Most Popular
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Yoon’s jailed mother-in-law excluded from latest parole list
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[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'
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Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
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Nicaragua shuts down Seoul embassy
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Rocket engine expert, ex-NASA exec to lead Korea's new space agency
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SNU profs to suspend treatment for one day
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SK hynix pledges W20tr to ramp up DRAM production at home
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Hybe's multilabel system tested amid conflict with Ador
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Over-50s, men, single-person households take up majority of those filing for bankruptcy
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Aging population to drive down Korea's housing prices from 2040: experts
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Cultural understanding key to English learning
When I was little, I had a great opportunity to live in the U.S. with my family for almost two years, which is when I first learned English and made foreign friends. I attended ESL or English as a second language classes at school with other international students whose parents were graduate students there like mine. During the first few days, the most difficult flash card to remember was “bread and butter” because, for me, “bread,” “and” and “butter” were three “unassociated” words instead of o
July 24, 2013
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Calls mount to tighten reins on youth boot camps
A group of high school students last week braved blistering weather and wild sea waves to take part in a marine-style boot camp. But the camp turned into a nightmare when five died after being swept away by strong currents.The incident marks the second case of teen deaths at a private camp in less than a year, raising concerns over the growing number of unregulated private youth training facilities. There are reportedly 20 such camps across the country, and most of them run without licenses sinc
July 24, 2013
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‘Smoking rooms’ emerge due to antismoking policy
A new yet ambiguous type of business called a “smoking room” has emerged from Internet cafes due to strict regulations on non-smoking zones.The smoking ban in Internet cafes, which kicked off June 8, has reportedly put many café owners in financial difficulties with a dramatic drop in visitors, not to mention a maximum fine of three million won if violated.One Internet café in Bupyeong, Incheon put up a sign on July 11 saying, “1,000 won per hour in a smoking room with unlimited provision of Int
July 24, 2013
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Economic concerns drive college choices: report
College costs are driving decisions about which schools to attend, what to study and even where to live, according to a report from loan giant Sallie Mae.Parents no longer foot the largest portion of the bill, according to the lender‘s annual survey. That role goes to grants and scholarships, with student loans coming in third.While the recession has largely passed, economic worries have not and many families are making college choices driven by fears of tuition hikes and job losses, according t
July 24, 2013
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Fire breaks out at Samsung Electronics production line at Giheung
A fire broke out at a plant of Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest memory chip and mobile phone maker, on Wednesday, firefighters and company officials said, adding that no one was injured. The fire started at 12:36 p.m. at a chimney above one of the production lines in Samsung's Giheung plant, located in Yongin, just south of Seoul, according to the firefighters.The blaze was put out in about 20 minutes, they added.No casualties were reported, company officials said, adding that the th
July 24, 2013
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Minister vows to stamp out unauthorized youth camps
The government and ruling party on Tuesday vowed to close youth summer camps with any safety or security concerns.“We’ll check all outdoor camps and force to stop them running unless safety of students is assured,” Education Minister Seo Nam-soo said at a government-ruling party meeting.His remarks came less than a week after five teenagers drowned at a private seaside summer camp at Taean Beach, South Chungcheong Province.“The incident occurred during the outdoor school activity, and I feel a g
July 23, 2013
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‘Fire truck that killed Asiana victim had no heat sensors’
The fire truck that ran over and killed a Chinese girl after an Asiana Airlines jet crash-landed on July 6 was not equipped with heat-sensing equipment, U.S. media reported Monday.According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the vehicle that caused the death of 16-year-old Ye Mengyuan did not have forward-looking infrared technology. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration requires all aircraft rescue trucks to install the equipment.A former FAA safety expert Ben Castellano told the newspaper the
July 23, 2013
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Former president claims seized insurance as inheritance
A confiscated insurance product belonging to the wife of former President Chun Doo-hwan has been purchased with assets inherited from her ancestors, a lawyer representing the couple said Tuesday.As part of efforts to collect a massive fine that the former military dictator owes the state, prosecutors have seized a personal pension insurance policy worth 3 billion won (US$2.68 million) that was opened under the name of former first lady Lee Soon-ja."I came here to pick up a document that can prov
July 23, 2013
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Club abuse video done for fame: alleged interpreter
A woman has claimed to have been an interpreter on the shoot of a viral Internet video that appears to show a group of Western men sexually harassing a woman in a nightclub but has since had its authenticity challenged. A second woman also told The Korea Herald that she had put one of the foreign men in the video in touch with its makers. The woman is a mutual acquaintance of the alleged interpreter and one of the foreign actors. The two women are the fourth and fifth people to claim that the vi
July 23, 2013
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TV producer found dead in apparent suicide
Kim Jong-hak, a star producer of hit Korean TV dramas, was found dead on Tuesday in an apparent suicide at a small rented room in Bundang, just outside Seoul, the police said.The 62-year-old producer allegedly killed himself by deliberate smoke inhalation, according to reports. He was found lying on the bed by a building manager at around 10 a.m. Kim left a four-page note in which he apologized to his family. Kim didn’t mention his financial troubles or the accusations of fraud and embezzlement
July 23, 2013
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Hacking attempts on foreign ministry, diplomatic offices to triple in 5 years
Hacking attempts this year targeting South Korea's foreign ministry and its diplomatic missions are expected to be triple the 2009 figure, the ministry said Tuesday. Just in the first three months of this year, attempts to break into the websites of the foreign affairs establishments totaled 1,027, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. If the current pace continues, the total number of hacking attempts on the ministry and its overseas offices will exceed the 4,000 mark for all of 2013, nearly tr
July 23, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Icon of peaceful protest tainted by violence
Two years ago, “Buses of Hope,” carrying thousands of people from different backgrounds, emerged as an icon for peaceful protest.The sympathy rally was launched in support of Kim Jin-suk, a female labor union member, who protested alone on a 35-meter-high crane for more than 300 days against Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction after the shipbuilder laid off more than 400 workers. Ferried in by buses, about 8,000 participants from across the country visited the shipyard in Busan on five occa
July 22, 2013
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[Graphic News] Hallyu earnings rocket
Thanks to a surge in exports of hallyu-related products, Korean entertainment-related firms including filmmakers, broadcasters and game makers earned about $800 million in royalties from foreign firms and individuals’ use of their intellectual property rights last year. It is an increase of 17.6 percent from the previous year that posted $680 million, according to data from the Bank of Korea.
July 22, 2013
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Park calls for overhaul of role of state lenders
President Park Geun-hye called Monday for restructuring the roles of state lending agencies to improve efficiency in funding key policy goals of her government, such as providing export support for smaller firms and increasing the employment rate, her spokeswoman said.Park made the remark after receiving a report on reorganizing the government’s “policy financing” system during a weekly meeting with senior secretaries, saying the current system lacks efficiency as related roles are scattered acr
July 22, 2013
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Korea to increase number of female school chiefs
The Education Ministry said Monday it plans to increase the number of female principals and vice principals at public schools by 2017, it announced on Monday.As of May, women accounted for only 5,188 of the 19,085 principals and vice principals in public schools across the country. The ministry said it would raise the number by 1,100 by 2017.Exactly half of Korea’s 50 million people are women, according to recent government figures.(596story@heraldcorp.com)
July 22, 2013
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Government jobs open to North Korean defectors
The government plans to hire North Korean defectors with career experience and certificates as formal staff in the second half of the year, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration said.Eleven low-level positions will be open for the refugees at some offices including those in charge of labor, culture, health, fair trade and food and drug safety. More details about the application process and qualifications will be announced between July and November on each ministry website. (monicasu
July 22, 2013
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Seoul City to deploy ‘tourist sheriffs’
Retired police officers and former public servants are likely to join police to protect foreign visitors in Seoul’s major tourist spots, a city official said Monday. Seoul Police Agency plans to launch a 100-member police corps by October to crack down on abuses against tourists by illegal taxi vans, unauthorized guides and others. Seoul City is considering deploying 12 former officials with local knowledge as “tourist sheriffs” to assist police in the most popular tourist areas, such as Myeongd
July 22, 2013
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Namyang officials indicted for abusing partners
The prosecution on Monday indicted the chief executive and five other officials of Namyang Dairy, one of the nation’s major dairy product makers, on charges of violating fair trade law, work disturbance and false accusations. Namyang CEO Kim Woong and other officials are suspected of forcing small retailers and distributors to buy more products than they needed. A total of 22 other former and incumbent Namyang Dairy officials also have been fined for employing unfair business tactics such as int
July 22, 2013
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Auditor launches safety checks on construction sites
The state auditor launched Monday emergency safety checks on dozens of major construction sites in Seoul as part of efforts to prevent accidents from flooding amid the prolonged rainy season.The move came after seven workers were killed last week after the swollen Hangang River, which flows through the center of the capital city, swamped their underground waterworks construction site. Torrential monsoon rains have pounded the city and adjacent areas in recent days.The Board of Audit and Inspecti
July 22, 2013
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Park urges enhanced safety
President Park Geun-hye directed the government to enhance safety oversight Monday after fatal accidents at a Seoul construction site and a youth boot camp last week. “Praying for the souls of the victims, I offer heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” Park said during a meeting with senior secretaries, before ordering officials to make sure that similar accidents didn’t happen in the future.“If any safety problems occur due to the lack of oversight and supervisory efforts, I will make
July 22, 2013