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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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
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Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying
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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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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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New virus cases over 400 again as mass vaccinations begin
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose above 400 again on Friday as the country started its vaccination program and decided to extend current social distancing guidelines for two more weeks. The country reported 406 more virus cases, including 382 local infections, raising the total caseload to 88,922, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Friday's daily caseload marks a slight uptick from 396 tallied the previous day. The figures hovered above 600 last w
Social AffairsFeb. 26, 2021
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US court orders N. Korea to pay $2.3b over 1968 capture of USS Pueblo
WASHINGTON -- A federal district court has ordered North Korea to pay over $2 billion in damages to the crew and family of a US naval ship captured in 1968, court documents released this week showed. In its Feb. 16 ruling, the US District Court for DC found North Korea was responsible for the kidnapping of the USS Pueblo, as well as the imprisonment and torture of its crew members. "This case arises from the kidnapping, imprisonment, and torture of United States servicemen aboard the USS
Foreign AffairsFeb. 26, 2021
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S. Korea to extend current social distancing measures for 2 weeks: PM
South Korea will extend its current social distancing measures for another two weeks, the prime minister said Friday, as sporadic COVID-19 cluster infections continue to pop up across the country. "The government will decide to extend the current distancing levels for another two weeks starting next week during today's meeting," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a regular COVID-19 response meeting held at the government complex in Seoul. The greater Seoul area, home to aroun
Social AffairsFeb. 26, 2021
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South Korea officially starts COVID-19 vaccination
The first COVID-19 vaccination in South Korea has taken place, as the country kicked off its first-ever nationwide immunization campaign during a virus pandemic. At 9 a.m. Friday, COVID-19 vaccines made by AstraZeneca started to be distributed at 1,915 public health center and nursing homes across the country. The vaccines were contract manufactured by SK Bioscience at its factory in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. Health officials had announced that more than 5,000 nursing home residents a
Social AffairsFeb. 26, 2021
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NK firm files lawsuit to collect payment from S. Korean company
A North Korean firm filed a lawsuit against a South Korean company in 2019 to claim payment related to a business deal, sources here said Thursday, a rare legal battle between businesses from the two Koreas. The company affiliated with Pyongyang's national economic cooperation federation filed the suit with the Seoul Central District Court seeking 5.3 billion won ($4.7 million) for its alleged unpaid supply, according to the sources. Their names have not been made available. The North Korean
North KoreaFeb. 25, 2021
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Moon pledges support for southeastern region's megacity project
President Moon Jae-in on Thursday promised to offer support for a joint initiative between local governments in the southeastern region to form a communal socio-economic "megacity" sphere for long-term regional prosperity. Moon made the pledge as he attended a briefing on the so-called megacity project in the southeastern port city of Busan that was co-hosted by the city's municipal government and those of the nearby city of Ulsan and South Gyeongsang province. The project is aimed a
NationalFeb. 25, 2021
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Parliament seeks to toughen punishment for child abuse homicide
The National Assembly is pushing for a law revision to strengthen the punishment of homicide by child abuse in the wake of a series of recent fatal abuse cases that shocked the nation. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Thursday passed a revision bill on child abuse crimes, under which those convicted of child abuse murder will be punished with at least seven years in prison, life imprisonment or the death penalty. The bill is expected to advance to a full floor vote on Friday. Current
Social AffairsFeb. 25, 2021
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[Graphic News] Homebuying top priority for Lotto winners
More than 40 percent of people who won Lotto, the country‘s most popular lottery, said they will use the prize money to acquire real estate assets, a survey showed. Among 271 Lotto winners in the first half of 2020, 42 percent of them said they will buy houses or properties with the prize money, according to a survey conducted by the Finance Ministry’s lottery committee and the Lotto seller. The survey showed that 22 percent of the winners planned to use the prize money to
NationalFeb. 25, 2021
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[From the scene] One day to go: AstraZeneca vaccines distributed across Korea
SUWON, Gyeonggi Province -- Korea’s first COVID-19 vaccines are being dispersed across the country, ready for Friday’s rollout. The delivery of the first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine began Thursday morning. Over the next four days, more than 1 million doses of the vaccine are expected to be doled out to at least 1,900 public health centers and nursing homes. Before the vaccines could reach the vaccination sites, they had been transported from a SK Bioscience plant in North Gy
Social AffairsFeb. 25, 2021
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Police investigate terror threat against Incheon Airport ahead of March 1 holiday
Police are investigating a video that warns of an attack at Incheon International Airport on the March 1st Independence Movement Day. According to the Incheon International Airport Police Corps, they were tipped off by a citizen on Tuesday about a suspicious YouTube video threatening to attack the airport at 11 a.m. on the national holiday. The video, uploaded on Sunday, has since changed its content to a message that Osama Bin Laden, the late leader of Al Qaeda and the mastermind of the Septe
Social AffairsFeb. 25, 2021
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Migrant worker posthumously tests positive for coronavirus
A migrant worker who died at home in Yangju, north of Seoul, posthumously tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday, health officials said. The 49-year-old Nigerian national was found dead on Wednesday by an acquaintance, who visited the home at the request of the worker's family member. Health authorities conducted coronavirus testing after the family told them the deceased person recently had cold symptoms. The result came back positive Thursday. officials said. Health officials took inf
Social AffairsFeb. 25, 2021
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Upcoming military exercise with US should be postponed or halted: expert
South Korea should put off or suspend its combined springtime military exercise with the United States as part of efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, a researcher at a state-run think tank said Thursday. Kim Sang-ki, a researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), made the point in a report amid concern that the joint exercise, expected to take place next month, could provide North Korea with a pretext for provocations. "It is necessary to postpone th
North KoreaFeb. 25, 2021
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CIO head vows to maintain political neutrality
Kim Jin-wook, the head of the new powerful investigative agency, on Thursday vowed to remain politically neutral and not to give in to political pressure when it comes to investigations. In his first public debate since taking office last month, Kim, the inaugural chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), said he will try his best to listen to different opinions on contentious and divisive issues. "I will be impartial towards everyone with different op
PoliticsFeb. 25, 2021
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Parliamentary seeks to toughen punishment for child abuse homicide
The National Assembly is pushing for a law revision to strengthen the punishment of homicide by child abuse in the wake of a series of recent fatal abuse cases that shocked the nation. A subcommittee of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Wednesday passed a revision bill on child abuse crimes, under which those convicted of child abuse murder will be punished with at least seven years in prison, life imprisonment or the death penalty. Currently, those who commit child abuse that results
PoliticsFeb. 25, 2021
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Doctor-government conflict continues as vaccinations begin
Doctors appear to be losing ground in their conflict with the government after facing negative public sentiment toward their call for collective action. The Korean Medical Association said Wednesday that it agrees with the intention of the bill on revoking licenses for doctors convicted of serious crimes, but argued that adjustments need to be made within the legislative proposal to prevent over-regulation. “We completely agree even within ourselves that doctors who committed severe crim
Social AffairsFeb. 25, 2021
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Court recognizes 1st conscientious objector on ethical grounds
Conscientious objectors in South Korea will now be able to perform alternative service instead of reserve forces training if they demonstrate personal beliefs in nonviolence, South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday. South Korea, which conscripts all able-bodied men for about two years to maintain defense readiness against North Korea and requires reserve forces training for eight years after they are discharged, introduced the program in October to honor a court ruling. The Cons
DefenseFeb. 25, 2021
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Police raid SK Innovation again over battery dispute
Police raided SK Innovation Co. on Thursday in connection with the allegations that it stole electric vehicle (EV) battery technologies from its local competitor. According to the police, the national security investigation division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency launched a search operation at the company in central Seoul earlier in the day. The police have been investigating the case after they received a complaint in May 2019 from LG Chem Ltd. that SK Innovation poached talent from
PoliticsFeb. 25, 2021
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4th round of COVID-19 relief handouts may reach more than W19.5tr
South Korea's upcoming fourth round of COVID-19 relief handouts may amount to more than 19.5 trillion won ($17.6 billion), the ruling Democratic Party (DP) said Thursday. The scale of the government's proposal for the new batch of pandemic relief fund has been tentatively set at around 19.5 trillion won, but the final amount could rise further during the National Assembly's review of the related bill, Rep. Yoo Dong-soo, a deputy chief of the DP's policy committee, indicated. "(The size of
PoliticsFeb. 25, 2021
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US experts stress need to address human rights issues in normalization talks with N. Korea
Leading experts on North Korea underscored the need Thursday to address Pyongyang's human rights issues should Washington engage in talks on the normalization of relations between the two countries. Speaking at a virtual forum on peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, Robert Gallucci, former US nuclear negotiator, and Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the point, as the administration of US President Joe Biden is intent on reasserting America's r
North KoreaFeb. 25, 2021
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14 USFK-affiliated people test positive for coronavirus
Twelve American service members and two of their family members have tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival here from the United States recently, US Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday. Seven service members and two dependents arrived on international commercial flights at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, between Feb. 5 and Feb. 21, according to USFK. The remaining five service members arrived at Osan Air Base on US government chartered flights from the US on Feb. 3 and 22
DefenseFeb. 25, 2021