Most Popular
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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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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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[Herald Interview] Why Toss invited hackers to penetrate its system
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S. Korean envoys convene to navigate strategy amid Middle East tensions
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[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent
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North Korea fires several short-range ballistic missiles into sea: JCS
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Samsung, SK hynix investors dump shares on Nvidia crash
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Suspect in murder of girlfriend's mugshot, name made public
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Average salary for new graduates at large firms tops W37m
The average annual income of new college graduates at big firms reached 37.12 million won ($34,000) this year, according to data by online recruiting agency JobKorea.The starting pay for entry-level workers at 167 large Korean firms grew by 7.3 percent from 34.59 million won last year, the biggest increase since the 2007-2010 global financial crisis, the statistics showed.By industry, workers in the shipbuilding sector were the highest earners, receiving an average annual pay of 41.32 million wo
Sept. 8, 2013
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Free school meals eat up tuition funding for underprivileged students
The heavy spending on free-school meal services to all primary and secondary students is causing a decrease in educational support for children from lower-income families, government data showed on Sunday.The Ministry of Education compiled the overall budget of 17 provincial and municipal education offices across the country. According to the report, the total expenditure on educational support to primary and secondary students has increased by 504 billion won ($462 million) to 3.184 trillion wo
Sept. 8, 2013
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First public gay wedding held in S. Korea
Two South Korean male filmmakers tied the knot in central Seoul Saturday, marking the first public wedding in the country for a gay couple.Film director and producer Kimjo Gwang-soo, 48, and 29-year-old Kim Seung-hwan, the head of gay film distributor Rainbow Factory, got married on a temporary stage built near Cheonggye Stream with about 1,000 guests and citizens in attendance.South Korea does not legally recognize gay marriages."I found out I was gay when I was 15 and I prayed to God everyday
Sept. 8, 2013
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Second chance at work gives seniors fresh purpose
Most of the commuters beeping their metro cards at City Hall Station in Seoul hardly notice the pink ribbon strapped around the old man’s chest.“How may I help you?” the ribbon reads. Above it stares a countenance with wrinkles that belie the satisfaction of working at this seemingly monotonous job. “The job is very enjoyable,” said Do Yeon-mun, a 78-year-old retired ginseng trader. It’s not because it helps him financially, but because it helps him stay healthy. “I work three hours in the morni
Sept. 6, 2013
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Jobs give seniors pride and sense of worth
As a source of income, health and self-respect, a job is the best welfare for the elderly, says Kang Hi-sung, chief of the job center at the Korea Senior Citizen Association.The center, funded by government subsidies, finds employment for those over the age of 60 through a nationwide network. On average, the center helps about 20,000 seniors find jobs in the private sector. “Finding employment is a source of pride. It is recognition of being healthy, and it gives them confidence as a part of soc
Sept. 6, 2013
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Prosecution chief denies news report on extramarital child
The chief prosecutor on Friday denied a news report as “groundless” that he has a child born out of an extramarital affair. The Chosun Ilbo reported that Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook has a son who was born in 2002. It claimed Chae first met the mother of the child in 1999.“I’ve never heard of that,” Chae told reporters. Chae and his wife have a daughter.He says that given the timing of the report there seems to be an intention to sway the prosecution over various ongoing politically sensiti
Sept. 6, 2013
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Ex-President Chun's brother-in-law indicted on tax charges
A brother-in-law of disgraced former President Chun Doo-hwan will stand trial on tax evasion charges, state prosecutors said Friday.Lee Chang-seok was indicted on a charge of evading taxes worth 6 billion won (US$5.4 million) and formally detained pending trial, they said.He is the first relative of the former president ever to stand trial since prosecutors restarted efforts to reclaim hidden assets of the former military dictator who was convicted of taking bribes while in office in the 1980s.C
Sept. 6, 2013
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Saenuri ups pressure on Lee, UPP
The ruling Saenuri Party on Friday submitted a motion to expel leftist Rep. Lee Seok-ki, who was arrested Thursday for allegedly plotting an armed revolt and forming an illegal organization against South Korea. High-level Saenuri officials also urged the government to petition the Constitutional Court to consider the disbandment of Lee’s Unified Progressive Party.“I urge (the government) to request the Constitutional Court to disband the UPP,” Saenuri Party secretary-general Rep. Hong Moon-jong
Sept. 6, 2013
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Two Koreas restore military hotline amid cross-border talks
South and North Korea restored a military hotline along the west coast on Friday to coordinate cross-border travel as the two sides work toward reopening a shuttered joint industrial park.Shortly before 11:00 a.m., a South Korean liaison officer at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine office spoke with his North Korean counterpart over the phone to test the telephone lines, a senior official at the defense ministry said.The military hotline had been used to provide safe passage for South Kore
Sept. 6, 2013
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Prosecution chief denies news report on extramarital child
The chief prosecutor on Friday denied a news report as "groundless" that he has a child born out of an extramarital affair. Chosun Ilbo, the country's most influential daily, reported that Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook has a son who was born in 2002. It claimed Chae first met the mother of the child in 1999."I've never heard of that," Chae told reporters. Chae and his wife have a daughter.He says that given the timing of the report there seems to be an intention to sway the prosecution over
Sept. 6, 2013
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Seoul, Thai police to cooperate
An Jae-kyung (left), deputy commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, poses for a photo with his Thai counterpart Udom Raksiltham at the office building of the NPA in central Seoul on Thursday after talks on cooperation. (Kim Myung-sub/The Korea Herald)
Sept. 6, 2013
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Elderly suicide rate rises 28 percent
Suicide rates among people aged 60 and over in Korea have risen steadily over the last four years, a report showed Thursday.A total of 5,151 elderly people took their own lives in 2011, up nearly 28 percent from 4,029 in 2008, according to National Police Agency data released by Rep. Kim Hyun of the Democratic Party.The report showed that the total number of suicides in Korea has also risen steadily from 12,270 in 2008 to 14,722 in 2009, 14,779 in 2010 and 15,681 in 2011. Of the total 57,452 peo
Sept. 5, 2013
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Korean language proficiency test to get easier
The government will simplify the state-managed Korean language proficiency test and increase the number of exams conducted every year in an effort to increase foreigners’ access to the Korean language and the test, authorities said Thursday.Test of Proficiency in Korean, a test for non-Korean natives interested in attending school and working in South Korea, measures one’s ability to understand Korean grammar, writing, listening and reading.Launched in 1997, TOPIK is offered four times a year in
Sept. 5, 2013
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Smoking violations in Seoul nearly double
The number of smoking violations in public areas in Seoul reached 431 cases this year, almost double that of last year, a city official said Thursday. The Seoul City government has designated three public spots including Seoul Plaza as nonsmoking zones since 2011 with fines of 100,000 won ($91.60) for violators. The number of smoking violations at bus stops also increased to 583 as of July, nearly equal to the total in all of 2012. The cases in areas governed by district offices also rose to 11,
Sept. 5, 2013
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Ministry launches investment fund for local drugmakers
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday that it established a 100 billion won ($91 million) fund to help the nation’s struggling pharmaceutical industry make inroads into global markets.The fund will be spent on encouraging local drugmakers to develop new products, promote sales and expand production capacity, officials said. The ministry has offered 20 billion won to the fund with other state-run financial institutions joining in the investment. “The government-led fund is created to i
Sept. 5, 2013
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Seoul to sell bonds for free child care
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon announced Thursday that the city will issue municipal bonds to finance child care services as the central government has continued to refuse further support.The plan would offer temporary relief from the budget woes that had threatened to scuttle the expanded welfare scheme applied to all children aged 5 or under. The city was expected to run out of budget for the program by this month. It decided to make up the budget shortfall through around 200 billion won ($182 mil
Sept. 5, 2013
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Cheonan documentary released after court rejects injunction request
A controversial documentary on the 2010 sinking of the South Korean warship was released nationwide on Thursday after a local court rejected the Navy's request for an injunction against what it called defamatory content."Project Cheonan Ship," which is directed by independent filmmaker Baek Seung-woo and produced by Chung Ji-young, challenges a multinational investigation team's conclusion that North Korea is responsible for torpedoing the Navy vessel Cheonan in the western sea on March 26, 2010
Sept. 5, 2013
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Rights watchdog says dating ban on freshmen cadets ‘discriminatory’
South Korea’s human rights watchdog said Wednesday it has recommended a military academy to ease the ban on dating among freshmen cadets, saying the excessive regulation constitutes “discrimination.” Currently, the Korea Air Force Academy bans romantic relationships among novice cadets to tighten regulations on the students who are required to endure rigorous and disciplined military lifestyle. Violators are subject to heavy punishment. The rule was challenged by an Air Force cadet when he filed
Sept. 4, 2013
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Park departs for Russia for G20 summit
South Korean President Park Geun-hye left for Russia on Wednesday for a summit of the world’s top 20 economies and a series of bilateral meetings with other leaders in what would be her debut in multilateral diplomacy.Russia’s second-largest city of Saint Petersburg is the first leg of Park’s two-nation trip that will take her to Vietnam for a state visit billed by officials as the kickoff of her “sales diplomacy” drive aimed at helping boost South Korea’s slumping economy.It is Park’s third ove
Sept. 4, 2013
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Court rejects injuction against film ‘Cheonan Project’
The lower court on Wednesday dismissed an injunction request against the release of a controversial film that puts into question North Korea’s responsibility for the sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010. The Uijeongbu District Court allowed the “Cheonan Project” to be shown to audiences from Thursday as scheduled. The “Cheonan Project” is a 75-minute documentary that raises questions as to whether the North Korean military was indeed at fault, as South Korean government officials strongly a
Sept. 4, 2013