Most Popular
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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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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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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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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[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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[Newsmaker] Lee Hee-ho, women’s rights pioneer, partner in inter-Korean reconciliation efforts
Lee Hee-ho was most often in the spotlight as late President Kim Dae-jung’s wife in the later parts of her life, but Lee was a champion of women’s rights whose beliefs and actions have left a lasting mark on Korean society.Lee was born into a wealthy family in 1922 during the Japanese occupation of Korea. While Korea was a patriarchal society where women took second priority to men, Lee’s parents are said to have raised her without such bias. Lee studied at a girl’s high
PoliticsJune 11, 2019
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[Newsmaker] SK Innovation demands W1b from LG Chem in defamation countersuit
On the heels of a lawsuit filed by LG Chem in the United States, SK Innovation sued its South Korean competitor for defamation in a local court, claiming 1 billion won in damages in a new chapter in the ongoing legal battle. The country’s top energy business and newcomer to the lithium-ion battery market said Monday that it could no longer endure “groundless accusations” brought against it by rival LG Chem. LG Chem, in response, said it feels “regret” over SK Innova
TechnologyJune 10, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Search under way for S. Korean tourist missing after fall from Mediterranean Sea cruise ship
Search operations are under way to find a South Korean tourist who fell from a cruise ship into the Mediterranean Sea last week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.The 63-year-old woman, whose name was withheld, fell off the Norwegian Epic cruise ship at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday (local time) when the vessel was sailing in waters near the Spanish island of Menorca, the ministry said. She was traveling with her husband."The local (Spanish) rescue authorities are conducting the search for the m
Social AffairsJune 10, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Images of mother drinking while baby was dying spark fury
Shocking images of a teenage mother who drank for days while her baby daughter was allegedly left to die at home are touching off a firestorm of criticism on the internet. Pictures and postings on social media were revealed showing the 18-year-old mother out drinking with friends while her 7-month-old daughter was believed to be starving to death. The mother posted images of herself drinking every day between May 25 and 28, while her baby was allegedly home alone in Incheon. Her social medi
Social AffairsJune 9, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Diplomat dismissed for violating anti-graft law
A former ambassador to Vietnam was dismissed from his post for violating the anti-graft law and other irregularities, the Foreign Ministry said Friday. Former Ambassador to Vietnam Kim Do-hyun received flight tickets and accommodation from a Vietnamese company when he attended an opening event for a golf course in Vietnam with his family in October. He is also suspected of verbally abusing his officials. The irregularities were found when the Foreign Ministry conducted an inspection of the
Foreign AffairsJune 7, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Labor leader grilled by police over violent rallies
The leader of a militant labor umbrella labor group voluntarily appeared before police on Friday to be questioned about allegations of organizing violent protests at the National Assembly in Seoul this spring.Kim Myeong-hwan, chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Union, arrived at the Yeongdungpo Police Station in southern Seoul in the morning before being grilled about his responsibility for allegedly masterminding violent illegal acts during KCTU members' protest rallies in front of th
Social AffairsJune 7, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Moon urges national unity based on patriotism in Memorial Day speech
President Moon Jae-in on Thursday stressed that patriotism transcends ideology, as his liberal administration has faced constant political attacks over its approach toward North Korea.In his Memorial Day address at Seoul National Cemetery, which Moon described as a "site alive with patriotism," Moon said, "When it comes to patriotism, there is no difference between conservatives and liberals."Love of country is a matter of caring about the "destiny of a national communit
PoliticsJune 6, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Blue House, main opposition dig in over meeting of president, party leaders
A proposed meeting between the president and the leaders of five political parties -- suggested to resolve the parliamentary deadlock -- has worsened the tug of war between the ruling and opposition blocs. On Tuesday, Cheong Wa Dae revealed plans for a meeting between President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of the five parties, to be followed by a one-on-one meeting with Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn. Cheong Wa Dae said it had suggested the meeting be held Friday, in a bid to fac
PoliticsJune 5, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Korea to change liquor tax system for first time in 50 years
South Korea has decided to change its liquor tax system for the first time in 50 years, shifting from a price-based to volume-based system, starting with domestically brewed beer and rice wine, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Wednesday. The tax revision bill for 2020 will state that liquor tax will be levied based on the amount of alcohol sold, rather than adopting ad valorem calculations, which is based on the retail base price. The government plans to submit the bill to the National A
IndustryJune 5, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Tower crane workers stage all-out strike, halt construction nationwide
Tower crane workers affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions took over some 2,500 tower cranes at construction sites nationwide in an all-out strike, calling for a ban on small tower cranes and a wage hike, the unions said Tuesday.Labor unions say small tower cranes are more vulnerable to accidents, whereas the Construction Association of Korea argues otherwise on the grounds that the driverless equipment can be controlled by a technician
Social AffairsJune 4, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Former vice justice minister referred to trial on bribery charges
Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui was indicted and referred to trial Tuesday on charges of receiving bribes and sexual favors worth 170 million won ($143,700) from a construction contractor.A special team of prosecutors, winding up months of a probe into Kim's suspected sexual assault a decade ago, announced the indictment of the 63-year-old who briefly held the No. 2 post at the Ministry of Justice in 2013.Kim is accused of receiving bribes and sexual favors worth 130 million won between
Social AffairsJune 4, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Ex-speed skating coach to stand trial for alleged sexual assaults
A former national speed skating coach will stand trial on charges of sexually assaulting South Korean Olympic short track champion Shim Suk-hee for about three years, prosecutors have said.Prosecutors indicted Cho Jae-beom on Monday on charges of sexually assaulting and molesting the 22-year-old Shim around 30 times beginning in 2014, when she was a high school student.His sexual assaults continued until December 2017, around two months before the opening of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in Fe
Social AffairsJune 4, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Seniors behind wheel prompt safety concerns
In light of a recent series of fatal car accidents involving elderly drivers, calls are growing to revamp policies and issue conditional licenses for seniors. Last month, two died and 11 were injured after a 75-year-old man drove into a crowd celebrating Buddha’s Birthday at the temple Tongdosa in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.According to police, the driver, surnamed Kim, testified he had accidently stepped on the accelerator pedal, sparking concerns about elderly drivers on the road
Social AffairsJune 3, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Haney boasts prediction of Lee’s victory -- while misspelling her name
Golf professional and former coach of Tiger Woods, Hank Haney defended his earlier controversial remark on Korean golfers, saying Lee Jeong-eun’s LPGA victory proved his earlier prediction, which he described as “based on statistics and facts.”In tweets that have drawn wide coverage in Korea, Haney referred to Lee, who captured the US Women’s Open for her maiden LPGA victory Sunday, as proof that his comments were not entirely sarcastic. “My prediction that a
GolfJune 3, 2019
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[Newsmaker] US-China trade war takes toll on S. Korea’s exports
With the trade dispute between the US and China casting a shadow over the global economic outlook, South Korea’s exports fell for the sixth straight month in May, as the country’s shipments of semiconductors declined by about one-third from a year prior. According to data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Saturday, South Korea exported some $45.9 billion worth of products in May, about 9.4 percent down from a month earlier.The government attributed the poor pe
IndustryJune 2, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Court to decide arrest of ‘Sillim-dong CCTV’ rape suspect
The Seoul Central District Court held an arrest warrant hearing for a 30-year-old man on charges of attempted rape, the court said Friday. The court is to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for the suspect, who allegedly followed the victim to her home at around 6:20 a.m. Tuesday in Sillim-dong, southwestern Seoul. Asked why he had followed the victim, the suspect said “I am sorry” and did not respond to further questions.The suspect attended the hearing at Seoul Central Distr
Social AffairsMay 31, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Foreign ministry decides to fire diplomat accused of leaking Moon-Trump talks
The foreign ministry decided Thursday to fire a diplomat for leaking the content of a phone conversation between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump. The decision was made at the ministry's disciplinary panel held earlier in the day, ministry spokesman Kim In-chul said. Another official who was also investigated for relaying the diplomat a copy of the conversation received a penalty of three-month wage reduction. The diplomat, who worked at the South Korean Embassy in Washingto
PoliticsMay 30, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Opposition lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat as top court confirms jail term
The Supreme Court sentenced Rep. Lee Woo-hyun of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party to seven years in prison Thursday for taking illegal political funds worth some 1 billion won ($839,278).The ruling stripped Lee of his parliamentary seat.Under the law, an elected official loses his or her post if sentenced to imprisonment without forced labor for criminal cases.The top court withheld a lower court's ruling that also includes 160 million won in fines, accusing Lee of violating the political
Social AffairsMay 30, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Protests against HHI-DSME merger escalate
Protests by the workers of Hyundai Heavy Industries against a tie-up with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering are escalating, with labor unions of Hyundai Motor and DSME joining the strike on Wednesday. Two days ahead of HHI’s shareholders meeting to decide on modalities of the merger, the workers’ protests intensified by occupying the venue and staging an all-out strike to disrupt the meeting. If the proposal for physical division of the company after merger is passed
IndustryMay 29, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Controversy brews over meeting of NIS chief, Moon's confidant
A dinner meeting between National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon and Yang Jung-chul, the head of a think tank run by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, has stirred up controversy over the spy agency’s involvement in politics. The four-hour meeting between the two prominent figures last week took the spotlight Tuesday, with the main opposition Liberty Korea Party visiting the spy agency in protest.“It was not a private consultation, but a dinner with longtime acquaintances.
PoliticsMay 28, 2019