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] 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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PM calls for careful preparation of compensation measures for virus-hit businesses
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Tuesday instructed the finance minister to carefully devise measures to compensate small businesses for their losses incurred by the country's strict social distancing measures against COVID-19. In a meeting held with Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki and Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae, Chung told Hong to "carefully prepare for the measures by studying the opinions of on-site (merchants) experiencing difficulties." Chung also directed Hong to "review
Jan. 26, 2021
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Moon requests parliamentary hearing report on justice minister nominee
President Moon Jae-in has requested that the National Assembly send a report on its confirmation hearing on the nominee to become justice minister, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. Lawmakers had the hearing on Park Beom-kye on Monday but failed to adopt a formal report on its results amid disputes over whether he is qualified to assume the post. Moon earlier tapped Park, a three-term ruling Democratic Party lawmaker, to lead the ministry. The parliament was supposed to finish all procedures relate
Jan. 26, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Belligerence of pro-Moon extremists
A cohort of President Moon Jae-in’s unwavering loyalists who are most active on the internet has long been criticized or even abhorred for going to extreme lengths to attack anyone they think is berating Moon or his administration. For years, members of the pro-Moon legion have threatened to lynch reporters or anyone who appears “disrespectful” of the administration, going after their personal information and hurling verbal abuse on internet forums. Most recently, a pro-Moon
Jan. 26, 2021
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Moon shares finance minister's online message on S. Korea's economic performance
President Moon Jae-in shared Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki's social media message Tuesday on South Korea's latest gross domestic product (GDP) data, a rare move seen as meant to encourage Hong publicly. Moon was also apparently seeking to highlight that the country's economy has fared relatively well despite the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier in the day, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said the economy is projected to have contracted 1 percent in 2020 compared with the previous year. Hong wrote
Jan. 26, 2021
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[News Focus] Korea attains higher percentage of female ministers than US, Japan
SEJONG -- President Moon Jae-in was active in appointing women to his Cabinet during the early part of his term, though the percentage relative to the total has dropped since then. On the back of the current administration’s policy since 2017 favoring greater gender balance among ministers, South Korea overtook the US and some other developed countries in terms of the percentage of women occupying ministerial posts, according to the latest comparison from the Organization for Economic Co
Jan. 26, 2021
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Former SMEs minister runs for Seoul mayor
Park Young-sun, former minister of SMEs and Startups, announced her bid to run for Seoul mayor Tuesday, revealing a new compact city plan to improve the life of Seoulites. “In order to overcome the hardships and difficulties of COVID-19, we need a mayor to make Seoul a G-7 global digital economy city after the pandemic,” Park said at an online meeting at 11 a.m. in Yeouido, vowing to create a safe, fair and warm Seoul through the great transformation. The ruling bloc heavyweig
Jan. 26, 2021
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Prosecution questions ex-industry minister over reactor shutdown controversy
The prosecution questioned former Industry Minister Paik Un-gyu on Monday as part of its probe into the controversial closure of South Korea's second-oldest nuclear reactor. The Daejeon District Prosecutors Office grilled Paik over allegations that he abused his authority in the process of assessing the economic viability of the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor ahead of its closure. In October 2020, state auditors said the economic viability of the nuclear reactor was unreasonably undervalued in det
Jan. 25, 2021
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Moon checks readiness for COVID-19 vaccination
President Moon Jae-in on Monday called for thorough readiness among government offices as the nation prepares to start COVID-19 vaccinations with the imminent arrival of the first batch of vaccines, possibly early next month. “The coronavirus response is entering a new phase. If the past year was a time when we protected ourselves from the virus through social distancing measures, now is a time to fight the virus with vaccines and treatments,” Moon said before receiving a policy br
Jan. 25, 2021
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DP to revise law to establish new state agency on workplace disaster safety
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) has decided to consult with rival parties to establish a new government organization dedicated to promoting occupational safety and better preventing industrial disasters, the party's chief said Monday. In a party leadership meeting, DP Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon said that the DP will draft a revised Government Organization Act and submit it to the National Assembly to launch the new agency after consulting with opposition parties. According to Lee, the DP and t
Jan. 25, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Justice Party head resigns over sexual harassment
The head of a minor progressive opposition party was removed from his post on Monday over sexual harassment, marking the first time the leader of a political party in South Korea has stepped down due to sexual misconduct. The Justice Party -- which has been a strong advocate on gender equality issues -- has pledged to deal with this issue according to the principle of zero tolerance. On Monday Bae Bok-joo, head of the Justice Party’s gender human rights division, officially disclosed le
Jan. 25, 2021
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[Herald Interview] Young feminist runs for Seoul mayor
Shin Ji-hye, a 33-year-old feminist and socially liberal politician, hopes to set off sweeping changes in the nation and challenge social, financial and gender inequality, starting with the Seoul mayoral election. Shin, a representative of the minor Basic Income Party, and other members of her party believe a new social contract is necessary in an era where decent jobs are on the decline, poverty is growing, inequality is widening and housing prices are skyrocketing. “We created this
Jan. 25, 2021
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Border county struggling to get rid of fish inventory from canceled ice fishing fest
HWACHEON -- Many local governments nationwide are struggling to cope with repercussions from the coronavirus-caused cancellations of their seasonal festivals that used to generate sizable economic benefits and tourism income for local residents and merchants. The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, a world famous ice fishing event hosted every winter by Hwacheon, a Gangwon Province county near the inter-Korean border, is not an exception, as its 2021 edition was cancelled due to COVID-19. The nu
Jan. 25, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Chief of progressive minor party steps down over sexual harassment of party lawmaker
Kim Jong-cheol, the chief of the progressive minor Justice Party, stepped down Monday over what the party called "obvious sexual harassment" of a female lawmaker of the same party. It is the first time that the head of an established political party has resigned due to sexual misconduct. The unprecedented case is expected to deal a crushing blow to the party which has championed gender equality on top of the rights of social minorities. "I came here to announce very humiliating,
Jan. 25, 2021
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Moon's approval rating jumps to 43% after New Year's address: Realmeter
President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has bounced back to over 40 percent, driven mainly by his New Year's address, Realmeter said Monday. In the tracking poll of 2,510 voters nationwide from last Monday to Friday, Moon's job approval rating rose 5.1 percentage points to 43.0 percent. It marks the first time that the rating has topped 40 percent in eight weeks in the Seoul-based pollster's survey. Moon's approval had been on the decline since recording 43.8 percent in the fourth week of Nove
Jan. 25, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Opposition lays siege to new justice minister nominee
Opposition lawmakers were geared up to use Monday’s confirmation hearing for Justice Minister nominee Park Beom-kye to their fullest advantage by bashing him over numerous issues, including his failure to declare some of his assets. The opposition’s offensive in the series of hearings for ministerial nominees since last week has mainly focused on Park, who himself rose to confirmation hearing stardom in 2014. As a first-time lawmaker at the time, Park raised allegations that the aut
Jan. 24, 2021
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Moon to receive policy briefing on vaccine, antivirus efforts
President Moon Jae-in is set to receive a policy briefing on the country's vaccination plans and ongoing efforts to fight the new coronavirus this week, a presidential official said Sunday. Moon will hold a teleconference at Cheong Wa Dae on Monday with relevant ministers -- including Welfare Minister Kwon Deok-cheol, Food and Drug Safety Minister Kim Ganglip and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency chief Jeong Eun-kyeong, according to the official. The officials are expected to report
Jan. 24, 2021
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Moon to accept Britain's invitation to G-7 summit, official says
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has formally invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in to an in-person G-7 summit, scheduled to be held in June, via a personal letter, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. Moon plans to reply it, expressing his commitment to making contributions so that this year's summit of the G-7 nations can produce a significant accomplishment, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. A presidential official later told reporters that they may construe the message as
Jan. 22, 2021
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Court refuses to cancel seizure of annex to ex-President Chun's house
A Seoul court on Friday rejected a request to cancel the seizure of a building owned by former President Chun Doo-hwan's family in western Seoul. The Seoul Administrative Court issued the ruling in response to an October 2018 lawsuit filed by one of Chun's daughters-in-law, surnamed Lee, who claimed the seizure of the annex inside the former president's residential compound was unjustified because it is under her name. The entire residence was put up for auction in 2018 at the request of the p
Jan. 22, 2021
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Unification ministry announces guidelines on leafleting ban to clarify 'scope of application'
The unification ministry on Friday unveiled guidelines on a recently legislated ban on sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea in an effort to ensure better interpretation of the law. The amendment to the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, which passed the National Assembly and the Cabinet last month, has raised concerns among critics that it could hurt freedom of expression and undercut efforts to send outside information into the reclusive North. Concerns were also raised th
Jan. 22, 2021
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Amb. Kang reaffirms S. Korea's 'firm' will to improve ties with Japan
New South Korean Ambassador to Japan Kang Chang-il said Friday that Seoul has a "firm" will to normalize relations with Tokyo, as he departed for the country amid a protracted row over wartime history and trade. "The Moon government has a firm will to normalize relations between South Korea and Japan, and the president also expressed the will during a New Year's press conference," he told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. "I plan to relay this
Jan. 22, 2021