Most Popular
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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[Music in drama] An ode to childhood trauma
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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[Photo News] Floodgates open
July 14, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Public outcry fazes state pension service
The number of taxpayers signing up in an online campaign to abolish the state-run pension system is nearing 100,000, signaling a growing opposition against the mandatory program for all employees in the country.The Alliance for Taxpayers Korea said on Saturday that the number of people who think the current pension scheme is unfair and disagree with a plan to raise subscribers’ contribution rate, is fast growing. The civic group claimed that the government should enact a dramatic reform to impro
July 14, 2013
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Ministry to monitor levels of sodium in school meals
The government is planning to require all public schools specify the amount of salt in school meals starting next year in order to reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes among students.The Education Ministry announced Sunday that it would regulate all school meals and monitor the amount of salt they contain, as part of efforts to reduce students’ salt consumption by more than 20 percent.The current average sodium intake from a school lunch is 928 milligrams ― equivalent to about 2.35 grams of s
July 14, 2013
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Downpour kills 3 in Gyeonggi
Localized torrential downpours have hit Seoul and the surrounding areas over the weekend, causing flooding and killing at least three. Heavy rain warnings and watches were issued Saturday in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon and Gangwon provinces as 225.5 millimeters of rainfall soaked the capital. As of 2 p.m. Sunday, the accumulated rainfall in northern Gyeonggi Province reached 245 millimeters in Gapyeong, 216 in Namyangju, 201 in Yeoncheon and 198.5 in Pocheon. In Pocheon, northeast Gyeonggi Province
July 14, 2013
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Heavy rains batter northern parts of Gyeonggi Province
Localized heavy downpours battered regions north of Seoul Sunday, flooding homes and roads, and knocking down a section of the wire fence on the border with North Korea. Two people were killed after being swept away in swollen streams, officials said.Up to 272 millimeters of rain fell in northern parts of Gyeonggi Province between Saturday and Sunday alone, with Yeoncheon County near the border with North Korea receiving nearly 100 mm of rain in about an hour from between 6 a.m., officials said.
July 14, 2013
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S. Korea's vice foreign minister to visit Japan for talks
South Korea's vice foreign minister is expected to visit Japan next week, during which he may possibly discuss a summit between the two countries, diplomatic sources said Saturday.Kim Kyou-hyun, Seoul's first vice minister for foreign affairs, plans to visit Tokyo for the opening ceremony Thursday of a new building for the South Korean embassy there.Kim is expected to use the occasion to meet with his Japanese counterpart, Akitaka Saiki, and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the sou
July 14, 2013
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Talents used for good
When Won You-min, a 31-year-old architect, was requested to build a private childcare center in a small and isolated fishing village near Gangjin, South Jeolla Province, all he could think of was how to politely decline. Not only because he had no experience with designing a children’s facility but also because it was an offer made by a non-governmental organization that did not have sufficient funding. But soon after the architect reached the village, some 500 kilometers south of Seoul, he coul
July 12, 2013
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Seoul court orders review of compensation ruling on Vietnam War defoliant victims
South Korea's top court on Friday partly reversed a lower court ruling that said two U.S. producers of a toxic chemical should compensate most of the South Korean Vietnam War veterans who sued the firms for their exposure to the defoliant.Sending the case back for review, the Supreme Court said the Seoul High Court should reconsider its 2006 verdict of a combined63 billion won (US$61 million) in damages awarded to 6,795 South Koreans.In a ruling, the court did not recognize epidemiological corre
July 12, 2013
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‘Trip to Haiti changed my life’
Helping those in need offers its own rewards, and this may be no more true of anyone than Kim Kyung-ran. The once high-flying TV anchorwoman suddenly quit her job at KBS last year not only to become a freelancer but to start a second life as a philanthropist helping children at home and abroad. “It’s not obvious volunteer work voicing out for help. It’s literally a fun activity for both children and us,” Kim, 35, told The Korea Herald.She was one of the most promising announcers of the state-run
July 12, 2013
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Talent sharing redefines philanthropy
You need not be a millionaire to help others in need. A number of gifted experts and celebrities are proving this through their skills-donation activities. Designer Lie Sang-bong has given not only his clothes but also his time and expertise to the less privileged and social causes for the past four years.The fashion guru sketched on a folding fan to raise awareness of saving energy, made costumes for a low-budget film, and designed a uniform for the national table-tennis players.“I hope sharing
July 12, 2013
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Seoul court orders review of compensation ruling on defoliant victims of Vietnam War
South Korea's top court on Friday partly reversed a lower court ruling that said two U.S. producers of a toxic chemical should compensate most of the South Korean Vietnam War veterans who sued the firms for their exposure to the defoliant.Sending the case back for review, the Supreme Court said the Seoul High Court should reconsider its 2006 verdict of a combined 63 billion won ($61 million) in damages awarded to 6,795 South Koreans.In a ruling, the court did not recognize epidemiological correl
July 12, 2013
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Asiana passenger calls begged for help
Passengers who called emergency services minutes after a Boeing 777 crashed at San Francisco International Airport said not enough help had arrived and they were doing their best to keep the critically injured alive, according to the calls that portray a scene of desperation.Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash-landed Saturday when it came in too low and too slow, killing two passengers and injuring many others as it skittered and spun 100 feet (30 meters). Most of the injured suffered minor injurie
July 12, 2013
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90% of Seoulites exposed to second-hand smoke every day
Nearly 91 percent of citizens in Seoul are exposed to second-hand smoking everyday with their daily exposure time averaging 13 minutes, a poll showed.According to the survey of 1,000 citizens aged 19 years or older, 90.8 percent experienced passive smoking each day as of end-December last year, down by 1.6 percentage points from four years earlier. They were exposed to second-hand smoking 1.4 times per day for 13 minutes on average.While their involuntary exposure came more frequently in outdoor
July 11, 2013
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Police to step up probe over sex bribery scandal
Police said Thursday that they will launch a full-fledged investigation into allegations that a detained local construction contractor hired women to provide sexual favors to a number of high-profile figures in return for business benefits.On Wednesday night, the 52-year-old construction contractor, surnamed Yoon, was put under detention immediately after a Seoul court approved the prosecution's request for an arrest warrant for the businessman who has been at the center of a massive sex scandal
July 11, 2013
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Military to establish surveillance cameras in female barracks
The defense ministry said Thursday it will require surveillance cameras to be installed in all female barracks for better monitoring and enforcing stronger punishment of soldiers who commit sex crimes.The ministry reviewed the discipline and security of military troops in a meeting with senior officers and came up with a string of measures aimed at curbing sex crimes and suicides in barracks. "The ministry will appoint a sexual harassment counselor for each unit and require the establishment of
July 11, 2013
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Ex-spy chief arrested on bribery charges
Former spy agency chief Won Sei-hoon was arrested on charges of taking bribes from a local construction company in exchange of business favors. The Seoul Central District Court approved the prosecution’s request for an arrest warrant for Won, a close associate of former President Lee Myung-bak.In a separate case, the former head of the National Intelligence Service was indicted last month on charges of masterminding an online smear campaign against opposition parties to sway public opinion ahead
July 10, 2013
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Court orders Nippon Steel to compensate Korean ex-laborers
An appellant court on Wednesday ordered Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. to compensate four former Korean employees forced into labor during Japan’s colonial rule. In a retrial, the Seoul High Court ruled that the steel giant (formerly Nippon Steel Corp.) should pay 100 million won ($88,000) each in delayed salary, and additional damages. “Then a key defense contractor, Nippon Steel committed anti-humanitarian, illegal acts together with the Japanese government such as mobilizing manpower for
July 10, 2013
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Prosecution raids arms dealers over alleged tax evasion
The prosecution raided five locations including Daewoo International headquarters on Wednesday in a widening investigation into offshore tax evasion and money laundering allegedly attempted by weapons brokers here.Investigators believe that the arms dealers illegally transferred billions of won they received in kickbacks to a paper company overseas and brought the money back to Korea.Brokers allegedly took kickbacks from an Indonesian aircraft manufacturer that won a 150-billion-won bid to sell
July 10, 2013
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‘Four-river project pushed to revive Grand Canal scheme’
The former Lee Myung-bak administration pushed the four-river refurbishment project with the intention to build a cross-country canal network, the state auditor said Wednesday.The hidden long-term plan caused a number of serious problems such as bid rigging, increased costs and poor water quality management, the Board of Audit and Inspection said in its report.Later in the day, Cheong Wa Dae said that the previous administration caused great damage to the state if the BAI’s report was true.“(The
July 10, 2013
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Seoul to offer job training to migrant women
Seoul City said Wednesday it is to provide job training and entrepreneurship programs for marriage migrant women.The one- to three-month courses on beauty care, hotel room assistance and SNS marketing will be run in seven women career centers in various districts, including Jungnang, Gwanak and Seongdong.A government survey showed that 41.5 percent of migrant women in the country were unemployed last year. Applications will be received through each center starting Thursday. (rene@heraldcorp.com)
July 10, 2013