Most Popular
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Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
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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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35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
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Pianist Lim Yunchan double winner at Gramophone Awards
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Slew of top K-pop stars ready to return from military
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[Reporter’s Notebook] Was Netflix film opening BIFF really a bad thing?
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S. Korea, US clinch 2026-30 defense cost-sharing deal in pre-election push
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N. Korean leader's sister derides Seoul's Hyunmoo-5 missile as 'useless'
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State pension fund suffers big loss in Samsung units
South Korea's state-run pension fund has suffered heavy valuation losses from its investment in two Samsung Group units over the past two months as the stocks have plunged after their merger plan was approved by shareholders last month, data showed Wednesday. The National Pension Service -- which holds an 11.6 percent stake in Samsung C&T Corp. and a 5 percent stake in Cheil Industries Inc. -- received keen attention as it held a swing vote for the proposed merger plan.Samsung had faced a strong
Aug. 26, 2015
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S. Korea unveils measures to spur spending
South Korea plans to cut consumption taxes on cars and large electronics goods temporarily as part of efforts to stimulate anemic consumer spending that is weighing down economic growth, the government said Wednesday.Private consumption has remained in the doldrums since the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in late May. In June, retails sales and the service sector contracted at the sharpest pace since February 2011, with consumption backtracking 0.3 percent from three months earlier."P
Aug. 26, 2015
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S. Korean coupon app YAP to tap overseas markets
South Korean location-based coupon application YAP plans to tap into more overseas markets in the near future and ramp up efforts to connect with offline platforms, its operator said Wednesday.First introduced in 2014 as a pilot run, the app allows users to download coupons and discount information related to shops located near the users, including major franchises such as Jamba Juice. The service officially kicked off this month.The application stands out from its rivals as it utilizes what it
TechnologyAug. 26, 2015
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Korean Air to put Boeing's next-generation jet into service this year
Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's top flag carrier, said Wednesday it will put Boeing's next-generation passenger jet into service starting in September, becoming the country's first air carrier to fly the latest model. The B747-8 Intercontinental wide-body jetliner, the largest commercial aircraft among all Boeing models, was delivered to Korean Air on Tuesday. Three more aircraft will be added to its fleet within this year, with six more to be delivered by 2017, the airline said.The B747-8 I
IndustryAug. 26, 2015
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Childbirths in S. Korea rise for 4th month in June
The number of childbirths in South Korea rose for the fourth straight month in June, a government report showed Wednesday, a positive sign for the country struggling with an aging population.In June, some 35,500 babies were born here, up 3.8 percent from the same month last year, according to the report from Statistics Korea. But it was down from 36,600 babies born in May.The annual increase follows a 2.5 percent on-year rise in the previous month. The figure gained 2.4 percent on-year in April
Social AffairsAug. 26, 2015
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Samsung set to start new chip production line
South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. is poised to start operating its new chip-making line in the country next month at the earliest, joining the race with local rival SK hynix Inc. to ramp up production, industry sources said Wednesday. Samsung plans to begin the mass production of memory and non-memory chips at the new production line in Hwaseong, just south of Seoul, in the current quarter, according to the sources familiar with the matter. The new chip fab was completed last year
TechnologyAug. 26, 2015
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Shipwreck found to date back to early Joseon
A shipwreck discovered in South Korea's southwestern waters last year was found to date back to the early Joseon Dynasty in what is believed to be the nation's first discovery of a Joseon-era ship, a research institute said Wednesday.After a four-month study into the Mado No. 4 ship, the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage announced that it believes the ship carried rice collected as tax by provincial governments to the capital Seoul in the early years of the Joseon Dynasty
Social AffairsAug. 26, 2015
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Lotte launches governance reform task force
Lotte Group launched a task force on governance reform Wednesday following criticism over its murky ownership structure that was laid bare in a bitter family squabble over control of the retail giant.The task force, which comprises 20 executives as well as outside attorneys and accountants, is charged with mapping out plans to list Hotel Lotte, the group's de facto holding firm in South Korea, and enhance corporate transparency, Lotte said in a press release.Lotte, the country's fifth-largest fa
CompaniesAug. 26, 2015
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Samsung's Galaxy Note 5 lacks damage protection for pen
The Galaxy Note 5, Samsung Electronics Co.'s latest cross between a smartphone and tablet PC, could break down if a user mistakenly inserts the pen in the wrong direction, industry sources said Wednesday.Industry tracker Android Police said the S pen that comes with the Galaxy Note 5 was "just as easy" to be slid inside backwards as the right way. Once the pen is inserted in the other direction, it gets stuck and causes the tablet's features to malfunction.Samsung's previous phablets were design
TechnologyAug. 26, 2015
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Won rises for 2nd day on China's rate cut
The South Korean won gained ground against the U.S. dollar for a second straight session on Wednesday after China's rate cut helped lift appetites for risky assets.The local currency was quoted at 1,186.85 to the greenback as of 1:30 p.m., up 8.45 won from the previous session's close. On Tuesday, China slashed its key interest rate for the fifth time since November to buttress up the world's No. 2 economy, whose slowdown fear has triggered turbulence in the global financial market."The local cu
Aug. 26, 2015
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Japan delivers whiskey to space station ― for science
A cargo ship from a Japanese company is bolted into place on the International Space Station on Monday. (NASA)CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) ― Spirits arrived at the International Space Station on Monday. Not the ghostly ones, but the kind you drink ― distilled spirits.The six astronauts won’t be sneaking a sip. It’s all for science.A Japanese company known for its whiskey and other alcoholic beverages included five types of distilled spirits in a space station cargo ship. The station’s big roboti
World NewsAug. 26, 2015
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S. Korean military relaxes top-level defense posture at border
The South Korean military Wednesday relaxed its highest-level combat readiness posture it had maintained at the border due to heightened tensions with North Korea, a military source said."The maximum alert order that had come down to the front-line military units is being downgraded," the source said.The front-line soldiers, however, will remain in a tighter readiness posture than normal in consideration of the on-going Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint military exercise with the U.S., the source not
DefenseAug. 26, 2015
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Asiana to remove nearly all its first-class seats
Asiana Airlines Inc., South Korea's No. 2 flag carrier, said Wednesday it plans to eliminate almost all its first-class seats from its international flights as part of an effort to cut losses.The first-class seat system usually leads to high costs, but most airlines have been holding on to the operations despite low occupancies.Asiana has been struggling under the aftereffects of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak, which had led to travelers canceling their flights amid fears of catch
IndustryAug. 26, 2015
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Asus' Zenfone 2 boasts faster-charging batteries over Galaxy S6
Taiwan-based ASUSTeK Computer Inc.'s Zenfone 2 smartphone battery charges at a faster speed than Samsung Electronics Co.'s flagship Galaxy S6, data showed Wednesday, with Apple Inc.'s iPhone 6 falling behind most global rivals.The Zenfone 2 smartphone battery was charged 32 percent in 15 minutes, while the Galaxy S6 holds a comparable figure of 27 percent, the research conducted by industry tracker Tom's Guide showed. The battery capacities for the devices stand at 3,000 mAh and 2,550 mAh, respe
TechnologyAug. 26, 2015
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S. Korean consumer sentiment improves for 2nd month in Aug.
Consumer sentiment in South Korea inched up in August, improving for a second straight month, as fears over the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak ebbed, data showed Wednesday.The overall consumer sentiment index reached 102 in August, gaining from 100 in the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea. A reading below 100 indicates that pessimists outnumber optimists.The index had tumbled below the benchmark 100 in May as the fatal respiratory illness sapped domestic demand by making
Aug. 26, 2015
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U.S. declines comment on N. Korea's expression of regret in agreement with S. Korea
The United States declined comment Tuesday on whether North Korea's expression of regret in a peace agreement with South Korea can be seen as an apology for its planting of landmines that maimed two South Korean soldiers."What's important is that this was first and foremost an agreement between North and South and that President Park (Geun-hye) found acceptable the expression made by the North," State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a regular press briefing."I don't think it would be app
North KoreaAug. 26, 2015
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U.S. national security advisor to visit China
U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice will visit China later this week for discussions on a range of issues ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington next month, the White House said Tuesday.Rice will be in Beijing on Aug. 28-29 for meetings with senior Chinese officials, including State Councilor Yang Jiechi, to consult on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, the White House's National Security Council spokesman, Ned Price, said in a statement."She will
InternationalAug. 26, 2015
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Park to meet all ruling party lawmakers at Cheong Wa Dae
President Park Geun-hye will hold a luncheon meeting with ruling party lawmakers this week, entering the second half of her five-year tenure, party officials said Tuesday.Park has invited all lawmakers from the Saenuri Party to Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office, for the rare group meeting slated for Wednesday, according to the party's spokesman Kim Young-woo."President Park is expected to request the party's cooperation in handling economy-related bills, job-creation bills, and next year's
PoliticsAug. 25, 2015
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China said to halt stock support amid intervention debate
China’s decision to halt intervention in the stock market this week reflects a debate at the heart of the country’s leadership on the role of markets in the world’s second-largest economy.Authorities have refrained from intervening so far this week as the Shanghai Composite Index tumbled at the fastest pace since 1996, according to people familiar with the situation.Some officials argue that market losses will have a limited impact on economic growth and the costs of support are too high, said o
World BusinessAug. 25, 2015
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China says Park will attend military parade
All foreign leaders visiting Beijing next month, including South Korean President Park Geun-hye, are to attend a huge military parade marking the end of World War II, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Ming said Tuesday.The remarks by Zhang confirmed that South Korean President Park Geun-hye is expected to attend the military parade on Sept. 3, a massive show of military strength that will involve 12,000 soldiers and 200 aircraft.Park will be in China from Sept. 2-4 to attend the war commemorat
PoliticsAug. 25, 2015