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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35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
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Slew of top K-pop stars ready to return from military
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S. Korea, US clinch 2026-30 defense cost-sharing deal in pre-election push
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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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Concerns raised over chronic labor shortage at state-run center for digital sex crime victims
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[KH Explains] Is private equity giant MBK a risk-taker or renegade?
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Lotte shares continue slide on family feud
The share values of Lotte Group affiliates continued to slide last week as the founding family’s feud over the succession process within the retail giant has tarnished their image. The slide began on July 28, when the power game between Shin Dong-joo and Shin Dong-bin, the elder and younger sons of Lotte Group founder Shin Kyuk-ho, became public. The shares of seven listed Lotte affiliates have fallen an average 2.81 percent in the nine trading days from July 28 through Aug. 7. The fall was t
Aug. 9, 2015
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Rival parties square off on economy, NIS
Korea’s rival parties are expected to face off in the opening parliamentary session this week over the passage of economic, medical and tourism bills aimed to boost the economy. The parties are slated to sit in for the plenary session this Wednesday to vote on the bills that were delayed in the previous session due to partisan differences. The bills include ways to expand the scope of the service industry to education and medical fields to alleviate regulations and expand tax support, and to eas
PoliticsAug. 9, 2015
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‘Quidam’ to allure audience with warm message in dark hues
A world-famous Canadian stage show will come to Seoul in early September to entice passionate Korean theatergoers. “Quidam,” a circus spectacle combining music, theater and acrobatics, will open at the Seoul Sports Complex on Sept. 10. It will be the production’s final tour after 20 years of performances around the globe. The show was produced by Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil and premiered in Montreal in 1996. It has since captivated nearly 14 million fans in five continents th
Foreign AffairsAug. 9, 2015
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‘Mercedes me Busan’ reaches out to Busan’s young drivers
The interior of The Mercedes me Busan. Mercedes-Benz KoreaMercedes-Benz Korea is running a pop-up promotion space dubbed “The Mercedes me” in Busan through Aug. 30 to mingle with a wider range of drivers in the Gyeongsang region. This is the second such shop opened by the German-based carmaker, following the success of the first one near the ultratrendy Garosu-gil district in southern Seoul last year. “We dedicate this place to everyone who is willing to experience the Mercedes-Benz in a more ca
MobilityAug. 9, 2015
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Parties, government up pressure over Lotte governance
Political parties and the government are upping pressure to revamp conglomerates’ governance structures, as Lotte’s succession dispute is fanning public antipathy toward conglomerates. Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul (Yonhap)Rep. Shin Hak-yong of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy and 12 fellow minor party members proposed a bill expanding domestic regulations on conglomerates to their overseas businesses.According to the bill, conglomerates would be prohibited from esta
IndustryAug. 9, 2015
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Number of self-employed falls to 20-year low
The number of self-employed workers in South Korea fell to its lowest level in 20 years in the first half of the year, in the wake of a protracted economic slowdown.The outbreak of the Middle East respiratory syndrome between May and June, which seriously damaged consumer sentiment, is estimated to have fueled the shutdown of more self-employed individuals.According to Statistics Korea, the number of self-employed people who have no employees stood at 3.975 million as of June 2015, down 107,000
Aug. 9, 2015
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Herald wraps up ‘Young Diplomats’ program
Herald Corp.’s three-day program for aspiring diplomats and opinion leaders ended on Sunday with some 300 participants expressing their satisfaction over a series of high-profile figures’ lectures on diplomacy and world affairs. Singaporean Ambassador Yip Wei Kiat delivers a lecture during the Young Opinion Leaders’ Knowledge Forum at Yonsei University’s International Campus in Songdo, Incheon, on Friday. Held at Yonsei University’s International Campus in Songdo, Incheon, the program consisted
PeopleAug. 9, 2015
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Ex-first lady Lee fails to meet N.K. leader Kim
Lee Hee-ho, the widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, returned home Saturday without the much-anticipated meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dashing hopes for a breakthrough in cross-border relations. Lee Hee-ho hugs a child during her visit to Aeyukone, an orphanage for kindergarteners in Pyongyang last Thursday. Kim Dae-jung Peace CenterHer failure to hold the meeting -- which had been expected by some as the Seoul government had discounted her trip as a personal one
North KoreaAug. 9, 2015
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[Herald Review] ‘The Beauty Inside’ asks what defines us
Director Baek Jong-yeol’s “The Beauty Inside” offers a humorous and sentimental take on a subject that could have been too far-fetched for anything other than slapstick comedy or serious to the point of philosophical. The film tells the story of a man –- Woo-jin, played by over 20 different actors –- whose physical appearance changes radically every day. Yi-soo (Han Hyo-joo, left) and Woo-jin (Park Seo-joon) in “The Beauty Inside” (Yong Film)Though originally a 29-year-old man, Woo-jin wakes up
FilmAug. 9, 2015
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Uhm Jung-hwa’s comeback imminent as a singer
(Yonhap)Korean actress and singer Uhm Jung-hwa is to release an album this year, ending a seven-year hiatus in her music career, local reports said Sunday. The reports, citing unnamed sources, said renowned composers and lyric writers were participating in making her new album, expected to be out within the year. Uhm made a big screen debut with “We Must Go To Apgujung-Dong On Windy Days” in 1992 and started her singing career the next year with the debut album “Sorrowful Secret.”With a sexy d
PerformanceAug. 9, 2015
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Kim Jong-un rejects ex-S. Korean first lady's meeting request: official
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un turned down a request by the widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung for a meeting during her recent cross-border visit, an official who joined the trip said Sunday.Lee Hee-ho, 93, returned home Saturday without meeting Kim Jong-un, who had invited her to North Korea earlier this year.The official, on the condition of anonymity, said Lee asked for a meeting with Kim, but her request was rejected."We made the trip hoping to have talks with Kim Jong-un,
North KoreaAug. 9, 2015
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Geoje International Center brings together expats and locals
While the island of Geojedo in South Gyeongsang Province has long attracted international residents, largely due to its shipbuilding industry, it was only in November 2013 that the Geoje International Center was founded as a nonprofit organization, to provide a social network for expats and foster international community spirit.After some difficulty getting off the ground, the center has flourished, now boasting 400 members from 40 different countries. The bulk of the membership is made up of ex
Expat LivingAug. 9, 2015
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The long commute from Tokyo to Cape Town
South African expat Albert Retief had four years of savings from English teaching under his belt and a keenness for travel when he settled on a plan to travel overland from Tokyo to his home in Cape Town. “I wanted to experience ‘the real world’ that marches at you head on, and where you realize how small you really are,” he said. “I’ve always dreamed of going on a big mission like this and decided to put all my chips on the table and go.”Retief embarked on the mission last year, using only publ
Expat LivingAug. 9, 2015
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[Kent Harrington] How China is winning Southeast Asia
WASHINGTON -- With preparations for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s September visit to Washington underway, officials in both countries are predictably playing down their differences over China’s outsized territorial claims, backed by the construction of military facilities on previously uninhabited islands and atolls, in the South China Sea. And this diplomatic de-escalation, following months of recriminations and veiled threats, suits Southeast Asian leaders just fine. Of course, no one in Sou
ViewpointsAug. 9, 2015
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[Joseph E. Stiglitz] America in the way
NEW YORK -- The Third International Conference on Financing for Development recently convened in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. The conference came at a time when developing countries and emerging markets have demonstrated their ability to absorb huge amounts of money productively. Indeed, the tasks that these countries are undertaking -- investing in infrastructure (roads, electricity, ports, and much else), building cities that will one day be home to billions, and moving toward a green econ
ViewpointsAug. 9, 2015
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Hyundai, Samsung top in workers’ salary
Hyundai Motor Group employees earned the highest salaries among the nation’s 10 biggest conglomerates, data showed Sunday.According to a report released by market researcher CEO Score, the average annual wage of workers at Hyundai Motor Group affiliates was 91.7 million won ($78,700) last year. The conglomerate was followed by Samsung (87.5 million won), Hyundai Heavy Industries (75.9 million won), SK (74.8 million won) and POSCO (73.7 million).Hyundai Department Store Group among conglomerates
IndustryAug. 9, 2015
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[Joseph E. Stiglitz] America in the way
NEW YORK -- The Third International Conference on Financing for Development recently convened in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. The conference came at a time when developing countries and emerging markets have demonstrated their ability to absorb huge amounts of money productively. Indeed, the tasks that these countries are undertaking -- investing in infrastructure (roads, electricity, ports, and much else), building cities that will one day be home to billions, and moving toward a green econ
Aug. 9, 2015
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Parties critical of Abe's reported refusal to apologize
South Korea's major political parties criticized Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Sunday for reportedly not planning to apologize for his country's wartime atrocities in an upcoming statement.The Asahi Shimbun reported that Abe, who is scheduled to release a statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on Friday, didn't use the word "apology" in his draft and also didn't make any mention of Japan's colonization of Korea.In response, the ruling Saenuri Party said Abe will "betra
Foreign AffairsAug. 9, 2015
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S. Korea denies Japanese report on Park's trip to China
South Korea denied Sunday a Japanese media report that the United States has asked President Park Geun-hye not to attend China's celebration next month of its victory over Japan in World War II."The report is not true," a Foreign Ministry official said. "A situation like that would never happen."Citing anonymous U.S. government and diplomatic sources, Kyodo News reported that the U.S. government "has urged" Park not to attend the Sept. 3 ceremony in Beijing.In its English-language report, Kyodo
Foreign AffairsAug. 9, 2015
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Employee deserves dismissal for downloading porn at work
A company employee who downloaded hundreds of adult videos at work should be fired, an appeals court ruled Sunday.Judge Kim Kwang-tae of the Seoul Appellate Court upheld a lower court ruling against the employee, only identified as A, saying, "We found more than 800 obscene videos on A's computer, and they were downloaded while he was working. That constitutes a violation of his duty to faithfully work and is also a crime under the Criminal Code."Court records show that A's co-workers have testi
Social AffairsAug. 9, 2015