Most Popular
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Ador CEO denies allegations, accuses Hybe of mistreating NewJeans
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Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
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[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'
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Nicaragua shuts down Seoul embassy
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Medical reform committee kicks off despite boycott from doctors
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Hybe's multilabel system tested amid conflict with Ador
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SNU profs to suspend treatment for one day
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Rocket engine expert, ex-NASA exec to lead Korea's new space agency
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SK hynix pledges W20tr to ramp up DRAM production at home
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10-man S. Korea lose to Indonesia to miss out on Paris Olympic football qualification
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[FEATURE] Noise pollution blights city dwellers' lives
This is the second installment of a three-part series on Seoul's battle against three types of urban pollution: smell, noise, and light. --Ed.Bustling with talented young buskers, Seoul’s Daehangno and Hongdae streets turn into vibrant stages at night.After sunset, diverse buskers flock to the popular areas to show off their skills ranging from rapping, dancing and even putting on magic shows, attracting swarms of passersby.But for the residents in nearby areas, the artistic outlet is more like
Aug. 24, 2016
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Women in late 30s show highest birth rate
With more women choosing to marry and give birth at a later age, the birth rate among those in their late 30s reached a record high last year, Statistics Korea said Wednesday.The number of births per 1,000 of the population remained at record low. The country’s fertility rate also still remained far below the average among the member countries of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.A total of 438,400 babies were born last year, showing a 0.7 percent rise from the year before
Aug. 24, 2016
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Park appoints controversial new police chief
President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday officially appointed Lee Chul-sung as the new police chief despite parliamentary resistance.The appointment came after the National Assembly failed to respond to Park’s second request for a parliamentary confirmation report due to the opposition parties’ dissent.New police Chief Lee Chul-sung (left) sits next to his predecessor Kang Sin-myeong during the latter’s resignation ceremony in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)The president is entitled to go ahead with a no
Aug. 24, 2016
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Residents in southern city of Gimcheon to hold rally against THAAD
Residents of South Korea's southern city of Gimcheon will stage a rally Wednesday to protest the government's decision to review an alternative site for the deployment of a US anti-missile system.About 10,000 residents are expected to gather at a sports complex in the city in North Gyeongsang Province, to protest the decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and denounce the neighboring county of Seongju for asking that the site be changed. Earlier this week, the governme
Aug. 24, 2016
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Gov't aims to install air conditioners in all military dorms
South Korea's finance minister on Wednesday said the government plans to install air conditioners in all military barracks and police dormitories, adding it will allocate more funds toward improving conditions at such facilities.Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said the government has allocated 63 billion won ($56.2 million) of next year's budget to installing some 30,000 air conditioners for the welfare of its soldiers and police officers who are serving their mandatory duties to defend the country.C
Aug. 24, 2016
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Korea's fertility rate edges up in 2015
South Korea's birthrate gained ground for the second year in a row last year, data showed Wednesday, amid deepening concerns that the low birthrate and rapid aging could undermine the growth potential of Asia's fourth-largest economy.The total fertility rate, or the average number of babies that a woman is projected to have during her lifetime, reached 1.24 in 2015, up from 1.21 tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.It recorded the second consecutive year of
Aug. 24, 2016
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Park calls on Korean female leaders to support gov't efforts for work-family balance
President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday called on South Korean female leaders across the world to support her government's efforts for a work-family balance, which she says is critical in tackling the low birthrate and enhancing national competitiveness.In a video message to an annual session of the Korean Women's International Network, Park underscored that her government has pushed for various initiatives, including a flextime system, to help workers strike a balance between work and family."I ho
Aug. 24, 2016
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Japan endorses contribution plan to comfort women foundation
The Japanese government on Wednesday approved a plan to contribute 1 billion yen ($9.97 million) to help victims who were used as sexual slaves by Japanese troops during World War II, a local media report said.According to Kyodo News, the Japanese government held a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day and endorsed the contribution plan that was pledged late last year. The money will go to a foundation launched in South Korea for the victims, euphemistically called comfort women. The decision is ex
Aug. 24, 2016
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FTC closes investigation on two local humidifier sterilizer firms
South Korea's antitrust watchdog said Wednesday that it has closed an inspection on two local humidifier sterilizer manufacturers, citing a lack of evidence, amid a ballooning toxic disinfectant scandal that has resulted in numerous deaths and illnesses here.Aekyung Industrial Co. and E-Mart Inc. had allegedly manufactured and sold humidifier cleansers using the chemicals chloro-methylisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone between 2006 and 2011.The Fair Trade Commission had accused the two co
Aug. 24, 2016
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Disabled discrimination worse at school than work
More disabled people experienced discrimination in schools than at work, a report showed Tuesday.Over the past 10 years, less disabled people suffered from discrimination when getting married or finding jobs, although nearly half of them still said they faced bias when applying for insurance policies, the report by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs said.The report by researcher Choi Bok-cheon on the experiences of discrimination of the disabled, compared and analyzed surveys betw
Aug. 23, 2016
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Korea confirms first cholera outbreak in 15 years
South Korean health authorities said Tuesday that it has confirmed the first case of cholera in 15 years in Gwangju. It is the first time that a local citizen has been infected with the disease without having traveled overseas.The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that a 58-year-old man was infected with cholera in the southern city of Gwangju, after he started suffering from diarrhea on Aug. 10.Eight days after he was hospitalized at a regional medical center, he was reporte
Aug. 23, 2016
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School meals marred by graft, poor ingredients
A government’s investigation found Tuesday that poor management of school food ingredients and corrupt practices have marred the quality of school meals in South Korea. Led by Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the government taskforce aimed at combating corruption, released a report on the condition of school meals and a set of measures to improve the situation at a ministerial meeting. During the inspection from April to July, the taskforce uncovered a total of 677 cases in which the School Meals
Aug. 23, 2016
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Wife charged with murder by nicotine overdose
A 47-year-old woman and a man thought to be her lover are being held responsible for the death of her late husband, police in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, said Monday.The victim, 53, was found dead on April 22, two months in to his first marriage. (Yonhap)Autopsy revealed he had died of a nicotine overdose. Sleep-inducing zolpidem was also found in his system.In the following investigations, the police learned that the first action the deceased man’s wife took upon discovery of his abrupt death
Aug. 23, 2016
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Kindergarten teacher accused of using syringe to punish kids
A kindergarten teacher has been allegedly abusing children by sticking syringe needles into them and duct-taping their mouths and arms to enforce discipline, police said Tuesday. According to Yesan Police Station in South Chungcheong Province, the 51-year-old female teacher, whose identity has not been released, was booked without detention for habitually abusing children in a kindergarten attached to an elementary school in Yesan. It was reported by the police that the teacher had been poking a
Aug. 23, 2016
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Special inspector seeks investigation into President Park's estranged sister
A special inspector charged with looking into allegations of corruption involving presidential aides and close family members has sought a formal investigation into President Park Geun-hye's estranged younger sister over fraud, state prosecutors said Tuesday.Lee Seok-su, the inspector under the presidential office, filed the report on Park Geun-ryoung with the country's top prosecutor Kim Soo-nam last month. The case has been allocated to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, according
Aug. 23, 2016
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Civic group chief indicted over protest at Japanese Embassy
State prosecutors on Tuesday said they have indicted a local civic group chief on charges of carrying out an illegal protest against a controversial deal reached by Seoul and Tokyo on former sex slaves last year.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said the defendant, identified only by her surname Kim, is accused of unlawfully entering the building where the Japanese Embassy is located in central Seoul in December.(Yonhap)Prosecutors said the 24-year-old defendant allegedly occupied t
Aug. 23, 2016
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PM vows to improve safety of school meals
Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn vowed to make efforts to improve the safety and quality of school meals throughout the country on Tuesday, as a recent investigation hinted at some irregularities among food suppliers and lunch operators."School meals are directly connected to the dietary life and health of 6.14 million students," Hwang said, adding the government rolled out a full-fledged investigation to uncover any problems regarding food regulations.The investigation, carried out by the prime min
Aug. 23, 2016
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Fewer disabled face discrimination in job market: survey
Fewer disabled people say they feel discrimination from employers but more from schools, a survey showed Tuesday.The survey, conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, reported that 35.8 percent of the respondents with a disability said in 2014 they were discriminated against while seeking a job, compared to 39.1 percent in 2005.However, the number of disabled people saying they have experienced discrimination in school increased during the cited period, according to the sur
Aug. 23, 2016
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Korea to inspect all large buses, trucks for safety
All new commercial trucks and buses will be required to have an automatic braking system starting next year, while all existing large vehicles and their operators will be checked for safety, the government said Tuesday.The government plans to inspect all 819 shipping and transportation service companies with more than 50 trucks or buses before the year's end, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.An additional 2,030 such firms with more than 20 but fewer than 50 vehicle
Aug. 23, 2016
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Gov't cracks down on hundreds of cram schools illegally operating in Seoul
South Korea's government on Tuesday said it has imposed administrative penalties on some hundreds of private education institutes illegally operating in the affluent southern part of Seoul this year. The Seoul Gangnam Seocho District Office of Education said a total of 259 cram schools were fined or received other administrative measures for false advertisements, late-night operations and other irregularities. Among those penalized, 40 were caught while operating past 10 p.m., which is illegal i
Aug. 23, 2016