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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Top diplomats of S. Korea, Britain discuss bilateral cooperation, G7 summit
The top diplomats of South Korea and Britain spoke over the phone Tuesday and discussed joint efforts to expand bilateral cooperation in climate change and other areas, the foreign ministry said. In the phone talks, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong agreed with his British counterpart, Dominic Raab, to use upcoming events, like the Group of Seven (G7) summit and the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals (P4G), as occasions to further strengthen cooperation. It was the first phone co
Foreign AffairsFeb. 23, 2021
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Vice FM urges N. Korea to return to nuke dialogue at UN disarmament conference
First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun urged North Korea on Tuesday to return to denuclearization talks, saying that the peace process on the Korean Peninsula is the path that must be taken, the foreign ministry said. Choi made the remark in a speech he delivered virtually for the high-level segment of the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, as he explained Seoul‘s ongoing efforts to engage with Pyongyang toward the goal of building a nuclear-free peninsula and lasting peace in t
Foreign AffairsFeb. 23, 2021
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Google Korea reviews lowering planned in-app commission rate: lawmakers
The South Korean unit of US tech giant Google Inc. is considering lowering its planned commission rate for in-app purchases, lawmakers said Tuesday, amid complaints from local software developers over steep commission costs. According to lawmakers from the parliamentary committee on science and technology, Google Korea representatives have told committee members that they were persuading the company headquarters to lower its planned 30 percent commission on in-app purchases. Google has announ
PoliticsFeb. 23, 2021
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American soldier at Seongnam air base tests positive for COVID-19
An American service member stationed at an air base in Seongnam, south of Seoul, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US Forces Korea said Tuesday. The soldier at K-16 Air Base was confirmed on Monday as having contracted COVID-19 following direct contact with a person who tested positive earlier, according to the US military. “KDCA and USFK health professionals are actively conducting contact tracing to determine whether anyone else may have been exposed to these individual
DefenseFeb. 23, 2021
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Korea says Pfizer vaccine safe, effective for anyone 16 or above
South Korean regulatory authorities said Tuesday that Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine was safe and effective across all age groups, including adults aged 65 or above and children as young as 16. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s director general for biopharmaceuticals Kim Sang-bong told a news briefing the preliminary review has found the vaccine to be 95 percent effective overall, and nearly equally effective for older and frail people. Kim said so far the ministry sees t
Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2021
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Politicians bicker over COVID-19 vaccines ahead of rollout
Politics are creeping into vaccine discussions in Korea with the country’s first jabs to be rolled out in just a few days, and scientists say they are wary of the non-experts in high offices playing politics with public health. In a Facebook statement posted Friday, Yoo Seung-min, a onetime presidential contender of a minor conservative party, suggested that President Moon Jae-in take the AstraZeneca vaccine to boost public confidence. “The dearth of data on the AstraZeneca vacc
Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2021
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US remains focused on NK denuclearization: Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday reaffirmed the US position that the country would continue to focus on North Korea’s denuclearization and closely cooperate with its allies and partners. He briefly mentioned North Korea during a speech at the United Nations-sponsored Conference on Disarmament, where he also said the US would demand greater transparency from China on its weapons development program. During the prerecorded speech, Blinken warned against Russia, referring to i
North KoreaFeb. 23, 2021
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COVID-19 makes S. Koreans less happy, economically more insecure: survey
South Koreans felt less happy last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, with women, young adults, the elderly and low-income citizens affected the most, a state-run think tank's survey showed Tuesday. According to an annual survey on 8,336 adults by the Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA) from September to October of last year, people rated their happiness at an average of 6.4 points on a 10-point scale, down 0.1 point from the previous year. In particular, the percentage of those
Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2021
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Unification minister renews calls for inter-Korean response system against infectious diseases
Unification Minister Lee In-young renewed calls Tuesday for building a joint response system with North Korea against infectious diseases to better cope with growing threats from global pandemics. Lee made the remarks during a seminar on inter-Korean cooperation in public health, noting that creating a joint system does not necessarily mean providing unilateral help to Pyongyang but is also a way of protecting "oneself and one's family." "South and North Korea must resume buildi
North KoreaFeb. 23, 2021
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Seoul city vows strict response to illegal rallies on March 1
The Seoul city government vowed Tuesday to respond strictly to all illegal rallies held in downtown squares on March 1 Independence Movement Day. Conservative groups have again announced plans to stage rallies denouncing President Moon Jae-in, a liberal, at Gwanghwamun Square in the city center on the national holiday. Last year, the activists drew flak for holding a mass rally on Aug. 15 Liberation Day, which set off the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the country. "We are in
Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2021
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Defector’s entry exposes diminishing military readiness at border
It took South Korea’s military at least three hours to detect a border breach by a North Korean defector who swam across the eastern maritime border on Feb. 16, in what appeared to be an indisputable lapse in border security. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday that the military surveillance system picked up the man the moment he set foot on South Korean soil at 1:05 a.m. that day, but it learned about the event at 4:16 a.m. Commanders were notified much later. The def
DefenseFeb. 23, 2021
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Conflict between doctors, govt. reignites over bill on disqualifying convicted doctors
A conflict between doctors on one side and the government and the ruling party on the other has become heated over a bill that would disqualify medical doctors convicted of felonies. An association of doctors threatened to carry out "a general strike" of angry doctors across the country if the bill is put to a full-floor vote at the National Assembly, while the government warned of stern actions if the strike is launched, especially as national COVID-19 vaccinations are set to begin l
PoliticsFeb. 23, 2021
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WFP could cease operations in N. Korea this year due to pandemic
The World Food Programme (WFP) could suspend its operations in North Korea this year as restrictions on imports remain in place due the coronavirus pandemic, a report on its website showed Tuesday. According to the report, the UN aid agency has continued to be faced with difficulties in deploying its staff in the North, with its physical monitoring activities being curtailed for a prolonged period of time. "Pandemic-related restrictions do not ease and food imports, international staff de
North KoreaFeb. 23, 2021
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Seoul says unfreezing Iranian fund in Korea requires US approval first
The South Korean Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said unfreezing Iranian assets held in Korean banks would require prior approval from the US, denying Tehran’s claim that a deal had already been reached. On Monday, Tehran announced that the two sides had reached an agreement on transferring the frozen Iranian assets to their desired destinations, during a discussion between Central Bank of Iran Gov. Abdolnaser Hemmati and Korean Ambassador to Iran Ryu Jeong-hyun. According to the
Foreign AffairsFeb. 23, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Claims of past school violence sweep sports, showbiz
Celebrities and athletes are facing public outrage, following a string of accusations of past bullying. Following the bullying scandal that damaged the careers of four professional volleyball players this month, another volleyball player Park Sang-ha retired on Monday after admitting to allegations of school violence. Over the weekend, another allegation was raised that Hanwha Eagles baseball player Yoo Jang-hyuk assaulted and bullied a school mate during elementary school. The revelations ar
Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2021
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First taxi service for those with COVID-19 symptoms launches in Busan
The first taxi service in South Korea exclusively for those with COVID-19 symptoms kicked off in Busan with the same fare system but will only run to and from home and local public health centers. The Busan city government said Tuesday a local taxi company named Tomato Taxi has started a cab service exclusively for those in need of COVID-19 checks with 32 taxi vehicles. The service was introduced following requests from Busan’s civic task force on COVID-19, the city said. The taxis used
Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2021
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What Seoul mayor candidates have to say on LGBTQ festival
The issue of LGBTQ rights has come to the fore again in South Korea’s political circles, sparked by the recent remarks from one of the leading candidates to be Seoul mayor. The controversial remarks from minor opposition People’s Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo was made during a televised debate between him and rival candidate Keum Tae-sup last week while discussing an annual LGBTQ Pride parade held in central Seoul since 2000. The Seoul Queer Culture Festival, held every year since 200
Social AffairsFeb. 23, 2021
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No relief money for violators of antivirus regulations: PM
Those who violate social distancing restrictions will not be eligible for an upcoming batch of emergency cash handouts, South Korea's prime minister said Tuesday. Chung Sye-kyun was warning of stern measures, including the so-called "one-strike, you're out" punishment, amid continued reports of some shops, restaurants and other businesses nationwide breaching a set of rules aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. "At invisible places, there are frequent cases of social commitme
PoliticsFeb. 23, 2021
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NK steelmaking workers urge nationwide efforts to ramp up production
Workers at a major steel plant in North Korea held a rally to firm up their commitment to meet their production target and call for nationwide efforts to achieve the first-year goal of the country's five-year economic development scheme, state media reported Tuesday. The rally held Monday at the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex came after leader Kim Jong-un criticized officials at a recent party meeting for showing "passive and self-protecting tendencies" in setting this year's goals a
North KoreaFeb. 23, 2021
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[Graphic News] Paternity leave increases 23% in 2020
The number of men going on paternity leave jumped 23 percent last year from the previous year, reflecting cultural and policy changes, the Labor Ministry said. The total number of private sector workers requesting paternity leave stood at 27,423 last year, more than double the number in 2017 (12,042), the ministry said. The increase can be attributed to more couples raising their children together and policies encouraging men to take leave, it said. The coronavirus pandemic likely con
NationalFeb. 23, 2021