Most Popular
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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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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Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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[Grace Kao] Hybe vs. Ador: Inspiration, imitation and plagiarism
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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[Graphic News] Seoul walking trail to be finished by 2014
Seoul City said Tuesday it would complete a project to build a 157-kilometer-long walking trail (“dullegil” in Korean) around the city by late 2014. Of the eight courses, three sections with an length of 57.5 kilometers, have been completed connecting Mount Daemosan in southern Seoul and Anyang Stream in southwestern Seoul, Four other courses along Mount Yongmasan in the eastern part of Seoul through Mount Bukhansan in the northern part of the city will be finished late this year. “Seoul Dullegi
June 11, 2013
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Saenuri railroads bill to close Jinju hospital
By Cho Chung-unCouncilors from the ruling Saenuri Party in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, on Tuesday railroaded a bill that legally formalized the recent closure of a troubled public hospital, despite fierce protests by the main opposition Democratic Party and the labor union.The bill was approved by a majority of councilors from the ruling party only five minutes after it was brought up to an emergency meeting at the provincial assembly. After a tussle among rival party members, speaker Kim
June 11, 2013
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Staff of foreign financial firms summoned over CJ
Prosecutors investigating CJ Group’s suspected creation of a slush fund and tax evasion said Tuesday that they have notified two to three employees of foreign financial institutions to appear for questioning to determine whether the conglomerate opened borrowed-name accounts in those institutions. The food and entertainment conglomerate has been under an intense prosecution investigation into allegations that it has created a secret fund worth tens of millions of dollars, while evading taxes in
June 11, 2013
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Sexual harassment rampant among social leaders
From professors to lawmakers, including a former governor and even a successful presidential candidate, the list of powerful men involved in sexual harassment or controversy over their sexual attitudes is simply too long to spell out. In 2002, then-Jeju Gov. Woo Keun-min fondled the leader of a local women’s organization. When she took legal action against the governor, Woo sued her for slander and defamation. He lost his lawsuit in 2006 when the Supreme Court ruled against him. Woo retained his
June 11, 2013
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Harassment education, policies lack rigor
This is the second in a series of articles on sexual harassment in Korea: how society perceives it, what measures are being taken, and what more can be done to prevent it. ― Ed.Every time there is a sexual harassment prevention training session at her work, Kim Sun-young, 38, is sure what her male manager will come out saying.“Should I have to pay 30 million won for saying this?” is his usual aside after commenting on anything related to a female coworker, at which his male subordinates laugh un
June 11, 2013
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Korea faces multiethnic challenges as foreign population rises to 1.5m
The number of foreign nationals in Korea recently exceeded 1.5 million, accounting for about 3 percent of the population, data showed Monday.According to Korea Immigration Service, the number increased by 2.67 percent year-on-year to 1,501,761 as of June 9 and more than doubled the figure from 10 years ago. The increase adds to pressure on Korea to improve its immigration and multiculturalism policies to reduce discrimination and abuse against migrants.The foreign population here hit the 1 milli
June 10, 2013
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Seoul to cut subway services to save energy
The Seoul municipal government said Monday it will cut down subway operations in the summer months as part of efforts to save energy amid concerns over a power shortage following the recent shutdown of nuclear reactors.An electricity shortage overhangs South Korea after it halted the operation of two nuclear reactors in late May while delaying the scheduled operation of two other reactors as substandard control cables had been used in the reactors.Earlier this month, the country issued a warning
June 10, 2013
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Eight to stand trial over stock price rigging
Eight people have been indicted on charges of manipulating stock prices by making false regulatory filings and spreading deceptive information via an Internet broadcast in the course of corporate takeovers, prosecution officials said Monday.Two suspects were formally arrested and six accomplices were indicted without detention. The two people, including a suspect surnamed Yang, are accused of making false regulatory filings while taking over two KOSDAQ market-listed firms, the Seoul Central Pros
June 10, 2013
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Korea signs deal to host new U.N. Green Climate Fund
South Korea signed a deal with the board of the U.N. Green Climate Fund (GCF) Monday to help the new U.N. fund establish its headquarters here, ministry officials said. South Korea was chosen last October to host the U.N. fund that aims to channel $100 billion a year in aid to help developing nations combat climate change. The headquarters of the U.N. fund will be situated in Songdo, Incheon City. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Co-Chairman of the Green Climate Fund Ewen McDonald, signed the a
June 10, 2013
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Gov’t to expand on-site day care centers
The Korean government said Monday it will help develop more day care centers at workplaces to aid working moms.“On-site day care centers are the most preferred type of child care center for working moms. But due to a limited budget and strict rules on installment, only 39.1 percent of work sites have set up the centers,” said the officials.The government’s plan is to increase the ratio to more than 70 percent by 2017. While there are more than 40,000 child care centers nationwide, only a few pl
June 10, 2013
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Young couples seek inexpensive wedding spots
An increasing number of couples in South Korea are seeking wedding spots that cost less than traditional indoor venues, reflecting the trend in favor of cost-effective wedding ceremonies.The average price for renting a wedding hall in Seoul ranges from 2 to 3 million won, but when some other extra fees included, such as the payment for floral designs or guest gifts, the total cost can easily hit 10 million won. “When I had my wedding last March, I remember I spent more than 5 million won only fo
June 10, 2013
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TV personality detained for spousal abuse: report
Actor and TV personality Marco Benjamin Lee was detained for using violence against his wife, local media reported Monday.Lee, who uses the given name “Marco” when acting or appearing on TV, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly beating his wife Ahn Shi-hyun, a well-known professional golfer. South Korean news outlets, citing an unnamed police official, said Lee and Ahn got into a quarrel while discussing how to raise their child. Ahn immediately reported the case to the police, who took Lee into
June 10, 2013
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Food poisoning cases surge 80% in schools
Food poisoning cases among school children in Korea increased sharply last year compared to the year before mainly due to contaminated kimchi served in school meals, the Ministry of Education announced on Sunday.Last year, 54 cases of food poisoning were reported throughout the nation, an 80 percent increase from 30 cases the year before. Food poisoning at schools had been on a gradual decline since 2006 until last year, when 3,185 schoolchildren received hospital treatments for the illness, a r
June 9, 2013
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CJ’s alleged slush fund manager arrested
Prosecutors investigating CJ Group’s suspected tax evasion and other irregularities arrested a senior executive on Sunday for allegedly managing the conglomerate’s slush funds.Shin was head of CJ’s Hong Kong division and held a key position in the group’s financial department between 2004 and 2007. He is reported to have led CJ Group’s suspicious business expansion in Hong Kong. CJ Group, the country’s 14th-largest conglomerate, faces a growing investigation as the prosecution looks into suspici
June 9, 2013
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Pastor Cho indicted for misusing money from Yoido church
The prosecution on Saturday indicted pastor Cho Yong-gi of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Yeouido, Seoul, on charges of breach of trust and tax evasion.Cho, the founder and pastor emeritus of the country’s largest church, is responsible for losses of some 15.7 billion won ($14 million) incurred by the church, according to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.The prosecutors said Cho had instructed the church officials to purchase stocks owned by his eldest son Hee-jun at prices nearly fou
June 9, 2013
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Sexual harassment haunts Korea
When Ahn Mi-soo, 29, overheard her male colleagues talk about the sexual abuse scandal involving ex-presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung, she couldn’t help but cringe.“They were saying casually that things were kind of blown out of proportion for something that could have been let by,” Ahn said.While accompanying President Park Geun-hye on her U.S. visit last month, he allegedly sexually assaulted a Korean-American who was hired to help the Seoul delegation in Washington. U.S. police are inves
June 9, 2013
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U.N. official says Korea law threatens rights defenders
U.N. special rapporteur on human rights Margaret Sekaggya said Friday that South Korea’s 65-year-old national security act posed a “seriously problematic” challenge to freedom of expression.Sekaggya had just competed a 10-day fact-finding mission to South Korea which is more used to seeing human rights criticism directed at neighboring North Korea.The South’s national security law was enacted in 1948 to protect the fledgling state from infiltration by the communist North.It prohibited the printi
June 7, 2013
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Man nabbed for exposing himself in Seoul park
A man has been arrested on charges of exposing himself in a Seoul park, police said Friday.The 40-year-old suspect, only identified by his surname Cheong, is accused of lewd conduct and walking around naked at the park in Hongje-dong in western Seoul on May 30, according to the Seoul’s Seodaemun Police Station.Cheong was previously convicted five times for sexually assaulting minors, it said.The suspect also allegedly interfered with the work of police during an investigation such as by cursing
June 7, 2013
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Warrant issued for CJ’s alleged slush fund manager
The prosecution on Friday issued an arrest warrant for a CJ Group executive it was detaining for allegedly managing the conglomerate’s slush funds.The executive surnamed Shin is the first executive to be put in custody in the scandal. He is suspected of having detailed knowledge of its illegal funds and assets held under borrowed names for the group’s chairman Lee Jay-hyun and his family. The arrest warrant was for tax evasion, the prosecution said. Earlier on Friday, investigators questioned Sh
June 7, 2013
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Gov't declares war on nuke industry corruption
The government said Friday it will review all quality warranties for parts used for nuclear reactors and devise comprehensive measures against deep-rooted irregularities in the industry in the wake of the recent scandal over fake test results which led to the shutdown of reactors.Since last week, the government has suspended the operation of six nuclear reactors, including three newly built reactors, after they were found to have been supplied with substandard control cables under falsified warr
June 7, 2013