Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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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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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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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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N. Korea slams Seoul-Washington joint air exercise
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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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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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Ex-ruling party official gets jail term for taking bribes from financial scam suspect
A former official of the ruling Democratic Party was sentenced to two years in prison by a local court on Friday for taking bribes from a key suspect in a massive financial fraud case. The Seoul Southern District Court also ordered Lee Sang-ho, who formerly headed a Busan chapter of the Democratic Party, to forfeit 30 million won ($27,230) after convicting him of receiving about 86 million won in political and other funds from Kim Bong-hyun, a prime suspect in the financial fraud case involving
Jan. 22, 2021
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Moon recommits to engaging with N. Korea
President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed his commitment to reviving the stalled nuclear talks with North Korea at a meeting Thursday, where he was briefed by his security aides on major initiatives this year to improve inter-Korean relations and South Korea’s ties with the outside world. At the briefing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would work closely with the Biden administration in the US to help restart nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang. Senior-level talks w
Jan. 21, 2021
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Moon vows close cooperation with Biden for Korea peace process
President Moon Jae-in pledged Thursday to maintain close partnerships with the new US administration, chairing a rare plenary session of the National Security Council (NSC) hours after Joe Biden's inauguration. "The government will develop the South Korea-US alliance as a more comprehensive and mutually beneficial one," he said at the outset of the session held at Cheong Wa Dae, which was briefly open to pool reporters. Moon also said his government will make utmost efforts to restar
Jan. 21, 2021
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Powerful new anti-corruption watchdog unleashed
A powerful new anti-corruption watchdog has officially kicked off, with President Moon Jae-in swearing in Kim Jin-wook, a former judge, as the inaugural chief of the agency Thursday. Kim immediately started his three-year term with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which is tasked with handling corruption cases involving ranking government officials, including senior prosecutors and police officers. “You should have pride and responsibility to lead the n
Jan. 21, 2021
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Death toll from industrial disasters rebounded in 2020: minister
Deaths from industrial accidents rebounded in South Korea last year, the labor minister said Thursday, despite the Moon Jae-in government's pledge to halve the number of workers killed in the line of duty during its term. Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jae-kap said industrial disasters and work-related accidents took the lives of 882 workers in 2020, marking a rise of 27 deaths from the previous year. The number of workers killed on the job had increased from 964 in 2017 to 971 in 2018 b
Jan. 21, 2021
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FM nominee Chung says he feels sense of 'immense responsibility' amid diplomatic challenges
Foreign Minister nominee Chung Eui-young said Thursday that he felt a sense of "immense responsibility" amid "difficult" diplomatic environments, as he faces the North Korean nuclear quandary and other policy challenges if appointed. President Moon Jae-in designated Chung, the former director of the National Security Office, as new foreign minister on Wednesday, as Seoul seeks to tighten up cooperation with the new US government of Joe Biden to resume stalled nuclear diploma
Jan. 21, 2021
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Moon's approval rating makes strong rebound to 43.6%: Realmeter
President Moon Jae-in's latest job approval rating has shown a strong rebound, landing back in the 40 percent range for the first time in two months, following his New Year's press conference and a Cabinet shake-up, a poll showed Thursday. In the three-day tracking survey by Realmeter of 1,510 voters nationwide from Monday, Moon's approval rating stood at 43.6 percent, soaring 5.7 percentage points from a week ago. Moon's approval ratings tallied by Realmeter, which stood at 43.8 percent in la
Jan. 21, 2021
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PM orders authorities to take steps in compensating losses over forced business closures
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Thursday ordered state finance authorities to take legislative steps to legally enable compensations for small businesses that have suffered losses due to forced closures from the government's antivirus measures. "I've been well aware of the hearts of small business owners, who have reached their limits as COVID-19 has lasted for over a year. The four separate extra budgets and the tailored support programs remain insufficient in fully healing the pain,&quo
Jan. 21, 2021
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Moon sends congrats message to Biden, vows cooperation in peace drive
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has sent a congratulatory message to new US President Joe Biden on his inauguration, stressing Seoul's commitment to unswerving coordination for regional peace and prosperity, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. In the note delivered to Washington, Moon expressed hope for a meeting with Biden in the near future to build "trust and friendship" as well as to have "candid dialogue" on issues of mutual concern, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kan
Jan. 21, 2021
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Moon’s security adviser tapped as top diplomat amid stalled peace talks
President Moon Jae-in’s longtime aide who has served as his top security adviser since the presidential campaign, Chung Eui-yong, 74, has been nominated to serve as foreign minister. Chung has long helped shape Moon’s engagement policy for North Korea as well as his vision for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula. When Moon took office in 2017, Chung was picked to lead the presidential National Security Office at Cheong Wa Dae and held the post for three years.
Jan. 20, 2021
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Marking 1-yr fight against coronavirus, PM vows full effort to overcome it
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Wednesday the government will continue all-out efforts to end the COVID-19 crisis, a year after South Korea confirmed its first infection case. Chung pledged to place top policy priority on turning 2021 into the "original year" of overcoming the pandemic and thanked the people for related cooperation so far. "Today marks exactly one year since the first COVID-19 patient in the nation was reported. Public cooperation has always filled up the def
Jan. 20, 2021
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Watchdog opposes disadvantages against NCO candidates with juvenile criminal records
Records of juvenile delinquency should not stand in the way of a person's aspiration to pursue professional careers in the military, a state human rights watchdog said Wednesday. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) said the Marine Corps' disqualification of a non-commissioned officer (NCO) candidate due to his history of juvenile offenses violates his freedom of occupation and rights to equality. The NHRCK expressed such an opinion in response to a petition from an applicant
Jan. 20, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Ex-President Park tests negative for COVID-19 after being exposed to patient
Former President Park Geun-hye, now serving a 22-year prison term on corruption convictions, tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday after coming into contact with an infected person, the Ministry of Justice said. According to the ministry, Park came into close contact with a prison officer diagnosed later with COVID-19 while traveling by bus to a medical facility on Monday outside the Seoul Detention Center, where she has been imprisoned since March 2017. The prison officer tested positive
Jan. 20, 2021
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Ex-national security adviser tapped as top diplomat amid stalled NK diplomacy
Chung Eui-yong, President Moon Jae-in's pick for foreign minister, is known for his role as national security adviser in spearheading Moon's engagement policy for North Korea that led to the first-ever summit between the United States and North Korea. Chung's nomination, announced just ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden, is seen as reflecting Moon's will to revive his peace drive and help resume the nuclear diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang in his remaining time
Jan. 20, 2021
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Moon replaces foreign minister as Biden takes office
President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday named three ministerial nominees, including his former top security adviser Chung Eui-yong as foreign minister, in the first Cabinet reshuffle this year. Chung, 74, replaces Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, the nation’s first female foreign minister and the longest-serving minister in Moon’s Cabinet. Kang’s replacement comes as a surprise, as she had been widely expected to stay until the end of Moon’s presidency in May 2022. A C
Jan. 20, 2021
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Moon meets Amb. Harris, vows close cooperation with Biden administration
President Moon Jae-in received a farewell courtesy call from outgoing US Ambassador Harry Harris on Tuesday and reaffirmed that his government will cooperate closely with the new US administration. During the half-an-hour meeting at his office, Moon pledged close coordination with the Joe Biden administration for a stronger alliance and progress in the Korea peace process as well as in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and other pending global issues, according to Cheong Wa Dae
Jan. 19, 2021
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Scholars cast doubt on acquittals of executives in deadly humidifier cleaner case
Last week's acquittals of 13 corporate executives in a deadly humidifier sterilizer case were caused by the court's wrong interpretation of the causal relations between chemicals contained in sterilizer products and victims' lung-related illnesses, a group of scholars argued Tuesday. The Seoul Central District Court ruled last Tuesday that Hong Ji-ho, former CEO of SK Chemical; Ahn Yong-chan, former CEO of Aekyung Industrial; and 11 other corporate executives are not guilty of professional negl
Jan. 19, 2021
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Moon taps professors as top advisors on economy, science
President Moon Jae-in has picked Lee Keun, an economics professor, as vice chairman of the presidential advisory panel on the economy, Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday. Lee is an expert on the innovation economy, having won the Schumpeter Prize in 2014, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. He is expected to contribute to efforts for a quick and strong economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and the move toward a pacesetting economy, Kang said. The National Economic Advisory Co
Jan. 19, 2021
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Partial Cabinet shake-up looms ahead
President Moon Jae-in is expected to carry out a Cabinet reshuffle as early as this week to affect Park Young-sun, minister of SMEs and Startups, and a few others, an informed source said Tuesday. Park, a former reporter and ruling Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker, is apparently seeking to run in the April 7 by-election for the Seoul mayorship. She plans to quit the job Wednesday in consideration of the schedule for the ruling party's race to pick its candidate for the all-important election, ac
Jan. 19, 2021
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Anti-corruption watchdog chief nominee vows neutrality, independence
The inaugural chief nominee for a high-profile corruption investigative body vowed Tuesday to sternly investigate any high-ranking officials in accordance to the law without being politically influenced. The remark was made during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly for Kim Jin-wook, a former judge picked by President Moon Jae-in to serve as the inaugural chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. “The establishment of the CIO is a historic event
Jan. 19, 2021