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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Moon names former lawmaker Kang Chang-il as new ambassador to Japan: Cheong Wa Dae
President Moon Jae-in has picked Kang Chang-il, a former four-term ruling Democratic Party lawmaker, as South Korea's new ambassador to Japan, Cheong Wa Dae announced Monday, expressing expectations for his role in improving relations between the neighboring countries. Moon's office took note of Kang's expertise in Tokyo-related affairs. Having earned a master's degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo, he has long conducted academic research on Japan, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-
Nov. 23, 2020
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G-20 leaders to focus on inclusive, resilient future in second day of summit
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and leaders of 19 other major global economies plan to adopt a joint communique to sum up the results of their two-day virtual conference dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday. In the Day 2 session of the Group of 20 (G-20) summit, they are scheduled to focus on ways for an "inclusive, sustainable and resilient" future of the world hit hard by the virus. The participating leaders will adopt a joint communique following the se
Nov. 22, 2020
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National Assembly to double its vehicle charging stations by 2021
The National Assembly said Friday it plans to expand the number of its in-house electric vehicle charging stations by twofold by next year. The assembly complex, located in Seoul's western ward of Yeongdeungpo, will double the number of its electric vehicle stations from the current 11 to 22 by the end of 2021, according to the National Assembly Secretariat. The decision was made in line with the government policy on further developing infrastructure for eco-friendly automobiles, it noted.
Nov. 20, 2020
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Memorial service for ex-President Kim Young-sam held in Seoul
A memorial service commemorating late former President Kim Young-sam, a pivotal icon in South Korea's tumultuous democratization, was held Friday afternoon in Seoul. High-profile politicians, including National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug and Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, attended the service, marking the fifth anniversary of his death, at Seoul National Cemetery in the southern Dongjak Ward. Also in attendance were leaders of rival parties, Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon, the floor leader of the r
Nov. 20, 2020
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Prime minister asks public to avoid social gatherings amid coronavirus spread
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Friday asked the public to refrain from holding year-end social gatherings and nonessential outdoor activities, as South Korea braces for another potential wave of the pandemic, with rising sporadic cluster infections in a number of parts of the nation. In a televised statement, he said the country's antivirus fight is "facing a crisis." He appealed to the people to "refrain from holding any scheduled year-end gatherings as much as possible and s
Nov. 20, 2020
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Int'l ocean forum opens in Incheon to discuss future of ocean shipping
INCHEON -- The first edition of the Incheon International Ocean Forum (IIOF) kicked off in Incheon, a Northeast Asian hub of marine and air transport just west of Seoul, on Thursday, bringing together a large number of maritime industry experts and entrepreneurs from home and abroad to chart the future of the ocean industry. IIOF 2020, hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Incheon metropolitan government and organized by the Incheon Port Authority and South Korea's key newswire
Nov. 19, 2020
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Ruling party set to revise law for anti-corruption body launch
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Thursday it would push ahead with its plan to launch an envisioned anti-corruption agency within this year by revising a law to override vetoes from the opposition party. The revision procedures for the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, or CIO, will begin in earnest, Democratic Party Floor leader Kim Tae-nyeon said during the party’s policy meeting held at the National Assembly. “We can’t get dragged into
Nov. 19, 2020
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Trump to join virtual summit of APEC this week: Cheong Wa Dae official
US President Donald Trump plans to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held via video links this week, a Cheong Wa Dae official said Thursday. "As far as we know, President Trump is participating (in it)," the official told reporters on the condition of anonymity. President Moon Jae-in is also scheduled to join the session that will open on Friday night (Seoul time). APEC groups together 21 member countries in the Asia-Pacific, including China. It remai
Nov. 19, 2020
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Starting salary for white-collar workers at large firms averages W33m
South Korean university graduates who land white-collar jobs at large corporations are paid an average of about 33 million won ($29,700) in annual starting salary as of June this year, government data showed Thursday. According to the data released by the labor ministry, local companies with more than 500 employees pay 33.47 million won on average to a worker who holds a job in business administration or accounting for less than one year after obtaining a bachelor's degree or higher. The avera
Nov. 19, 2020
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Yoo reaffirms presidential bid
Former four-term conservative lawmaker Yoo Seong-min reaffirmed Wednesday his intention to run for president again in 2022, dismissing speculation that he might run for Seoul mayor. Yoo ran in the 2017 presidential election on the ticket of a now-disbanded center-right party. Yoo said he had never considered entering the mayoral race, which will take place in April next year. The main opposition People Power Party, to which he belongs, didn’t ask him to run for mayor, he said during
Nov. 18, 2020
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Opposition split over new airport, as ruling party rushes to alternative
The decision to review plans for a new airport in the country’s southeast is sending ripples through the political arena, with the ruling bloc pushing for a quick conclusion while the opposition appears divided. On Tuesday, the government effectively scrapped plans for expanding Gimhae International Airport in Busan, reigniting hopes for an airport on Gadeokdo, a small island also within Busan, connected by bridge to the mainland. On Wednesday, ruling Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker
Nov. 18, 2020
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About 132,000 coronavirus-affected workers paid family care leave allowance
About 132,000 local workers have benefited from the government's paid family care leave program introduced in March this year to financially support working parents who are forced to take care of their children when day care centers, kindergartens and elementary schools are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said Wednesday. The ministry said a total of 131,772 workers were paid 47.4 billion won ($42.9 million) in family care leave allowances from March
Nov. 18, 2020
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Seoul city to expand contact tracing team amid virus resurgence
The Seoul city government said Wednesday it will increase the number of contact tracing agents from 30 to 190 amid a sharp rise in new coronavirus cases. By increasing their number, the city government said it will identify people who came into close contact with a COVID-19 patient and place them under quarantine within 24 hours of a confirmed infection. The measure comes as Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of the capital, are set to raise their social
Nov. 18, 2020
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Legislation introduced to boost female share on corporate boards
A lawmaker proposed a bill Wednesday requiring a quota of female executives on the boards of major listed companies in a bid to help women rise beyond a corporate glass ceiling. The bill submitted by Rep. Yang Kyung-sook of the ruling Democratic Party proposes a revision to the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act in a way that ensures a certain ratio of female members on the boards of stock market-listed companies whose assets surpass 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion). Nine other
Nov. 18, 2020
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Ex-President Chun put on list of habitual tax delinquents for five years in a row
Former President Chun Doo-hwan has been included in the list of habitual tax delinquents for the fifth consecutive year, officials in Seoul said Wednesday. The Seoul government disclosed on its website (http://www.seoul.go.kr) the names and identities of 15,032 habitual tax evaders, who had more than 10 million won ($9,030) in delinquent local taxes as of Jan. 1, 2020, for longer than one year. A total of 1,050 individual tax delinquents with 83.2 billion won in arrears and 283 corporate tax d
Nov. 18, 2020
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Gimhae airport plans scrapped; decision reignites wrangling over new airport
The plan to expand Gimhae International Airport requires a “fundamental review,” the government announced Tuesday, reigniting the debate over the location of an air travel hub in the country’s southeast. Tuesday’s decision appears to boost the chances of a new airport being built in another part of Busan, the country’s second-largest city. “The (Gimhae airport expansion) plan needs to be supplemented significantly, and will be insufficient for future chang
Nov. 17, 2020
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Moon to join virtual summits of APEC, G20 this week
President Moon Jae-in will participate in back-to-back major multilateral summits to be held via video links this week, Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday. He is scheduled to attend an annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting on Friday, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. In the session, the president plans to share South Korea's experience in the fight against COVID-19 and introduce its related contributions to the international community, such as the provision of
Nov. 17, 2020
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People Power Party chief pushes for apology over jailed ex-presidents
The People Power Party’s interim leader Kim Chong-in is pushing the party to issue a public apology over the country’s two jailed former presidents, Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, who ran on previous iterations of the party’s flag. Regarding a news report on Kim’s remarks during a closed-door party meeting on Monday that he would apologize late this month or in early December, People Power Party Floor Leader Joo Ho-young said he supports Kim’s plan, although the
Nov. 17, 2020
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Moon asks for public's cooperation to avoid further tightening of distancing rules
President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that the decision to enforce stricter distancing rules in the greater Seoul area starting this week was an "unavoidable" measure, while asking for the people's cooperation to help curb the latest resurgence of new COVID-19 cases. "It may come as an inconvenience, but it was an unavoidable measure to prevent a further expansion (of new virus transmissions)," Moon said during a weekly Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae. Earlier in the day
Nov. 17, 2020
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Two prosecutors, one prosecutor-turned-lawyer grilled in Lime Asset probe
Two state prosecutors and one prosecutor-turned-lawyer were grilled by the prosecution office earlier this week over allegations that they received red-carpet treatment from a prime suspect behind a snowballing financial fraud scandal involving Lime Asset Management, informed officials said Tuesday. The rare summons came after Kim Bong-hyun, the former chairman of Star Mobility known as the main financial source for Lime Asset, claimed that he spent about 10 million won ($9,032) on July 12, 201
Nov. 17, 2020