Most Popular
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Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics
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Samsung chip business back on track, logs W1.9tr operating profit in Q1
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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Shinsegae faces showdown with investors over SSG.com's delayed IPO
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Hopes rise for possible Gaza truce deal
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Ex-pro baseball player who killed debtor appeals sentence
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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S. Korea to issue travel ban on Haiti amid intensifying gang violence
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Leaders of S. Korea, Angola agree to boost economic, trade cooperation
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On May Day, labor union blasts Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
Over 30,000 workers affiliated with the country's two major umbrella labor unions held rallies in Seoul on Wednesday on International Workers' Day, criticizing President Yoon Suk Yeol's proposal to hire foreign domestic workers outside the minimum wage system. Unionized workers described Yoon's proposal addressed earlier this month as an attempt not only to discriminate against foreign workers but also to deny the application of the minimum wage system to a select group of people. Earlier this m
May 1, 2024
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New hard-line leadership of doctors group prepares for govt. dialogue
The Korean Medical Association, the largest group in the medical community representing some 140,000 doctors nationwide, inaugurated its new leader Wednesday, seeking to unite the voices of doctors in preparation for a possible dialogue with the government. The association's new leader, Lim Hyun-taek, has maintained a hard-line stance against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's move to increase the number of doctors in the country to cope with population aging. The 54-year-old pediatrician is ant
May 1, 2024
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
Seoul Metro, the operator of the Seoul subway system, is set to adopt a tougher stance to combat persistent harassment and verbal abuse by imposing restrictions on complaints and considering legal action against repeat offenders. “We will actively pursue measures to address repeated malicious complaints that disrupt our operations,” the operator said Wednesday in a statement. Under the new measures, repeat offenders will be registered on a blacklist and will be barred from submitti
May 1, 2024
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S. Korea lowers COVID-19 warning level, lifts last-remaining antivirus mandates
Wearing marks at hospitals in South Korea is not a must anymore as the government downgraded the infection level of COVID-19 and lifted most last-remaining antivirus regulations. Effective Wednesday, the country lowered the four-grade COVID-19 crisis level from the second-highest "alert" to the lowest "concern" in a move to fully return to pre-pandemic normalcy, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. The decision came more than four years a
May 1, 2024
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Around 50% of people with disabilities aged 65 or above: report
As South Korea is predicted to soon become a super-aged society, more than half of the population with disabilities were found to be age 65 or above for the first time in 2023, said the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday. According to the Health Ministry’s report released on Tuesday, up to 2.65 million of the total population were registered as having some sort of disability. The total population was 51.71 million as of last year according to Statistics Korea. Out of the number of p
April 30, 2024
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Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics
Some medical professors at the country’s three major hospitals, Seoul National University Hospital, Severance Hospital and Korea University Hospital, suspended surgeries and outpatient clinics on Tuesday for one day, as previously announced, to protest the government’s plan to expand the number of new medical students by 2,000 a year. The main hall at SNUH’s Cancer Hospital was without medical staff Tuesday, while a number of patients wandered around the ward, having just learn
April 30, 2024
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S. Korea ramps up parental education
The Ministry of Education unveiled measures Tuesday to strengthen support and education for parents, understanding that the capabilities of parents, who are in charge of educating children, should be reinforced for the healthy growth of students, according to officials. The fourth ministerial social affairs meeting introduced new comprehensive policies to offer parents more opportunities to participate in school activities, conduct active communication with teachers and learn how to be "goo
April 30, 2024
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Unions to hold Labor Day rallies nationwide
South Korea‘s labor groups, including the nation’s two major umbrella unions, are set to hold large-scale rallies nationwide on Wednesday to commemorate Labor Day. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the country‘s two major umbrella trade unions, known for being independent and run democratically, plans to organize the “World Labor Day Convention” rally from Gwanghwamun in the central district of Jongno-gu to Daehan Gate in Jung-gu, Seoul at 2 p.m. Warm
April 30, 2024
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Ex-pro baseball player who killed debtor appeals sentence
A former South Korean baseball player who beat his debtor to death with a baseball bat recently appealed the 15-year prison term he was sentenced by the court on Thursday, challenging the fairness of the punishment. The prosecution, which initially requested a 20-year prison term, also appealed the ruling, contending the punishment was too lenient. It said that given the brutal nature of the murder and the bereaved family's demands of a strict punishment, the court should issue the defendan
April 30, 2024
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Police to open alleged stalking probe over pastor over Dior bag scandal
South Korean authorities announced Monday that they would investigate a Korean American pastor named Choi Jae-young, who gifted first lady Kim Keon-hee a 3 million won ($2,295) Dior bag, on allegations of stalking. National Office of Investigation chief Woo Jong-soo said at a press conference held at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul that “Last year, Choi was accused of stalking (Kim), and (the police) completed a brief legal review of the case. The police determined that furth
April 29, 2024
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Med school professor convicted for fake COVID-19 'vaccine card'
A medical professor was recently handed a suspended prison term for making and distributing cards, falsely claiming that they would function as a vaccine to prevent and even cure COVID-19. Seoul Central District Court sentenced the defendant surnamed Kim to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, for violating the Medical Devices Act. "It was necessary to punish (the defendant) as his actions presented risks for the public health, endangering the people's lives and safety,&quo
April 29, 2024
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Forklift exam draws more test-takers in 50s seeking new skills
A record number of South Koreans in their 50s took exams last year for government-issued occupational certifications, with forklift licenses topping the list. The trend reflects a surge in interest in pursuing second careers and highlights the significant difficulty many face in finding new employment related to one's previous experience. According to the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, the number of test-takers in their 50s exceeded 218,000 in 2023, accounting for 12.2 percen
April 29, 2024
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Liberal bloc moves to rewrite student rights ordinance
The debate over Seoul Metropolitan Government's abolition of its student human rights ordinance is set to expand to the National Assembly as the opposition Democratic Party of Korea plans to draft student rights legislation that would take precedence over regional offices’ decisions. The Democratic Party, which holds a parliamentary majority, on Monday criticized the People Power Party's removal of Seoul's student rights ordinance, calling it "political regression"
April 29, 2024
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From sleeping to space-out contests, Seoul to host 120 events at Han River
Parks near the Han River in Seoul will play host to 120 cultural, leisure and recreational events, including a sleeping contest and a space-out competition, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday. Starting with the 2024 Han River Festival in May, the city government announced during Monday’s press briefing that the festivities will last until the end of the year. According to city government officials, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to host 25 percent more events
April 29, 2024
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Seoul to deploy more military doctors to fill med prof void
The Korean government said Monday it would deploy additional medical personnel to maintain health care services as medical professors are due to resign or take weekly breaks starting this week. During Monday’s government response meeting, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said the government would mobilize “all possible measures” to support the emergency medical system by dispatching more health care staff, such as public health doctors or military medical doctors, so that patients
April 29, 2024
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ReWorld Forum hosts large, small firms to discuss energy transformation plans
Officials from large and small firms, business experts and government officials gathered at the ReWorld Forum 2024 in Seoul on April 24 to exchange ideas on how South Korea should realize RE100 and work toward decarbonization. RE100 is the global corporate renewable energy initiative of businesses committed to achieving 100 percent renewable electricity. According to the SDX Foundation, the non-profit organization responsible for hosting the event, the forum saw around 400 participants. ReWorld
April 29, 2024
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Police investigating 10 men after suspected gang fight near Haeundae Beach
Police in Busan on Monday said they are investigating 10 men in their 30s in connection to a violent incident that took place near Haeundae Beach last week. Police suspect the men are members of a local gang. According to the Busan Haeundae Police Station, a fight broke out between two men in the entertainment district near the beach on April 24. The situation escalated as the two men called for back up and more men joined in the brawl about 90 minutes later. The men reportedly fought in group
April 29, 2024
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Medical tourists to Korea rises to record high of 606,000
South Korea attracted a record number of 606,000 foreign national patients in 2023, mainly for dermatological treatments and plastic surgery, the Health Ministry said Monday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that the number of foreign national patients visiting Korea has hit a record high at 606,000, up 2.4 times from a year earlier, 248,000. This is the highest ever since 2009 when the ministry started to compile the number of foreign patients. Also, this figure is 1.2 times higher
April 29, 2024
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Govt. to deploy more medical staff as senior doctors at 5 major hospitals take weekly breaks
Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Monday that the government plans to deploy more medical staff as senior doctors at five major hospitals in Seoul decided to take a weekly day off starting this week. Cho also renewed a pledge to accomplish medical reform, although a mass walkout by trainee doctors has crippled public health services at major hospitals for more than two months. The government will "further strengthen the emergency treatment system by sending more medical personnel to preven
April 29, 2024
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[Graphic News] Korean farming households fall below 1m for first time in 2023
The number of farming households in South Korea fell below 1 million for the first time ever in 2023, and half of farmers were aged 65 or older, data showed. The number of farming households came to 999,000 as of December 2023, down 2.3 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the first time that the figure has fallen below the 1 million mark since 1949 when the agency began compiling related data, though the data has a margin of error of about
April 29, 2024