Most Popular
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
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Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors
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Govt. asks hospitals to mitigate impact of medical professors' absence
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Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
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Doggy patrol team on the move to protect their cities
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S. Korea's working-age population to dip nearly 10m by 2044 amid low births
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Morning-after pills to remain prescription drugs in South Korea
The South Korean government announced Friday that it will stick to its conventional measures on emergency contraception pills -- birth control measures used after sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy -- and continue to disallow over-the-counter sales at pharmacies. 123RF Since 2012, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has been considering the option of designating the “morning-after pill” an OTC drug. It is known to be effective up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. The requirement of a doct
May 20, 2016
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Kenyan refugee applicant gets 25 years for murder
A 28-year-old Kenyan who had been undergoing the process to obtain refugee status in Korea was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday for murdering a computer cafe assistant.According to the Gwangju district court that gave the ruling, the man had visited the immigration office the day before his crime, asking for repatriation. (Yonhap)The office did nothing for him as he was not an illegal immigrant, rather a refugee applicant. The man entered Korea on a three-month visa in July 2015, with glo
May 20, 2016
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[Weekender] Foreigners overall satisfied with Seoul subway
When 23-year-old Filipino Reyshenne Layug moved to Seoul in 2015, she was most worried about how to find her way around the city, especially since she could not speak Korean. But her concerns were soon eased by the subway, which she quickly found was easy to navigate. She said, “I was pleasantly surprised when I saw English signs in the stations. I thought that was very helpful and they put me at ease straightaway.”Layug, who studies at a language institute, was impressed by the subway’s extensi
May 20, 2016
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Gyeongbu Expressway blocked for 2 hours amid fire from diesel truck crash
A section of Gyeongbu Expressway near the city of Daegu was engulfed in a fire that spread from the spilled gas of a 32-ton diesel truck that collided with a roadside barrier after an accident involving another vehicle. Traffic was halted amid emergency firefighting, causing a massive jam in the middle of the day Friday. (Yonhap)The fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. and was contained by around 1:30 p.m. Video reports from citizens at the scene showed strong flames licking up a stretch of tall ba
May 20, 2016
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Ministry to expand child protection workforce, parenting education
The government presented a plan Friday to expand child protection workforce and parenting education so as to better prevent and cope with child abuse.In a policy meeting with relevant ministries, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said it would implement an on-site inspection until end-June on 1,153 infants aged 0-3 with no records of receiving medical check-ups or vaccinations.The ministry also plans to increase the workforce to protect children by 22 percent to 835 from the current 684 within
May 20, 2016
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Public anxiety grows over use of biocide products
Shin Hyang-gi, a 51-year-old housewife, begins her day by washing piles of dishes and utensils used for breakfast. The routine is followed by laundry, toilet cleaning, changing moisture absorbers inside closets and a shower. Before stepping outside, she wears sunscreen on her face and neck and sprays deodorant on her jacket. On an ordinary morning, Shin uses at least eight household chemical products -- detergent, bleach, toilet cleaner, dehumidifier, shampoo, toothpaste, sunscreen and deodorant
May 20, 2016
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Daughter-murderer pastor given 20 years in prison
The pastor and his wife who killed their 13-year-old daughter by violently beating her were respectively given 20 and 15 years in prison, Thursday. The delivered sentences were five and three years higher, respectively, than the prosecution had initially sought. The Incheon district court on Thursday said the 47-year-old pastor and his 40-year-old wife, admitted to their crimes and showed remorse, however, they continued to blame the victim’s alleged theft of church offerings as triggering the c
May 20, 2016
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Explosions at U.S. army base in North Gyeongsang Province
Explosions involving 20 or so oxygen tanks at a U.S. Army base Camp Carroll at Waegwan, North Gyeongsang Province raised alarms on Thursday at around 2:30 p.m. Residents of the area adjacent to the army camp said the explosion sounded like gun fire and that metal debris three times the size of an aerosol can had dangerously shot out of the base. (Youtube capture)Window panes of houses 200 meters away from the base reportedly shook due to the impact of the blast.No casualties were reported from
May 19, 2016
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Number of reported sterilizer victims swells to 1,848
The total number of toxic humidifier sterilizer victims has swelled to 1,848 as of April, according to the latest available reports Thursday, with pressure building on the government to intervene. During a press conference at the National Assembly, the Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health said that 566 additional victims, including 41 who have passed away, were listed at a civil complaint center from January to April 25.The complaint center, supported by the ACCEH, had operated temp
May 19, 2016
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Doctors, patients arrested for insurance scam
Doctors and patients who conspired for an insurance fraud amounting to 90 million won ($75,650) were arrested Thursday, the Daegu Gangbuk police said. According to the police, two orthopedic surgeons and their hospital assistant had plotted a massive scam in collaboration with 14 patients. The chief surgeon of the hospital suggested hospitalization of 11 patients who visited for minor contusions or diabetes between January 2010 and July 2015. (123RF)Through the exaggerated doctor’s consultation
May 19, 2016
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Explosions at U.S. base, no casualties: report
An oxygen tank exploded at the Camp Carroll U.S. Army Base in the southern part of Korea but there were no death or injuries, a USFK official said Thursday. Camp Carroll U.S. Army BaseAccording to the official, the blast took place at the base located in Chilgok-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, at around 2:45 p.m. The subsequent blaze was put out in approximately 26 minutes by 15 fire engines dispatched to the scene by Chilgok Fire Station, which responded under the mutual aid agreement.The USFK
May 19, 2016
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Sex workers to launch union, petition with U.N.
A South Korean sex workers’ advocacy group vowed Thursday to launch a trade union within this year to protect their labor rights and file a petition to the United Nations to challenge the highest court’s ruling in favor of the antiprostitution law. Denouncing the Constitutional Court’s ruling earlier this year as “taking side with those having power,” the Hanteo National Union said it would seek for those selling sex to be entitled to labor rights such as severance pay, state pension and health
May 19, 2016
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[FROM THE SCENE] Korean women respond to Gangnam murder case
It looked like just another busy day in Gangnam, Seoul’s well-known affluent district, except on Wednesday evening there were piles of white flowers and post-it notes covering the walls near exit 10 of Gangnam Station. There were also people -- many of them young women -- looking visibly shocked and grief-stricken, with their eyes glued to the pastel-colored post-its filled with heartbreaking messages.“No one should die just because she is a woman,” read one of the messages. “I know I could’ve b
May 19, 2016
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Alcohol health warnings to be reinforced
The Health and Welfare Ministry said Thursday that it plans to change the health warnings on alcohol bottles for the first time in 21 years to raise awareness on the health risks of excessive drinking. The ministry said it will be compulsory for alcohol manufacturers to include specific dangers of drinking for youths and pregnant women in written warnings on alcohol bottles starting September. The revision to the National Health Promotion Act, which will take effect from Sept. 3, requires alcoho
May 19, 2016
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Korean-Chinese caught trafficking meth
A Korean-Chinese meth smuggler was arrested at Incheon International Airport on Thursday.Gyeonggi Province’s Goyang police said the 31-year-old woman surnamed Mun had been caught carrying 20 grams of the substance in her body. This is a stock image. (123RF)Mun initially denied the charges however, an X-ray test at the airport medical center had revealed the drug inside her body. She is being accused of bringing in a total of 440 grams of methamphetamine worth 1.4 billion won ($1.2 million) since
May 19, 2016
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Foreign finance director of Oxy Korea summoned over toxic sterilizers
The finance director of Oxy Korea was summoned Thursday as the first among a number of foreign executives who will be questioned in relation to the production and sales of the toxic humidifier sterilizers that resulted in numerous deaths and illnesses here.Ulrich Hosterbach appeared before the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul to give testimony in the snowballing case that involves scores of deaths since 2011, including some pregnant women.Hosterbach has worked as the
May 19, 2016
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Weather service apologizes for wrong quake message
South Korea's weather service said Wednesday that its employee mistakenly sent to local media outlets a fax message saying that a 6.5-magnitude earthquake occurred in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province.The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) apologized for the false message, saying that it was wrongly disseminated amid a five-day disaster response exercise, which began on Monday."We apologize deeply for causing inconvenience," the KMA said in a statement."The message was made for an exercise pur
May 18, 2016
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U.S. soldier deserts military unit ahead of trial: police
An unarmed U.S. soldier awaiting trial has deserted an American Army base in a city near the border with North Korea, police said Wednesday.The whereabouts of a 27-year-old serviceman, whose identity is withheld, has been unknown since Saturday when he is presumed to have run away, according to the police. It said the U.S. Army is currently trying to locate him.Police said he belongs to the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey, which is located in Dongducheon, some 40 kilometers north
May 18, 2016
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Distortion, politicization taint Gwangju uprising
Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn -- flanked by presidential secretary Hyun Ki-hwan and other government officials -- looked uncomfortable as he stayed silent while other participants sang “March for Our Beloved” at Wednesday’s commemoration of the Gwangju Uprising. The scene was symbolic of the political divide and social disputes that still remain in Korea over what is internationally recognized as a civilian revolt against the dictatorial military regime, 36 years after the bloody incident.Familie
May 18, 2016
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30% of children may have been exposed to toxic humidifier: expert
About 30 percent of the Korean population has likely been exposed to the toxic humidifier disinfectant, an expert claimed Wednesday. According to a survey conducted last year by Asan Medical Center’s medical professor Hong Soo-jong, 31.3 percent of children aged 7 were found to have used the humidifier disinfectant at home. About 1,500 children were surveyed. Participants attend a forum on ecotoxic substances at the National Assembly on Wednesday. (Yonhap)“If their families are included, about 3
May 18, 2016