Most Popular
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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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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[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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4 in 10 young South Koreans take up 'irregular' jobs: data
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SM founder Lee Soo-man is back with A2O Entertainment
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'1 million' Christians join anti-LGBTQ+ marriage rally
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Travel spots to be closed, private gatherings banned in holiday season amid worsening pandemic
This year will be a subdued holiday season for many South Koreans as winter destinations are closed and restaurants are banned from having groups of five or more people under toughened virus curbs. Authorities have repeatedly urged the public to cancel their year-end gatherings and trips to reduce risk of COVID-19 infections, but some people have found loopholes in the social distancing guidelines to go to ski resorts and have private parties in hotels and other venues. The Seoul metropolitan
Social AffairsDec. 23, 2020
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PM hopes for breakthrough in antivirus fight during upcoming holidays
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Wednesday stressed the importance of thorough measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 especially during the upcoming Christmas and New Year's holiday season. The government on Tuesday announced more stringent antivirus measures for the period, including a nationwide ban on private gatherings of five or more people, and closures of ski slopes and other winter sports facilities, as well as popular year-end tourist attractions, from Thursday until Jan. 3. "
Social AffairsDec. 23, 2020
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Standstill order issued in Gyeonggi, central regions amid bird flu outbreak
South Korea's agricultural ministry said Wednesday it has identified this year's 20th highly pathogenic bird flu case from farms, amid deepening concerns over the nationwide spread of the contagious disease. The latest case was reported at a duck farm in Yongin, just south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. South Korea has reported farm-related highly pathogenic bird flu cases across the nation since late November, including one case from a guest ranch.
Social AffairsDec. 23, 2020
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Sentencing due for ex-justice minister's wife in corruption scandal
Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk's wife was sentenced by a Seoul court on Wednesday to imprisonment of four years for academic fraud and other charges. The Seoul Central District Court handed down the jail sentence, together with a fine of 500 million won ($451,000) and a forfeit of 140 million won, to Chung Kyung-sim, the wife of the former presidential secretary for civil affairs and a close aide to President Moon Jae-in. The court also ordered the immediate imprisonment of Chung. Chung, 58-
PoliticsDec. 23, 2020
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S. Korea begins second round of production for Army's new command and control system
South Korea has launched a second round of production for the Army's newly upgraded command and control system designed to improve commanders' real-time decision-making ability in combat situations, the arms procurement agency said Wednesday. The production for the Army's upgraded C4I -- command, control, communication, computer and intelligence -- system will by completed by October 2023 with a 150 billion-won ($135 million) investment, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administrati
DefenseDec. 23, 2020
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New virus cases spike to over 1,000, virus curbs further tightened
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose to above 1,000 for the first time in three days Wednesday, as the nation imposed the most stringent social distancing rules so far to contain the winter wave of the virus. The country added 1,092 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,060 local infections, raising the total caseload to 52,550, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It was the second-highest one-day tally of confirmed cases since the pandemic began. The tall
Social AffairsDec. 23, 2020
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S. Korea confirms another case of highly pathogenic bird flu
South Korea confirmed another case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry Tuesday, raising this year's total caseload to 19 amid growing concerns over the disease spreading across the nation. The new case was found at a chicken farm in Yeoju, 105 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said.All of the farm's 150,000 chickens were culled as a preventive measure. The discovery put the nationwide tally of highly pathogenic bird flu cases from p
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2020
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S. Korea flies jets over air defense zone to warn Chinese, Russian warplanes
South Korea scrambled fighter jets Tuesday to warn Chinese and Russian warplanes that had entered its air defense zone. But the warplanes did not fly into South Korea’s territorial airspace. The Air Defense Identification Zone, which surrounds the territorial airspace of each country, is recognized so countries may demand foreign aircraft take steps to identify themselves to avoid misunderstandings. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said four Chinese military aircraft flew in the morning near Ie
DefenseDec. 22, 2020
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Surprise COVID-19 ban on travel, gatherings puzzles Koreans
The South Korean government on Wednesday whipped out a new set of restrictions not already part of its COVID-19 playbook, in an effort to tame the surge in infections. As the changes come after the government had said it would not be tightening rules in recent briefings, businesses are taken aback while the public reports confusion. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday that dining in groups of five or more will be prohibited nationwide from Thursday until Jan. 3. Hotels and other ac
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2020
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BTS to get opportunity to defer mandatory enlistment
The government proclaimed a revision Tuesday that will allow distinguished pop artists, such as the bandmates of K-pop boy band BTS, to delay their mandatory military service until the age of 30. Under the revision of the Military Service Act proclaimed by the Ministry of National Defense, those excelling in popular culture and the arts will be allowed to put off their enlistment until the age of 30 -- if recommended by the culture minister -- for elevating the country’s global reputatio
DefenseDec. 22, 2020
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[Q&A] Ban on gatherings of 5 or more people explained
There is some unfortunate news for those who planned to go skiing, who already booked a nice restaurant or hotel room for a party or who wanted to go to the seaside for the New Year’s sunrise. Private gatherings of five or more people in Seoul and surrounding areas will be banned and popular tourist spots will be shut down starting midnight Wednesday, as health authorities scramble to curb the spread of the coronavirus over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Although the government ti
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2020
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1 in 4 COVID-19 cases in Seoul confirmed via random testing
One in four new daily COVID-19 cases in Seoul was confirmed through random street testing this week, the city government said Tuesday. The number of new daily coronavirus infections in the capital rose by 317 on Monday, staying over the 300 mark for the seventh consecutive day. Of Monday's daily caseload, 78 infections, or 24.6 percent, were confirmed by temporary testing centers that began three weeks of operation throughout the greater Seoul area on Dec. 14. In a bid to preemptively find &q
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2020
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[News Focus] Korea’s elderly population surges by 1 million since 2017
SEJONG -- South Korea’s elderly population has increased by more than 1 million in only three years, with the growth pace accelerating and their portion of the entire population expanding, government data showed. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the number of seniors, or people aged 65 or over, came to 8.46 million as of November. This posted a growth of 1.13 million (or 15.4 percent) from 7.33 million in November 2017. The pace is speeding up recently, given that the ta
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2020
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Unification ministry distributes fact sheet about leafleting ban to diplomatic corps: official
The unification ministry has put together an English-language fact sheet about a recently legislated ban on sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea and distributed it to foreign diplomatic missions here, an official said Tuesday. The fact sheet was sent to the missions of over 50 countries, including member countries of the "Peace Club," a consultative channel between Seoul's foreign ministry and envoys from countries that have diplomatic missions in the North. Other countri
North KoreaDec. 22, 2020
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S. Korea, US unlikely to spar over anti-N. Korea leaflets: report
Former US officials familiar with inter-Korean affairs said Monday that the incoming US administration is not likely to fight hard with South Korea on its ban that criminalizes sending propaganda leaflets into North Korea. A week ago, the parliament passed a bill making cross-border leafleting a felony punishable by up to three years in jail or by a fine as high as $27,000 from early next year. President Moon’s ruling Democratic Party of Korea, which pushed through the bill, has been
North KoreaDec. 22, 2020
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Moon says COVID-19 vaccinations for Korean people won't be 'too late'
President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that efforts are well under way to ensure that coronavirus vaccinations for the South Korean people won't be too late. Moon made the remarks while meeting with the leaders of the five major constitutional organizations to discuss measures to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and other pending national issues. "There are a lot of worries about the vaccine these days, but it may be inevitable for vaccine producing countries to get vaccines first because they ex
PoliticsDec. 22, 2020
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Court hearing held on Yoon’s 2-month suspension
The process of reviewing the legalities of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl’s suspension began Tuesday, with a Seoul court holding a hearing on Yoon’s suit to lift the suspension. The court’s decision could turn the tables yet again on Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. The Seoul Administrative Court held a hearing at 2 p.m. to interrogate the suspension of the order filed by Yoon against Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae. Yoon did not attend. Deliberation ended at 4:16 p.m. The
PoliticsDec. 22, 2020
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WHO: Over 10,000 people tested in N. Korea, no confirmed cases
North Korea reported zero confirmed cases of COVID-19 despite having 10,960 people tested by early December, the World Health Organization said on Monday. According to the WHO’s regional situation report on the pandemic, North Korea had 791 people tested between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3, and 766 from Dec. 3 through Dec. 10, and all of them tested negative. A total of 21,586 samples from 10,960 people in the country were tested with reverse polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at an interval of 1
North KoreaDec. 22, 2020
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S. Korea investigating more suspected highly pathogenic bird flu
South Korea's agricultural ministry said Tuesday it is currently investigating two suspected cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza from local farms, amid growing concerns over the bird flu spreading across the nation. Authorities have identified yet another suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu from a duck farm located in Yongin, just south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The farm was raising 6,000 ducks and 90,000 quails. On Monday, ano
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2020
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Military reports five new virus cases
Four service members and an civilian worker for the military tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Tuesday. One Navy officer stationed in the eastern city of Donghae was confirmed to have been infected following an infection of his family member, and one of his colleagues at the same unit also contracted the virus, according to the ministry. One Army officer in the border city of Paju tested positive after undergoing a test upon returning from vacation. Contact tra
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2020