Most Popular
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Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
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[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'
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Nicaragua shuts down Seoul embassy
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Hybe's multilabel system tested amid conflict with Ador
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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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Over-50s, men, single-person households take up majority of those filing for bankruptcy
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Pianist Cho Seong-Jin named Berlin Philharmonic's artist-in-residence
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Ministry denies blame for Jamboree debacle
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Sweltering heat wave hits Korea
A scorching heat wave began to grip South Korea on Monday after the monsoon season ended, with heat wave advisories issued for most of the country. Showers were expected between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday in Seoul and its surrounding area, due to unstable air masses, with daytime high temperatures to stay between 29 degrees Celsius and 35 C. As of 11 a.m. Monday, a heat wave advisory had been issued for Seoul, Busan, parts of all the provinces and Jeju Island. Heat wave warnings were also in eff
July 29, 2019
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Police accelerate probe into collapse of club balcony in Gwangju
Police on Sunday are speeding up the investigation into a collapse of a balcony inside a nightclub in Gwangju, which killed two people and injured 16, including eight foreign athletes competing at the world swimming championships a day earlier. A task force dedicated to investigating the accident called in one of the three co-owners of the club for questioning to see whether there was any professional negligence, according to Gwangju Seobu Police Station.Two of the co-owners and a club official
July 28, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Foreign swimmer arrested for alleged sexual harassment
A foreign swimmer participating in the FINA World Championships in Gwangju was arrested Sunday for alleged sexual harassment.Gwangju Seobu Police Station in the southern metropolitan city said it has arrested the swimmer, 22, on charges of sexually harassing an 18-year-old woman at a club around 3 a.m. Sunday. The woman called police immediately and the swimmer, whose identity was withheld, was arrested on the spot.The swimmer, accompanied by an attorney from his native country, is said to be de
July 28, 2019
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Loft collapse inside Gwangju nightclub kills 2, injures athletes at FINA championships
A loft inside a nightclub in the southwestern city of Gwangju collapsed Saturday, killing two people and injuring more than 10, including athletes competing at the 18th FINA World Championships, city authorities said. The Gwangju Fire and Safety Headquarters said the loft inside the nightclub collapsed around 2:30 a.m. and claimed the lives of two South Koreans. Authorities suspect the loft collapsed due to too much weight. Witnesses said there were about 100 people on the loft area, which
July 27, 2019
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Ministry warns against food poisoning, flesh-eating bacterial infection
The Food Safety Ministry issued a warning Friday against food poisoning and flesh-eating infection associated with Vibrio bacteria, urging caution in beach-going and seafood consumption.The ministry said infections of Vibrio bacteria, which thrive in warming waters, are most commonly reported from July to September. Vibrio parahaemolyticus causes food poisoning and gastrointestinal illnesses, while vulnificus causes flesh-eating disease. Two main routes of infection identified by the ministry ar
July 26, 2019
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Adoption, abandonment find new voices in ‘Side by Side’
Filmmaker team and husband-and-wife duo Glenn and Julie Morey held a screening and panel discussion for their short documentary film on international adoption, titled “Side by Side,” Thursday at the Seoul Non-Profit Organization Center. The short documentary showcases interviews with nine Koreans adopted into families in the US, the Netherlands, France and Sweden. Their emotional firsthand accounts range from abandonment to growing up abroad and, in some cases, reuniting with th
July 26, 2019
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Overseas Koreans Foundation ordered to fix loose rule on scholarship program
The Overseas Koreans Foundation, a Foreign Ministry-affiliated organization, was found to have been supporting children of diplomats and expatriates with its scholarship programs designed for educating overseas Korean youths to contribute to the development of overseas Korean communities. The government watchdog Board of Audit and Inspection said Thursday it requested a correction to the organization’s loose standards in selecting scholarship recipients. “Taking account of the Overse
July 26, 2019
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Prosecutors to take on illegal business operations at Daesung-owned property
Investigation is underway into suspicions of illegal sex business operations at a Gangnam building owned by Daesung of K-pop group Big Bang. Seoul Gangnam Police Station said Friday the case involving four tenants of the boy band member’s property was sent to prosecutors in mid-June for violating facilities regulations.In April, police suspended operation of one of the building’s businesses -- which had been registered as a restaurant -- for hiring hostesses. The other three have als
July 26, 2019
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Seoul mayor’s Gwanghwamun makeover plans unfeasible: minister
Interior and Safety Minister Chin Young said Thursday the ministry and the Seoul Metropolitan Government are far from reaching an agreement on the city’s plans to revamp Gwanghwamun Square. The ministry and the city government have had “lengthy discussions that have reached no agreement to date,” Chin said of the square’s renewal during a press briefing.In January, Seoul City announced a plan to transform the square by 2021. The renewed square would be 3.7 times larger, w
July 26, 2019
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DUIs in Seoul drop 23% under toughened rules
Drunk driving cases dropped 23 percent in Seoul in the month following the introduction of toughened regulations.The revised traffic law, the Second Yoon Chang-ho Act, lowered the legal limit of drivers’ blood alcohol level and imposes stronger punishments for driving under the influence.Yoon, an Army conscript and college student, was hit by a drunk driver in Busan in September last year. He suffered severe head injuries and died in November. Yoon’s death led the National Assembly t
July 26, 2019
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Heavy rain warnings issued in central regions, downpour in store for weekend
The season’s first heavy rain warning was issued in Seoul on Friday morning, with nationwide downpours in store over the weekend. The Korea Meteorological Administration adjusted a heavy rain watch to heavy rain warnings across Seoul, Incheon and parts of Gyeonggi Province that saw heavy rains Friday morning, while heavy rain alerts remained in effect in parts of the central region.Heavy rain warnings are issued when more than 90 millimeters of rain in three hours or over 180 millimeters o
July 26, 2019
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No. of cybercrimes increases 22% in H1, phishing scams rampant
Cases of cybercrimes confirmed by police across South Korea have increased over 20 percent, with phishing scams raging, in the first half of this year, data from the National Police Agency showed Friday.During the January-June period, the number of cybercrimes stood at 85,953, up 22.4 percent from a year ago, which means a cybercrime takes place every three minutes and an average 465 instances of cybercrimes per day hit the country.Among the cybercrimes, the highest number of 42,028 concerned in
July 26, 2019
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DMZ hiking trail to open in Paju next month
South Korea said Friday it will open the third and last hiking trail along the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas next month.The western section of the DMZ trail in Paju, some 30 kilometers northwest of Seoul, will be available to the public under the DMZ Peace Trail program starting Aug. 10, according to the government.The DMZ, which is about 250 km long and 4 km wide, is one of the world's most heavily fortified borders, with the rival Koreas technically in a state of war as the 1950
July 26, 2019
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S. Korea's central regions on alert for heavy rain
South Korea on Thursday issued heavy rain alerts for central regions and activated a national disaster control body to cope with possible damage. The weather authorities forecast sudden heavy downpours for some central parts of the country, including Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, on Thursday night or early Friday morning. Affected by the seasonal rain front, precipitation is expected to range from 100 millimeters to 400 mm and heavy rain is expected to continue until Sunday.The Ministry of
July 25, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Ex-President Park gets reduced term
A high court on Thursday sentenced former President Park Geun-hye to five years in prison for causing losses to state coffers by unlawfully receiving money from chiefs of the country’s spy agency. The Seoul High Court handed down the five-year prison term and asked her to pay 2.7 billion won ($2.3 million) in forfeitures, a reduction of one year from the lower court’s ruling and down from 3.3 billion won. The prosecution said it would appeal. It sought a 12-year term in prison for Pa
July 25, 2019
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[News briefs] Burning Sun whistleblower comes under police protection
Police will provide protection for Kim Sang-kyo, who opened the floodgates of allegations surrounding the Burning Sun club, and his family, as requested by Kim, according to the police on Thursday. Kim says that he has been threatened by an online group that receives and reveals tip-offs on celebrities, after he said he would disassociate himself from the group. His address will be registered in the police’s system and security will be tightened around his residence for the nex
July 25, 2019
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Civic groups condemn Japan for trade feud
South Korean civic organizations on Thursday lashed out at the Japanese government’s export curbs against the country and denial of its brutal history, calling for joint action with Japan’s civil society. An association of 350 civic organizations called on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration to withdraw its “economic retaliation” against Korea and cooperate to responsibly compensate the victims of Japan’s wartime atrocities.“The responsibili
July 25, 2019
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Video of man in clown mask attempting burglary a viral marketing stunt
The closed-circuit TV clip of a man in a clown mask attempting to break into an apartment turned out to have been a viral marketing stunt by a delivery service agency, according to police.Seoul Gwanak Police Station said Thursday the police summoned the video’s publisher, a 34-year-old surnamed Choi, for questioning. The video, posted Tuesday on YouTube under the title “CCTV of psychopath burglar in Sillim-dong,” quickly garnered online attention, prompting the building’s
July 25, 2019
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Four men accused of mocking wartime sex slavery victims apologize
Four South Korean men apologized Wednesday for mocking women who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II.Six surviving sex slavery victims said Thursday the men visited them at a shelter in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, kneeled and apologized.The men, who are in their 20s and 30s, spat on a statue representing a wartime sex slave on July 3 in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, and spewed insults in Japanese. The memorial statue in shape of a young girl was erected in remem
July 25, 2019
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World Toilet Association earns UN consultative status
The World Toilet Association has been granted special consultative status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council for its expertise in health and hygiene. This allows the WTA, currently led by Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young, to take part in meetings and events held by the UN to present ideas, build an international network and engage in lobbying. The WTA applied for special consultative status with the council in May last year and received a recommendation from its Committee on Nongovernme
July 25, 2019