Most Popular
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors
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Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
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Students with history of violence will be barred from becoming teachers
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Govt. asks hospitals to mitigate impact of medical professors' absence
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Samsung mocks Apple over iPhone alarm glitch
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1 in 3 Koreans prefer state-run facilities for post-retirement stays: study
One in three South Koreans hope to stay at state-run nursing facilities should their health become impaired in their postretirement years, instead of relying on and living with family members, a study showed Friday. The statistics indicate a change in the Korean tradition of grown children financially and physically supporting their elderly parents, researchers said. The study by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs surveyed some 1,000 Koreans aged 20-64 last year. Among the partici
June 3, 2016
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Government to curb diesel in fine dust countermeasure
The South Korean government said Friday that it will abolish a series of benefits offered to diesel-fueled cars, hoping to reduce the number of diesel vehicles as part of its plans to counter the increasing level of fine dust.The government also said that it will soon review the energy source price system, leaving room for a possible diesel price hike.It also pledged to close down up to 10 units of coal power plants or substitute coal with liquefied natural gas and to boost investment into new g
June 3, 2016
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Suraksan murder suspect apologizes to victim
A South Korean man, suspected of murdering a 63-year-old woman on a mountain trail, apologized to the victim before taking part in a police reenactment of the crime scene on Friday. The ex-murder convict Kim Hak-bong, 61, is suspected of stabbing the victim to death in her neck and stomach in the early hours of Sunday near the entrance of the Mount Suraksan trail on northeastern Seoul. He turned himself in on the same day. “I am sorry to the victim and her family,” Kim told reporters, when stepp
June 3, 2016
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Korea offers extra aid for humidifier disinfectant victims
The government announced Friday that it would provide toxic humidifier disinfectant victims with monthly living costs and nursing fees, starting from next month.According to the Environment Ministry, victims will be given between 310,000 won ($262) and 940,000 won per month for living costs, depending on the severity of their symptoms.Those with lung related diseases and classified as category one and two according to the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act will be the biggest recipie
June 3, 2016
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Woman arrested for striking comfort woman statue
Police on Friday apprehended a 33-year-old woman who struck a statue symbolizing the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery with a hammer.The woman, who has a history of schizophrenia, was caught at around 12:30 p.m. after she hit the statue in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul three to four times with a 40-cm-long hammer, investigators said. The statue was not seriously damaged, they said.Police said that she was rambling when she was asked why she damaged the statue.Investigators foun
June 3, 2016
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Schizophrenic booked after ruckus in Busan subway
Busan Yeonje Police said a schizophrenic man was booked without detention Thursday after causing a disturbance inside a subway car by yelling and exhibiting aggressive behavior. The man, 49 and identified by his surname Han, fought off police who came to contain the situation, and was booked for obstruction of public transportation and obstruction of justice. (YouTube)The subway train headed for Mulmangol Station was temporarily halted for around four minutes at 8:35 p.m. to let some 20 passeng
June 3, 2016
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Gov't to offer financial support to victims of toxic humidifier disinfectant
The South Korean government said Friday that it would offer partial living and caretaking costs for low income victims of toxic humidifier disinfectants this year, as a high-profile probe into the case is gaining momentum.The latest measure is in addition to a state support program, which was launched in May 2014 to cover costs for medical treatment and funerals for the victims that suffered from lung-related problems or other complications due to their exposure to toxic humidifier sterilizers.U
June 3, 2016
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Suraksan suspect admits he killed to rob
The suspect of the recent Suraksan Mountain murder case has admitted to the police that his motive for killing was money, the Nowon Police said Friday. The identity of the suspect, Kim Hak-bong, 61, was made known out of public interest and safety. (Yonhap)Kim turned himself in 13 hours after the killing of a woman in her 60s, on May 29, on a hiking trail in Suraksan Mountain in northeastern Seoul. In the latest police investigation, Kim said he committed the crime for money to buy food.He claim
June 3, 2016
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Zika virus isolated from Korean patient's semen
A South Korean research team said Friday it has isolated a live Zika virus from a local patient's semen, showing the possibility of sexual transmission.The 43-year-old man developed such symptoms as fever, chill and eye pain about a week after returning from Brazil in March where he was bitten by a mosquito.He is the first case of a Zika virus infection in South Korea imported from the South American nation.The team - led by Oh Myoung-don, professor of internal medicine at Seoul National Univers
June 3, 2016
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[Graphic News] Negotiations start on next year’s minimum wage
The negotiations for next year’s minimum wage has begun with the Minimum Wage Council convening its plenary session on Thursday. The deadline for the review and decision is June 28. The minimum wage is an obligatory limit set by the government. Employers violating the minimum wage can face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won ($16,800).This year’s minimum wage has been set at 6,030, up 450 won from 5,580 won last year. The labor sector has been demanding the limit be rai
June 2, 2016
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Korea to support 53 foreign languages critical for national growth
The South Korean government on Thursday said it will designate a total of 53 special languages which it said are strategically important for sustainable national growth.The education ministry issued a preannouncement of legislation implementing the ordinance of the special foreign language education promotion law. This, it said, will help the country train people fluent in many languages that have growth potential. Better fluency in a language can help local companies enter new markets and fuel
June 2, 2016
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More subsidies for 3rd child proposed
The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday proposed a new measure to grant an extra 100,000 won ($84) monthly subsidy to families with a third child. In a bid to prop up the sluggish child birth rate in Korea, the government is supplying special subsidies to households with children under the age of 7 who are raising kids at home without the help of nurseries or kindergartens. (123RF)Currently, families with a third child who has yet to turn 1-year-old can receive a monthly subsidy of 200,00
June 2, 2016
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'I’m not after refund but apology’: customer
A customer with disability who was charged an excessive fee of 520,000 won ($440) by a hair salon to have her hair dyed emphasized in a police inquiry that what she wants is a sincere apology, not a refund. The police said Wednesday that they are currently investigating the case. (123RF)The average cost for women to have their hair dyed at Korean hair salons is around 50,000 won. “The price may go up if the customer’s hair is extremely long, in which case we need to use more product. But that st
June 2, 2016
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Overtime still seen as sign of diligence in Korea
For 26-year-old office worker Lee Hye-ri, it seems like a far-fetched dream to exercise and enjoy her hobbies after work every day. It is quite difficult to imagine life outside her workplace as she works as late as 11 p.m.The newcomer, who was employed by a state-run company last year, often works overtime and sometimes works at home on weekends. She dozes off on the bus while commuting and sleeps a lot on weekends to fight a chronic lack of sleep. “It has become a habit to work overtime. I mi
June 2, 2016
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Man arrested for alleged rape of stepdaughter
A 40-year-old man surnamed Yoo was arrested on suspicion of raping his 17-year-old stepdaughter, police in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, said Thursday. Yoo is accused of raping the victim while his wife was out of town, according to staff at the Yongin Dongbu Police Station. The victim’s brother was also away from home serving his mandatory military service. The case was reported to the police by the victim’s friend. Yoo denied the charges and said that he was intoxicated at the time of the alleged
June 2, 2016
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Ministry to increase support for non-English langauge teaching
The government will provide financial support to universities that teach foreign languages other than English in a bid to diversify their curriculum, officials said Thursday. Designating a total of 53 languages as “special foreign languages,” the Education Ministry said it would shoulder the cost for training programs and internships of students learning them at universities designated “special foreign language education institutions,” starting from August. The ministry selected 12 languages fro
June 2, 2016
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Lend your voice to an audio book for the blind
Korea Asset Management Corp. is recruiting 30 citizen volunteers for its third annual audio book production for the visually impaired, between June 1 and 15 via portal site Naver’s charity platform Happy Bean. SBS TV station’s weathercaster Shin So-yeon and the wife of professional baseball player Lotte Giants’ Kang Min-ho, have endorsed the campaign and volunteered, drawing attention to the project. (KAMCO)In the previous two years, KAMCO had called on its employees to volunteer for the audio b
June 2, 2016
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Former senior prosecutor arrested for lobbying scandal
State prosecutors on Thursday formally arrested a prosecutor-turned-lawyer accused of peddling influence for his client and evading taxes, as part of a probe into the snowballing corruption scandal that is rocking the country's legal establishment. The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Hong Man-pyo over suspicions he received some 300 million won ($251,000) from the chief of local cosmetics brand Nature Republic, Jung Woon-ho, to cover up his overseas gambling charges in
June 2, 2016
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Ruling party urges gov't to bolster clean-air policy
South Korea's ruling party on Thursday urged the government to put a priority on improving the country's air quality rather than just pursuing a policy of bolstering energy efficiency."While the government has been promoting diesel automobiles for energy efficiency, it is important to note such cars are behind the air pollution issue," Rep. Chung Jin-suk, the floor leader, said during the meeting with government officials on fine-dust emissions.The party whip then expressed concerns over specula
June 2, 2016
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First shamanism museum opens
South Korea’s first shamanism museum, located at Geumseongdang Shrine, opened its doors in Eunpyeong-gu, northwestern Seoul last week. The shrine, close in style to the traditional Korean house, or hanok, was founded to appease the spirit of Prince Geumseong (1426-1457), who was ordered a lethal dose of poison upon charges of trying to reinstate the deposed King Danjong. Shamans and a Korean traditional percussion band celebrate the opening of the Shamanism Museum in Eunpyeong-gu in northwester
June 1, 2016