Most Popular
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Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
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Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
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Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
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Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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[Graphic News] More Koreans say they plan long-distance trips this year
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[KH Explains] Hyundai's full hybrid edge to pay off amid slow transition to pure EVs
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North Korea removes streetlights along cross-border roads with South
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Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official
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Farming households dip below 1m for first time in 2023
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[Newsmaker] Korea to be supplied with first batch of locally-manufactured Moderna doses
Some 2.4 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine that Samsung Biologics has helped manufacture are being supplied for domestic use for the first time, South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday. The ministry said the 2.4 million doses are among the first batch of Moderna’s vaccine from the plant in Incheon. The country’s drug regulators authorized the Samsung Biologics-produced doses for emergency use Monday, the ministry said, which differs from th
Social AffairsOct. 26, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Military loosens rules on haircut amid discrimination concerns
The military said Monday that it would ease regulations on conscripts’ hair length and introduce the same standards for both officers and troops, amid calls for a change in discriminatory practices. “We were asked to review our rules on haircuts, and to that end, we instructed each branch of the armed forces to draft revisions. We can’t say when the change will take effect, though,” Defense Ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan said, referring to an advisory panel on huma
DefenseOct. 25, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Authorities to begin looking into data to explain why Nuri launch failed
South Korea’s Science Ministry said Sunday that researchers will begin looking into why the country’s first domestically-built rocket Nuri, or Korean Satellite Launch Vehicle II, failed to put a dummy satellite into orbit in its maiden flight last week. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute that led the Nuri project will form a task force to examine data from the Oct. 21 test to determine what caused the shorter-than-programmed burning of the rocket’s third engine. 
IndustryOct. 24, 2021
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[Newsmaker] S. Korea to impose temporary fuel tax cut amid gas price hike
South Korea will temporarily cut fuel taxes to soften the blow of skyrocketing gasoline prices, which put upward pressure on inflation, First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon said Friday. “The government will temporarily lower fuel taxes. We’ll finalize further details, including the extent of fuel tax cuts and when the envisioned measure will take effect, as soon as possible,” Lee said, adding that the formal announcement will be made during a government meeting nex
EconomyOct. 22, 2021
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[Newsmaker] New law strengthens punishment for stalkers, expands reach
A new law came into effect Thursday in South Korea imposing stiffer penalties for stalkers, amid growing calls for tougher penalties for offenders. Under the new legislation, stalkers can face up to three years in prison or 30 million won ($25,500) in fines. Up to five years in prison or a fine of 50 million won is possible if a weapon or other physically threatening means are used. Before the law came, stalking was categorized as a misdemeanor, meaning a fine not exceeding 100,000 won or 29 d
Social AffairsOct. 21, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Edison Motors likely preferred bidder for troubled SsangYong Motor
Edison Motors, a little-known electric bus manufacturer, seems likely to emerge as the preferred bidder for SsangYong Motor, South Korea’s longest-running car brand, which has experienced debt troubles in recent years. The Seoul Bankruptcy Court said a consortium led by Edison Motors is the only remaining bidder, effectively making it the preferred buyer. Its competitor, another consortium led by EV firm Electrical Life Business and Technology, was excluded from the list as it failed
IndustryOct. 20, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Airlines to resume, expand flights between Korea and Hawaii
Korean Air said Wednesday it would resume flights to Hawaii starting Nov. 3 while Hawaiian Airlines announced plans to expand flights on the route to four times a week. Korean Air’s operation on the route was suspended in April last year due to COVID-19. The Incheon-Honolulu KE053 flight will operate three days a week, departing from Incheon International Airport every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday night. The KE054 flight departing from Honolulu for Incheon will also operate on the same
MobilityOct. 20, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Military wary of lifting transgender ban despite court ruling
Despite a court ruling in favor of a soldier who was forcibly discharged after she received gender reassignment surgery, the military is still cautious about crafting a transgender policy because it is not ready to deal with the issue, military officials said Tuesday. In January 2020, Byun Hee-soo, who was the country’s first openly transgender soldier, was dismissed from the Army, which found her mentally and physical unfit to serve after she had her male genitals removed. Byun filed a l
DefenseOct. 19, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Prosecutors detain key figure in land development scandal, raid Seongnam City Hall
A key figure in a high-profile land development corruption scandal was detained upon his arrival from the US on Monday morning for questioning on bribery and misconduct allegations. Attorney Nam Wook was taken into custody by the prosecution on suspicion of promising to pay a bribe and breach of trust, and transported to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office immediately after he arrived at Incheon International Airport from Los Angeles. Nam has been accused of playing a key ro
Social AffairsOct. 18, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Starbucks Korea to hire 1,600 new staff this year
Stung by its employees‘ first collective action, Starbucks Korea said Sunday that it will hire 1,600 more baristas and store staff by the end of this year and improve working conditions. The hiring plan is part of the firm’s package of measures announced in response to recent complaints from in-store staff that they were overworked and underpaid. “We plan to hire in order to secure more staff and enhance work efficiency at stores nationwide. The company is also reviewing p
ConsumerOct. 17, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Plane ticket sales to Europe spike
Sales of air tickets to Madrid increased 625 percent on-month in September amid growing hopes for a resumption of overseas tourism, as vaccination speeds up in South Korea. According to Interpark Tour, a leading travel agency here, demand for flights to European destinations sharply increased last month, compared with a month earlier. Sales of plane tickets to Zurich soared 275 percent, while those for Amsterdam grew 250 percent. Paris saw a jump of 76.3 percent, followed by Istanbul at 68 p
ConsumerOct. 15, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Korea to hold safety review of Moderna vaccine
South Korea’s top health agency said Thursday that it would be evaluating the age recommendations for the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in the wake of recent decisions by some European countries and Japan, which are now discouraging its use in some young people. Hong Jeong-ik, head of the KDCA’s vaccination management division, told a news briefing that the national advisory committee on immunization practices and a panel of outside experts would be conducting a safety revi
Social AffairsOct. 14, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Is fluent Korean a must for at-home COVID-19 care? Not necessarily
South Korea is expanding at-home care in a bid to return closer to normal in about a month’s time, by the second week of November at the latest, according to public health officials. The key to safe home care is whether remote monitoring can be done efficiently, which raises concerns for patients who may not speak Korean fluently. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare earlier this week, patients staying at home need to report any changes in symptoms and other important
Social AffairsOct. 13, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Stalker, murderer of three sentenced to life in prison
A South Korean man who murdered three women in the same family was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday, with the court concluding that the crime had been premeditated and planned in advance. The Seoul Northern District Court passed the sentence against Kim Tae-hyun, 25. He was indicted in April and later convicted of murder, theft, harassment, breaking and entering, and misusing communications networks. Kim was arrested at the victims’ home in Nowon-gu, northeastern Seoul, in March, days
Social AffairsOct. 12, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Wealth gap widening among young Koreans: data
The wealth gap among young Koreans has widened, with data showing that familial transfer of wealth, not income differences, are aggregating the divide, a lawmaker said Monday. According to Statistics Korea data of two groups of Koreans between ages 20 to 30, the upper 20 percent of young Koreans accumulated 35 times more wealth than the lower 20 percent last year. The wealth gap increased from 776 million won ($650,000) in 2019 to 846 million won in 2020, according to Kim Hoe-jae, a member of
MarketOct. 11, 2021
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[Newsmaker] ‘Squid Game’ pokes at the far side of Korea
Everyone from the “Squid Game” has good reasons to win it all: 45.6 billion reasons to be exact. But some have problems that are mirrored from real-life version of the society they are in. Part of why Netflix’ record smashing hit drama has resonated with so many people is that it is also a social commentary on the actual incidents that had occurred in Korea, and perhaps the problems prevalent in the modern society. Young, smart, broke and from N.K. Jung Ho-yeon portraye
FilmOct. 10, 2021
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[Newsmaker] ‘Squid Game’ sensation spreads to Korean content creators
International craze aside, the Netflix original series “Squid Game” is inspiring parodies and send-ups throughout the South Korean entertainment industry. Cable channel Channel A was one of the first to air a parody of the global megahit. “The Fisherman and the City,” a show featuring five Korean TV celebrities who are obsessed with fishing, introduced its cast as if they were “Squid Game” contestants, with tags like those used in the Netflix series. &ldquo
TelevisionOct. 8, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Prosecutors seek 15-year prison term for airman over death of sexual harassment victim
Military prosecutors on Friday sought a 15-year prison sentence for a noncommissioned Air Force officer for the alleged sexual abuse of a female colleague that led to her death by suicide, officials said. The master sergeant, surnamed Jang, is suspected of sexually harassing the victim of the same rank inside a car on their way back to their base in the western city of Seosan after a private gathering in March. Following the military's poor initial responses to the case, she took her own life in
Social AffairsOct. 8, 2021
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[Newsmaker] ABL Bio begins clinical trial of anticancer drug candidate
South Korean biotech firm ABL Bio said Thursday that it has begun the phase 1 clinical trial of anticancer drug candidate ABL501. ABL501 is an antibody that uses the Grabody-I platform technology to block both the PD-L1 and LAG-3 checkpoint pathways, improving the current limitation in PD-L1 therapies. ABL Bio said the company has administered the drug candidate to the first patient with a solid tumor at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul. An official from ABL Bio said the phase 1 clinical tria
TechnologyOct. 7, 2021
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[Newsmaker] World steelmakers discuss decarbonizing at Posco forum
To respond to the growing pressure to meet net-zero pledges, steelmakers around the world must work together to find ways to decarbonize steelmaking, mostly likely with the use of hydrogen, the chief of South Korea’s top steel manufacturer said Wednesday. Hosting the Hydrogen Iron & Steel Making Forum 2021, the world’s first international forum on hydrogen steelmaking, Posco Chairman Choi Jeong-woo highlighted the need for urgent, concerted action as an industry and an open pla
IndustryOct. 6, 2021