Most Popular
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Court accepts UPP cabal tape-recording as evidence
Court officials on Friday accepted tape-recorded conversations of the so-called Revolutionary Organization as evidence in the trial of group members for intent to destroy important government buildings in case of a North Korean invasion.Justices at the Suwon District Court chose to admit 32 of the 47 tape recordings presented as evidence by the prosecution. The tape recordings reportedly documented RO members vehemently proposing the destruction of government buildings under the leadership of th
Jan. 3, 2014
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Carpenter’s office raided in Sungnyemun scandal
Police raided the offices and residence of a veteran carpenter suspected of supplying wood imported from Russia for the Sungnyemun Gate restoration project, officials said Friday.Speculations have grown over the materials used in the restoration of the ancient gate in Seoul that some craftsmen allegedly brought wood imported Russia and other regions, instead of using homegrown wood, called geumgang-song.An intellectual crime unit at Korean National Police Agency has been investigating the allega
Jan. 3, 2014
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[Photo News] Moon pays tribute to self-immolator
Former opposition presidential candidate Moon Jae-in pays tribute to Lee Nam-jong, who burned himself to death on New Year‘s Day near Seoul Station to protest government policy, in a visit to Lee’s funeral altar on Thursday. Lee called for the launch of an independent probe into alleged election meddling by the nation’s spy agency. By Ock Hyun-ju, Intern reporter (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)
Jan. 3, 2014
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Court upholds prison term of father for raping daughter
The nation's top court on Friday confirmed a 10-year prison term for a 44-year-old man for raping his own teenage daughter and coercing her to provide false testimony.The father, only identified as his surname Kim, was found guilty of raping and brutally assaulting his underage daughter on multiple occasions in 2012 in his house.The Supreme Court also found Kim guilty of fabricating a key piece of evidence during the course of the trials by forcing the daughter to recant earlier testimony. Kim o
Jan. 3, 2014
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Commission approves restart of three reactors in fake parts scandal
South Korea's nuclear commission on Thursday approved the restart of three nuclear reactors that were suspended after being found to have used substandard parts approved under fabricated quality certificates.The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission said it has approved the restart of the Shin Kori Reactor 1 and 2, and Shin Wolsong Reactor 1, effective immediately, as all problematic parts have been replaced. The three reactors had been undergoing a special inspection since late May when an in
Jan. 2, 2014
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[Photo News] Kicking off new year
Jan. 2, 2014
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Hike in Dokdo budget misses original target
The South Korean parliament failed to raise this year’s budget for promoting the country’s ownership of the easternmost islets of Dokdo as originally planned, despite Japan’s growing attempts to lay claim to the territory, the foreign ministry said Thursday.The National Assembly approved a 4.84 billion won ($4.63 million) budget bill for the government’s efforts in 2014 to globally promote the country‘s ownership of a cluster of rocky outcroppings lying in the East Sea and to counter Japan’s fal
Jan. 2, 2014
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Court rules against cadet’s expulsion
An appellate court in Seoul said Wednesday it has upheld a lower court’s decision that the Korea Military Academy went too far in expelling a cadet for having sex with his girlfriend.The Seoul High Court said it has ordered the expulsion revoked.It said the academy’s regulation banning sex should be construed as banning sex acts that go beyond moral limitations, and excessive application of the regulation could lead to a violation of Constitutional rights.The cadet was kicked out of the academy
Jan. 2, 2014
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Seoul City still faces child care deficit despite subsidy increase
Seoul City is likely to continue its budget deficit for the free child care program this year, despite the increase in subsidies from the central government.The city said Thursday that 60 billion won ($57 million) more was still needed to pay for the child care services, according to the new national budget plan. The National Assembly on Wednesday passed the national budget plan, which increased the public subsidy for child care provision from 20 percent of the cost to 35 percent for Seoul and f
Jan. 2, 2014
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Union leaders continue defying police summons
Leaders of the state-run rail operator's labor union have no plans to appear before police to face questioning over a recently-ended strike by thousands of its members, the union spokesman said Thursday.The longest-ever rail strike in South Korea ended on Monday when rival parties cut a deal with the labor union of state-run Korea Railroad Corp. to form a parliamentary subcommittee on preventing the privatization of rail services.Despite the dramatic closure, police vowed to continue with execut
Jan. 2, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Early English education thrives amid concerns
The Korea Herald is launching a new weekly series titled “Uniquely Korean” on Page 3 every Thursday. This series will explore many aspects of Korea that can be classified as “unique” for readers, such as customs, practices, institutions, hot spots and social trends. The column will help guide both Korean and non-Korean readers to the hidden and intriguing gems of Korean culture. ― Ed.Song Joo-hee (not her real name) regularly takes her 3-year-old son to a private English school in Seoul as publi
Jan. 1, 2014
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Health care sector in turmoil as doctors threaten strike
The longest-ever railway workers’ walkout ended early this week, but the nation is likely to face another major disruption in its medical sector as doctors are threatening to stage strikes protesting the government’s latest plans to overhaul medical services.The Korea Medical Association, a lobby group of physicians, said last week that it would finalize a walkout plan on Jan. 11, saying it would not “tolerate” the government’s plan to allow telemedicine and for-profit hospital subsidiaries. A s
Jan. 1, 2014
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New address system enters full effect
Only the street name-based address system should be used in official documents starting this year, replacing land lot number-based addresses which were used for nearly a century, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration said. The new address system, which is based on the names of streets and designated building numbers, was initially floated as an alternative system in 1997 in order to simplify the address system and make it more consistent. In recent years, however, policymakers strug
Jan. 1, 2014
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Penalties for child abuse strengthened
The National Assembly has passed a bill to toughen the punishment for child abuse after a series of cases touched off a spate of public anger last year. Those who beat children to death will be sentenced to a minimum five years up to life imprisonment. Courts are no longer allowed to give probation to the offenders in question. The prosecution must file a loss of parental right to courts for habitual offenders or for those who commit serious child abuse crimes. The tougher punishment came after
Jan. 1, 2014
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KORAIL union ends strike while management vows discipline
Unionists of the state-run railway operator KORAIL on Tuesday ended a 22-day walkout and returned to their workplaces.However, they vowed to continue their struggle against the government's approval of the establishment of a KORAIL affiliate, which will run the new bullet train route out of Suseo in southwestern Seoul from as early as 2015."All union members returned and resumed their work as of 11 a.m. We will go back to our normal duties," said Choi Eun-cheol, spokesman of the union.KORAIL chi
Dec. 31, 2013
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Child abusers to spend life behind bars
Child abusers whose assault has caused death of their victims could spend their life behind bars indefinitely in the future, as a bill obliging tougher measures against child abuse passed the National Assembly’s general session on Tuesday.According to the special bill on child protection and abuse prevention proposed by Rep. Ahn Hong-joon of the ruling Saenuri Party, those whose abuse resulted in death of the child victim will be subject to life sentence while those whose deeds inflicted “hard t
Dec. 31, 2013
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KORAIL unionists end strike, return to workplaces
Unionists of the state-run railway operator KORAIL on Tuesday ended a 22-day walkout and returned to their workplaces.However, they vowed to continue their struggle against the government's approval of the establishment of a KORAIL affiliate, which will run the new bullet train route out of Suseo in southwestern Seoul from as early as 2015."All union members returned and resumed their work as of 11 a.m. We will go back to our normal duties before the strike," said Choi Eun-cheol, spokesman of th
Dec. 31, 2013
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U.S. soldier acquitted of raping fiancee
A Seoul court acquitted an American soldier of raping his South Korean fiancee in 2011, court officials said Tuesday. The sergeant major of the U.S. Army, whose identity has been withheld, was indicted on charges of raping and assaulting his fiancee, whose identity remains anonymous, officials said. The Seoul Central District Court delivered a not-guilty verdict, citing lack of evidence, they added. "The court does not take credibility in the plaintiff's statement as well as other ev
Dec. 31, 2013
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Court upholds gov't order to amend history textbooks
A local court on Monday turned down a request from authors of six history textbooks to suspend a controversial government order to amend them for containing ideological bias, allowing the distribution of revised versions to high school students early next year as scheduled. The Ministry of Education ordered publishers of the books on Dec. 2 to revise 41 parts of their descriptions for containing factual errors and views that could "negatively affect students perspective of history." Two days
Dec. 30, 2013
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[Eye on English] For Koreans, English used as mark of status
For Koreans, English is much more than a lingua franca. It is a crucial measure of personal marketability, intelligence and even academic assiduity that would facilitate their entry into top-tier schools and high-paying professions, and their rise up the corporate ladder.Since the 1990s when the government’s mantra of globalization resonated throughout the whole country, English skills have become a vital means of survival in Korea’s hypercompetitive society.Most students and job-seekers have sp
Dec. 30, 2013