Most Popular
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Korea's food inflation surges to third-highest in OECD
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W13tr cash handout likely top agenda for Yoon's 1st meeting with Lee
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[AtoZ into Korean mind] Humor in Korea: Navigating the line between what's funny and not
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Med school deans urge for freeze of 2025 quota
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Yoon seeks rebound, taps 5-term lawmaker as chief of staff
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Medical standoff deepens as doctors reject new med school plan, talks
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N. Korea says Kim guided simulated nuclear counterattack drill
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Culture Ministry, KTO unveil Hallyu-themed tours
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[Herald Interview] Why Toss invited hackers to penetrate its system
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BOK chief says won will level off if Middle East conflict eases
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Labor group vows massive protest rally next week
A major umbrella labor group said Sunday it will press ahead with a massive protest rally in central Seoul next weekend.It heralds another clash between protesters and police following a fierce street stand-off in mid-November.At that time, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against President Park Geun-hye's labor and education policies. Police used tear gas and water cannons against the violent demonstrators.Police announced that they would prohibit the second rally slat
Nov. 29, 2015
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Korea to strengthen pilot mental health evaluation process
South Korea will strengthen the evaluation process to check the mental health of its pilots to prevent another Germanwings type of tragedy, the government said Sunday.The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said new guidelines will go into effect starting in December. Under the changes, the government will designate specialized hospitals and counseling clinics that can better ascertain the mental state of flyers on a regular basis. The ministry said the airlines will be required to mo
Nov. 29, 2015
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Online survey: English-speaking people favor 'Hi Seoul' over new brand
English-speaking people favor Seoul's previous catchphrase "Hi Seoul - Soul of Asia" over its new brand slogan and identity "I.SEOUL.U," according to a new poll.The poll by SurveyMonkey, the world's largest online survey firm, showed that 66 percent of respondents said they like "Hi Seoul - Soul of Asia" while 12 percent said they prefer "I.SEOUL.U. - City of Me and You."It said 63 percent felt "Hi Seoul - Soul of Asia" better represents Seoul while 11 percent said "I.SEOUL.U - City of Me and Yo
Nov. 28, 2015
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Police say will not allow farmers to hold rally
An association that speaks for farmers vowed on Saturday to go ahead with a massive rally planned for next weekend, setting the stage for another clash with police.The move came after police informed the association composed of farmers earlier in the day that they will ban the group from holding a rally in central Seoul on Dec. 5.Earlier this week, the association notified police that it planned to hold a rally that could draw some 10,000 participants near City Hall next Saturday.Police warned t
Nov. 28, 2015
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Famous S. Korean novelist sued over defamation
A famous South Korean female novelist has been sued over defamation by a former Catholic priest, police said Friday.The suit against Kong Jee-young, the author of "Go Alone Like a Rhino Horn" stemmed from a message posted on her Facebook page in July, in which she claimed that the former priest did not give the money he collected for a shelter to his diocese and used funds raised separately for the disable for personal purposes.The former priest has filed the suit against Kong, arguing that the
Nov. 27, 2015
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[Weekender] Advertisers walk thin line between ethics and freedom of expression
TV personality and lawyer Kang Yong-suk appears on the controversial “I sue you” advertisement poster that was voluntarily taken down in October. (Kang Yong-suk’s blog)The “right to advertise,” despite the powerful support of the right to free speech, is now facing a new challenge. Kang Yong-suk, a TV personality and lawyer at Next Law, recently triggered the controversy with a poster of himself roaring “I sue you!” What was meant to be a witty ad was taken down shortly after concerns emerged
Nov. 27, 2015
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[Newsmaker] Justice minister warns against protests
The government Friday heaped pressure on labor unions preparing for another massive antigovernment rally next month, warning that it will sternly clamp down on illegal protests at any cost. “Illegal and violent protests are serious and clear challenges to the country’s rule of law and to the public who love peace. Those who ignore the law and deride the government’s power will rightly pay the cost in the name of the public,” said Justice Minister Kim Hyun-woong in a press briefing. Justice Minis
Nov. 27, 2015
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Massive hepatitis C infection in Korea caused by reused syringes
A total of 71 South Koreans are confirmed to have been infected with hepatitis C caused by reused syringes at a clinic in Seoul as of Friday, health authorities said. The Health Ministry said on Friday a medical doctor of Dana Hyeondae Clinic in Seoul’s Yangcheon-gu claimed he suffered from brain injuries since 2012 while admitting to having resused disposable needles during blood donations that resulted in the massive hepatitis C infection. The Health Ministry is testing 2,268 more patients w
Nov. 27, 2015
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[NEWSMAKER] Russia & Turkey: Historic foes facing future
ISTANBUL, (AFP) -- Turkey's downing of a Russian war plane on the Syrian border risks inflicting significant damage on relations between Moscow and Ankara, even if they both have an interest in avoiding a permanent rupture.Modern Turkey and Russia are the successor states of empires that fought over three centuries of war from the late 16th century for the Black Sea and Caucasus but in recent years forged a sometimes uneasy but pragmatic alliance.Energy-poor Turkey relies on Russia for over half
Nov. 26, 2015
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Korea suffers lack of work motivation, brain drain: survey
South Koreans are among the least motivated workers in the world, which might be linked to the “brain drain” that hampers the nation’s competitiveness, according to a report by a Swiss business institute. The World Talent Report 2015 by the Institute for Management Development said South Korea came in at 54th among 61 economies across the world in terms of its employees’ motivation at work. Asia’s fourth-largest economy also saw a serious outflow of local talents, landing at 18th among the surve
Nov. 26, 2015
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Fixed bonuses part of regular pay: top court
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the fixed amount of performance-based bonus paid on a regular basis should be considered part of workers‘ regular wages, in a landmark ruling that effectively handed a victory to 1,025 employees of GM Korea in their legal dispute against the company. South Korea’s top court upheld a ruling by a lower court that said GM Korea should include its monthly paid bonus and family allowance as part of the regular wages, which forms the basis for calculating each
Nov. 26, 2015
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Young N.K. defectors keen on unification
College students who defected from North Korea feel the need for unification more than South Korea-born students, a survey showed Thursday.The survey was compiled by Story K, a youth forum, by interviewing 257 native South Koreans and 180 North Korean defectors currently attending universities here over a seven-day period this month.According to the report, 44 percent of South Korean students said they “mostly disagreed” with the statement that “unification should be realized as soon as possible
Nov. 26, 2015
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Household health spending grows 41.3% in South Korea
Health expenditures of South Korean households increased significantly by 41.3 percent from 2008-2013, especially hurting low-income families here, a study showed Thursday. The study, by Lee Tae-jin from Seoul National University, researched government data on medical expenditures of local households, including costs for hospital care, outpatient care and medical goods. The study found that health expenditures kept increasing throughout the period, from an average annual cost of 1.05 million wo
Nov. 26, 2015
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More Koreans burdened by social security outlays: poll
More South Koreans are feeling the pinch of rising social security outlays as the country moves to expand its welfare infrastructure, a nationwide poll showed Thursday. The 2015 society trend survey on 39,000 people across the country in May revealed that 65.6 percent of respondents said outlays for health are becoming a burden, while 63.9 percent of them said the same thing about national pension premiums. These numbers are up from 64.9 percent and 62.3 percent, respectively, from the year be
Nov. 26, 2015
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Brain drain hurts Korea's competitiveness: report
A serious outflow of talented people from South Korea is hurting the country's global competitiveness, a report by a business school in Switzerland showed Thursday. The World Talent Report 2015 by the Institute for Management Development showed Asia's fourth-largest economy ranking 18th among 61 countries checked in terms of human capital flight. The ranking poses challenges for the resource poor country because its ability to churn out a large number of people with skills has been the foundat
Nov. 26, 2015
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South Korea’s last confirmed MERS patient dies
South Korea’s last confirmed Middle East respiratory syndrome patient died Wednesday, after fighting both the disease and cancer for more than five months since contracting the virus. The 35-year-old had suffered the longest battle against the disease among all MERS patients worldwide to date, according to Korea’s Health Ministry. He was the 38th Korean to die from the viral respiratory illness since its outbreak in May, raising the nation’s MERS fatality rate to 20.4 percent. The patient was K
Nov. 25, 2015
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Park’s open hostility to protests sparks backlash
When the dust settled after the Nov. 14 antigovernment mass rally, 51 were detained and scores more were injured from both sides, police and protestors alike. Reacting to the demonstration, President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday called for a ban on wearing face masks during protests, likening the masked protestors to IS terrorists.But Park’s tough rhetoric ― which came as police mulled banning a second mass antigovernment rally on Dec. 5 ― appears to have backfired, with civic groups and the opposit
Nov. 25, 2015
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City recruits foreign interns
Seoul City is recruiting dozens of foreign student interns who will participate in the city’s administrative and volunteer work, officials said. Seoul Metropolitan Government said it would pick 30 foreign students for Seoul City’s global internship next month.The city government has run the global internship program twice a year since 2008 to offer opportunities for foreign students to work for the city.Students will be dispatched to Seoul City Hall or affiliated organizations and support admini
Nov. 25, 2015
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Seoul City modifies controversial logo
Seoul City on Wednesday released the final version of its new logo -- with a little modification. Seoul Metropolitan Government said it had revised the new slogan “I.Seoul.U” to “I∙Seoul∙U,” changing the position of the dots to better emphasize the connection between “you” and “I” through the city. The decision was made based on expert advice. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)The new logo was chosen in late October after a series of public votes. It beat two other candidates -- “Seoulmate” and “Se
Nov. 25, 2015
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Gov't OKs traffic route change for Seoul Station overpass
The Transport Ministry on Wednesday approved Seoul City’s plan to tear down the outdated overpass near Seoul Station and alter routes for smoother traffic flow.The ministry, however, said it was not a consent to the city’s controversial plan to create a pedestrian park on the 1-kilometer flyover, and that the approval was only given as new traffic routes submitted by the city did not pose any problems.“This means we are approving a detour from the Seoul Station overpass, it does not mean that th
Nov. 25, 2015