Most Popular
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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[Grace Kao] Hybe vs. Ador: Inspiration, imitation and plagiarism
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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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[Weekender] What fine dust does to human body
The South Korean public is more sensitive to air quality these days, in light of increasing news reports on the negative impacts of fine dust and with a slew of released apps that send almost real-time updates on the concentration of harmful particles. So how bad is fine dust to one’s health?Fine dust particles do not just cause respiratory problems such as bronchial and asthmatic diseases, they also increase the chance of cerebrovascular diseases, according to the Korean Medical Association.Fin
June 24, 2016
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[Weekender] Criticism mounts over government’s fine dust countermeasure plan
Earlier this month, the South Korean government released a set of fine dust countermeasures amid growing public anxiety over the peninsula’s grey skies.Considering neighboring countries’ climate conditions and the upcoming monsoon season, the government admitted that the current fine dust problem in Korea is “difficult to be resolved within a short period of time.”Regardless, the government said it would improve the air quality through several action plans. It set a goal to reach the air quality
June 24, 2016
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[Weekender] Korea more vulnerable to air pollution
A latest report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has sent a solemn message to the world: If we do not effectively tackle air pollution, it could cause 6 to 9 million premature deaths and economic consequences of $2.6 trillion annually by 2060.South Korea was among countries singled out as those in greater danger. The report said that South Korea could see at least 1,109 early deaths per 1 million people in 2060 -- the only OECD member to exceed the 1,000 mark -- unl
June 24, 2016
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[EYE] ‘It comes down to IT going green’
Gary Cook, a senior IT analyst at Greenpeace, said that he has noticed a particular trend among the younger generation in the United States -- they delay getting their driver’s license after they turn 20.“It’s interesting. America, very much defined by car culture, is seeing lowering importance of getting a car. An interesting shift over the last five years,” Cook said in an interview with The Korea Herald.He explained that many drivers in the U.S. are choosing electric vehicles as the first opt
June 24, 2016
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Chinese captain nabbed over alleged illegal fishing, drug use
The captain of a Chinese fishing boat was arrested on Friday over allegedly operating near the inter-Korean maritime border and using an illegal drug, the Korean Coast Guard said.Coast guard officers found methamphetamine inside the boat that they seized in waters off Socheong Island in Incheon, west of Seoul, the previous day.On Thursday, they confiscated 0.12 gram of the drug and an inhaler from the ship's pilothouse after taking it to a coast guard station in Incheon. During an investigation
June 24, 2016
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Transport minister expresses apologies to Milyang, Busan
Korea's transportation minister apologized to the citizens of Milyang and Busan, who had both competed to host the new airport, adding that the decision to scrap the project reflected the nation's best interests."State projects must be rolled out based on the country's whole interest in mind taking into account the economy, potential, and competitiveness," Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kang Ho-in said in a meeting with lawmakers.On Tuesday, Korea said it has scrapped a plan to buil
June 24, 2016
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ASEM culture ministers' meeting closes with chairman's statement
Culture ministers from the Asia-Europe Meeting countries adopted a chairman's statement that calls for further international cooperation to nurture the creative industries on Friday, wrapping up their three-day meeting in Korea.The 7th Asia-Europe Culture Ministers' meeting took place at the Asia Culture Center, a state-run arts and concert venue in Gwangju, under the theme "culture and the creative economy." It was attended by some 160 delegates from 45 ASEM member countries, including eight mi
June 24, 2016
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Organizing committee to offer athletes kimchi during Rio Olympics
The organizing committee of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics has included kimchi, the traditional Korean side dish of fermented cabbage with a variety of spicy seasonings, on the menu for athletes taking part in the competition, an industry group said Thursday.The Korean Food Buyers Association of Central and South America said the organizing committee plans to offer kimchi called "Oriental salad kimchi" to athletes during the August 6-22 competition."As soon as the organizing committee asked us to s
June 24, 2016
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Man brandishes weapon, demands for female company
A man who threatened a bar owner with a weapon while demanding for a woman to attend to him was arrested in Suncheon-si, South Jeolla Province, the police said Thursday. (123RF)The 43-year-old man, identified by the surname Mun, had demanded in a drunken state for a woman’s company, but his request had been denied. The police said he then used a weapon to create a ruckus. He surrendered without protest when the authorities arrived. By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)
June 23, 2016
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Human rights watchdog opposes ban on students' cellphone use in Korea
Last year, Kim Ji-hoon, a middle school student, filed a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, claiming his school’s ban on cellphone use limits his social life. Since 2012, all students attending school have been prohibited from bringing cellphones to class, except on specific circumstances such as school trips and outdoor field work. The ban was introduced in 2012 to prevent possible traffic accidents caused by cellphone use, as well as to encourage all students to focus
June 23, 2016
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Private day cares go on strike over new limits
Some 14,000 day care centers nationwide started a two-day strike on Thursday in protest against the government’s new limit on their full-day services from next month, which they fear will lead to operating difficulties.The government recently announced a new child care policy for toddlers aged 48 months and younger, which aims to balance demand and supply.Under the new rule, which goes into effect from next month, toddlers aged 2 and younger with a stay-at-home parent can only use the day care c
June 23, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Syrians at airport win right to seek refugee status
A South Korean court ruled Thursday in favor of nine Syrian asylum seekers who had been denied entry into the country to apply for the status. They stayed at an airport for the past six months awaiting the decision. The Incheon Administrative Court ordered the Justice Ministry to allow the asylum seekers to apply for refugee status in the country, saying depriving applicants of the chance to claim asylum should only be made in exceptional cases. A total of 28 Syrian asylum seekers filed a law
June 23, 2016
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Prime Minister calls for more international cultural cooperation
Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Thursday said that the international community should further cultural cooperation since the power of culture can contribute greatly to world unity."I think the power of culture can go beyond borders, greatly contributing to making the world into one beautiful community," the South Korean premier said in his speech to the formal opening ceremony for the 7th Asia-Europe Culture Ministers' Meeting in Gwangju. "So, in that sense, cultural cooperation of the internati
June 23, 2016
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Korea's childbirths drop sharply in April
The number of childbirths in Korea fell at the fastest clip in more than two years in April on a low birthrate and late marriage trend, government data showed Thursday.About 35,300 babies were born in April, down 7.3 percent, or 2,800, from 38,100 a year earlier, extending the losing streak to five consecutive months, according to data from Statistics Korea. The April figure also marked the steepest on-year decline since November 2013, when new childbirths sank 12.3 from a year earlier.The downb
June 23, 2016
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Muslim patients' satisfaction with halal foods low: poll
Middle Eastern people who visit Korea for medical treatments are most dissatisfied with the quality of Islamic foods provided by local hospitals, a poll showed Thursday.According to the survey taken by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, Muslim patients who visited South Korea last year gave local hospitals' halal food the lowest score, at 78.05 out of a full 100, due mainly to inconvenience when eating and a limited menu.The survey covered seven non-medical services, including hala
June 23, 2016
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Prosecutors arrest former Lotte Chemical executive
The prosecution on Thursday arrested a former executive of Lotte Chemical Co., an affiliate of South Korea's retail giant Lotte Group, on charges of being involved in an alleged tax evasion scheme.It was the first arrest of a former Lotte official since prosecutors launched the first round of raids on a series of the group's affiliates on June 10 as part of their probe into the country's fifth-largest conglomerate and its alleged slush funds.The prosecution claims that the suspect, identified on
June 23, 2016
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GM Korea exec indicted over alleged bribery
INCHEON (Yonhap) -- A 57-year-old executive of the South Korean unit of U.S. carmaker General Motors Co. has been indicted on charges of receiving some tens of millions of won in kickbacks in return for business favors, prosecutors said Wednesday.The Incheon District Prosecutors' Office said the executive in charge of labor management cooperation, whose identity was withheld, allegedly gave favors to a certain company when purchasing gifts for employees in 2015. Prosecutors suspect he received 3
June 22, 2016
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Chicken deliveryman runs off with money
A fried chicken deliveryman who ran off with money on his first day at work was arrested Wednesday by the Busan Youngdo Police. According to the police, the 32-year-old surnamed Kim signed up for the post with intentions to take the money collected from the day’s delivery. (123RF)Kim fled on the same motorbike he took out for the last delivery. He is being accused of stealing over 500,000 won ($430) across two counts of similar thefts.The police said they were able to track Kim down based on hi
June 22, 2016
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Male workers in their 40s under most stress at work
Male workers in their 40s were under the most work-related stress among all age and gender groups in South Korea, while work itself was the largest source of their stress in 2014, a report showed Wednesday.According to the report based on a survey of 195,666 workers who underwent physical examinations at Seoul's Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, 68.1 percent of men in their 40s said they suffered from work-related stress, while 67.5 percent of those in their 30s also noted having similar problems. (123R
June 22, 2016
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[From the scene] Part-timers fast in fight for minimum wage hike
On Tuesday afternoon, some 15 part-timers were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the pavement behind a poster reading “Fight for 10,000 won minimum wage” at the entrance of the National Assembly in western Seoul. Among the 20-something workers chattering and giggling were members of the nation’s Part-Time Workers’ Union who have been on a hunger strike since June 16 to demand next year’s minimum wage be raised to 10,000 won ($8.67). This year’s minimum wage per hour stands at 6,030 won, up 8.1 per
June 22, 2016