Most Popular
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
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Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
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Students with history of violence will be barred from becoming teachers
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Medical feud leaves hospitals in financial crisis
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Samsung mocks Apple over iPhone alarm glitch
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Chip up cycle won’t stay long: SK chief
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'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart
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Top prosecutor pledges 'speedy, strict' probe into first lady's luxury bag allegations
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Major highways congested as Lunar New Year travelers return home
Major highways became increasingly congested with traffic on Monday afternoon as South Koreans started to head home after visiting their hometowns and family graves for the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year season, which began on Saturday and runstill Tuesday, is one of two major holida
Jan. 23, 2012
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Law breaking by policemen drops 30 pct last year
Law violations committed by police officers dived nearly 30 percent in 2011 from a year earlier,police said Sunday. Reported law breaking by policemen reached 158 cases last year,compared with 223 cases in 2010, the National Police Agency said. The agency said the 2011 tally
Jan. 23, 2012
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S. Korean elderly concerned most about finances, health
Aging South Koreans cited economic difficulty and health as their biggest concerns, but the weight of their worries varied according to their education levels, a report showed Monday. In a survey of 60-year-olds by Statistics Korea, 43.2 percentof the respondents with elementary educatio
Jan. 23, 2012
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China reports second bird flu death within one month
China reported Monday the second bird flu-related death within one month, raising concerns that the highly contagious disease could be spreading in the southern part of the country. A 39-year-old man died on Sunday of the virulent H5N1 avianinfluenza virus, the Health Department of the s
Jan. 23, 2012
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Cold weather, icy roads in store for holidays
Snow, icy roads and freezing cold are in store for the coming Lunar New Year holidays, as millions are expected to hit the road to spend the holidays with family in their hometowns. The eastern province of Gangwon will be blanked with snow throughout the weekend, while most parts of the country will remain dry with cloudy skies.The Korea Meteorological Administration has issued a heavy snow alert Friday for mountainous areas in Gangwon, predicting as much as 30 centimeters of snowfalls through S
Jan. 20, 2012
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[Herald Interview] Professor casts new light on Seoul Fortress Wall
For Song Inho, an architecture professor of the University of Seoul, the most propitious place in the capital is an area extending from the peak of Mount Inwang to its northern ridge. On the summit of the mountain behind the presidential office, he can get a clear aerial view of the ancient fortress wall that encircles Seoul.In the fortress wall, he also sees a thick layer of the 600-year history of the capital.Fascinated by the magnificent landscape, he wants to share the beauty of the cultural
Jan. 20, 2012
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Ex-Miss Korea Han files libel suit against media
A former Miss Korea and news anchor has filed a defamation lawsuit against several media outlets asking for more than half a billion won in compensation, said a local court.“They printed an article that defamed my name and personal life without giving me the right of reply,” said Han Sung-ju as quoted by the Seoul Central District Court on Thursday.The 37-year-old celebrity filed the suit against a sports news media outlet reporter and an internet news media outlet reporter for 300 million won (
Jan. 20, 2012
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Ministry to reform outside director system
The government is seeking to reform the outside director system as criticism continues that outside directors have only acted as a rubber stamp, failing to serve their purpose of keeping corporate management in check.The Justice Ministry is in particular striving to find with ways to prevent outside directors from playing a “lobbyist” role and enhance their independence and professionalism. Critics have long pointed out that outsiders, many of whom formerly worked as high-level officials at the
Jan. 20, 2012
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Kwak resumes drive for student rights
Seoul educational superintendent Kwak No-hyun, on Friday signalled he would push for the implementation of a controversial plan to extend the human rights of students, resuming his drive for liberal educational reforms. “There is no reason to delay the proclamation of the bill, which was approved by the city council,” Kwak said on his first day at work after being released from arrest a day earlier. The Seoul Metropolitan Council had approved the bill that guarantees substantial liberties for st
Jan. 20, 2012
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Iraq vet charged with California homeless killings
A US Iraq veteran was charged Tuesday over the deaths of four homeless people in California, police said, adding that the alleged serial killer had selected more victims before he was arrested.Itzcoatl Ocampo, 23, of Yorba Linda, was caught on Friday after witnesses chased him from the scene of the
Jan. 20, 2012
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Jeju Development Center seeks growth on 10th anniversary
JDC to complete first phase of investment plans for key projectsJeju Free International City Development Center will strengthen city infrastructure and develop future growth engines as part of its business plans for this year, according to its chairman Byon Jong-il.Byon said JDC would invest 139 billion won in its projects overall, allocating 59 percent in the first half of the year to help spur the local economy.He said JDC would expand key infrastructure in education, medical care and other ar
Jan. 19, 2012
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Seven in 10 favor ‘passive euthanasia’: survey
Over 70 percent of South Koreans favor euthanasia for terminal patients when life-support is deemed meaningless, a survey showed Thursday.In the survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 72.3 percent of 1,000 respondents said they are in favor of removing life-support devices when there is little or no hope of recovery for a patient.Nearly 70 percent of those in favor cited emotional pain to other family members as their main reason for supporting what is known as “passive euthanas
Jan. 19, 2012
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Over 270,000 to go abroad for Lunar New Year
Over 270,000 people are to travel overseas during the three-day Lunar New Year holiday, hitting a record high since Incheon International Airport opened in 2001, airport officials said Thursday. According to the airport, 272,796 passengers are scheduled to leave the country between Jan. 20 and 25. This is an 8.7 percent increase from last year’s 251,047.“Families traveling overseas during the traditional holiday season is a new trend. We will do our best to make travel convenient during the holi
Jan. 19, 2012
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Nation’s charity overflows with love
Community Chest of Korea has beat its collection goal this year, as the nation’s only charity established by statute recovers from earlier scandals.The CCK said it surpassed its two-month goal of 218 billion won ($191 million) with less than two weeks to go, an unexpected turn after it was marred in corruption scandals in 2010.The nationwide charity network said the “Hope 2012 Sharing Campaign” could now possibly reach an all-time high, breaking its 2010 record of 224.2 billion won.Outside its h
Jan. 19, 2012
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Investigators raid offices of aides to Speaker Park
Prosecutors searched the offices of key aides of National Assembly speaker Park Hee-tae on Thursday in connection with an alleged vote-buying scheme during the Grand National Party’s 2008 leadership election.The prosecutors are also said to be planning to question Park, but have yet to decide on how to proceed because of his position as National Assembly speaker.In the raid, investigators searched and seized evidence from the offices of Park’s chief secretary for policies, Cho Jeong-man, and chi
Jan. 19, 2012
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‘E-cigarettes as harmful as tobacco’
Contain carcinogens, hormones, unspecified levels of nicotineElectronic cigarettes may be no alternative to the real thing. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Thursday that e-cigarettes contain carcinogens, or cancer causing substances, just as cigarettes with tobacco do. They also contain environmental hormones that could damage the endocrine system. Health authorities asked people to pay extra attention when they choose e-cigarettes as a means to “gradually curb smoking.”A research t
Jan. 19, 2012
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Key figures set to be summoned in diamond stock insider trading
Prosecutors are expected to start summoning key figures implicated in a stock-manipulation scandal as early as next week.Financial regulators on Wednesday filed a complaint with the prosecution against Oh Deok-gyun, head of CNK International, and his sister-in-law, an executive at the KOSDAQ-listed firm, over the stock rigging allegations.The Securities and Futures Commission under the Financial Services Commission also asked the prosecution to investigate six other people including Cho Joong-py
Jan. 19, 2012
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Kwak convicted, but returns to job
Kwak No-hyun, Seoul’s education chief who has been standing trial for buying a rival candidate out to win the election, was set free Thursday following a court decision. The Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of election law violations yet sentenced him to a fine of 30 million won, a much lighter punishment than the four-year prison term sought by the prosecutors. He was immediately released after four months of arrest. Kwak has been accused of bribing Park Myoung-gee, his rival in th
Jan. 19, 2012
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High court upholds sentence for U.S. soldier
A U.S. soldier stationed here will serve a 10-year prison term for the rape of a young Korean woman after an appellate court upheld the initial ruling on Thursday.The Seoul High Court rejected the appeal from the 21-year-old U.S. Army private of the 2nd Infantry Division and stood behind the heaviest sentence given to a U.S. soldier here in ten years.In 1992, a U.S. private was jailed for 15 years in a high-profile rape and murder case.“It is acknowledged that the private was under the influence
Jan. 19, 2012
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Seoul City toughens special school rules
Seoul City plans to dismiss teachers who are caught physically or verbally abusing people with disabilities in any of its rehabilitation homes. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, they plan to protect the human rights of people with disabilities and prevent incidents with thorough surveys by experts and constant monitoring.The capital prepared the guidelines after a recent box-office hit that sparked widespread public outrage against sex crimes and light punishment for offenders.Acco
Jan. 18, 2012