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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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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[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
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[Newsmaker] Two K-pop stars found guilty of sex crimes
The Seoul Central District Court sentenced K-pop star Jung Joon-young to six years and his friend K-pop singer Choi Jong-hoon to five years in prison Friday for sex offenses. They were found guilty of gang raping women who were under the influence of alcohol. Jung was also found guilty of sharing secretly filmed sex videos and photos, including those taken during the gang rape, via online group chats. But he was acquitted on a separate sexual assault charge at the same trial. Jung and Cho
Social AffairsNov. 29, 2019
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[Newsmaker] College admissions reforms coming amid controversy
Seoul-based universities will select more freshmen through a state-administered college entrance exam to be held once a year starting in 2023 as part of college admissions reform measures unveiled by the Education Ministry on Thursday. Under the measures, at least 40 percent of applicants at 16 major universities in Seoul – including Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University – will be selected through the College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung.The me
Social AffairsNov. 28, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Supreme Court orders retrial of former President Park in NIS fund case
The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a retrial of former President Park Geun-hye for acceptance of off-the-books funds from the National Intelligence Service, saying her acquittals by lower courts on bribery and state fund loss charges should be reversed.The top court instructed the Seoul High Court to retry Park's case, raising legal questions about the appellate court's decision in July to reduce her prison sentence in the NIS fund scandal by one year to five years.Besides the commutation of
Social AffairsNov. 28, 2019
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[Newsmaker] North Korean merchant vessel accidentally crosses maritime border: JCS
A North Korean merchant vessel crossed the de facto maritime border into South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday and was headed northward and expected to fully cross the de facto maritime border into the north around midnight, Seoul’s military said. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military detected an unidentified ship that crossed the Northern Limit Line and entered South Korean waters on the northwestern side of Baengnyeong Island at 6:40 a.m. At around 12:30 p.m.,
North KoreaNov. 27, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Seoul mayor vows to restrict ‘excessive’ rallies
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Tuesday vowed to restrict excessive protests that “threaten public good,” amid complaints over weekend rallies that have dominated Gwanghwamun Square for several months. He also held politicians accountable for failing to contain the deep ideological division that has led to rallies by both supporters and opponents of the Moon Jae-in administration. “The right to public assembly and demonstration is a very basic human right granted by the Constitut
Social AffairsNov. 27, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Ex-minister faces prospect of third round of questioning, after saying nothing in first two
Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, who refused to answer any questions in two rounds of questioning by the prosecution, may be called in for a third round this week.An additional inquiry may be needed based on evidence seized during a raid of Cho’s law school office Nov. 6, according to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Monday.Prosecutors said they would question Cho over certain electronic documents found on his computer hard drives. Cho invoked his right to remain sil
PoliticsNov. 26, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Late Goo Hara left ‘despairing note’: police
Singer Goo Hara, who was found dead at her home Sunday, left a note, according to police.A note written by Goo was found on a table in her living room at around 6 p.m. Sunday by her housekeeper, who then filed a report with police, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said during a press briefing Monday.Police said in the note she “despaired over personal affairs.”Police added that based on on-site inspections and family testimonies, foul play was unlikely. A closed-circuit TV review
PerformanceNov. 25, 2019
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[Newsmaker] 3 of 14 crew dead, 1 missing, after boat capsizes off Jeju
Three South Korean men have died after being rescued from a capsized boat near Jeju Island.The 24-ton fishing boat with 14 people aboard overturned 87 kilometers southwest of Marado, an island 8 kilometers off the southern coast of Jeju, on Monday morning. Thirteen of the 14 crew members -- eight Koreans and six Indonesians -- have been rescued and transferred to nearby hospitals, but three were pronounced dead, including the boat’s 61-year-old captain surnamed Hwang. A search was underwa
Social AffairsNov. 25, 2019
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[Newsmaker] At Korean universities, standoff between pro-HK protesters and Chinese students escalates
About 200 college students gathered Saturday afternoon at Seoul Plaza and marched some 2 kilometers toward the Chinese Embassy in Jung-gu, central Seoul, in a rally opposing police brutality against protesters in Hong Kong.“We condemn state violence,” the students said. “Leaders in Korea and around the world are turning a blind eye to the horrors in Hong Kong in fear of the communist government of China.”The rally was the first large-scale off-campus protest held by colle
Social AffairsNov. 24, 2019
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[Newsmaker] 2019 MAMA takes blow from police probe over Mnet survival show
The upcoming 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards are taking another heavy blow as an ongoing police probe over the music channel's idol survival shows is eating into its lineup.Earlier this week, police took into custody the director and chief producer of Mnet's high-profile audition show, "Produce 101," on charges that they fixed the final vote result of the show's latest fourth season.The police said they have also booked at least one ranking official at the channel's operator and entertain
Social AffairsNov. 23, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Ex-vice minister mired in orgy scandal cleared of all charges
Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui, who was indicted for allegedly receiving sexual services and bribes, was cleared of all charges Friday in a court ruling that came six years after he first became mired in an orgy scandal. Kim, who served as vice justice minister in 2013, was accused of having received sexual services arranged by a local developer, Yoon Joong-chun, and having received bribes from the latter and other businessmen between 2006 and 2008.The Seoul Central District Court
Social AffairsNov. 22, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Going back and forth, opposition party leader seen as indecisive
“Pray for me,” Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn said softly, barely audible to people near him. He was addressing a line of supporters one by one -- who appeared to be in their 50s and beyond -- at the site of his hunger strike in front of Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday. Hwang continued his hunger strike for a second day near the presidential office to protest President Moon Jae-in’s foreign and domestic policies. He demands that Moon extend the military intel-s
PoliticsNov. 21, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Moon’s televised town hall meeting draws mixed reactions
President Moon Jae-in’s television appearance on Tuesday is being met with mixed reactions from the public and political arena. On Tuesday, Moon took part in an unscripted question-and-answer session televised live on major terrestrial and cable networks. The program invited 300 members of the public -- selected to represent South Korea’s demographics -- to pose any question to the president. Although the program gave members of the public a chance to address the president direc
PoliticsNov. 20, 2019
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[Newsmaker] State broadcaster accused of demoting reporters over critical coverage of ex-minister
The national public broadcaster KBS is accused of unfairly punishing its reporters for running unfavorable stories on Cho Kuk, a close Moon Jae-in aide and former justice minister.A KBS labor union said in a statement Monday that nine reporters who covered criminal suspicions surrounding Cho faced unwarranted demotions last week. The reporters at the broadcaster’s radio news bureau have been reassigned to non-reporting positions and night shift jobs, according to the statement. “This
Social AffairsNov. 19, 2019
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[Newsmaker] China says only it can rule on Hong Kong constitution
BEIJING (AFP) -- China insisted Tuesday it held the sole authority to rule on constitutional matters in Hong Kong, as it condemned a decision by the city's high court to overturn a ban on face masks worn by pro-democracy protesters.The statement could further fan the flames in Hong Kong after months of violent protests over concerns that Beijing is chipping away at the autonomy of the financial hub.The ban on face-covering came into force in October, when the city's unelected pro-Beijing leader
World NewsNov. 19, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Korean man accused of murdering Vietnamese wife
A Korean man in his 50s was apprehended for allegedly murdering his Vietnamese wife, a woman 25 years his junior, the police said Monday. The Yangju Police Station said they are investigating a 55-year-old man on suspicion of murdering his 30-year-old Vietnamese wife at around 5:30 a.m. Saturday at his home, putting her body in the trunk of his car and dumping it in his hometown of Wanju, North Jeolla Province. The man, who was apprehended at around 1 p.m. on Sunday, reportedly admitted to
Social AffairsNov. 18, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Hong Kong police storm university held by protesters
HONG KONG (AP) -- Police breached a Hong Kong university campus held by protesters early Monday after an all-night siege that included firing repeated barrages of tear gas and water cannons.Anti-government protesters have barricaded themselves inside Hong Kong Polytechnic University for days. Police surrounded the area Sunday night and began moving in after issuing an ultimatum for people to leave the area. The crowd wore raincoats and carried umbrellas to shield themselves.Riot officers broke i
World NewsNov. 18, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Lawyer who faked 184 refugee applications gets suspended sentence
A South Korean lawyer who illegally helped foreign nationals apply for refugee status was give a one year jail term, suspended for two years, the court said Sunday.The Seoul Central District Court ordered the 46-year-old attorney, surnamed Kang, for violating the Immigration Control Act on Wednesday. The court also gave the law firm to which Kang was affiliated a 5 million won ($4,280) fine for illegally employing a foreign national without a visa for Chinese interpretation work.Between October
Social AffairsNov. 17, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Court orders consulate to rethink visa denial for K-pop singer
The Seoul High Court on Friday upheld a Supreme Court decision in favor of Korean American Steve Seung Jun Yoo, also known as Yoo Seung-jun, requiring the South Korean Consulate in Los Angeles to reconsider its 2017 decision to deny the former K-pop singer an F-4 residency visa. With the exception of a brief visit, the Korean-born singer and actor has been banned from his birth country since 2002, when he became a naturalized US citizen and evaded his mandatory military duty in Korea. Korea&rs
Social AffairsNov. 15, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Koreans sit for national college entrance exam
Nearly half a million people sat for the annual state-administered college entrance exam Thursday, with the number of test-takers marking an all-time low. The College Scholastic Aptitude Test, locally known as Suneung, began at 1,185 exam venues across the country at 8:40 a.m. and ended at 5:40 p.m. A total of 482,348 people had sat for the exam for academic year 2020 as of 2:20 p.m. A total of 548,734 people applied to take the nine-hour back-to-back exams, down 46,190 from the
Social AffairsNov. 14, 2019