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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9 ex, current maritime police officials acquitted of botched rescue activities in Sewol ferry sinking
A Seoul court on Monday acquitted former and current maritime police officials of mishandling the rescue operation during the sinking of the Sewol ferry in 2014 that killed more than 300 people. The Seoul Central District Court found Kim Suk-kyoon, then chief of the Korea Coast Guard, and eight other former and current senior maritime police officials not guilty of professional negligence in one of the country's worst peacetime disasters. Delivering the ruling, judge Yang Chul-han said the pro
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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Moon hints at further easing of COVID-19 restrictions
President Moon Jae-in on Monday hinted at further easing of the nation’s COVID-19 social distancing rules to boost the pandemic-battered economy, especially hardest-hit small business owners. “We can no longer ignore the urgent appeals (from small businesses). The government will come up with new social distancing measures in March when full-fledged vaccinations start,” the president said during a weekly meeting with his key aides. He stressed a strategic shift in the nat
PoliticsFeb. 15, 2021
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Moon says S. Korea-US alliance crucial for Korea peace process
President Moon Jae-in stressed Monday the importance of reinforcing the South Korea-US alliance for the success of the Korea peace process in a direct message to the new foreign minister, Cheong Wa Dae said. Moon pointed out that Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong is an architect of his liberal administration's diplomatic and security policy as the president gave him a letter of appointment. Chung had long served as director of national security at the presidential office, the equivalent of the W
PoliticsFeb. 15, 2021
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[Newsmaker] In Korean sports, medals cover a multitude of sins
South Korean sports’ “medals-only” meritocracy is revealing its dark side after patterns of violent behavior were laid bare, shocking sports fans and the public. On Monday the Incheon Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders, a women’s professional volleyball team, announced the indefinite suspension of twin sisters Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young over assaults they had perpetrated on classmates in middle school. It was only the latest scandal related to violence and bully
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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Revised laws to limit use of plastic, disposable items
The environment ministry said Monday it has revised a set of laws to limit the use of plastic and other disposable items as the country grapples with soaring waste amid the coronavirus pandemic. The revisions, which will be subject to a public review from Tuesday until March 29, include a ban on the use of paper cups, plastic straws and stirrers inside cafes and other eateries. The use of plastic bags will now be prohibited at retailers and bakeries, expanding a ban that currently applies to l
PoliticsFeb. 15, 2021
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S. Korea to launch new-format social distancing campaign in March, Moon says
President Moon Jae-in said Monday his government will introduce new social distancing rules next month as South Korea is gearing up for full-fledged COVID-19 vaccine shots. The focus will be on minimizing compulsory measures and encouraging voluntary ones, he said during a weekly meeting with his senior Cheong Wa Dae aides. "It will be changed to disease control and prevention based on autonomy and responsibility from a one-size-fits-all compulsory way," Moon said. He cited "ac
PoliticsFeb. 15, 2021
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Korea advises against AstraZeneca vaccine for those over 65
The AstraZeneca vaccine will not be used on those aged 65 and over for the time being, the Korean government committee for COVID-19 immunization said Monday, citing insufficient evidence on how well the vaccine works for the age group. As Korea’s first batch of COVID-19 vaccines would be from AstraZeneca, changes to the country’s vaccination plan appear inevitable. The country had planned to give the first jabs to those over 65 alongside front-line health care workers. “Pri
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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S. Korea extends pandemic-driven advisory against overseas travel until March 17
South Korea on Monday extended its special advisory against overseas travel for another month amid the continued spread of the new coronavirus, the foreign ministry said. The measure, which calls for citizens to cancel or postpone their planned trips abroad, will remain in effect until March 17. The current advisory, which was issued in December, was initially set to expire on Monday. The extension came as many countries around the world continue to restrict entries of people arriving from ove
Foreign AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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Seoul to temporarily ease rules on foreign seasonal workers
South Korea will temporarily ease rules on the employment of foreign seasonal workers in the agriculture and fisheries sectors to cope with the labor shortage aggravated by the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Justice said Monday. Under the temporary deregulatory measure, foreigners who are staying here without a work visa or overstayers unable to return home due to COVID-19 will be permitted to work at local farming and fishing villages for up to 13 months, the ministry said. I
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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Seoul, Washington close to striking defense cost-sharing deal
South Korea and the US are inching toward a conclusion to their stalled negotiations on the defense cost-sharing agreement that governs the 28,500 US troops stationed here, according to media reports. The two countries could be “just weeks away” from clinching a deal, CNN reported last week, citing multiple sources. The deal would likely be a multiyear agreement that increases Korea’s contribution by 13 percent from the previous accord -- the same figure Seoul suggested as
Foreign AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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Cat tests positive for COVID-19 in Seoul's 1st case involving pet
A cat living with a family infected with COVID-19 has tested positive for the coronavirus in Seoul's first case involving a pet, the city government said Monday. The female, 4-to-5-year-old cat was tested Saturday after she showed symptoms, including vomiting and lethargy. The result came back positive Sunday, and the cat was sent to a city-run animal welfare center to quarantine, according to the local government. "The cat is being taken care of at the animal welfare center because its
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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Child abuse reports in February double from last year
Reports of child abuse made to the police over the past two weeks nearly doubled compared with a year ago amid heightened awareness, the police said Monday. Police said they had run a Lunar New Year’s security campaign from Feb. 1 through Sunday and that the daily average number of child abuse reports during the period was 47 cases, compared with 24 cases a year ago. “Child abuse reports rose sharply upon growing awareness,” an official with the National Police Agency said.
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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Cold wave advisory issued for Seoul and most parts of Korea
A cold wave advisory will be issued in Seoul and almost all other parts of the nation Monday night, as a cold snap is forecast to grip the nation for three days or longer this week, the weather agency said. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said the cold wave advisory will take effect at 9 p.m. in Seoul and many other major cities and regions, including Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon. The advisory is issued when the morning low is below minus 12 C for more than two consecutive d
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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Military lifts vacation ban for troops as govt. eases distancing rules
The military on Monday lifted a vacation ban for enlisted service members that has been in place for over two months in accordance with the government's easing of social distancing guidelines against the new coronavirus. Since late November, the military restricted rank-and-file troops from vacations and off-base activities under Level 2.5 social distancing rules, the second highest in its five-tier alert system, following a surge in COVID-19 cases across the nation. Starting Monday, the guida
DefenseFeb. 15, 2021
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S. Korea wraps up delivery of 2m masks to Korean War veterans in 22 countries
South Korea provided an additional 2 million face masks to international veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War recently in an expression of gratitude for their sacrifice, the veterans affairs ministry has said. Under the second such project, a total of 1 million masks were sent to the veterans in the United States, and the remainder to 21 other participating nations, including Canada, Britain, Columbia and South Africa, according to the ministry. Their shipments began in mid-December and were com
Foreign AffairsFeb. 15, 2021
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N. Korea holds cyber conference on water management to ward off flooding
North Korea held a video conference to discuss better methods of flood control and water management in an effort to prevent the recurrence of heavy damage to the country's farming areas wrought by heavy rains last summer, state media reported Monday. The conference on Sunday was joined by North Korean Premier Kim Tok-hun, Defense Minister Kim Jong-gwan and O Su-yong, who was recently elected director of the ruling party's Department of Economic Affairs, according to the Rodong Sinmun and the Ko
North KoreaFeb. 15, 2021
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S. Korea closely monitoring NK moves ahead of late leader's birthday: JCS
South Korea is closely monitoring North Korea's military moves ahead of the birthday of late leader Kim Jong-il, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday. Tuesday marks the birthday of the late leader, who is the father of current leader Kim Jong-un. The day, called the Day of the Shining Star, is one of the North's biggest national holidays, and Pyongyang has held commemorative events. "We are closely monitoring related movements, and there are no unusual things to be noted for furthe
North KoreaFeb. 15, 2021
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Defense ministry says details of S. Korea-US combined exercise yet to be finalized
South Korea and the United States have yet to work out the schedule and other details of a planned joint springtime exercise, the defense ministry said Monday. The computer-simulated command post training is likely to kick off in mid-March, according to sources, but the ministry declined to confirm when it's going to happen, saying that discussions are still under way to finalize the plan. "South Korea and the US are closely coordinating how to stage the exercise in consideration of the C
DefenseFeb. 15, 2021
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DP switches emergency handout strategy to prioritize targeted virus relief
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) has switched its strategy in giving out the nation's fourth round of emergency coronavirus relief handouts, opting to first prioritize a selective program as opposed to seeking both selective and universal stimulus packages in the same time window. On Sunday, DP Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon announced that the party and the government will engage in full-fledged talks on the country's new round of emergency relief handouts under a plan to submit an extra budget draf
PoliticsFeb. 15, 2021
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S. Korea to temporarily ease bird flu-related culling rules
South Korea said Monday it plans to temporarily ease precautionary measures against bird flu as the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza has slowed. The country plans to destroy the same kind of poultry within a 1-kilometer radius of infected farms for the next two weeks, when bird flu cases are reported, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The country has so far culled 26 million poultry under its policy of destroying all birds within a 3-km radius of infe
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2021