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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South Korean gender minister advocates children’s rights at U.N.
South Korea’s Gender Minister Kang Eun-hee expressed Seoul’s determination and “achievements” in eradicating violence against women and children at a United Nations meeting in New York on Tuesday, even as recent government statistics show otherwise. “The Korean government especially acknowledges that child abuse is an important social issue requiring keen social attention and thus endeavors to strengthen the legal and policy framework,” the minister said at the two-week annual session of the U.N
March 16, 2016
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[From the scene] Gaesong firms, workers desperate for help
PAJU, Gyeonggi Province -- A month after the shutdown of Gaeseong industrial park in North Korea’s border city, business owners and employees took to the street on Wednesday, calling for compensation and restarting of operations at the complex. Led by the emergency council of the Gaeseong-based factory owners and workers, some 1,000 people who lost their jobs overnight gathered at Imjingak Pavilion near the heavily guarded Demilitarized Zone in the afternoon.At the rally, the participants, consi
March 16, 2016
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Museum etiquette a problem for some young visitors
Visitors viewing paintings at an art center in Jung-gu, Seoul. (Yonhap)An 11-year-old student Yang Jin-hee (not her real name) visited the Museum of Silhak in Gyeonggi Province with her friends last Saturday. But soon after they arrived at the entrance, all four students were denied access due to safety concerns.The museum said it was inevitable because its internal regulations state that children aged 13 or below must be accompanied by a guardian. More state and city museums are presenting art
March 16, 2016
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Gender minister vows to eradicate child abuse in Korea
South Korea's Gender Minister Kang Eun-hee stressed Seoul's intent to work towards eradicating child abuse in the country at a United Nations meeting, the ministry said Wednesday.Kang vowed to implement a comprehensive policy to lower incidents of violence against children, which has been a nagging issue in South Korea, in her speech before the 60th session of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said.The number of child abuse incidents in the co
March 16, 2016
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Korea seen as resembling Japan in youth unemployment
South Korea's high youth unemployment could persist for a while, as Japan's did, a local think tank warned Tuesday.Asia's fourth-biggest economy seems to be following in Japan's footsteps when it comes to the growth trend and demographics, according to a report authored by Ryu Sang-yoon, a senior analyst at LG Economic Research Institute in Seoul.The current economic circumstances in South Korea are similar to those of Japan two decades ago, he noted.Unless the potential growth rate rebounds, ch
March 15, 2016
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3 out of 10 Korean households own bicycles
Three out of 10 households in South Korea owned bicycles in 2015, with the new administrative city of Sejong showing the highest ownership thanks to the bike-friendly urban environment, data showed Tuesday.The total number of bikes reached 10.22 million in 2015, up 64 percent from 2010, with 18.75 million households having 1.48 bikes on average, according to the data compiled by the Korea Transport Institute. Among them, electric bikes accounted for 1.5 percent of total, the institute said.Sejo
March 15, 2016
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Korea confirms 2 additional FMD outbreaks
Two additional outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have been confirmed in South Korea, the government said Tuesday, stirring up fears that the livestock disease is rapidly spreading in the country's central area.Pigs at two swine farms in Nonsan in the central region of South Chungcheong Province tested positive for the highly contagious disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.The quarantine authorities have culled affected ani
March 15, 2016
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Disinfectant-maker accused of skipping toxicity test
Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, the manufacturer of the toxic humidifier disinfectant blamed for the loss of over 140 lives, allegedly skipped toxicity tests on the product in question, local media reported Tuesday.According to news reports, the special probe team of the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office found that the disinfectant-maker intentionally did away with some toxicity tests on its humidifier disinfectant since 2001. This was when the firm started to add PHMG in their product, one of 1
March 15, 2016
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Scandals highlight blind spots in international school regulations
A series of irregularities discovered at international schools recently have raised concerns about the need to tighten the monitoring of such schools, which have ascended to the top echelons of private education in the country and become attractive sources for foreign investment.YonhapSeoul Metropolitan Office of Education on Tuesday launched an audit of British international school Dulwich College over allegations of accounting fraud. The school is suspected of embezzling 7.5 billion won ($6.3
March 15, 2016
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Unusual problems with Korean public toilets
When Jen Kim, a Korean-American in her 20s, went to use a public restroom inside a local cafe franchise in Ilsan two years ago, she couldn’t help but notice a trash can that was overflowing with used toilet paper that emitted an unbearable odor. “I left the stall immediately, telling myself I would rather hold it in and risk getting a urinary tract syndrome than use that bathroom,” she told The Korea Herald.On the door of the stall, there was a sign that asked users not to flush toilet paper do
March 15, 2016
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A 35-year-old man confesses to murder of 22-year-old girlfriend
A 35-year-old man surnamed Lee, who was suspected of murdering his 22-year-old girlfriend, has been arrested and taken into custody after confessing to the crime in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province.The suspect reportedly strangled his girlfriend then proceeded to bury her body in an empty lot in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Lee’s girlfriend was reported missing since Feb. 17, after her sister alerted the police. During the investigation, the police found that the victim had entered Lee’s apartment
March 15, 2016
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Lone diners step out as perceptions change
Park Min-seo, on his fifth year working at a large telecom company in Seoul, has his office routine lined up with meetings, report write-ups, client consultations and periodic constructive criticism from his superiors. So to pat himself on the back for surviving a difficult day or week, he occasionally heads to restaurants and bars -- alone. "It's like a self-comforting, self-healing moment of solace for me," he said. "No need to keep up with the conversation with office co-workers, which usu
March 15, 2016
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[Graphic News] Reported child abuse sees on-year spike
The increasing number of reported child abuse cases in South Korea, with many of them resulting in brutal deaths, have raised awareness of the need to tackle the problem more systematically.While statistics vary, the Health and Welfare Ministry’s numbers show that more cases of child abuse are being reported each year. An alarming factor has been that 81 percent of the offenders are parents.By type, 48 percent involved multiple forms of abuse, including negligence, emotional abuse, physical abus
March 14, 2016
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AI battle sparks Go wave in Korea
Go academy teacher Kim Sang-soon in southern Seoul has been much busier these days with more parents and students inquiring about Go courses. “There are indeed many more calls and visits from children, especially preschool girls. I’m pretty sure that the AlphaGo match brought back the popularity of Go,” said the 65-year-old, who has taught Go for the past three decades. “This is definitely a good sign.” Renewed interest in the Go game is sweeping through South Korea. (Yonhap)On Sunday, Korean Go
March 14, 2016
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Lack of budget, workforce hinder child abuse fight
With the tragic death of a 7-year-old boy from long-term abuse by his parents revealed last week, the government has laid out additional measures to prevent child abuse. But concerns are growing over the efficacy of the measures, with activists taking issue with shortage of financial, human resources in the field and authorities’ lack of will to implement the policies. Police on Monday launched a probe into suspected child abuse cases by reviewing the cases of 809 infants aged from 4 to 6 year
March 14, 2016
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Korean farmers, laborers less tolerant of migrants: survey
South Koreans who work in fishing, farming and construction industries are less tolerant of immigrants than those who belong to other professional fields, a report by the Gender Ministry showed on Monday.Those industries in South Korea currently employ a large number of foreign-born laborers.The research results reflect how South Korea’s working population may feel “threatened” by migrant workers, many of whom are male, said Ahn Sang-soo, a researcher at Korea Women’s Development Institute who l
March 14, 2016
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Noise, trash mar Seoul's mural village
Ihwa-dong, located near Naksan Park in the northern part of central Seoul, is a quaint community which used to be a dull shantytown a decade ago. In 2006, with the help of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the community transformed itself through what they called the “Naksan Project.” A total of 68 artists gathered to paint walls and install sculptures. An ordinary village soon turned into a booming tourist spot. Despite its off-the-beaten-path location, the mural village has become overcrowd
March 14, 2016
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Korea steps up protection of foreign medical patients
South Korea’s Health Ministry on Monday released a set of measures to better protect foreign patients from possible medical accidents and negligence, as well as being overcharged while being treated at health care institutions here. The measures include enforcing all Korean general hospitals that receive foreign patients to be insured for at least 200 million won ($170,000) for medical accidents and disputes. Smaller clinics will be required to be insured for at least 100 million won.(Yonhap)All
March 14, 2016
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Seoul education office to audit Dulwich
Seoul education office to audit DulwichSeoul City will audit an international school facing allegations of accounting fraud, the authorities announced Monday.“We will begin an audit of the Seoul branch of British international school Dulwich College (from Tuesday) on its enrollment criteria as well as finances,” the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said in a press statement.“If we uncover anything illegal or unfair, administrative measures will be taken based on relevant laws. If the embez
March 14, 2016
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Koreans more accepting of immigrants than before
South Koreans have become more accepting of immigrants than four years ago, but there are still rooms for improvement, a government survey showed Monday.The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said it has developed an index measuring the level of people's open-mindedness toward multicultural members of society. It takes into account eight factors, including whether the person perceives himself or herself as a global citizen and willingness to befriend a foreigner.South Korean adults scored 54
March 14, 2016