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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Moon's approval rating drops to lowest point
President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has reached an all-time low, while public disapproval of his performance also has hit its highest point, a poll showed Sunday. In a Realmeter survey of 1,000 people aged 18 and over, conducted over Friday and Saturday, 34.1 percent of respondents supported Moon. It's the lowest approval rating since Moon took office in May 2017. The figure in the previous Realmeter poll released last Monday was 36.7 percent. In the latest survey, 61.7 percent of respond
PoliticsJan. 3, 2021
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[Newsmaker] S. Korean population falls for 1st time on record low births
South Korea's population fell year-on-year for the first time in 2020, census data showed Sunday, with a record low number of births getting surpassed by deaths to cause a natural decrease. According to the latest census figures released by the Ministry of Interior and Safety, South Korea had 51,829,023 people as of Dec. 31, 2020, down 20,838 from the end of 2019. The population had increased in each of the previous 10 years, though the growth rate had been steadily falling -- from 1.49 percen
Social AffairsJan. 3, 2021
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[Herald Interview] Seoul mayoral candidate aims to turn city into Asia’s financial hub
Ruling Democratic Party Rep. Woo Sang-ho, currently the only ruling bloc figure to announce a bid in Seoul’s mayoral race, has big plans for the city -- from transforming it into an international financial hub to building homes along its major thoroughfares. Woo said many financial institutions are considering relocating their Asian headquarters from Hong Kong due to continued protests, and that Singapore and Seoul could be candidates. “There is a good chance for Seoul to
PoliticsJan. 3, 2021
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Chief prosecutor tops poll of presidential hopefuls
Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl came out on top in the latest poll of potential presidential candidates released Sunday, building on the momentum of support gained during his tug-of-war with Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae. In a poll conducted by Realmeter on 1,000 people over the age of 18 on Friday and Saturday, 30.4 percent picked Yoon as their most favored president. The survey, commissioned by local cable news channel YTN, had a margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points, with a 95
PoliticsJan. 3, 2021
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121 more COVID-19 cases reported at Seoul prison
A prison in eastern Seoul reported 121 more cases of the novel coronavirus Sunday following its latest round of mass testing. The justice ministry announced 121 inmates at Dongbu Detention Center in Seoul were among 126 newly infected individuals at prisons across the country as of 8 a.m. Sunday. The latest tally raised the total caseload at South Korean prisons to 1,108 -- 1,068 inmates and 40 members of the prison staff. Dongbu Detention Center has been responsible for the vast majority of
Social AffairsJan. 3, 2021
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New infections under 1,000 for 2nd day amid extended tighter distancing rules
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 1,000 for the second day in a row Sunday, largely due to less testing on the New Year's Day holiday, as health authorities kept tight vigilance with the extension of the current social distancing rules. The country added 657 more COVID-19 cases, including 641 local infections, raising the total caseload to 63,244, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Daily infections fell from 824 cases a day earlier. Over t
Social AffairsJan. 3, 2021
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Education jolted by pandemic, learning gap widens
Sohn Eun-jeong, the mother of a 10-year-old elementary school student, is considering quitting her job. She felt guilty that she has not paid enough attention to her child’s education because of work. She recently found out that her son did not attend his school’s online classes. Instead, he played a computer game in his room and his grandmother had no idea what he was doing. The son said the online educational videos were too boring and his teacher did not give him feedback even whe
Social AffairsJan. 2, 2021
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[Feature] Economic, social polarization over COVID-19 to persist in 2021: experts
Jung, the owner of a restaurant in southern Seoul’s bustling Gangnam district, increasingly finds himself in what he calls his “worst nightmare,” as he struggles to keep his shop afloat amid the ban on gatherings of five or more people at public facilities like his. “It just pains me. Day by day, I see more and more empty seats. I’ve always been a guy that sees the glass half full rather than half empty. Not so much these days.” Jung is one of the
Social AffairsJan. 2, 2021
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Coronavirus prompts rethink of role of journalism
COVID-19 dominated headlines in 2020, and journalism is in demand again. A significant rise in news consumption triggered by the coronavirus crisis offered a rare chance for journalism to justify its existence as more people stayed home for social distancing purposes and relied on news to stay up to date. In retrospect, however, it remains questionable how much the South Korean press contributed to the fight against the health crisis. Despite the media’s positive role in the early sta
Social AffairsJan. 2, 2021
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1 in 2 youngsters feel depression due to coronavirus: survey
Half of students in grades 4 to 12 in South Korea felt that the financial situation for their family has worsened due to the coronavirus outbreak and felt depressed, a survey showed. According to a survey by ChildFund Korea conducted with 500 upper-grade elementary, middle and high school students, 50.8 percent said their financial situation got worse as parents could not get them what they wanted (27.2 percent), sales at their parents’ shops and restaurants dropped (10.2 percent) and th
Social AffairsJan. 2, 2021
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Health Ministry takes down pandemic dance video after backlash
The Ministry of Health and Welfare took down a video it had posted on social media encouraging dancing to beat the coronavirus blues. The video, uploaded New Year’s Day and deleted Saturday, drew criticism for being out of touch with the people as most of South Korea’s population lives in apartments. The ministry apologized in a statement on Facebook, saying the video -- promoting dancing as a way to cope with the pandemic -- failed to consider “multiple issues includin
Social AffairsJan. 2, 2021
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Moon pays tribute at national cemetery, pledges efforts for return to normalcy
President Moon Jae-in on Saturday paid tribute to fallen national heroes at a state cemetery in Seoul and pledged to chart a path to normalcy for pandemic-weary citizens. Moon visited Seoul National Cemetery, flanked by his top aides, such as Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and his new chief of staff, You Young-min, as the president envisions a strategy to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerate the economic recovery this year. "(I will try to make) citizens regain their normal life a
PoliticsJan. 2, 2021
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New virus cases fall below 900, gov't extends current social distancing scheme
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell below 900 on Saturday, largely due to less testing over the New Year's Day holiday, as health authorities kept tight vigilance with the extension of the current social distancing rules. The country added 824 more COVID-19 cases, including 788 local infections, raising the total caseload to 62,593, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It reported 25 additional deaths from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 942. The
Social AffairsJan. 2, 2021
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Two former US service members, spouses test positive for virus
Two former US service members and their spouses have tested positive for the new coronavirus after coming into contact with another retired couple who were earlier confirmed to have contracted the virus, US Forces Korea said Friday. The four individuals tested positive Thursday following direct contact with the other couple who was confirmed to have been infected with the virus the previous day, according to the US military. "Contact tracing revealed the six individuals had contac
Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021
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Moon inspects combat readiness on Peace Eye aircraft
President Moon Jae-in flew on a Peace Eye military aircraft early Friday and inspected South Korea's combat readiness in a show of commitment to national defense on New Year's Day, the presidential office said. It is the first time that a South Korean president has flown on the airborne early warning and control aircraft regarded as a core part of the South Korean Air Force, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The E-737 Peace Eye took off with Moon aboard at around 6:30 a.m. from the military airfield
DefenseJan. 1, 2021
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[Photo News] Last sunrise of 2020 in Gangneung
The last sunrise of 2020 shines brightly on a beach at Gangneung of Gangwon Province on Thursday morning. An orange hue covers the horizon while ocean waves crash along the shore. The city of Gangneung banned entry to beaches along with nearby parking lots at 10 a.m. on Thursday to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by abiding by social distancing rules (Photos: Yonhap) By Song Donna (donnadsong@heraldcorp.com).
Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021
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Cigarette smoking among men in S. Korea hits record low
Cigarette smoking among men in South Korea hit a record low last year, while excessive drinking among them increased, data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency showed. According to the annual Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, cigarette smoking among Korean men last year reached a low of 35.7 percent – the lowest prevalence recorded since 1998. Use of tobacco products among Korean men has been on a decline for the past two decades -- from 66.3 percen
Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021
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A man fined W5m for e-scooter drunk driving
Police nabbed a 37-year-old man for drunk driving an e-scooter in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. The man cursed at police and refused to submit to a breathalyzer test. Cheong Moon-sik, senior judge at the Chuncheon District Court, said Thursday that the man was sentenced to a fine of 5 million won ($4,200) under the Road Traffic Act. The case was first put to trial on July 15 on charges of failing to respond to an alcohol measurement test by a police officer who witnessed that the man’s
Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021
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S. Korea’s has second-lowest number of COVID-19 cases per person in OECD
Despite the recent surge in coronavirus infections, South Korea had the second-lowest number of cases relative to its population among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries, government data showed. According to the data, revealed in a daily briefing report by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in Korea was 111.26, which placed the country 36th out of the 37 OECD countries as of Monday. K
Social AffairsJan. 1, 2021
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UNC says 86 messages delivered to N. Korea through Panmunjom
The United Nations Command said Friday it has delivered a total of 86 messages to North Korea through a direct telephone line at the truce village of Panmunjom last year. "UNC maintained its line-of-communication with #KPA counterparts throughout the year," the UNC said in a Facebook post, referring to the Korean People's Army of the North. "We passed 86 messages and conducted twice-daily line checks for timely and effective information exchange," it added. No
North KoreaJan. 1, 2021