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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FM Kang leaves office after years of daunting diplomatic tasks
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha left office Monday after nearly four years at the helm of South Korea's diplomacy grappling with a host of daunting challenges ranging from North Korea's nuclear quandary to historical spats with Japan and an escalating Sino-USrivalry. Having led the ministry since June 2017, Kang described her stint as the nation's first female foreign minister as "most honorable" in her work life and voiced hope that her successor, Chung Eui-yong, will reinvigorate th
Foreign AffairsFeb. 8, 2021
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Sungkyunkwan’s business school ranks 35th in world
Sungkyunkwan University’s Graduate School of Business has ranked No. 35 in the world in the 2021 Financial Times Global MBA Ranking. In Asia, the institution ranked seventh, as it maintained the top spot for Korea. The Financial Times Global MBA Ranking is an annual indicator of business schools’ overall status and quality. Unlike other rankings centered on US MBA programs, the FT ranking is global and assesses business schools around the world. Sungkyunkwan University Graduate Sc
Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021
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Moon says govt. to seek 'bold, sufficient' fiscal steps against coronavirus crisis
President Moon Jae-in said Monday his administration will push for "bold and sufficient" ways to tackle the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The government will do its best to come up with sufficient measures in a bold manner, without losing an opportunity, to overcome the crisis within a range that finance can afford," he said at the start of a weekly meeting with senior Cheong Wa Dae aides. His remarks came amid a brewing controversy over the proposed fourth ba
PoliticsFeb. 8, 2021
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Moon appoints new foreign minister
President Moon Jae-in appointed Chung Eui-yong as his new foreign minister on Monday, Cheong Wa Dae announced. Chung, former director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae, will begin his tenure Tuesday. He replaces Kang Kyung-wha, the nation’s first female foreign minister and the longest-serving minister in Moon’s Cabinet. Earlier in the day, the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the National Assembly, in which the ruling Democratic Party holds a maj
Foreign AffairsFeb. 8, 2021
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Moon-Biden summit going virtual?
After an official phone call last week, Cheong Wa Dae is pushing for an early summit between President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, in an attempt to breathe life back into the Korean Peninsula peace negotiations, with a virtual meeting emerging as one possibility to advance the date. During the 32-minute conversation early Thursday morning, the two leaders agreed to hold summit talks as soon as possible once the COVID-19 situation has stabilized, according to Seoul’s re
PoliticsFeb. 8, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Warrant sought for former energy minister over nuclear plant closure
Former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Paik Un-gyu on Monday faced potential arrest for his role in the controversial closure of South Korea’s second-oldest nuclear reactor. The Daejeon District Court on Monday afternoon started an arrest warrant hearing for Paik on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of business following a request from the prosecution on Thursday. Paik is under investigation for allegedly abusing his authority to negatively influence the viability assessme
Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021
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Seoul city to test pet cats, dogs for COVID-19
The Seoul metropolitan government will test pet cats and dogs for COVID-19 if they show symptoms, an official said Monday. The new program will start the same day, several weeks after the country reported its first COVID-19 case involving a pet in a kitten in the southeastern city of Jinju. Park Yoo-mi, a disease control official at the city government, said during a virtual press briefing that the tests will be conducted near the animal's home by a team of health workers, including a veterina
PoliticsFeb. 8, 2021
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Employment insurance growth hits 17-year low in Jan. amid pandemic
Subscriptions to state employment insurance increased by the smallest number in 17 years in January amid the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the labor ministry said Monday. The number of subscribers reached 13.84 million in January, up 151,000, or 1.1 percent, from the same month last year, according to the ministry's monthly report on the labor market. That figure is the smallest since February 2004, when the increase was 138,000. It is also less than the 155,000 recorded in May 2020
Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021
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15 USFK-affiliated people test positive for coronavirus
Thirteen American service members and two civilians affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) have tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival here from the United States recently, USFK said Monday. Eleven service members, one civilian and one contractor arrived on international commercial flights at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, between Jan. 21 and Feb. 6, according to USFK. The other two service members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, around 70 kilometers south
Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021
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3 Filipinos given prison terms for trafficking illicit drugs into S. Korea
CHANGWON -- Three Filipinos have been given prison terms for trafficking illegal drugs into South Korea, a local court said Monday. The Changwon District Court, about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, recently sentenced the three Philippine nationals to three to five years in prison for violating the Narcotics Control Act. The court also handed down prison terms ranging from one to 2 1/2 years, suspended for two to four years, to three other Filipinos on the same charge. The six were indicte
Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021
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Two minor natural quakes hit N. Korea's eastern region: KMA
Two minor natural earthquakes struck North Korea's eastern region early Monday, South Korea's state weather agency said. The first quake with a magnitude of 3.2 was detected at around 3:37 a.m., 37 kilometers north-northeast of Changjin, South Hamkyong Province, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The epicenter was at a latitude of 40.67 degrees north and a longitude of 127.45 degrees east, the agency said. The second quake of magnitude 2.3 struck about four hours late
North KoreaFeb. 8, 2021
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[Newsmaker] S. Korea reports another suspected case of bird flu, total now at 87
South Korea said Monday it is currently investigating yet another suspected case of highly pathogenic bird flu, with the country's total confirmed infections staying unchanged at 87. The latest suspected case of the deadly H5N8 strain of avian influenza was reported from an egg farm in Pocheon, 46 kilometers north of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The test result is expected to come out within three days. The farm was raising 160,000 chickens. Since l
Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021
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NK paper calls for military role in advancing economy on army founding anniversary
North Korea's official paper said Monday the country's military should play a leading role in major construction and other economic development projects as the country marked the 73rd anniversary of the army's founding. At the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party in January, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un unveiled its new five-year economic development plan focusing on self-reliance amid multiple challenges, including efforts to ward off the coronavirus and crippling sanctions. Kim cal
North KoreaFeb. 8, 2021
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[Graphic News] Number of airport passengers in S. Korea plummets after 12 years of gains
The number of passengers using South Korean airports fell sharply last year due to the fallout from the new coronavirus outbreak, marking the first drop in 12 years, data showed. The number of people using 15 airports across the nation came to 65 million last year, down 58.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It was the first time that the number of airport passengers had declined since 2008, when the country was in the midst of the global f
NationalFeb. 8, 2021
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New virus cases at over 2-month low on fewer tests, infection slowdown
South Korea's daily coronavirus cases fell below 300 on Monday, marking the lowest number since last November, when a third wave of outbreaks began, as the nation started an eased social distancing scheme outside the greater Seoul area. The country added 289 more COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, including 264 local infections, raising the total caseload to 81,185, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It marked the lowest daily infections since Nov. 23 last year, whe
Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2021
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S. Korea to develop indigenous long-range radar to boost air defense capabilities
South Korea will develop an indigenous long-range radar for air defense in order to replace old ones brought in from abroad, the arms procurement agency said Monday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration signed a 46 billion won ($41 million) deal with LIG Nex1 Co. for the four-year development project with a plan to begin its deployment in 2027, the agency said. The radar would be capable of monitoring and identifying aircraft inside the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) a
DefenseFeb. 8, 2021
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Seoul appoints first female unification ministry spokesperson
The Unification Ministry on Sunday tapped Lee Jong-joo, director-general of humanitarian cooperation bureau, as the ministry’s first female spokesperson. With the appointment, she became the first woman to hold the position since the ministry, in charge of inter-Korean affairs, was established in 1969. The ministry said Lee has been recognized for her competence, having worked in the ministry’s key divisions and various posts across the government. It expects Le
North KoreaFeb. 7, 2021
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[Newsmaker] NK to convene party meeting this week
North Korea is set to convene a meeting of top ruling party officials to finalize policy plans for this year set forth at last month’s Workers’ Party congress, state media said Sunday. The second plenary meeting of the eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea will take place within the first 10 days of this month, according to the official Korea Central News Agency. The state media did not specify an exact date in the report, but considering the disclo
North KoreaFeb. 7, 2021
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Seoul sees lowest traffic fatalities in 2020
The number of fatalities from traffic accidents in Seoul fell to its lowest recorded level last year, police said Sunday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the number of people who died from traffic accidents reached 218 throughout 2020, down from 247 people from a year earlier. The number of traffic accident fatalities has been steadily falling from 399 deaths recorded in 2014. Pedestrians accounted for more than half, or 115, of all traffic accident deaths in Seoul recorded
Social AffairsFeb. 7, 2021
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S. Korea working to bring home seized sailors in Iran as early as this week
South Korea plans to help crew members aboard an oil tanker seized by Iran to return home as early as this week after Tehran's announcement that it will set most of them free, diplomatic sources said Sunday. Last week, Teheran said it will free the crew members detained aboard the MT Hankuk Chemi, except for the captain, about a month after its military seized the vessel with its crew in the country's waters for allegedly polluting the ocean. Officials at the South Korean Embassy in the Middle
Foreign AffairsFeb. 7, 2021