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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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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[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
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Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to run in by-election
Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, a member of the main opposition People Power Party, announced on Sunday his candidacy for the Seoul mayoral by-election. With Oh joining the race, the so-called “Big Three” from the opposition bloc -- including Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the minor opposition People’s Party, and Na Kyung-won, former floor leader of the conservative opposition -- are expected to compete for the title of unified candidate, who may be selected next month. The former m
PoliticsJan. 17, 2021
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[Newsmaker] USFK issues 'shelter in place' directive amid COVID-19 outbreaks in barracks
United States Forces Korea (USFK) on Sunday issued a "shelter in place" directive, ordering part of its service members to remain at home after additional COVID-19 outbreaks were reported inside its barracks. According to USFK's Twitter account, the directive dated Saturday requires service members based at Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul and Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, to stay at home except for necessary activities. It said the directive will expire Tuesday. The
DefenseJan. 17, 2021
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S. Korea investigating suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu
South Korea's agricultural ministry said Sunday it is investigating a suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu from a poultry farm. The latest suspected case of the malign H5 strain of avian influenza was reported at a duck farm in Gimje, about 260 kilometers southwest of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The ministry issued a standstill order for nearby farms within 10 kilometers, as bird flu is contagious and can cause severe illness and even death
Social AffairsJan. 17, 2021
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[Feature] Death sentence looming for universities as first-ever demographic winter starts
Private universities in South Korea may be heading for mass closures as the country crosses into its first-ever demographic winter, and experts say more government support is needed. As the population shrinks, universities -- particularly less prestigious institutions, and those located away from population centers -- are facing a student shortage and increasing financial difficulties. According to a Statistics Korea analysis, the number of Koreans aged between 18 and 21 is projected to fall
Social AffairsJan. 17, 2021
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N. Korea set for Supreme People's Assembly session following party congress
North Korea is to kick off a parliamentary session in Pyongyang on Sunday in an apparent legislative step to follow up on the country's ruling party congress that recently ended. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Choe Ryong-hae, the president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), and parliamentary representatives offered flowers at the statues of former North Korean leaders at Pyongyang's Mansudae hill on Saturday, ahead of the fourth session of the 14th SPA
North KoreaJan. 17, 2021
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New virus cases in 500s for 6th day; tougher curbs partially eased
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases remained in the 500s for the sixth consecutive day Sunday, as the country partially eased restrictions on cafes and gyms to strike a balance between maintaining social distancing and easing the burden on virus-hit businesses. The country added 520 more COVID-19 cases, including 20 imported infections, raising the total caseload to 72,340, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Sunday's daily number marked a sharp fall from
Social AffairsJan. 17, 2021
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[Eye Plus] Green refuge underground
Cheongdam Station on Seoul Subway Line 7 in bustling southern Seoul offers an unlikely escape from pollution and the gray urban environment, reviving the original meaning of the name Cheongdam in a small section of the station. The name Cheongdam means “clear pond,” and is said to have been given to the area for the Han River’s clear waters in the area. The modern-day revival of the clear pond takes the form of a 650-meter section of the subway station where plants, an artific
Social AffairsJan. 16, 2021
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New virus cases in 500s for 5th day as govt. announces eased restrictions
South Korea on Saturday eased restrictions on previously shuttered or scaled back businesses as the number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea stayed in the 500s for the fifth consecutive day. The country added 580 more COVID-19 cases, including 547 local infections, raising the total caseload to 71,820, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Saturday's daily number marked a slight increase from 513 posted a day earlier, the KDCA said. Prime Minister Chung
Social AffairsJan. 16, 2021
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S. Korea extends current social distancing level for 2 weeks, eases restrictions on cafes, gyms
South Korea on Saturday extended its current social distancing level for two weeks while easing business restrictions on cafes, gyms and other indoor facilities. Under the new measures taking effect Monday, the capital area will continue to enforce Level 2.5, the second highest in a five-tier system, and the rest of the nation will remain under Level 2. The ban on private gatherings of five or more people, and the restriction on business operations after 9 p.m., will also be kept intact. Prim
Social AffairsJan. 16, 2021
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USFK reports 6 more virus cases linked to Yongsan, Pyeongtaek bases
One American soldier stationed in South Korea and five individuals affiliated with US Forces Korea (USFK) have tested positive for the new coronavirus, military officials said Friday. The service member resides and works on the US Army Garrison Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, and has access to the Yongsan base, according to USFK. Four civilian workers -- three American and one Korean -- and a family member tested positive on Thursday, it added. The Yongsan ba
Social AffairsJan. 15, 2021
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N. Korea holds military parade, showcases new SLBM
North Korea staged a military parade Thursday evening in central Pyongyang, showing off its state-of-the-art weapons, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), state media reported Friday. The parade, held in Kim Il-sung Square, came after Pyongyang wrapped up its eight-day congress of the ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday, at which leader Kim Jong-un pledged to bolster the country's nuclear arsenal. North Korea appears to be aiming to up the ante ahead of next week's inaugurati
North KoreaJan. 15, 2021
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Gyeonggi Governor tops poll of presidential hopefuls
Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung came out on top in the latest poll of support for presidential candidates released Friday, while previous front-runner Lee Nak-yon plummeted. In a survey by Gallup Korea conducted with 1,000 adults over the age of 18 from Tuesday to Thursday, 23 percent of respondents picked Lee as their most favored presidential candidate, up 3 percentage points from the poll a month earlier. Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl came in second with 13 percent support, unch
Social AffairsJan. 15, 2021
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Court orders pirate site to compensate authors for illegally using their works
The operators of a South Korean pirate website have been ordered to pay compensation to around 50 online comics creators for using their works without permission, judicial sources said Friday. The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of the creators in the damages lawsuit they filed in October 2019 against the pirate website named Bamtoki. The court ordered its three operators to pay between 1.5 million won ($1,366) and 6 million won to each plaintiff. Bamtoki was one of the largest ill
Social AffairsJan. 15, 2021
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Captain of bulk carrier missing in Indian Ocean
The captain of a South Korean-flagged bulk carrier went missing early this month while sailing in the Indian Ocean, Coast Guard officials said Friday. A local shipping company reported to the Coast Guard in the southern port city of Busan at 12:24 a.m. on Jan. 4 the disappearance of the chief of its 400,000-ton vessel that was traveling from Brazil to China. A sailor went to the captain's room to call him for dinner but he was not seen anywhere on the ship, the company told the authorities. N
Social AffairsJan. 15, 2021
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Moon orders KDCA chief to lead COVID-19 vaccination program with 'full authority'
President Moon Jae-in on Friday instructed the chief of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) to lead the country's COVID-19 vaccination program with "full authority." Moon gave the instruction while receiving a briefing from KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong on her plans to administer the vaccinations through a pan-government program, according to presidential spokesman, Kang Min-seok. "The most important thing in vaccination is maintaining a high level of tru
PoliticsJan. 15, 2021
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COVID-19 patients suffer hair loss most after 3 months
Coronavirus patients in South Korea experienced side effects such as hair loss, fatigue and decreased breathing capacity months after they recovered from the infection, according to a survey of health authorities. Three months after they recovered from COVID-19, the most common side effects survivors had was hair loss and shortness of breath during exercise, according to a survey on 40 recovered coronavirus patients by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Six months after the reco
Social AffairsJan. 15, 2021
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Moon’s New Year’s live press conference goes virtual on Jan. 18
President Moon Jae-in’s New Year’s press conference is going virtual for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Cheong Wa Dae on Friday. The live event will be held Monday at the Chunchugwan press center of Cheong Wa Dae from 10 a.m. for one hour and 40 minutes. A total of 120 journalists will be in attendance for the press conference, with 100 of them joining via video link. Just 20 journalists who were picked by lottery will meet face-to-face with the preside
PoliticsJan. 15, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Court acknowledges sexual harassment by late Seoul mayor
A local court acknowledged that former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who was found dead in July in an apparent suicide, had sexually harassed his former secretary in a separate trial involving the victim and a former city employee. The Seoul Central District Court said the victim suffered considerable mental distress due to Park’s unwanted sexual advances while handing down a ruling in a case where another employee of the Seoul city government was accused of sexually assaulting the same vic
Social AffairsJan. 15, 2021
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Police, taxi drivers join forces to find missing people
South Korea’s taxi drivers and the police are joining forces to find missing people, the National Police Agency said Thursday. In the event of a missing persons report, depending on the details and circumstances of the case, the police will first determine whether to dispatch a message to KaKao Mobility, the operator of Korea’s biggest taxi-hailing app Kakao T. Once the police decide to do so, they will set the scope of the targeted search area and send a description of the missi
Social AffairsJan. 15, 2021
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Diplomats of S. Korea, Japan hold video talks amid tensions on wartime sexual slavery ruling
Diplomats of South Korea and Japan held video talks Friday to discuss a recent Seoul court ruling ordering Tokyo to compensate victims of its wartime sexual slavery and other pending issues, the foreign ministry said. The talks between Kim Jung-han, the ministry's director-general for Asia and Pacific affairs, and his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, came a week after the Seoul Central District Court ordered Tokyo to make reparations of 100 million won ($91,066) each to 12 Korean victi
Foreign AffairsJan. 15, 2021