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] Celltrion confirms phase 1 trial safety of COVID-19 antibody drug
Celltrion said Friday that it had confirmed the safety of COVID-19 antibody drug CT-P59 in healthy people through a domestic phase 1 trial involving 32 people. Once another clinical phase 1 trial targeting light-symptom COVID-19 patients wraps up, Celltrion plans to proceed to global phase 2 and 3 trials in as many as 12 nations targeting 500 patients. Clinical test designs for these global trials have already been submitted in seven countries, Celltrion said. Although the company refraine
IndustrySept. 11, 2020
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[Newsmaker] 'Digital Prison' targeting sex crimes shuts down amid outcry
A South Korean vigilante website that published personal details of people it accused of sex crimes suddenly went dark this week after a public backlash sparked by the death of one of its targets, as police hunt for its operators. Calls have grown for tougher punishment for those guilty of sex crimes after a South Korean man convicted of running one of the world's largest online child pornography operations was released this year from 18 months in jail. The "Digital Prison" website
Social AffairsSept. 11, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Opposition parties demand justice minister's exit
The controversy over allegations that Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae pulled strings to obtain special treatment for her son during his compulsory military service years ago intensified Thursday, leading prosecutors to expand their investigation and inviting demands for her resignation from opposition parties. The Defense Ministry on Thursday dismissed speculation that the minister’s son, 26, surnamed Seo, may have used his mother’s influence as a political bigwig and breached militar
Social AffairsSept. 10, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Justice minister asked defense ministry to extend son's leave: document
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and her husband asked the defense ministry in 2017 to extend medical leave for their son who was serving his mandatory military duty at the time, according to documents apparently written by the ministry. Choo has come under fire over allegations that she used her influence to seek special favors for her son, who served in the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) for the 2nd Infantry Division of the US 8th Army. Choo was chairwoman of the ruling De
PoliticsSept. 10, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Infamous child rapist to be released in December
Infamous child rapist Cho Doo-soon is set to be freed from jail in December after completing his prison term. Cho, who brutally assaulted an 8-year-old girl in 2008, will be released Dec. 13 from a correction facility in Cheongsong, North Gyeongsang Province, where he has been imprisoned for 12 years. The criminal’s scheduled return to society has been a source of fear for many here -- parents in particular. Over the past years, scores of public petitions have been submitted to various
Social AffairsSept. 9, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Pressure mounts on Choo over son's military service
The controversy over allegations against Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae’s son continues to grow, with some comparing the situation to last year’s scandal surrounding former Justice Minister Cho Kuk. Choo, a former ruling Democratic Party lawmaker who served five terms in the National Assembly, is accused of using her influence to help her son obtain special favors during his military service. It has been claimed that Choo’s influence as a politician enabled Seo to go on ex
PoliticsSept. 8, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Korea to support online concerts
The recent news that K-pop sensation BTS had become the first South Korean act to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart with its new single created economic ripple effects worth around 1.7 trillion won ($1.43 billion), according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Monday. The amount is based on an analysis of data from multiple sources, including sales data for BTS’ agency, Big Hit Entertainment, as well as trade statistics from the Korea Customs Service and search statistics f
PerformanceSept. 7, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Big Hit CEO Bang Si-hyuk likely to hit jack pot with IPO
The scheduled initial offering of Big Hit Entertainment, the label behind K-pop boy band BTS, is likely to make its CEO Bang Si-hyuk one of the wealthiest people in South Korea The Big Hit CEO is currently holding 12,377,337 shares, or 43.44 percent, of the company, according to the recent regulatory filing for the IPO. The entertainment agency plans to offer 7.13 million shares at a price between 105,000 won ($88) and 135,000 won. Should the offering price be set at 135,000 won, Bang&rsq
MarketSept. 6, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Discussion over BTS members' military service reignited
K-pop sensation BTS becoming the first Korean act to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart with its recently released single has reignited a debate over the seven members’ military service. Under the current law, all able-bodied South Korean men are obliged to serve in the military for 18 to 22 months. The band’s eldest member Jin, whose legal name is Kim Seok-jin, has to start military service before the end of next year, according to Big Hit Entertainment. Jin was set to begin his m
K-popSept. 4, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Hanwha named preferred bidder for W1tr Australia artillery project
South Korean defense firm Hanwha Defense was named the preferred bidder for an artillery project worth about 1 trillion won ($842 million) in Australia, which involves building self-propelled K9 howitzers and K10 ammunition resupply vehicles, the Australian Defense Ministry said Thursday. “Through this project, this Government is delivering the capability Army needs while creating local jobs in and around Geelong that will grow our highly skilled workforce,” Australian Defense Minis
DefenseSept. 3, 2020
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[Newsmaker] NK gearing up for massive military parade: 38 North
North Korea appears to be preparing a huge military parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the Workers’ Party next month despite coronavirus fears, a US-based North Korea monitoring website said Wednesday. Satellite images of Mirim airfield in Pyongyang taken Aug. 31 provide the first evidence that rehearsals for a massive military parade to be held Oct. 10 are underway, according to 38 North. The images show hundreds of vehicles parked in the parking lots adjacent to the parade ground
North KoreaSept. 2, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong indicted in merger probe
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was on Tuesday indicted without detention along with 10 other former and current Samsung Group officials in the probe into alleged wrongdoings in merger of group affiliates and account fraud. Lee faces a number of charges including violation of financial investment and audit regulations, and dereliction of duty in the probe into allegations surrounding Samsung C&T’s merger with Cheil Industries, and account fraud revolving around Samsung
Social AffairsSept. 1, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Samsung heir Lee charged without detention in high-profile succession case
Prosecutors indicted Samsung Group heir Lee Jae-yong without physical detention Tuesday for his role in a controversial merger and alleged accounting fraud, in the latest development of the tumultuous legal saga that has dogged him for years. Lee, the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, was charged with unfair trading, stock manipulation, breach of trust in relation to the 2015 merger between two Samsung affiliates seen as a key step toward his succession, and alleged accounting fraud at th
Social AffairsSept. 1, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Typhoon Maysak to intensify into ‘very strong’ category
Typhoon Maysak, expected to hit southern parts of Korea on Wednesday and Thursday, is forecast to intensify into a “very strong” storm late Monday, the weather agency said. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, as of 9 a.m. Monday, the ninth typhoon of the year was 470 kilometers south of the island of Okinawa, Japan, advancing northeast at a speed of 31 kilometers per hour toward the peninsula, as of 9 a.m. on Monday. With a maximum wind speed of 43 meters per seco
Social AffairsAug. 31, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Police look into Travelholic after porn found on Instagram account
Seoul Gangnam Police Station said it has started an internal investigation into popular social media page Travelholic on Sunday, a day after its CEO Jo Jun-ki allegedly uploaded illegal porn to its Instagram account. Travelholic, a company that introduces travel destinations and tourist attractions via social media platforms, uploaded a post introducing a sheep farm in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, to its Instagram account with over 1.2 million followers at around 6 p.m. Saturday. However, on
CultureAug. 30, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Public art troupe member’s private lesson in spotlight after infection
A member of an art troupe under the National Gugak Center will be questioned for conducting a private lesson, after having contact with a high school student who was tested positive for COVID-19. On Aug. 19, the member gave a private lesson to a Gugak National High School student at a private studio in southern Seoul. Few hours later, the student’s mother was confirmed positive of the virus. The student was tested positive of the virus on Aug. 19. The troupe member was tested negative
PerformanceAug. 28, 2020
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[Newsmaker] National Assembly shuts down after reporter tested positive
The National Assembly shut down its facilities and canceled all meetings scheduled for Thursday following a positive COVID-19 test by a beat reporter. According to the National Assembly Secretariat, a photo reporter who covered a meeting of the Supreme Council of the ruling Democratic Party Korea on Wednesday morning received a positive test result later in the day. Some 50 people including lawmakers, key party officials and journalists attended the meeting. Leaders of the Democratic pa
PoliticsAug. 27, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Seoul to provide coronavirus cash relief for foreign residents
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it will provide emergency cash assistance to foreigners residing in the city who were excluded from its coronavirus relief program in March. Under the plan, the city will pay up to 500,000 won ($421) to households whose income is below the median income -- for a single household it is 1.75 million won and around 3 million won and 4.7 million won for two-person and four-person households. “We hope that this emergency support for foreig
Social AffairsAug. 26, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Wonju sees surge in COVID-19 cases
Wonju in Gangwon Province on Tuesday reported 16 new cases of COVID-19, pushing up the tally over the past 10 days to 65. In comparison, Gangwon Province’s accumulated total stood at 149 as of Monday midnight. Gangwon Province, which had been relatively less affected by the pandemic, has seen numbers spike in recent days with cases linked to a gymnastics class in Wonju causing a cascade of infections. In response, the city plans to disclose routes taken by confirmed patients as much a
Social AffairsAug. 25, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Operation of Seoul city buses temporarily halted as drivers tested positive
Service on two Seoul city bus routes was temporarily halted Sunday afternoon after three drivers tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Two bus drivers were confirmed to have the virus on Sunday after having come into close contact with a co-worker who tested positive Friday, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. All three people work for Boseong Transportation. Of some 192 Boseong employees and their family members who underwent testing, 189 tested negative. Service was sus
Social AffairsAug. 24, 2020