Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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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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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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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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N. Korea slams Seoul-Washington joint air exercise
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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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[Herald Interview] K-pop’s 'best years are ahead of us': Spotify’s general manager for Asia Pacific
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Fire engulfs old Buddhist temple in southwestern region
A fire tore through the main hall of Naejang Temple, one of South Korea's oldest Buddhist temples, on Friday in a suspected arson attack by a disgruntled monk, firefighters said. Firefighters received the initial report of the fire at the temple in the southwestern city of Jeongeup at around 6:30 p.m. The blaze burned down the wooden Daewungjeon building, while firefighters were trying to stop it from spreading to other structures, the authorities said. No casualties were reported. The fire
Social AffairsMarch 5, 2021
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DP's approval rating plunges to record low since Moon took office
The ruling Democratic Party's approval rating plunged to a record low since the 2017 inauguration of the Moon Jae-in government amid conflict over prosecution reform, a poll showed Friday. The DP's approval rating was at 32 percent, down 4 percentage points from a week ago, according to a survey on 1,002 voters nationwide conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday to Thursday. This marks the lowest since Moon took office in May 2017. The corresponding rate for the main opposition People Power P
PoliticsMarch 5, 2021
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[Newsmaker] ‘Korea fails to respond to human trafficking’
In July 2016, a woman from Thailand came to Korea believing she could work as a masseuse. As soon as she arrived in Incheon, she was sent by brokers to a massage parlor in Gwangju. There, the owner took her passport and told her to go to a room for a test. Soon after, she was raped by the owner. When she said she wanted to return to Thailand, the owner and the brokers demanded that she pay them 2 million won ($1,775) in commission before leaving. She was forced to stay and work in the massage
Social AffairsMarch 5, 2021
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Korea to further ease social distancing as vaccines roll out
South Korea is looking to revise its social distancing scheme to allow the economy to stay open at higher number of newly diagnosed patients, while restricting individual behaviors more strictly. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Friday that the easing was warranted as the country is now capable of handling a much greater number of patients than it was in November, when the current guidelines came into effect. No timetable for the revision has been announced so far. “The five-ti
Social AffairsMarch 5, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Political circles eye on Yoon’s next move
The prosecutor general who rose to prominence by standing firm against pressure from the Moon Jae-in administration, shook political minds as he resigned Thursday over moves to deprive the prosecution of its investigative rights, a month ahead of the local by-elections. Yoon Seok-youl had adhered to the customary reticence of a chief prosecutor, limiting his public speech to parliamentary sessions, until he took his first media interview this week, four months before his two-year term was to ex
Social AffairsMarch 5, 2021
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Prosecutors raid SK Group in connection with alleged slush fund case at SK Networks
Prosecutors on Friday raided SK Group's headquarters to see if the group is involved in the alleged creation of an illicit fund by the chairman of the SK Networks Co., a global trading unit of the group. The anti-corruption unit of the Seoul Central Prosecutors Office said prosecutors and police investigators from the unit were searching the SK Group headquarters in Seoul to secure evidence for an investigation into the slush fund allegation. On the same day, prosecutors indicted chairman Choi
Social AffairsMarch 5, 2021
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State auditor finds no fault in process leading to govt.'s nuclear-free policy
The state auditor said Friday it found no irregularities in the steps involved in drawing up the Moon Jae-in government's nuclear-free policy. The Board of Audit and Inspection conducted an investigation after a former opposition lawmaker and 546 others asked the agency in June 2019 to look into potential irregularities in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's policymaking process. The group alleged that the ministry bypassed due procedure by revising a power supply plan before amending
PoliticsMarch 5, 2021
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‘N. Korea is exploiting cyberspace to evade sanction’
North Korea is exploiting cyberspace to circumvent UN sanctions, Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander of the US Cyber Command, said at a cybersecurity videoconference it hosted Thursday. “North Korea sponsors cyber exploitation of international finance via cyber means to evade United Nations sanctions.” North Korea has long been accused of supporting cyberattacks targeting banks to finance its weapons program and prop up its economy. China is believed to be sharing expertise and training
North KoreaMarch 5, 2021
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Blinken, Austin to visit Korea after flying to Japan
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet with South Korean counterparts in mid-March following a three-day trip to Japan, in what is seen as part of their Asian tour to solidify a coalition to deal with the rise of China, sources said Friday, adding the meeting would fall on March 17-18. “We’re still coordinating with the US and nothing is definitive yet,” a Foreign Ministry official said. The meeting will mark the first senior level ta
Foreign AffairsMarch 5, 2021
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PM urges swift passage of W15tr extra budget plan
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun urged the National Assembly on Friday to swiftly pass the latest extra budget proposal, calling it "medicine" and a "vaccine" amid the coronavirus pandemic. The government has submitted a 15 trillion won ($13.2 billion) supplementary budget plan to finance the fourth round of COVID-19 relief for small businesses and vulnerable groups. The new package is worth 19.5 trillion won, including 4.5 trillion won from this year's budget."This suppl
PoliticsMarch 5, 2021
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2 Army soldiers, civilian employee test positive for COVID-19
Two Army soldiers and a civilian employee have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Friday. A soldier in Sejong, some 120 kilometers south of Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 while in quarantine after a virus case was reported at his base, according to the ministry. Since the first case was reported at the base on Monday, the total number of infections has risen to seven. Another soldier based in Hongcheon, 100 km east of the capital, was found in
Social AffairsMarch 5, 2021
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[Newsmaker] S. Korea reports no additional avian influenza case for past week
South Korea's agricultural ministry said Friday the country has not reported a farm-linked highly pathogenic bird flu case for around a week, in a possible sign of a letup. No suspected cases of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza were reported from local poultry farms since Friday last week, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The 103rd case of bird flu was reported from an egg farm in Pocheon, 46 kilometers north of Seoul. South Korea identified its first bird fl
Social AffairsMarch 5, 2021
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S. Korea, US seeks 'two plus two' gathering of foreign, defense ministers: sources
South Korea and the United States are in talks to arrange a "two plus two" meeting of their foreign and defense ministers later this month, sources said Friday, as the allies seek to ensure policy coordination on North Korea's denuclearization and other issues. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are expected to visit South Korea on March 17-18 after a three-day trip to Japan as part of their first Asia swing since the Jan. 20 launch of the Joe Bide
Foreign AffairsMarch 5, 2021
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[Graphic News] South Koreans spent an hour a day on YouTube in Jan.: data
South Koreans are estimated to have spent an hour on average on the mobile YouTube app a day in January, data showed. The average time a local mobile user spent on the video streaming app in January stood at 30 hours and 34 minutes, or 59 minutes a day, according to mobile app tracker WiseApp, based on data of Android and iOS users over the age of 10 in the country. WiseApp said there were 40.41 million mobile users who used the YouTube app at least once last month, with those aged 50 o
NationalMarch 5, 2021
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New virus cases hovering around 400, potential upticks worrisome amid pandemic fatigue
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases continued to hover around 400 on Friday amid the country's vaccination push, with a potential resurgence in spring still worrisome amid prolonged pandemic fatigue and an increase in more contagious COVID-19 variants. The country reported 398 more COVID-19 cases, including 381 local infections, raising the total caseload to 91,638, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload was down from 444 cases recorded Wednesday
Social AffairsMarch 5, 2021
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NK leader sets agriculture as 'primary economic task' for local party officials
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un set increasing agricultural production as a "primary economic task" as he held the second day of a workshop with regional Workers' Party secretaries, state media reported Friday. During the meeting on Thursday, Kim stressed the importance of increasing production in the farming sector and discussed ways to implement goals put forth during a rare party congress in January, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The primary economic ta
North KoreaMarch 5, 2021
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US defense chief shortlists N. Korea as 'nation-state threat'
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Thursday included North Korea in only a handful of countries that pose threats to the United States and its allies. It marked the first time the US defense chief addressed the North Korean issue since taking office in late January. "Even as we address accelerating competition by China, we will ensure that we remain fully ready to respond to and effectively deter nation-state threats emanating from Russia, Iran, and North Korea," Austin said in
North KoreaMarch 5, 2021
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N. Korea again ranks lowest in terms of economic freedom: think tank
North Korea is the world's least free country in terms of economic freedom for its people and businesses, an annual report from a US think tank showed Thursday. The North ranked 178th or last in terms of economic freedom, according to the report, the 2021 Index of Economic Freedom by the Washington-based Heritage Foundation. "The world's least economically free nation remains North Korea, followed closely by the failed socialist nations of Venezuela and Cuba," it said, without clarif
North KoreaMarch 5, 2021
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'Robust' N. Korea sanctions needed to prevent nuclear proliferation: defense nominee
The United States and others must continue to enforce sanctions on North Korea to prevent the North from proliferating its nuclear capability, the nominee for US under secretary of defense for policy said Thursday. Colin Kahl also highlighted the need for South Korea and the United States to maintain their combined defense posture to deter North Korean threats. "I believe that it is the role of the Department of Defense to maintain a robust defense and deterrence posture, and to ensure th
North KoreaMarch 5, 2021
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Korea-American lawmaker named co-chair of US congressional study group
A Korean-American member of the US House of Representatives has been named a co-chair for a US congressional study group on Korea, an association of former US lawmakers said Thursday. Young Kim (R-CA) will serve as co-chair of the Congressional Study Group on Korea along with Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA), according to the Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC). "As a Korean American, I am excited to be able to facilitate important, bipartisan discussions with Co-Chair Rep. Bera and my co
Foreign AffairsMarch 5, 2021