Most Popular
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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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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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'1 million' Christians join anti-LGBTQ+ marriage rally
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Two S. Korean workers for USFK test positive for COVID-19
Two South Korean workers for the US Forces Korea have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US military said Tuesday. One contractor who works on Camp Casey in the northern city of Dongducheon was confirmed to have been infected on Saturday after coming into contact with a person who earlier tested positive, according to USFK. He last visited the camp on Dec. 13 and has been in isolation at his residence since the following day, it added. The other COVID-19 patient is a civilian employ
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2020
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[Newsmaker] K-pop band BTOB's rapper under probe on alleged marijuana use
K-pop band BTOB's rapper Jung Il-hoon was apprehended by the police earlier this year for allegedly smoking marijuana on multiple occasions, according to law enforcement authorities. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Monday they referred the 26-year-old rapper, together with accomplices, to the prosecution in July, with recommendations to indict him for violating the Narcotics Control Act. Jung is accused of repeatedly using marijuana he bought secondhand through his acquaintance. He w
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2020
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[Graphic News] 7 in 10 Koreans plan to travel abroad after COVID-19 vaccine development: poll
Seven out of 10 South Koreans plan to travel abroad after coronavirus vaccines are developed, a survey showed. According to Incheon International Airport Corp.'s recent survey, 70.2 percent of South Koreans and 82 percent of foreign nationals said they have overseas travel plans after the development of COVID-19 vaccines is completed. The survey was conducted on 1,000 Koreans and 600 foreign nationals from China, Japan, Vietnam and other countries from Oct. 30 to Nov. 20. As for the
NationalDec. 22, 2020
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New virus cases under 1,000 for 2nd day, private gatherings to be banned from Wednesday
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell below 1,000 for the second consecutive day Tuesday, with health authorities set to adopt the most stringent distancing rules so far to contain the spread of the virus. The country added 869 more COVID-19 cases, including 824 local infections, raising the total caseload to 51,460, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The tally marked a decline from 926 cases Monday, 1,097 cases Sunday, 1,053 Saturday and 1,062 Friday
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2020
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S. Korea to impose nationwide ban on restaurant gatherings of 5 or more people
South Korea will ban five or more people from gathering at restaurants during the upcoming holiday season to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. Restaurants will be fined up to 3 million won ($2,709) in case of a violation, while customers will be fined up to 100,000 won, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. The new restriction will be part of the government's special antivirus measures in effect from Thursday until Jan. 3. Excep
PoliticsDec. 22, 2020
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N. Korea claims no confirmed cases of coronavirus: WHO
North Korea has conducted coronavirus tests on more than 10,000 people but no outbreak has been reported in the country yet, a World Health Organization report showed Tuesday. The North has conducted tests on a total of 10,960 people as of Dec. 10 and claims that no cases have been reported, according to the agency's latest weekly situation report on COVID-19. From Nov. 27 to Dec. 3 alone, 791 people were tested while another 766 tested negative from Dec. 3 to 10, the agency said. A total of
North KoreaDec. 22, 2020
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Graphic warnings on cigarette packs to show more harmful effects
Nine out of 12 graphic warnings on cigarette packs will change starting Wednesday, as part of efforts to show the harmful effects of smoking more clearly, health authorities said Monday. Products with new warnings will be sold at retail stores from the end of January next year. The new graphic warnings include more alarming images of the harmful effects of smoking in lung cancer, oral cancer, heart disease and stroke. The current images of laryngeal cancer and sexual dysfunction, as well
Social AffairsDec. 21, 2020
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Moon affirms 2021 budget use for coronavirus vaccine, treatment development
President Moon Jae-in said Monday the government will spend a part of South Korea's record amount of science-related budget next year for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine and treatment. He was chairing the third plenary meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology at Cheong Wa Dae. He noted that 2021 will be a "very meaningful year" for the nation's science and technology field, with a combined research and development (R&D) investment by the govern
PoliticsDec. 21, 2020
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‘NK leveraging inter-Korean resort to pull concession’
North Korea is exploiting the inter-Korean resort town on the east coast near Kumgangsan to pull more concessions from South Korea, and will step up pressure to gain more compromises in the weeks to come, experts told The Korea Herald. The North said Sunday it will expand the South Korean-built tourism facilities in its own way. A year ago in December, Pyongyang insisted Seoul tear down the resort, only to suspend the decision in January over coronavirus concerns. The tourism zone, which attra
North KoreaDec. 21, 2020
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Private gatherings of 5 or more banned in Seoul area until Jan. 3
Seoul officials said Monday that nonessential gatherings of five or more people would be banned before Christmas and through the New Year’s holiday. The metropolitan government told a virtual news briefing that “all gatherings of a private nature involving five people or more both indoors and outdoors” would be banned between Wednesday and Jan. 3. An exception is being made for weddings and funerals, where up to 50 people will still be allowed. Gyeonggi Province, which sur
Social AffairsDec. 21, 2020
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[News Focus] Seoul reviewing second chance for medical students to sit licensing exam
The government is considering allowing fourth-year medical students another chance to take the state medical licensing exam, as the country anticipates a shortage of medical personnel next year. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in a radio interview Sunday that “there is a possibility” that medical students who boycotted the licensing exam this year could be given the opportunity to take the state-run test soon. “We were really cautious in concern of public opinion, but the
Social AffairsDec. 21, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Concerns mount over COVID-19 outbreak at detention center
A massive coronavirus outbreak has been discovered at a detention center in southeastern Seoul, with the source of infection remaining unknown. As of Monday morning, a total of 215 people -- including 185 inmates -- tested positive for the virus at the Seoul Dongbu Detention Center, according to health authorities, after some 3,557 inmates and staff members underwent testing on Friday. District courts in Seoul are on alert as many of the inmates from the detention center are said to have att
Social AffairsDec. 21, 2020
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Unemployed foreigners hit record high
South Korea saw a record number of unemployed foreign nationals this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, mostly because fewer foreigners entered the country and temporary and manual jobs were lost, government data showed Monday. The number of unemployed foreign nationals was 69,500 as of May, up 38.2 percent from the previous year, marking the biggest on-year jump. The figure is the highest since relevant data began to be compiled in 2012, according to Statistics Korea. The unemployment rate o
Social AffairsDec. 21, 2020
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PM warns against false information on COVID-19
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Monday warned against producing and spreading false information about COVID-19, saying the government will deal with such acts with zero-tolerance. “With the COVID-19 crisis continuing, false and fabricated information such as ‘Level 3 social distancing confirmed’ and ‘hoarding of daily necessities begins’ are spreading again,” the prime minister said during a meeting of the central disaster headquarters. “Actions of sp
Social AffairsDec. 21, 2020
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S. Korean, Australian defense chiefs vow to boost cooperation
The defense chiefs of South Korea and Australia held telephone talks Monday and discussed ways to boost exchanges and cooperation in defense and related industry fields, Seoul's defense ministry said. During the dialogue with Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds, South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook expressed gratitude to Australian veterans who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War. He also voiced hope for the further development of the bilateral ties, as next year marks the 60th annivers
DefenseDec. 21, 2020
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Moon's approval rating rebounds from record low: Realmeter
President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has rebounded this week from a record low registered a week earlier, amid progress on his prosecution reform plan and other key issues, an opinion poll showed Monday. In the Realmeter survey conducted on 2,514 voters nationwide for five days through last Friday, the support rating for Moon stood at 39.5 percent, up 2.8 percentage points from a week earlier. Last week, Moon saw his approval rating dive to a record low of 36.7 percent, as the public remain
PoliticsDec. 21, 2020
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Military hospital near Seoul begins receiving COVID-19 patients
A military hospital in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, began receiving coronavirus patients on Monday, the defense ministry said, amid a shortage of hospital beds due to a spike in the number of new infections. The hospital can provide up to 80 beds for COVID-19 patients, according to the ministry. Two other military hospitals in the southeastern city of Daegu and the central city of Daejeon also opened to civilians last week as part of the military's efforts to help the government's handling of t
Social AffairsDec. 21, 2020
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NK completes building musical instrument factory ordered by late former leader
North Korea has completed the construction of a factory manufacturing indigenous musical instruments as instructed by its late former leader Kim Jong-il nine years ago, state media reported Monday. The factory specializing in producing traditional instruments, including zither-like string instruments "ongnyugeum" and "gayageum," recently began operations in Pyongyang, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The construction of a comprehensive prod
North KoreaDec. 21, 2020
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S. Korea ups disinfection operations at wild bird habitats on avian influenza
South Korea said Monday that it has expanded disinfection operations at major wild bird habitats and poultry farms to cope with the rising number of highly pathogenic bird flu cases. "Due to the influx of migratory birds into the country, contaminants can get into local farms at anytime," the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement. "As we are facing a grave situation, there will be zero tolerance of any violation of the quarantine guidelines," i
Social AffairsDec. 21, 2020
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[Newsmaker] COVID-19 cases top 50,000 in S. Korea amid worsening pandemic
South Korea's total COVID-19 caseload broke the 50,000 mark on Monday as new cases have been rising at their fastest pace ever, hampering authorities' antivirus efforts. New cases stood at 926 earlier in the day to push up the total to 50,591, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily death toll hit a record high of 24, raising the total to 698. The caseload surpassed the 50,000 mark in the 11 months since the nation reported its first case on Jan. 20. The
Social AffairsDec. 21, 2020