Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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[AtoZ into Korean mind] Humor in Korea: Navigating the line between what's funny and not
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Yoon seeks rebound, taps 5-term lawmaker as chief of staff
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Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
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Medical standoff deepens as doctors reject new med school plan, talks
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N. Korea sends economic delegation to Iran amid suspected military cooperation
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[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent
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[Herald Interview] Why Toss invited hackers to penetrate its system
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S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
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S. Korean envoys convene to navigate strategy amid Middle East tensions
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Security breaches raise concerns at Incheon International Airport
A series of security breaches at Incheon International Airport including illegal entry to the country by transit passengers and the discovery of a suspect package with a threatening message, has raised concerns about safety at the country’s biggest airport. Questions surrounded the management of the overall passenger screening process and unmanned immigration service kiosks. The airport has been running without a CEO since its former head Park Wan-su quit last month to run for office in the gene
Jan. 31, 2016
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PM urges officials to tighten airport security
Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn called on officials Saturday to strengthen security at South Korea's main airport, describing a recent series of security breaches as a crisis."Everything will be lost if security is compromised," Hwang said in a rare visit to Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul.He told airport officials to boost security, saying illegal entries by passengers and other accidents could threaten to undermine the standing and competitiveness of the airport.The visit came hours
Jan. 31, 2016
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1 person dead in chopper crash in Korea
One person died after a fire-fighting helicopter crashed near a temple on a mountain located in South Korea's southwest province, local firefighters said Saturday.The chopper rented by North Jeolla Province for fighting forest fires crashed at around 2:58 p.m. near Geumsan Temple in Gimje, about 260 kilometers southwest of Seoul, according to them.The accident took place while it was en route to the place where it was to begin its mission early next month. The 61-year-old pilot, who was identifi
Jan. 31, 2016
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Warning in Arabic found in box suspected of carrying bomb
Police said Saturday that they have found a warning message written in Arabic inside a box recently discovered at Korea's main airport that raised terror alarms in the country.The message, which was written in Arabic on a sheet of paper half the size of A4, reads, "This is the last warning to you. God will punish." It was not a handwritten but a printed sentence with some grammatical errors, according to the police, who suspected that it could have been translated by a computer program or by a p
Jan. 31, 2016
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Police: Butane canisters found in Incheon Airport
Police said Friday they have recovered two butane canisters in a suspicious white box in South Korea's main airport near Seoul, but no accident was reported.Police said they received a report around 4:30 p.m. that the box suspected to contain explosive devices was found in a man's bathroom in Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main gateway.Police cordoned off the area as an explosive ordnance disposal unit was checking the bathroom.A scan from portable digital x-ray equipment showed th
Jan. 29, 2016
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From asylum seeker to renowned activist
At a glance, Yiombi Thona appears to be a symbol of success as a refugee in Korea, with his thriving career as a university lecturer and human rights activist traveling around the world to address refugee problems. Yet, he could settle down in Korea only after a grueling six-year process to win refugee status, enduring poor treatment toward asylum seekers and discrimination against African migrants. Yiombi Thona (Photo credit: Adam Paul Czelusta)“Korea is my second home which gave me protection.
Jan. 29, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Patterson sentenced to 20 years in jail for Itaewon murder
A Seoul court on Friday sentenced a U.S. man to 20 years in jail for murdering a South Korean college student nearly two decades ago in the Itaewon murder case. The Seoul Central District Court found Arthur John Patterson, 37, guilty of stabbing Cho Joong-pil, 22, to death in 1997 at a Burger King outlet in Itaewon, a multicultural district frequented by expats. Arthur Patterson (Yonhap)The court recognized Edward Lee, 37, as an accomplice for the murder, but did not convict him according to Kor
Jan. 29, 2016
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Ex-P.M. given suspended prison term for corruption
A Seoul court on Friday sentenced former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo to eight months in jail, suspended for two years, for taking illegal political funds from a deceased businessman at the center of a high-profile bribery scandal.Lee was charged last July for receiving a bag carrying 30 million won ($24,865) from former Keangnam Enterprises chairman Sung Woan-jong while running in a by-election in 2013. Sung was found dead last April in an apparent suicide amid a prosecutorial probe into the scan
Jan. 29, 2016
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U.N. official criticizes Korea for restricting freedom of speech
A senior U.N. rights official expressed concerns Friday that the Korean authorities were stifling the rights to public assembly and free speech. Maina Kiai (Yonhap)Maina Kiai, the special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, took issue with the government’s use of law and public force to restrict public assemblies and association, as well as a lack of dialogue channels between the authorities and citizens. “I heard government officials repeatedly cite peop
Jan. 29, 2016
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Military to hand out cell phones to conscripts
The Defense Ministry said Friday it will operate a new mobile phone system at the nation's military barracks, in which soldiers will be able to receive phone calls from their parents and relatives. To this effect, the ministry has distributed a total of 44,686 mobile phones throughout all military barracks for the country's 630,000 soldiers in its latest effort to improve their living conditions.One cell phone will be given to each group of eight to 10 soldiers staying together in the same livin
Jan. 29, 2016
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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