Most Popular
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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S. Korean chief nuke envoy in Japan to discuss N. Korea
Chief nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan are to meet in Tokyo Wednesday to discuss ways to resume the suspended dialogue with North Korea over its ongoing nuclear ambitions.Before heading to Japan Tuesday, Seoul’s chief envoy Wi Sung-lac said he plans to share views with his counterpart Shinsuke Sugiyama on whether changes must be made to the existing strategy to get Pyongyang to talk with Se
Foreign AffairsJune 14, 2011
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Ex-USFK commander slams China for N.K. ‘strategic error’
China has made a “terrible strategic error” by failing to rein in North Korea, a former U.S. Forces Korea commander said Monday, stressing the need for it to assume a responsible role for regional peace and stability.In a meeting with reporters in Seoul, Burwell B. Bell, who served as USFK commander from February 2006-June 2008, also said that the risk of military provocations by the North remains
PoliticsJune 14, 2011
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Seoul shaping up plan for ‘diplomat academy’
The government’s controversial plan to select diplomats through a state-managed postgraduate school instead of current written exams has been shaping up this week, as a related bill has been approved by a parliamentary subcommittee.Under the bill approved by the National Assembly foreign affairs committee, up to 60 people will be entering the so-called “diplomat academy” each year to be trained as
Foreign AffairsJune 14, 2011
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DP attacks Lee over tuition cut project
Opposition says president’s call for patience an attempt to derail fee reductionsParties in Tuesday’s parliamentary education committee general meeting quarreled over the president’s call for more time on the controversial university tuition fee cuts.Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party accused the presidential office of attempting to pressure the National Assembly to abandon their mo
PoliticsJune 14, 2011
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‘Housekeepers may form labor union’
Will housekeeping be acknowledged as a secure profession given equal labor rights to office or industrial workers?Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Chae-pil on Tuesday said the Korean government is considering protecting the rights of housekeepers, personal chauffeurs, cooks and gardeners, often referred to as “domestic workers.” In his interview with the press before giving a keynote speech at
Social AffairsJune 14, 2011
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Border island command to be launched
South Korea will launch a new military command Wednesday to better defend the five northwestern border islands, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday.North Korea’s November shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, prompted calls for stronger measures to safeguard the islands of vital strategic value, which this new command is designed to meet. The ceremony to mark its launch is to take place at 3 p.m. at t
DefenseJune 14, 2011
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Korea to introduce 5-day school week
The government will recommend that all primary and secondary schools adopt the five-day school week starting next year.Currently, local schools rest every second and fourth Saturday in a month. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said Tuesday that a pilot program will start at some schools in the second half this year as the new measure is likely to affect the pattern of family life
Social AffairsJune 14, 2011
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‘Defoliants sprayed on DMZ in late ’50s’
Retired U.S. soldier: Without herbicide, troops in South vulnerable to N.K. snipersA former U.S. Forces Korea soldier claimed Tuesday that he had witnessed defoliants ― apparently containing toxic dioxin ― being hand-sprayed in the Demilitarized Zone regularly in the late 1950s.His claim comes amid continuing controversy over when the U.S. military sprayed Agent Orange over the DMZ to stop North K
Social AffairsJune 14, 2011
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Concerns mounting over political populism
Protests over tuition cuts signal partisan race to woo voters with populist policiesOpposition leader Sohn Hak-kyu hoped that his party’s plan to cut college tuition fees would appeal to students when he attended their rally early last week.“I am not here to add fuel to your anger but to share your concerns,” Sohn told about 200 university students holding a candlelight vigil in downtown Seoul for
PoliticsJune 14, 2011
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Rarely seen Algerian art on display
Algerian art is continuously evolving thanks to the contribution of successive Algerian civilizations.It is a blend of religion, the spoken language, literature and music.To view a small glimpse into a tradition that dates back thousands of years, the Algerian Embassy set up a small, all be it, rich art exhibition.Running until June 16, the exhibition showcases paintings on ceramics, traditional a
Foreign AffairsJune 14, 2011
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Illegal human egg brokers busted
The police on Tuesday sought arrest warrants for two people suspected of brokering illegal sales of human eggs and booked 13 ovum donors without detention. Seoul police on Tuesday sought arrest warrants for two people on charges of brokering in the illegal trade of human eggs via the Internet. (MCT)The ovum brokers identified only by their last names Koo and Chung ran a website where people shared
Social AffairsJune 14, 2011
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Nepal worker found dead after losing job
A migrant worker from Nepal killed himself last Sunday, referring to apparent unfair treatment at work.According to the Daegu branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, a worker whose name has not been released hanged himself at his colleague’s home.After arriving in Korea from Nepal with an employment visa nine months ago, he had been working at Seongso Industrial Complex until recently.
Social AffairsJune 14, 2011
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N.K. leases pier on northeastern port to Switzerland
North Korea has leased a pier on its port located near China and Russia to Switzerland, a source said Tuesday, citing an unidentified Chinese government official.North Korea has already leased two other piers on Rajin port to China and Russia, and various consultations are also under way for three other piers, according to the source who has knowledge on the North Korean economy.The port, located
North KoreaJune 14, 2011
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U.S. expresses concerns over N.K.'s suspected arms trade
WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- The United States has "concerns" that a North Korean ship recently intercepted by a U.S.destroyer might have been carrying contraband weapons in breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the State Department said Monday."There was a vessel that was suspected of carrying materials prohibited by the United Nations Security Council resolutions,"spokesman Mark Toner said
North KoreaJune 14, 2011
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National Assembly to act on college fee cuts
The National Assembly plans to vote on the controversial “half-priced tuition” policy during the plenary session in late June, the head of the parliamentary educational committee said Monday. “There is no difference between the ruling and opposition parties in discussing the half-tuition measures at the National Assembly. I’ll submit the issue for a vote at a general session,” said Rep. Byun Jae-i
Social AffairsJune 13, 2011
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President vows to end practice of offering favors to ex-officials
President Lee Myung-bak on Monday stressed he would root out the widespread practice among government officials and judges of giving favors to their retired colleagues.The “jeon-gwan-ye-woo” practice, which means giving “honorable treatment to former officials,” refers to the custom of private companies offering high-paying jobs to retired senior government officials in exchange for their connecti
PoliticsJune 13, 2011
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Sohn suggests meeting with Lee this month
The opposition leader and president may meet in an inter-party summit as early as this month to discuss pending economic issues concerning people’s livelihoods here. “Students and parents are out in the streets, asking for a tuition cut, and we may not blame them because they are indeed under great economic strain,” said the main opposition Democratic Party chairman Sohn Hak-kyu at the party’s Sup
PoliticsJune 13, 2011
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Lee meets religious leaders after detente with Buddhists
President Lee Myung-bak met with religious leaders Monday, a week after South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect announced that it was normalizing relations with the government after half a year of standoff over a budget dispute.It marked the first time that Lee has met with Ven. Jaseung, head of the Buddhist sect Jogye Order, in more than a year. Jogye’s relations with the government have been tense a
PoliticsJune 13, 2011
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[Herald Interview] ‘Potential for Korea, China, Japan immense’
Shin says trilateral secretariat to drive global influence of three as a groupWith South Korea playing the role of a middleman, the Korea, China and Japan cooperative secretariat has the potential to be a global economic giant capable of wielding influence in Asia and beyond, the first secretary-general of the institution said. “These are three already influential nations we are talking about. Can
Foreign AffairsJune 13, 2011
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Smoking ban at Seoul squares effective
Seoul City’s anti-smoking campaign in downtown squares, which kicked off this month, is largely being obeyed, with the total number of violations standing at just 15 as of Monday. The city banned smoking at three plazas in central Seoul from June 1, imposing a fine of 100,000 won ($92) on smokers. The three squares ― Chunggye, Gwanghwamun and Seoul Plaza ― are frequented by about 30,000 people eve
Social AffairsJune 13, 2011