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] SK in crosshairs after probe into toxic humidifier disinfectants reopens
Four high-ranking officials from SK Chemicals attended an arrest warrant hearing Thursday as part of a reopened investigation into toxic humidifier disinfectants that in 2011 were linked to hundreds of deaths.Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office suspects the company, now known as SK Discovery, concealed the toxicity reports on CMIT and MIT, two chemical ingredients used in the humidifier disinfectants.SK Chemicals manufactured and supplied humidifier disinfectant ingredients to several com
IndustryMarch 14, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Animal shelter chief grilled over alleged euthanizing of stray pets
The head of a South Korean animal shelter underwent police questioning Thursday over allegations she put down some 250 abandoned pets while ostensibly advocating for animal rights and pocketing donations. Park So-yeon, chief executive of the Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth, appeared at the Jongno Police Station in central Seoul at around 10 a.m. (Yonhap)Police are questioning Park for the first time since they launched a probe into the allegations two months ago. She is accused of instruct
Social AffairsMarch 14, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Tensions escalate over Liberty Korea Party floor leader Na Kyung-won’s remarks on President Moon
Facing full-throttle response from political parties over her highly controversial parliamentary speech Tuesday, main opposition Liberty Korea Party floor leader Na Kyung-won on Wednesday refused to apologize, heightening tensions at the National Assembly.In her speech, Na implied President Moon Jae-in was acting as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s spokesperson, referring to foreign media reports.Na’s strident criticism of the Moon administration has been seen as a strategic move to cement the
PoliticsMarch 13, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Moon's office protests opposition party whip's derision of president
The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday expressed strong regret after the floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party called President Moon Jae-in a spokesman for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.In a parliamentary speech earlier in the day, Rep. Na Kyung-won condemned what she called the Moon government's endless defense of North Korea and called on the president not to work like a senior spokesman for Kim.Cheong Wa Dae immediately expressed strong regret over Na's speech an
PoliticsMarch 12, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Seungri says he will retire, probe to continue
K-pop star Seungri announced his retirement Monday via Instagram, adding that he will continue to cooperate with the current police investigation over allegations of sex bribery involving foreign investors.Earlier in the day, police investigating Gangnam nightclubs Burning Sun and Arena said they have arranged with the military to continue investigating the 29-year-old member of boy band BigBang even after he enlists for military service later this month.Investigators from the Seoul Metropolitan
Social AffairsMarch 11, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Seungri booked in sex bribery scandal
Police on Sunday accelerated their probe into sexual bribery allegations involving Seungri of South Korean boy band BigBang, as they booked him as a suspect and raided a Seoul nightclub associated with the performer to gather evidence.Investigators are looking into the suspicion that Seungri used various nightclubs in Seoul’s Gangnam district for lobbying and even attempted to introduce escorts to foreigners to encourage them to invest in his business ventures. (Yonhap)On Sunday morning, the Seo
Social AffairsMarch 10, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Big Bang’s Seungri to enlist in Army on March 25
Big Bang’s Seungri will enlist in the Army as an active duty soldier at the end of this month, according to YG Entertainment on Friday.He will start his basic training at the Nonsan Army Training Center on March 25. The K-pop star had reportedly applied for a conscripted policeman service in January. (Yonhap)“After checking with Seungri, (we found that) Seungri on Jan. 7 applied for a conscripted policeman position. However, he has decided to enlist as an active duty soldier, regardless of the
Arts & DesignMarch 8, 2019
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[Newsmaker] ‘Choi Sun-sil was behind appointment of Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui’
Prosecutors reinvestigating the sex scandal of a former vice justice minister have obtained a statement that Choi Sun-sil, the infamous confidante of former President Park Geun-hye, had played a role in getting the ex-vice minister appointed.Kim Hak-ui, who resigned over a sex-for-favors scandal six years ago, had faced multiple charges including rape, bribery and narcotics use, but was cleared of the charges in 2013. Video footage appearing to show intimate encounters between Kim and others at
Social AffairsMarch 7, 2019
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[Newsmaker] 22 workers in hospital after inhaling ammonia at meat factory
Twenty-two people were sent to hospital for treatment after inhaling ammonia during a leak at a meat processing factory in central South Korea, local firefighters said Thursday.The gas leak happened at about 9:40 a.m. in a meat processing facility located in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, about 130 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the firefighters. Twenty workers in the factory and two others working at a nearby manufacturing plant were taken to hospital with nausea.They are all re
Social AffairsMarch 7, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Former President Lee Myung-bak released on bail
Former President Lee Myung-bak was released on bail Wednesday after almost one year of detention on corruption charges.Lee, president from 2008-2013, was sentenced by a lower court in October to 15 years in prison on conviction of bribery and embezzlement. He appealed the decision. The Seoul High Court approved the bail request that Lee made on Jan. 29 on the grounds of deteriorating health and other reasons. (Yonhap)For the 1 billion won ($886,130) bail, the court ordered him to stay in his re
PoliticsMarch 6, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Text messages implicate Seungri in sex bribery, police corruption
Amid the ongoing Burning Sun scandal, text messages exchanged between K-pop star Seungri and related officials implicating him in sex bribery and collusion with police have been reported to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, police said Tuesday.The messages were reportedly exchanged in a KakaoTalk chatroom with Seungri, the head of Yuri Holdings and a number of celebrities.The latest evidence, if confirmed to be true, would place Seungri in a highly contentious position. (Yonhap)Se
Social AffairsMarch 5, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Kindergarten association folds to public pressure
The Korea Kindergarten Association on Monday ended the postponement of the start of the spring semester for private preschools across the country. The KKA had declared that the starting date of the spring semester would be further postponed in protest of the government’s reform plans. Preschools were scheduled to open Monday, but the KKA’s protest ended after a day in the face of backlash from parents and the government. Korea Kindergarten Association office in Seoul. YonhapIn a statement releas
Social AffairsMarch 4, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Main opposition party ends boycott of parliament
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Monday ended its more than one-month boycott of parliamentary activities.The National Assembly has been idle since Jan. 24 amid tensions over a raft of allegations of government abuse of power, a controversial appointment and a former ruling party lawmaker's purchases of properties in cultural zones. (Yonhap)"We've decided to open the National Assembly. We will submit a request to convene the National Assembly today," LKP floor leader Na Kyung-won to
PoliticsMarch 4, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Private preschools delay opening of spring semester in protest
Hundreds of private preschools nationwide postponed the start of the spring semester Monday in protest of the government's plan to scrutinize their use of state subsidies to prevent misappropriation.The institutions affiliated with the Korea Kindergarten Association went ahead of their collective action, causing inconvenience to children and parents, despite the government's warning of punitive action, including closures. (Yonhap)The government is pushing for reform of private kindergartens af
Social AffairsMarch 4, 2019
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[Newsmaker] South Korean authorities, private preschools on collision course
The education authorities of Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon warned Sunday that local private schools will face harsh administrative punishments if they press ahead with a collective action to protest the government's reform drive.In a joint statement, the liberal-minded superintendents of the three regions' education offices declared there will be no negotiation with the Korea Kindergarten Association (KKA), which is pushing to postpone the opening of the spring semester, slated for Monday
Social AffairsMarch 3, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Group claims establishment of NK provisional government
Free Joseon announced Friday that it has established a provisional government for North Korea in an effort to fight against the regime’s abuse of human rights. The group previously claimed it had protected the son of the late Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, from possible assassination. (Yonhap)Formerly known as Cheollima Civil Defense, the group said it will rise against the North Korean regime for committing crimes against humanity for decades. “We indict thi
North KoreaMarch 1, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Russian cargo ship bumps into S. Korean bridge with intoxicated captain
A Russian cargo ship veered off course and bumped into a bridge off the southeast coast of South Korea on Thursday with a drunk captain on board, authorities said.The Korea Coast Guard (KCG) said the 5,998-ton Seagrand sailed into the side of the Gwangan Bridge at around 4:20 p.m. before turning back to head in the opposite direction.(Yonhap)The accident caused damage to the lower part of the bi-level bridge, the KCG said. No injuries were reported, but portions of the lower bridge were closed o
Social AffairsFeb. 28, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Spain investigates incident in North Korean Embassy
MADRID (AP) - Spanish authorities said police were investigating an incident last week at the North Korean Embassy in Madrid in which a woman was hurt and, according to a North Korean government's aide, computers and cellphones also were stolen.A group of unidentified assailants bound and gagged workers inside the gated embassy compound on Feb. 22 for four hours, according to Spain's El Confidencial news site, which first reported the incident on Wednesday.The site said that a woman escaped from
World NewsFeb. 28, 2019
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[Newsmaker] 2 short trackers to be suspended from nat'l team after being kicked out of training center
Two short track speed skaters will be suspended from representing the national team after they were expelled from the national training center for violating dormitory rules, an official with South Korea's skating body said Thursday.An official from the Korea Skating Union said that Kim Gun-woo and Kim Ye-jin will not be able to compete in upcoming international competitions after they were kicked out from the National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, some 90 kilometers so
Social AffairsFeb. 28, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Chung Euisun steps up to take full-fledged control of Hyundai Motor
In September, when Hyundai Motor heir apparent Chung Euisun was promoted from vice chairman to executive vice chairman, the group was still cautious about acknowledging him as the official new leader of the auto giant, which has been run by his father Chung Mong-koo for over the past two decades. But from next month, he is expected to take on more responsibility at the sprawling group of 56 companies, as a co-CEO of the group along with his 82-year-old father, who has not appeared in public
MobilityFeb. 27, 2019