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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China presses Korea over THAAD
China urged South Korea Friday to rethink the sensitive issue of bringing in an advanced U.S. missile defense system."The Chinese government hopes the related nation (South Korea) will handle the matter prudently," Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, told Yonhap News Agency.She stressed that Beijing's position is firm that all countries should consider the national interests of other nations in taking their own security into account.China's message came in response to rep
Jan. 29, 2016
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U.S. citizen gets 20-year jail term for murdering Korean student
A U.S. citizen accused of murdering a South Korean college student in 1997 received a 20-year jail term Friday, the severest penalty possible for the defendant who was then an adolescent.The Seoul Central District Court found Arthur Patterson guilty of stabbing Cho Joong-pil, who was then a college student, multiple times at a Burger King in the popular foreigner district of Itaewon in central Seoul 19 years ago."There is credibility in statements made by Edward Lee, an accomplice, that (he) wit
Jan. 29, 2016
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Ex-PM gets suspended jail term for bribery
South Korea's former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo received an 8-month jail term Friday for receiving bribes from a deceased businessman.Still, the Seoul Central District Court suspended the sentence for two years and ordered him to forfeit 30 million won ($27,000).Lee, who stepped down in April after mounting suspicion, was convicted of taking 30 million won at his election office in April2013 from Sung Wan-jong, the late chairman of construction firm Keangnam Enterprises Inc."The authenticity of
Jan. 29, 2016
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Gov't to increase housing support for newlyweds
The government and the ruling party agreed Friday to increase the state housing support for newly married couples as part of efforts to tackle the nation's chronic low birthrate, a lawmaker said.The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will build a total of 10 apartment units across the country exclusively for newlyweds, Rep. Lee Joo-young of the ruling Saenuri Party told reporters following a meeting with government officials. South Korea has one of the lowest birth rates among the Or
Jan. 29, 2016
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Gov't urges passage of bill on N.K. human rights in parliament
The government expressed hope on Friday that the National Assembly will pass a pending bill aimed at improving North Korea's dismal human rights situation as soon as possible.South Korean ruling and opposition lawmakers agreed to approve the bill on the North's human rights on Friday, but it is still pending at a parliamentary committee due to differences of opinions over details, casting cold over the passage.The bill, first introduced in August 2005, has been languishing in parliament, apparen
Jan. 29, 2016
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Seoul and Jeju listed among top 100 city destinations in 2014
Two South Korean cities, Seoul and Jeju, were ranked among the world's 100 most visited cities by foreign travelers in 2014, CNN reported Thursday.The South Korean capital Seoul ranked 13th in international tourist arrivals by attracting 9.39 million foreign travelers, CNN reported, citing data from Euromonitor, the British global market research agency.Jeju, the main city on the resort island of Jeju, was ranked 94th.The number of foreign visitors to Seoul was an 8.9 percent increase from the p
Jan. 29, 2016
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Lawmaker appears for prosecution over alleged corruption
A ruling-party lawmaker appeared before prosecutors Friday to face questions over suspicions that he took bribes from the country's biggest steelmaker POSCO.Lee Byung-suk of the ruling Saenuri Party is under suspicion of using his position to persuade POSCO to sign business contracts with subcontractors owned by Lee's acquaintances, prosecutors said.In return, Lee allegedly received tens of millions of won in bribes from one of the subcontractors.Lee showed up at the Seoul Central District Prose
Jan. 29, 2016
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Korea to join U.S.-led regional military drill in Thailand
South Korean combat forces will join a United States-led multinational military exercise to be held next month in Thailand, the Navy said Friday.Some 440 Navy and Marine soldiers will depart for Thailand on Saturday to join the Cobra Gold exercise, which will run from Feb. 6 through 19. It is an annual peacekeeping operation exercise, led by the U.S. Pacific Command and the Thailand military.In this year's gathering, some 7,900 forces will take part from Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia
Jan. 29, 2016
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Gov't to expand 'visit reservation system' for foreign residents
The Justice Ministry said Thursday it has expanded its "visit reservation system" to include more foreign residents in South Korea, effective on Monday, to reduce inconvenience at crowded immigration offices.The system will be applicable at the nation's six immigration offices in Seoul, Incheon, Suwon and Ansan, where many foreign visitors experience delayed immigration proceedings. The reservation system is now open to Chinese Koreans, international students and workers on E9 visas.An average o
Jan. 28, 2016
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Gov't calls for prudent implementation of labor reform
The labor minister on Thursday asked large companies to be cautious in implementing new labor guidelines announced by the government last week.Under the guidelines, companies can fire "noticeably" underperforming workers and amend their employment rules more easily.Currently, companies can terminate an employee's contract only when they are either involved in corruption or an embezzlement case, or when they have to lay off workers due to serious financial difficulties. Management must also first
Jan. 28, 2016
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Korea to repatriate remains of Chinese soldiers killed in Korean War
South Korea has agreed to repatriate a new set of remains of Chinese soldiers who were killed in the Korean War and had remained buried in this country, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.South Korea will send the remains of 36 Chinese soldiers back to their home country in a ceremony scheduled for March 31, the third repatriation since the first in 2014, according to the ministry.South Korean and Chinese working-level officials held talks in Beijing on Wednesday to agree on the late
Jan. 28, 2016
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Court to review constitutionality of parliamentary act
The Constitutional Court will hold a public hearing Thursday to review the constitutionality of the contentious National Assembly Act amid a parliamentary speaker's move to revise it.The act, passed in May 2012, stipulates that a bill with contested issues can only be put up for a vote with the approval of more than 60 percent of sitting lawmakers and requires a bipartisan agreement for a parliamentary speaker to table the bill.The clause, however, has been criticized as the main culprit behind
Jan. 28, 2016
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Gov't to expand merit pay to all public-sector workers
The government decided Thursday to expand a performance-based wage system to all public agency employees as part of its plan to improve efficiency in the public sector, the finance ministry said.The decision, made at a public agency management meeting in Seoul, calls for all public institutions to adopt the merit-based pay system by the end of 2016.Until now, the government has only implemented the performance-based system with executive members of public institutions since 2010.Under the merit
Jan. 28, 2016
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Wartime sex slave victims ask U.N. to determine legitimacy of Seoul-Tokyo deal
Elderly South Korean women forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II sent a petition to the United Nations on Thursday, asking the international body to determine the legitimacy of the recent deal between Seoul and Tokyo over the issue, their legal representatives said.South Korea and Japan reached a landmark deal last month to resolve the issue of the so-called comfort women.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave an apology and Japan agreed to offer 1 billion yen
Jan. 28, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Korean science prodigies seek sustainability in school
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Climate change has become a hot global issue of concern, with 195 countries adopting the first-ever legally binding global climate deal at the Paris climate conference in December.With each government contemplating measures to fulfill their pledge to limit global average temperatures to well below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, a group of Korean science prodigies have stepped up to the plate, boldly vowing to pursue sustainability starting from t
Jan. 28, 2016
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Abu Dhabi a model for sustainable urban city
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has long been a strategic business hub for foreigners with a zero-tax jurisdiction that offers 100 percent foreign ownership within free trade zones. Along with such a business-friendly environment, the city is taking ambitious initiatives to turn itself into a sustainable urban city with various renewable energy development projects for its next generations, including the signature project of Masdar City. L
Jan. 28, 2016
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Top court orders expenses to be paid for treatment after decision to die with dignity
South Korea’s top court Thursday ruled in favor of a hospital, ordering family members of a now deceased patient, who had refused life-extending treatments, to pay for related medical expenses.The Supreme Court ruled that the bereaved family of the patient -- the first patient allowed to “die with dignity” in South Korea -- should pay medical expenses totaling 86.4 million won ($71,500) to Yonsei Severance Hospital. She died at the age of 78 in 2010.This was the second legal dispute between the
Jan. 28, 2016
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Over 26,000 South Koreans decorated in 2015
The government said Thursday that it had awarded merits to 26,602 people last year – nearly double the number given out in 2013 and the highest number since 1954. According to the Ministry of Interior, the number of merits have been on the rise over the past few years. In 2013, 13,601 merits were awarded and 21,669 in 2014.Last year's figure -- 26,602 merits -- is the highest since the Korean government was established in 1948, with the exception of 1954 when the government decorated war veteran
Jan. 28, 2016
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Childhood exposure to domestic abuse has life-long effects
A brain scan study by a South Korean psychiatrist found specific changes in key circuits that process fear in the brains of Korean adults who were exposed to domestic violence as children. It claims that such experiences can have serious lifelong consequences on victims both emotionally and clinically. The study raises concerns about South Korea’s current child protection legislation, as well as child welfare policies that do not specifically include childhood exposure to domestic violence in de
Jan. 28, 2016
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Sewol salvage operations face month-long delay
The government said Thursday that the salvage operations of Sewol ferry are expected to conclude by around late July, a month behind schedule.According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, unfavorable work conditions have led to delays at nearly every step. The waters off the coast of Jindo, South Jeolla Province -- where the ill-fated vessel lies -- contain strong, volatile currents and murky water which hindered rescue efforts after the ship’s sinking on April 16, 2014. Divers from China’s
Jan. 28, 2016