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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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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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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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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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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Ruling party seeks to distribute 3rd pandemic relief funds before Lunar New Year's
The ruling party will push for the distribution of an additional third round of COVID-19 relief funds before Lunar New Year's Day, a senior party official said Monday. Following the recent resurgence of new coronavirus infections, rival parties are currently discussing ways to source the third emergency relief funds worth about 4 trillion won ($3.6 billion), expected to be added to the 2021 state budget now under deliberation at the National Assembly. "In order to hand out the tailored
Nov. 30, 2020
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Moon visits high school ahead of state college exam
President Moon Jae-in visited a high school Sunday to check antivirus preparations ahead of this week's national college entrance exam, Cheong Wa Dae said. Moon went to Osan High School in the central Yongsan Ward, which has been designated as a special test center for students in self-quarantine. The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) will take place Dec. 3. Cheong Wa Dae said Moon's visit was aimed at easing the concern of students, parents and faculty members amid a surge in coronaviru
Nov. 29, 2020
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[Feature] Will former presidents be pardoned?
With two former presidents in jail, facing de facto life imprisonment, South Korea is revisiting its tradition of granting special pardons to convicted former leaders. While the majority of the public is against it, there are minority voices calling for leniency for former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye -- who, without presidential pardons, could spend the rest of their lives in prison, considering their advanced ages. President Moon Jae-in was elected in 2017 on a pledge to root
Nov. 29, 2020
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Ruling party raises coronavirus vaccine supply target to 44m people
The ruling Democratic Party has raised its coronavirus vaccine supply target to 44 million people, or 85 percent of the country's population, a key party source said Sunday. The figure is sharply higher than the 30 million target previously cited by health authorities. To secure the vaccines, the party plans to seek an additional 1.3 trillion won ($1.18 billion) in next year's state budget, currently under deliberation at the National Assembly, according to the source. "Wouldn't all citi
Nov. 29, 2020
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Moon's adviser calls for S. Korea to break away from 'US or China' framework
South Korea should work together with Australia, Canada and Japan to form regional economic or security frameworks so as to create a new order free from the burden of choosing sides between the United States and China, an adviser to President Moon Jae-in said Friday. Moon Chung-in, special foreign policy and security adviser, made the remarks during a virtual seminar, stressing that it is very unlikely the tensions between Washington and Beijing will get any better under the next US administrat
Nov. 27, 2020
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S. Korea to launch presidential committee on carbon-neutral campaign, Moon says
President Moon Jae-in announced a plan Friday to establish a presidential body on South Korea's stated goal of going carbon neutral by 2050 as part of a "strong pan-governmental system" to push for the vision. He said the envisioned government-private organization, tentatively named the "2050 Carbon Neutrality Committee," is meant to implement the policy speedily. The government will also seek to create a new vice ministerial position to be in charge of energy policy at the
Nov. 27, 2020
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Moon names new secretary for foreign policy
President Moon Jae-in on Friday named a career diplomat as his new presidential secretary for foreign policy, Cheong Wa Dae said. Kim Yong-hyon, who previously served as the consul general in Boston, will replace Park Chul-min, who has been in the post since last year. Park has been tapped as ambassador to Hungary. Kim's past assignments have included posts at the diplomatic missions in Beijing; Erbil, Iraq; and New York, as well as at the foreign ministry's North American Affairs Bureau and K
Nov. 27, 2020
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DP, government discuss post-jail rehab facility for violent criminals
The ruling Democratic Party and the government on Thursday discussed legislation to isolate violent criminals in a rehabilitation facility for a while after their release from prison. DP floor leader Kim Tae-nyeon said in a meeting Thursday morning that over 120,000 South Koreans have agreed to making a so-called “Cho Doo-soon isolation law” in an online petition as the country’s most notorious child rapist is set to be freed from jail next month. “In order to prevent r
Nov. 26, 2020
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Seoul city seeks to toughen antivirus measures amid surge in cases
The Seoul city government plans to toughen antivirus measures following consultations with experts amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the capital, an official said Thursday. Park Yoo-mi, a disease control official at the city government, made the remark during a virtual press briefing shortly after the city reported a new high of 213 cases on Wednesday. "There appear to be blind spots that require further attention in the recent (coronavirus transmission) trend," Park said. "W
Nov. 26, 2020
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Ruling party, govt. to seek up to 10 years of additional post-prison segregation of brutal criminals
The ruling party and the government on Thursday agreed to push to introduce a 10-year maximum post-prison segregation program for criminals convicted of brutal crimes, amid mounting public concerns ahead of the release of a notorious child sex offender. The agreement reached during a policy discussion meeting held at the National Assembly comes amid the nearing release of Cho Doo-soon, 69, one of the country's most notorious child rapists, from prison on Dec. 13. He has been serving a 12-year t
Nov. 26, 2020
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Choo-Yoon proxy war plays out in politics
If there were ever any chance of a “cooperative parliament,” as President Moon Jae-in once hoped, the latest clash of two judicial titans -- Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl -- appears to have just blown it. In her battle to reform the country’s powerful prosecution, or tame it as some would say, on Tuesday, Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae suspended Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl from duty over alleged wrongdoing. The unprecedented move sent s
Nov. 25, 2020
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Moon says COVID-19 crisis highlighting significance of AI sector
President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday reviewed South Korea's campaign for the past year to develop its artificial intelligence (AI) sector and reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting relevant industries. "First, (the government) will accelerate AI technology innovation," he said during an event, joined by representatives from some local firms engaging in AI businesses, held at the KINTEX exhibition center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. They included Naver, Kakao, KT, SK Telec
Nov. 25, 2020
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PM urges labor union to cancel nationwide strike amid rising virus concerns
The prime minister on Wednesday urged a major labor union to immediately cancel its plan to stage a large-scale strike, amid fears that walkouts could potentially exacerbate the COVID-19 situation ahead of next month's nationwide college entrance exam. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the country's largest umbrella trade union, will hold a nationwide one-day walkout later in the day to oppose the government's plan to revise the law to ratify key International Labor Organization
Nov. 25, 2020
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Choo orders suspension of top prosecutor from duty
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae on Tuesday suspended Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl from his duty, in an unprecedented move amid a feud over prosecution reforms and various investigations involving Yoon‘s aide and family members, according to Yonhap News. “The ministry has been investigating various allegations against the top prosecutor and found out some serious misconduct,” the justice minister said during a briefing. As reasons to bar him from his duty and seek disciplinar
Nov. 24, 2020
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Moon requests public support for antivirus campaign, says sorry for fallout from social distancing rules
President Moon Jae-in appealed to the public Tuesday to continue supporting the government's fight against the rapid spread of COVID-19. He posted the message on his Facebook and Twitter accounts, as tougher social distancing restrictions took effect at the start of the day in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, where around half of South Korea's 52-million population reside. "I am very sorry for the increased inconvenience again in daily life and difficulties in the people's livelihood
Nov. 24, 2020
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Main opposition to push for third round of emergency virus handouts
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) will push to include funds for an additional third round of coronavirus-related emergency handouts in next year's state budget, a senior party official said Tuesday. "To help out the damaged sectors of taxi services, indoor gyms, private learning institutes and PC cafes hit by the third wave of COVID-19 and provide emergency livelihood support to households, we will provide emergency funds worth some 3.6 trillion won ($3.23 billion) to places in
Nov. 24, 2020
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PM warns of tough disciplinary measures against public servants ignoring distancing rules
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Tuesday urged public servants to maintain the utmost level of readiness against COVID-19, warning those who contract the virus by not complying with distancing rules will face grave disciplinary measures. "In cases of slack discipline in the public sector, such as cases where public office workers test positive by not complying with antivirus measures, we will gravely seek disciplinary measures," Chung said during a Cabinet meeting at the government co
Nov. 24, 2020
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Moon pledges renewed drive for climate goals at G-20
President Moon Jae-in reiterated his commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions, and called for international cooperation on the issue at the G-20 summit, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday. In announcing Seoul’s carbon emission goals, Moon again emphasized his drive for an inclusive society, according to the presidential office. “(Achieving) carbon neutrality by 2050 is a bold challenge that will change the industrial and energy structure, and it is a task only possible through i
Nov. 23, 2020
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Startups minister leads Seoul mayor poll
SMEs and Startups Minister Park Young-sun took the lead in a survey about potential Seoul mayoral candidates, with a handful of politicians announcing their bids for next year’s by-elections. In the poll conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute and CBS on Friday and Saturday, Park was the favorite with 18.3 percent of the votes from 1,019 Seoul citizens, closely followed by former conservative lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who garnered 17.9 percent. Park and Na haven’t declared
Nov. 23, 2020
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Govt. in final stage of vaccine purchase negotiations with developers: PM
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Monday that the government was currently at the last stage in negotiations with COVID-19 vaccine developers to purchase coronavirus vaccines and will soon report the progress of the talks to the public. "Following recent news of breakthroughs in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials by global vaccine developing companies, the public's interest in the government's vaccine procurement readiness has gone up," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a vacc
Nov. 23, 2020