Most Popular
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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Hanwha, HD Hyundai vie for Poland’s $2.7b submarine program
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First lady’s controversies to top agenda at meeting of party leaders
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[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
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4 in 10 young South Koreans take up 'irregular' jobs: data
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SM founder Lee Soo-man is back with A2O Entertainment
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NK leader vows to boost defense capabilities at party congress
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to strengthen his country's military capabilities to protect its people at a rare party congress, state media said Thursday, amid an impasse in its nuclear negotiations with the United States. Kim, however, did not use such provocative words as nuclear weapons or war deterrent, which some experts saw as intended to avoid increasing tensions, as he reported to the second-day session of the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party on Wednesday. He &q
North KoreaJan. 7, 2021
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Defense chiefs of S. Korea, Britain discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation
Defense Minister Suh Wook held phone talks with his British counterpart Ben Wallace on Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and exchanges, the defense ministry said. Suh congratulated Britain on its recent agreement with the European Union for cooperation in future relations, the ministry said in a press release. Suh added that Seoul hopes to continue bilateral cooperation even after Brexit, pointing out that Britain participated in the 1950-53 Korean War and maintain
DefenseJan. 6, 2021
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S. Korea extends UK flight ban for two more weeks amid concerns over COVID-19 variant
South Korea decided Wednesday to extend the suspension of direct flights from Britain for two more weeks to block a more transmissible coronavirus variant first detected in the European country. Health authorities have confirmed a total of 11 cases of the new strain, most recently two cases Tuesday, and one case of a separate variant spreading in South Africa. "The ban on flights from Britain has been extended for two weeks until Jan. 21," the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Age
Social AffairsJan. 6, 2021
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[Herald Interview] Doctor asks prosecutors to consider murder charges in toddler’s death
The president of the Korean Pediatrics Society, Dr. Lim Hyun-taek argued murder charges should be brought against the adoptive parents of a toddler who died in October last year of suspected abuse, citing “clear signs of intentional trauma.” The pediatrician of 20 years pointed to the 16-month-old’s ruptured pancreas as a key indication of willful injury, as opposed to an accidental fall as claimed by the adoptive parents. “The pancreas is located deep in the abdomen,
Social AffairsJan. 6, 2021
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Ruling party kicks off review of new round of emergency relief handouts
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) has kicked off a review of a potential fourth round of stimulus checks, with a focus on whether they should be given to all or only business owners hit by the new coronavirus pandemic, officials said Wednesday. The move comes as the government is to start providing some 9.3 trillion won ($8.6 billion) next Monday to small merchants reeling from the COVID-19 outbreak as part of the country's third round of emergency coronavirus response handouts. Including the 1
PoliticsJan. 6, 2021
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Couriers demand overwork preventive measures ahead of Lunar New Year
South Korea's parcel delivery workers on Wednesday called on their companies to offer measures to prevent overwork-related casualties and keep a promise to beef up staffing. A civic task force working for the rights of delivery workers, which was formed in July to improve working conditions for couriers, said delivery companies have yet to fulfill their pledge to hire additional hands to help with parcel sorting operations. During a press conference in Seoul, the group argued major logistics f
Social AffairsJan. 6, 2021
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US flies spy plane over peninsula amid NK party congress: aviation tracker
A US reconnaissance plane flew over South Korea on Wednesday, an aviation tracker said, on an apparent mission to monitor North Korea as Pyongyang kicked off its rare party congress. The US Navy's EP-3E was seen flying over Hwaseong, south of Seoul, and Hongcheon, 100 kilometers east of the capital, in the afternoon, according to the tracker, No callsign. The flight came as the ruling Workers' Party's first congress in nearly five years started in Pyongyang on Tuesday. The congress draws keen
North KoreaJan. 6, 2021
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Seoul considers legal action against Iran after tanker seized
South Korea is considering legal action against Iran after its forces seized a Korea-flagged tanker and its crew, while Tehran insists the issue is “completely technical” on environmental concerns, rejecting allegations it is holding the vessel hostage for its $7 billion in funds frozen in Seoul. The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, in a report submitted to the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, said it is preparing legal procedures, checking whether the seizure was d
Foreign AffairsJan. 6, 2021
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Temporary COVID-19 testing centers to shorten operations due to cold spell
Temporary coronavirus screening centers in the greater Seoul area will temporarily curtail their operating hours this week due to the expected onset of the season's coldest weather, authorities said Wednesday. About 150 temporary testing stations, launched on Dec. 14 in Seoul and neighboring Gyeonggi Province and Incheon to detect hidden COVID-19 infections, currently operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekends. "All temporary testing centers in the cap
Social AffairsJan. 6, 2021
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Kim Jong-un admits economic failures, holds off on foreign policy
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un admitted Tuesday his five-year economic plan had failed “terribly” to deliver on expectations for almost every sector, as he opened a party congress for the second time since 2016. Kim, who came to power in 2012, did not address foreign policies. The key party meeting, attended by the ruling Workers’ Party members, delegates and spectators, sets forth the regime’s major economic and foreign initiatives and involves a party reshuffle. In 20
North KoreaJan. 6, 2021
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Daily virus cases below 1,000 for 2nd straight day
The number of new daily confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Korea stayed below 1,000 for a second consecutive day, officials said Wednesday. Concerns still remain though, as the virus is spreading quickly in jails and hospitals where social distancing is nearly impossible. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the number of people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus was 840 on Tuesday, up by 125 from the previous day. Of the new confirmed cases, 809 were locally
Social AffairsJan. 6, 2021
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Failure to get NK to begin denuclearization was unfortunate: Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a media interview that it was unfortunate that the US failed to get North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to begin the denuclearization process during his term. The outgoing secretary of state who was deeply involved in US President Donald Trump’s summits with Kim made the remarks when asked by Bloomberg TV on Monday whether he feels there has been progress on North Korea. “President Trump came in and recognized that one of the great challenges t
North KoreaJan. 6, 2021
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US civilian employee at Yongsan base tests positive for virus
A US Department of Defense employee working in Seoul has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said Wednesday. The employee who works at US Army Garrison Yongsan in central Seoul was confirmed to have contracted the virus Tuesday, according to the US military. He last visited the base last Wednesday and is currently at a facility designated for COVID-19 patients at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul. The employee has been staying at h
DefenseJan. 6, 2021
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Cold wave warning to be issued in Seoul for first time in 3 years
A cold wave warning is set to be issued in Seoul on Wednesday for the first time in about three years, as the capital and central parts of the nation came under the grip of the season's coldest weather. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said that the cold wave warning will take effect for the whole of Seoul at 9 p.m., marking the first such warning since the previous one was issued on Jan. 23, 2018. The cold wave warning is issued when the morning low is below minus 15 C for more t
Social AffairsJan. 6, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Coffee shops, bars, internet cafes join protest against virus restrictions
Coffee shops, bars and internet cafes have joined a growing list of businesses protesting the government's coronavirus restrictions, with shop owners lighting signboards, staging demonstrations and petitioning the Constitutional Court. The shop owners say the restrictions are applied unfairly, allowing some businesses to reopen while shuttering others, and without any promise of proper compensation for their losses. The complaints have grown since the government extended Level 2.5 social dista
Social AffairsJan. 6, 2021
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Correctional staff to be tested for virus weekly, more facilities to undergo mass testing
South Korea's government on Wednesday said it will test weekly all correctional employees nationwide for the coronavirus to slow down its rapid spread and prevent mass outbreaks. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), all staff working at correctional facilities will receive quick tests to detect bits of coronavirus proteins called antigens. The test is slightly less accurate than laboratory tests called PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, but produces results withi
Social AffairsJan. 6, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Public sharply divided over pardons for two ex-presidents in jail: poll
South Koreans were almost evenly divided on the idea of granting pardons to two former presidents currently in prison for corruption charges, a hotly debated topic recently brought up by the ruling party chief, a survey showed Wednesday. In a one-day survey by Realmeter conducted on 500 voters nationwide on Tuesday, 47.7 percent of respondents said they were in favor of providing amnesty to Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, while 48 percent said they were against the idea. The remaining 4.3 perc
PoliticsJan. 6, 2021
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S. Korea culls 13.6m poultry as highly pathogenic bird flu cases near 50
South Korea's agricultural ministry said Wednesday it has completed culling 13.6 million poultry as a preventive measure to cope with the rising number of highly pathogenic bird flu cases from local farms, with the total caseload approaching closer to 50. Under the country's quarantine guideline, all birds within a 3-kilometer radius of infected farms should be culled, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. They included 10.8 million chickens. The ministry confirmed
Social AffairsJan. 6, 2021
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PM orders measures to address unfairness complaints on forced gym closures
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Wednesday demanded authorities come up with measures to address growing complaints from owners of commercial gyms forced to shut down for weeks under strict social distancing schemes. Indoor gyms in the capital area are subject to an assembly ban under Level 2.5 social distancing measures, which were recently extended by two weeks until Jan. 17. In announcing the extension, however, the government allowed ballet and taekwondo schools to hold classes of up to nin
Social AffairsJan. 6, 2021
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New cases below 1,000 for 2nd day amid tentative signs of slowdown
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 1,000 for the second consecutive day on Wednesday amid signs of a slowdown, while nursing homes and churches continued to be hot spots for virus outbreaks despite extended virus curbs. The country added 840 more COVID-19 cases, including 809 local infections, raising the total caseload to 65,818, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Wednesday's daily caseload rose from 715 on Tuesday but fell sharply from 1,
Social AffairsJan. 6, 2021