Most Popular
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying
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[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country
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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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Hanwha, HD Hyundai vie for Poland’s $2.7b submarine program
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First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders
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S. Korea remains alert over possible uptick ahead of Lunar New Year, reports under 400 new cases
Authorities warned against coronavirus complacency as potential risk factors still remain at large even though South Korea has been reporting fewer cases in recent days due to tougher virus curbs. Health Ministry official Yoon Tae-ho said in a press briefing Friday that the government is cautious about easing social distancing rules as conditions still remain for the virus to gain force under the nation’s third COVID-19 wave. “Although (the number of new cases) has stayed in the 30
Social AffairsJan. 22, 2021
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Seoul should refrain from 'prioritizing' US-NK summit with Biden: US expert
South Korea should refrain from "prioritizing" a summit between US President Joe Biden and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un when it starts working with the new administration on the stalled nuclear issue, a US expert said Friday. Michael Green, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), made the remark during a virtual forum on the Korea-US alliance, stressing that Biden's team is less likely to respond to such a call, given that it is already l
North KoreaJan. 22, 2021
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Ex-therapist of local triathlon team sentenced to 8 yrs in prison in abuse case
A former physical therapist of a municipal triathlon team was sentenced to eight years in prison on Friday for sexually and physically abusing an athlete who took her own life last year. The Daegu District Court handed down an eight-year prison term and a fine of 10 million won ($9,090) to Ahn Joo-hyeon, a former therapist of the Gyeongju city government's triathlon team, on charges of fraud, sexual and physical assault, and violation of the Medical Service Act. The court also banned Ahn from
Social AffairsJan. 22, 2021
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Unification ministry announces guidelines on leafleting ban to clarify 'scope of application'
The unification ministry on Friday unveiled guidelines on a recently legislated ban on sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea in an effort to ensure better interpretation of the law. The amendment to the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, which passed the National Assembly and the Cabinet last month, has raised concerns among critics that it could hurt freedom of expression and undercut efforts to send outside information into the reclusive North. Concerns were also raised th
PoliticsJan. 22, 2021
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Religious facilities biggest source of infection clusters: KDCA
Religious facilities were the biggest source of COVID-19 group infections in South Korea for the past year, with one in three confirmed patients being in their 40s and 50s, according to health authorities’ analysis. According to the analysis by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on COVID-19 cases from Jan. 20 last year to Jan. 19 this year, 45.4 percent of all coronavirus cases in Korea were classified as “mass infections.” A mass infection is a group of
Social AffairsJan. 22, 2021
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AI chatbot mired in legal dispute over data collection
Artificial intelligence-based chatbot Lee Luda, which ended this month in ethical and data collection controversy, faces lawsuits on charges of violating personal information. On Friday, around 400 people filed a class action suit against the creator of the chatbot, Seoul-based startup Scatter Lab, claiming their personal information was leaked in the process of developing and providing the service. Launched on Dec. 23, Lee Luda, an AI chatbot service designed to imitate a 20-year-old colleg
Social AffairsJan. 22, 2021
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S. Korea to prepare 250 COVID-19 vaccination centers to start inoculations next month
South Korea is preparing 250 vaccination centers across the country as it looks to kick off a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination program next month. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Friday that the government was moving ahead of schedule with its preparations to start the program after it became possible that the first batch of purchased vaccines will come before the Lunar New Year holiday, as opposed to originally expected timeframe of late next month. The government is planning to i
Social AffairsJan. 22, 2021
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Amb. Kang reaffirms S. Korea's 'firm' will to improve ties with Japan
New South Korean Ambassador to Japan Kang Chang-il said Friday that Seoul has a "firm" will to normalize relations with Tokyo, as he departed for the country amid a protracted row over wartime history and trade. "The Moon government has a firm will to normalize relations between South Korea and Japan, and the president also expressed the will during a New Year's press conference," he told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. "I plan to relay this
PoliticsJan. 22, 2021
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Ex-ruling party official gets jail term for taking bribes from financial scam suspect
A former official of the ruling Democratic Party was sentenced to two years in prison by a local court on Friday for taking bribes from a key suspect in a massive financial fraud case. The Seoul Southern District Court also ordered Lee Sang-ho, who formerly headed a Busan chapter of the Democratic Party, to forfeit 30 million won ($27,230) after convicting him of receiving about 86 million won in political and other funds from Kim Bong-hyun, a prime suspect in the financial fraud case involving
PoliticsJan. 22, 2021
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S. Korea investigating new suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu
South Korea's agricultural ministry said Friday it is investigating a new suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu traced to a poultry farm, with the total caseload here approaching nearly 70. The latest suspected case of the malign H5N8 strain of avian influenza came from an egg farm in Icheon, just south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The country has confirmed 68 cases of contagious bird flu since late November, when it reported the first such
Social AffairsJan. 22, 2021
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N. Korea ranks worst in undernourishment in Asia-Pacific region
North Korea was ranked the worst in terms of prevalence of undernourishment among its population in the Asia-Pacific region, a report showed Friday. According to the report jointly compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme and other global agencies, more than 45 percent of the North's population was suffering from undernourishment from 2017-2019. The proportion was the highest among Asia-Pacific countries surveyed. It was much higher than the corresponding fig
North KoreaJan. 22, 2021
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[Graphic News] Kimchi most popular Korean dish for foreigners: survey
Global consumers picked kimchi as their most preferred Korean dish, a poll showed, amid the growing popularity of traditional Korean food, known as hansik, in line with the boom of the country‘s pop culture around the world. Nearly 34 percent of respondents said they preferred eating kimchi, trailed by bibimbap with 27.8 percent and Korean-style fried chicken at 27 percent, according to the poll released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The survey was based
NationalJan. 22, 2021
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Navy's sea salvage unit conducts annual wintertime training
The Navy's Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit has kicked off its annual wintertime training as part of efforts to maintain full operational readiness, the military said Friday. Around 50 members of the special unit launched the three-day training at the southern port of Jinhae on Wednesday, which includes drills to hone skills for underwater search operations and rubber boat pedaling, according to the Navy. "With antivirus measures in place, we conducted the training to cultivate our service mem
DefenseJan. 22, 2021
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New virus cases under 400 again; alert in place against potential upticks
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back below 400 Friday on the back of tougher virus curbs, but health authorities warned against complacency as they try to further slow down new infections. The country added 346 more COVID-19 cases, including 314 domestically transmitted infections, raising the total caseload to 74,262, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Friday's daily caseload was sharply down from 401 cases reported the previous day. The third
Social AffairsJan. 22, 2021
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Consistency key to denuclearizing N. Korea: US experts
Having a consistent policy on North Korea may be the key to denuclearizing the North, US experts said Thursday. They argued the North may have had little or no incentive to actually give up its nuclear weapons since it had been rewarded without doing so. "I think it's because there has been an inconsistent foreign policy, not only from the United States but a lot of countries, and we have in the past rewarded people like Kim Jong-il, they took our support and made promises, and then after
North KoreaJan. 22, 2021
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10 USFK-affiliated people test positive for COVID-19
Ten people affiliated with US Forces Korea have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US military said Thursday. A US Department of Defense official working at US Army Garrison Yongsan tested positive Wednesday after developing symptoms. She last visited the base on Monday, according to USFK. The spouse of another DoD official in Yongsan who tested positive earlier and a service member stationed at Kunsan Air Base were also confirmed to have contracted the virus the same day. &ldquo
DefenseJan. 21, 2021
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Foreign ministry hails Biden's pledge to strengthen alliances
The foreign ministry on Thursday welcomed new US President Joe Biden’s pledge to strengthen alliances, saying it will work with Washington to that end and seek an early summit between the two countries. “Our government welcomes that President Biden, through his inauguration speech, has expressed a willingness to lead the international community with the power of example, and particularly, to strengthen alliances,” ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said in a press briefing
Foreign AffairsJan. 21, 2021
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Unmanned submarines, flying bikes, AI pilots proposed as future game changers
The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) has proposed unmanned submarines, flying bikes, and artificial intelligence (AI) pilots as the future game changers. In a collaboration with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the ADD unveiled the Novel Weapon Systems Yearbook in booklet form for free on its website Wednesday. Introduced in the booklet, the state-of-the-art weapons systems cover a wide range of technologies in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including AI, synt
DefenseJan. 21, 2021
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Two Koreas look toward new relationship with Biden
Gone are the days when the leaders of the US and North Korea exchanged “love letters” -- or threats of “fire and fury.” US President Joe Biden took office Wednesday, and the world is now watching Biden to see what actions he will take -- not just unraveling years of Donald Trump’s policies, but how US foreign policy will formulate under the new leader, who declared that “America is back, ready to lead the world.” North and South Korea are also k
North KoreaJan. 21, 2021
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[Video] A symbol of hope in COVID-19 era: Medical staff in suits
Protective gear has become a symbol of hope to fight back the pandemic, as the virus continues to sprawl to unprecedented heights. Medical personnel swathed in thick layers of protective hazmat suits have become harbingers of life and death. In this battle, doctors and nurses treating patients are playing the role of real-life superheroes. Footage of buckets of sweat pouring out of hazmat suits are commonplace in media around the globe. In particular, Europe displayed gratitude by hanging ba
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2021