea has issued an apology for delivering a live anthrax sample that the U.S. military accidentally sent to a U.S. Forces Korea lab five months ago, the country’s transport workers union said Friday. The Korean unit of global air courier services firm offered an apology in an official document to the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers Union, which filed a complaint against FedEx Korea for failing to protect its workers and the public from hazardous materials.“We apologize to FedE
IndustrySept. 11, 2015
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When ‘just a pretty face’ seems enough
The hosts of makeover show “Let Me In.” (tvN)A large subway billboard shows a simple image of two hands holding each other. “Not to worry, my dear daughter. Now you can get married,” says the slogan.It is only when the confounded viewer’s eyes wonder to the bottom-right corner and finds the name of the advertiser, “― Plastic Surgery,” that the message it is trying to convey becomes clear: You cannot get married if you are ugly.Bewildered, he may step outside the train and onto the busy streets o
Social AffairsSept. 11, 2015
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Hyundai Motor beefs up global sales network
Amid the slowdowns in the global economy and car sales, Hyundai Motor Group vowed to beef up its dealer network to 6,320 dealers in more than 200 countries as to achieve its sales goal of 8.2 million cars this year. “Our goal does not lie in becoming the largest carmaker in the world, but being the most-loved car brand among customers,” company vice chairman Chung Eui-sun said at the 2015 Global New Dealers’ Convention held at its Seoul headquarters. Hyundai Motor product dealers pose at the 20
IndustrySept. 11, 2015
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Minister vows to push own labor reforms
The South Korean government vowed Friday to push ahead with its own bill on labor reform, after negotiations between labor, management and government representatives fell through.Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan said the government had no choice but to initiate the legislative procedure citing time constraints. But he added that any agreement reached by the tripartite committee before the process was finalized would be reflected in the bill. “Considering the time needed
Social AffairsSept. 11, 2015
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Lotte chairman prepares for parliamentary audit
In a bold move apparently to soothe antipathy against his businesses and to reassure the public that he is fit for the helm of the 90 trillion won ($76 billion) business empire, Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin agreed to be grilled at the National Assembly’s annual audit slated for Sept. 17. He also sought to deliver his promise of listing Hotel Lotte by winning shareholders’ approval while kicking his elder brother off the board to consolidate his regime. “The chairman will sincerely answer
IndustrySept. 11, 2015
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L’Oreal celebrates 10th anniversary of charity program
Global cosmetics-maker L’Oreal on Friday celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Group Home support project, connecting company staff and department store sales clerks with those in need in Gyeonggi Province. At the “Citizen Day” event held at the company’s headquarters and the Jamsil Auxiliary Stadium in Seoul, 355 “Angel” gift boxes containing stationery and children’s apparel were handed over to 75 Group Home welfare facilities. L’Oreal also donated 30.4 million won ($25,700) to the welfare fa
IndustrySept. 11, 2015
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Moon to go ahead with vote of confidence
Main opposition party leader Rep. Moon Jae-in on Friday decided to go ahead with a vote of confidence from this weekend despite key members’ vehement opposition. The move, aimed to silence objections to the party’s reform initiatives, appeared to set off more infighting as most members of the Supreme Council condemned it as an ultimatum against nonmainstreamers.New Politics Alliance for Democracy spokesman Kim Seong-su said during a press briefing that the vote of confidence will be held for thr
NationalSept. 11, 2015
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[Album Review] Seventeen gets catchy with ‘Boys Be’
Seventeen “Boys Be” (Loen Entertainment) Seventeen, the 13-member rookie group that debuted this year after going through a grueling training process broadcast on the air, has come out with a catchy second EP called “Boys Be.” Despite its name, Seventeen has 13 members, split up into three units -- the hip-hop unit, the vocal unit and the performance unit. Like its first EP “17 Carat,” “Boys Be” features one track from each of the three units. The lead track “Mansae” and the track “Rock” have a
PerformanceSept. 11, 2015
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[Album Review] G.Soul does deep house right on ‘Dirty’
G.Soul “Dirty” (KT Music) “Dirty” could probably pass for a DJ set at a house music lounge. With DJ and composer Frants (who also worked on the Wonder Girls’ ‘Reboot’ album), JYP’s G.Soul toned down the emotion of his first EP “Coming Home” from January, and turned up the beat to create a quality album combining jazz and soul with house music.Although the EP is called “Dirty” and the word repeats itself countlessly in the songs, the album exudes a romantic vibe thanks to G.Soul’s tone and his
PerformanceSept. 11, 2015
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Weekend box office guide
The Korea Herald offers a guide to what's playing in theaters this weekend.For those seeking a thriller, check out "Deep Trap," or "Office." For some more light-hearted fun, "Ant-Man" provides a dose of superhero action, while "Straight Outta Compton” will take you to the 1983 Comptom, a U.S. town where the legendary hip-hop group N.W.A. was born. The much-anticipated Korean historical drama "The Throne" opens on Sept. 16. The Throne (Korea)Opening Sept. 16 Historical drama. Directed by Lee Joon
FilmSept. 11, 2015
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Remains of 115 Korean wartime forced laborers to come home
More than 100 sets of remains identified as Koreans who were forced into overseas labor and died in foreign lands during Japan's colonial rule will be repatriated, a civic group said Friday.Representatives of South Korea, consisting of the bereaved families and civic group members from Steppingstone for Peace, departed for Hokkaido, Japan, to bring back 115 sets of remains. The remains were gathered by experts, religious people and students from the two countries in all parts of Hokkaido since 1
Social AffairsSept. 11, 2015
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Seoul shares sink 1.1 pct, ending 2-day bull run
South Korean stocks dropped 1.06 percent on Friday as investors opted to lock in recent gains following a sharp rally for the past two sessions, analysts said.The local currency gained ground against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 20.74 points to 1,941.37, snapping its two-session bullish run.Trading volume was slim at 495.3 million shares worth 4.59 trillion won ($3.87 billion), with gainers closely beating decliners at 418 to 381. "During the two previou
Sept. 11, 2015