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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[Newsmaker] Hong Sang-soo’s ‘The Novelist’s Film’ wins grand jury prize at Berlinale
Filmmaker Hong Sang-soo’s 27th feature “The Novelist’s Film” on Thursday won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at Berlin International Film Festival. The 72nd Berlin International Film Festival is being held from Feb. 10 to 20 as an in-person event. “I really didn’t expect this big prize. I’m very surprised. Thank you all the jury members for your appreciation,” Hong said in an acceptance speech in English. “I feel like I should say somethin
FilmFeb. 17, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Ruling party's attempt to link Yoon with shamanism backfires
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's attempt to again embroil People Power Party’s presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol with shamanism allegations backfired, after photos hinted key figures within their own faction could be involved as well. Rep. Kim Eui-kyeom of the Democratic Party raised an allegation in a press conference Tuesday that Yoon and his wife were found linked to a dubious religious ritual in 2018 run by a shaman accused of being unofficially involved with Yoon’s cam
PoliticsFeb. 16, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Korea’s plans for COVID-19-positive voters spark voting rights concerns
South Korea has changed the rules around voting to let people infected with COVID-19 cast their ballots in polling stations, as the omicron surge places record numbers of people under self-quarantine. On the second day of advance voting, March 5, and on the day of the presidential election, March 9, eligible voters with active cases will be able to vote in person past the regular hours, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The National Assembly passed the exceptional measure into a bill on Monday. As many as
Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Yoon hops on ‘Passion Train’ to woo voters from rival stronghold
YEOSU, South Jeolla Province -- It is Saturday, and People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol is making a grand entrance outside Jeonju Station in North Jeolla Province. With supporters cheering -- some chanting “President Yoon Suk-yeol” to a drum beat -- Yoon is greeted by party Chairman Lee Jun-seok who arrived at the station on the “Passion Train,” a chartered four-carriage train that the party hired for a tour of the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces.
PoliticsFeb. 14, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Hana eyes stronger earnings, shareholder value under new leadership
South Korea’s Hana Financial Group announced a record annual net income of 3.5 trillion won ($2.9 billion) for 2021 last week, citing successful portfolio diversification as a driving force behind the banking group’s robust profit. Exceeding market expectations, Hana’s annual net income gained 33.7 percent on-year, driven by a noteworthy increase in earnings of its nonbanking businesses, a regulatory filing showed Thursday. Brokerage arm Hana Financial Investment’s net
MarketFeb. 13, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Buying of virus self-test kits to be restricted to 5 per purchase for 3 weeks
Buying of COVID-19 self-test kits will be restricted to five units per purchase for three weeks, as the government works to stabilize the supply in light of the recent surge in at-home treatment patients, according to officials Saturday. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the purchase restriction of self-test kits will be enforced for three weeks starting Sunday. Customers, however, will be allowed to purchase additional kits at different stores if needed, according to officials
Social AffairsFeb. 12, 2022
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[Newsmaker] After being called feminists, these women faced online harassment
The death of livestreamer Jammi, whose real name is Cho Jang-mi, made headlines this week in South Korea. It emerged that she took her own life after “suffering severe depression over malicious online comments and rumors,” according to an online post written by one of her family members. The 27-year-old who used to stream on YouTube and Twitch was accused of being a radical feminist in 2019. The accusations began after she used a pinching hand sign that some claimed to be misandri
Social AffairsFeb. 11, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Lawmakers expected to extend voting hours for COVID-19 patients
South Korea could extend voting hours on March 9 to let voters afflicted with COVID-19 to vote in the presidential election and by-elections held that day. Legislators on Thursday agreed to revise the Public Official Election Act so that voters afflicted with COVID-19 under self-quarantine will be allowed to vote within a 90-minute window until 7:30 p.m. after voting booths close for regular voters at 6 p.m. Lawmakers also agreed to add a clause mandating voters afflicted with COVID-19 to be p
PoliticsFeb. 10, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Hana Financial taps man behind successful KEB merger transition as new chief
South Korea’s Hana Financial Group has nominated Vice Chairman Ham Young-joo, who led its flagship lender’s smooth operation and business rebranding after its grueling acquisition of Korea Exchange Bank seven years ago, to be the next chairman of the banking group. On Tuesday, the firm’s chairman nomination committee tapped Ham as the sole nominee for the position, citing his performance in generating profit and bolstering stability in business. Ham has also shown “extra
MarketFeb. 9, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Schools’ new COVID-19 rules clouded with uncertainty
Teacher unions are raising criticism of the Ministry of Education, accusing it of putting the burden of COVID-19 management on schools and teachers. On Monday, the Education Ministry announced that schools will move to “normalcy” in attendance measures for the new semester, flexibly responding to virus situations. Under the new measure, schools can change their attendance policy based on the new four-stage plan suggested by the ministry. Teachers’ associations, however, a
Social AffairsFeb. 8, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Korea switches to self-reported contact tracing as COVID-19 positivity rate hits record
As the omicron variant spreads rapidly in South Korea, related figures have also hit fresh highs, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Monday. As of midnight Sunday, the percentage of tests that were positive out of all tests administered in the country reached 26 percent, up 5.2 percentage points from the previous day’s 20.8 percent. This means that 1 out of 4 people who received a PCR test got a positive result for COVID-19. The figure has been increasing r
Social AffairsFeb. 7, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Koreans take umbrage at presence of hanbok at Beijing Winter Olympics ceremony
Hanbok has become the latest focal point in the decades-long row between Korea and China over many aspects of Korean culture that China claims as their own. A new controversy erupted when a performer wearing hanbok, or traditional Korean costume, was seen participating in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics Friday night. As people representing 56 ethnic groups in China carried the Chinese national flag into Beijing’s National Stadium, a woman in a white and pale pink hanb
CultureFeb. 6, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Consumer prices grow over 3 percent for 4 consecutive months
SEJONG -- The nation’s consumer prices climbed 3 percent or more for the fourth consecutive month, despite the Bank of Korea’s three interest rate hikes between August 2021 and January. Statistics Korea said Friday that consumer prices grew 3.6 percent in January, compared to a year earlier. After the growth breached a 3 percent threshold -- 3.2 percent -- for the first time in more than nine years in October, it rose to 3.8 percent in November and 3.7 percent in December. This mar
EconomyFeb. 4, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Celltrion to supply COVID-19 self-test kits to US
Celltrion USA, the US subsidiary of the Korean biotech firm, said Thursday it signed multiple deals to supply COVID-19 self-test kits worth 400 billion won ($330 million) in the US by the first quarter of this year. The latest deals involve some 10 government agencies and companies, including the Defense Logistics Agency and the e-commerce giant Amazon. Two kinds of test packs will be supplied: DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Home Test and DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test, both developed in partnership
BusinessFeb. 3, 2022
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[Newsmaker] How far have chips come to emulate human brain?
JEONGSEON, Gangwon Province -- New chip technologies could advance to the degree that chips in the future could emulate the human brain in terms of computing speed, density and efficiency, experts said during keynote speeches at the 29th Korean Conference on Semiconductors held in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province Tuesday. However, a technology breakthrough to break the mold is crucial, as achieving large processing capacity and energy efficiency simultaneously is becoming more elusive on the convent
TechnologyJan. 31, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Police investigating needle placed in a study room chair
Police have launched an investigation Friday to nab a suspect who secretly stuck a needle into a chair in a study room in Seoul, resulting in injury to the next user of the seat. According to local reports, the victim was stabbed by a sewing needle hidden under the cushion when they sat down at a reading room in Shinlim-dong, Gwanak-gu, on Jan. 2. The victim suffered a minor thigh injury. The reading room is mainly used by college students preparing for the civil service exam. “Assau
Social AffairsJan. 28, 2022
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[Newsmaker] 4 years prison confirmed for Cho Kuk’s wife on academic fraud
The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed a four-year prison sentence for Chung Kyung-sim, the wife of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, on a number of charges linked to falsifying documents to help her daughter gain admission to medical school and for other actions concerning a private equity fund. The top court found Chung, a former Dongyang University professor, guilty of all charges related to the unfair college admission of her daughter and upheld the August ruling of the Seoul High Court. C
Social AffairsJan. 27, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Korea to invest W9tr to speed up digital transformation
South Korea will inject a record-high 9 trillion won ($7.5 billion) this year into its drive for digital transformation as part of the country’s Digital New Deal plan, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Wednesday. The biggest portion of the state fund, 5.9 trillion won, will be poured into strengthening the ecosystem of data, network and artificial intelligence. By the end of this year, it plans to set up 310 additional kinds of AI learning data and a comprehensive platform service t
TechnologyJan. 26, 2022
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[Newsmaker] N.Korea appears to fire two cruise missiles from inland area: S.Korean military
North Korea fired two suspected cruise missiles from an inland area Tuesday morning, its fifth weapons test this year. “North Korea is presumed to launch two cruise missiles this morning,” a South Korean military official told reporters on condition of anonymity. “The missiles are estimated to have traveled mostly inland although further analysis is needed,” the military official said, adding the missiles were not fired toward the East Sea. The military official sa
DefenseJan. 25, 2022
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[Newsmaker] COVID pass will not be required from people who have been hospitalized with vaccine side-effects
People who have been hospitalized due to adverse events and allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines are exempt from the country’s vaccine pass mandate, starting on Monday. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the government will grant the exemption if people have received hospital treatments within six weeks after they received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Those people who requested the government compensate them for vaccination side-eff
Social AffairsJan. 24, 2022