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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4 in 10 young South Koreans take up 'irregular' jobs: data
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[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
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Seoul aims to halve current suicide rate by 2030
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'1 million' Christians join anti-LGBTQ+ marriage rally
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US firm touts attack helicopter to S. Korea
US aerospace manufacturer Bell Textron claimed Wednesday its attack helicopter model would be a highly reliable option for South Korea’s military, which is seeking to create an aviation regiment next year. South Korea’s military is divided on whether to deploy local or foreign attack helicopters from 2026. Bell’s Viper helicopter is the preferred overseas candidate. It performs better than the local competitor but costs more to maintain. The Marine Corp
DefenseDec. 9, 2020
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Ruling party seeks to relocate Assembly to Sejong
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea resolved on Wednesday to move 10 National Assembly standing committees to the administrative capital of Sejong, making its plan official in an effort to quell overpopulation in Seoul and achieve more balanced regional development. A party relocation plan steering group submitted a comprehensive report to the party’s supreme council on moving the parliament out of Seoul to Sejong. “The steering team has been working for about four months to re
PoliticsDec. 9, 2020
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Moon asks lawmakers to hold hearings on new Cabinet nominees
President Moon Jae-in formally requested Wednesday that lawmakers hold confirmation hearings on his picks to serve as new ministers of interior, land, health and gender equality. Moon signed related documents on the four nominees and submitted them to the National Assembly earlier in the day, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok told reporters. Last Friday, Moon picked Rep. Jeon Hae-cheol of the ruling Democratic Party as the interior and safety minister and Kwon Deok-cheol, head of the Korea
PoliticsDec. 9, 2020
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Opposition raises heat on Moon over prosecutorial reform
Rep. Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party on Wednesday demanded a meeting with President Moon Jae-in, accusing the president of setting in motion the controversies surrounding the prosecutors’ office. “President Moon is the cause of the situation, and the person most in charge,” Joo said at a meeting of People Power Party lawmakers, adding that he has requested a meeting with Moon. “I will ask in person if the actions of the Democratic
PoliticsDec. 9, 2020
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USFK apologizes for 'no mask' dance parties amid pandemic
The US Forces Korea (USFK) expressed regrets Wednesday over recent dance parties at its bases where participants ignored requirements to wear masks and other social distancing rules amid the resurgent new coronavirus. The US military has come under fire for a party that took place at Flightline Tap Room at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, on Friday, with dozens of people dancing side by side without wearing face masks. A similar incident took place earlier at Osan Air Base in the
Social AffairsDec. 9, 2020
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Biegun stresses close cooperation with Seoul in dealing with NK
US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who doubles as Washington’s point man on North Korea, stressed close bilateral cooperation with Seoul as he reflected over the past years of nuclear diplomacy with North Korea, while meeting senior officials in South Korea on Wednesday. Biegun arrived here Tuesday for a four-day trip -- most likely his last visit to Seoul as the No. 2 American diplomat and the US special representative for North Korea, as US President Donald Tr
North KoreaDec. 9, 2020
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[Newsmaker] NK’s Kim Yo-jong lashes out at South Korean FM for coronavirus remark
Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s powerful younger sister, lashed out at South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha for questioning Pyongyang’s claim that it is free of the coronavirus, warning that she may “pay dearly” for the remarks, state media said Wednesday. Kim was apparently responding to Kang’s remark delivered Saturday at the Manama Dialogue, an annual regional security forum held in Bahrain. Seoul’s top diplomat said that i
North KoreaDec. 9, 2020
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Ruling party seeks to pass controversial bills at plenary session
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) was poised to push for the passage of a set of controversial bills through the National Assembly's plenary session Wednesday despite fierce protests from the conservative main opposition bloc. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) requested a filibuster to block the passage of five bills during the plenary session scheduled for 2 p.m., a parliamentary source told Yonhap News Agency. The DP currently holds a majority in the 300-member assembly. One of the
PoliticsDec. 9, 2020
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Employment insurance program to expand to artists starting Thursday
South Korea will extend its state employment insurance program to artists starting Thursday as the first step toward expanding coverage to all workers by 2025. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Wednesday that artists under work contracts who earn monthly income of at least 500,000 won ($460) will be eligible for coverage under the amended Employment Insurance Act. The amendment excludes artists with monthly income under 500,000 won to prevent those working as artists for reasons other
Social AffairsDec. 9, 2020
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US sanctions N. Korea over coal smuggling
The US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Tuesday announced sanctions against six trading companies and four vessels over their involvement in North Korea’s illicit trade of coal. The OFAC’s latest move, which comes a day after a US newspaper published US government-provided satellite photos indicating coal trade between North Korea and China, appears to be the Trump administration’s message to Pyongyang that it will not loosen the reins until i
North KoreaDec. 9, 2020
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Global Korea Convention opens to spotlight Seoul's achievements in int'l cooperation
An international forum kicked off in Seoul on Wednesday to share South Korea's achievements in global cooperation and explore its future roles and challenges in the post-COVID-19 era. Global Korea Convention 2020 opened in a ceremony at the K-Hotel Seoul for a three-day run, with the in-person and online attendance of about 30 dignitaries, including Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun; and National As
PoliticsDec. 9, 2020
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[Newsmaker] S. Korea confirms 6th highly pathogenic bird flu case from farms
South Korea said Wednesday it has confirmed the sixth case of highly pathogenic bird flu from a duck farm, raising concerns over the disease penetrating deeper into the local livestock industry. Local authorities identified the latest case from Naju, 355 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The country has been reporting highly pathogenic cases from different regions, ranging from Gyeonggi Province to South Jeolla Province. Highly pathoge
Social AffairsDec. 9, 2020
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One more soldier at Army boot camp tests positive for new coronavirus
One soldier in the inter-Korean border town of Yeoncheon tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of virus patents at barracks to 432, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The enlistee at the Army boot camp in Yeoncheon developed symptoms while in isolation after coming into close contact with his colleague who earlier tested positive, according to the ministry. The total number of COVID-19 cases there has now grown to 82, it added. Currently, 1,649 service members a
Social AffairsDec. 9, 2020
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E-scooters to be allowed at Han River parks
Electric scooters and other personal transporters will be allowed to use bicycle lanes at Han River parks starting this week, the Seoul city government said Wednesday. Use of the lanes was granted under revised laws on road traffic and bicycle use, which are set to take effect Thursday, the city government said. Riders will be required to keep a speed limit of 20 kph and wear a helmet. They will also be banned from riding under the influence and parking or abandoning their vehicles anywhere in
Social AffairsDec. 9, 2020
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Prime minister declares all-out fight against virus spread in in Seoul, nearby areas
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Wednesday that the government will concentrate "all of its capabilities" on countering the rapid spread of COVID-19 in and around Seoul. "(The government) will focus all of its capabilities (in the greater Seoul area)," he said, stressing the significance of turning around the situations in the region where around half of South Korea's 52-million population reside. "The trend of COVID-19 spreading in the capital region is very serious
Social AffairsDec. 9, 2020
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S. Korea reports nearly 700 new cases, 2nd-highest daily increase since January
South Korea reported nearly 700 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, second-highest daily total since the beginning of the outbreak here in January, despite tightened antivirus restrictions in place nationwide. Korea added 686 coronavirus cases -- 662 locally transmitted and 24 originating from overseas -- in the 24 hours ending Tuesday at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Wednesday’s daily case count is the highest ever apart from Feb. 29 when the dai
Social AffairsDec. 9, 2020
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Japan likely to name top Israel envoy as amb. to S. Korea: sources
Japan is likely to name its ambassador to Israel, Koichi Aiboshi, as the top envoy to South Korea, replacing Koji Tomita, who is expected to take over as new ambassador to the United States, diplomatic sources and reports said Wednesday. Aiboshi, 61, served in posts at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul in 1999, 2000 and 2006 and headed the consular affairs bureau at Tokyo's foreign ministry before he became the ambassador to Israel in July 2018, according to reports. The replacement, if confirmed,
Foreign AffairsDec. 9, 2020
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[Graphic News] Output of domestic alcohol declines 10% in 5 years, yet imports double
Output of domestic alcoholic beverages decreased by over 10 percent over the past five years, but alcohol imports nearly doubled during the same period, government data showed. Production of alcoholic beverages made in the country came to 337 million kiloliters in 2019, down 11.3 percent from 380 million kiloliters in 2014, according to the data from the National Tax Service. In contrast, South Korea imported 460,000 kiloliters of alcoholic beverages last year, up 125 percent from 2014,
NationalDec. 9, 2020
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S. Korea to develop autonomous underwater mine detector
South Korea will develop an autonomous underwater mine detector with its indigenous technologies to boost the military's capabilities in mine countermeasure operations, the arms procurement agency said Wednesday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said it has signed a 12 billion-won ($11 million) contract with LIG Nex1 Co. to develop the robot capable of autonomously searching for mines in waters some hundreds of meters below the surface for over 20 hours. Currently, the military u
DefenseDec. 9, 2020
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NK leader's sister says S. Korean FM will 'pay dearly' for remarks on COVID-19
North Korean leader's sister Kim Yo-Jong on Wednesday slammed South Korea's foreign minister over her recent remarks on Pyongyang's antivirus measures, saying that she will "pay dearly" for them and warning the already frozen inter-Korean relations could get worse. Last week, South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told a forum in Bahrain that the North has been unresponsive to Seoul's calls for cross-border antivirus cooperation, adding that Pyongyang's claim that it has no cor
North KoreaDec. 9, 2020