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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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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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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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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[Music in drama] An ode to childhood trauma
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'The Roundup: Punishment' becomes fastest 2024 film to top 2 mln admissions
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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[Newsmaker] Korea gives 2 Yemeni asylum seekers refugee status
The immigration office on the southern island of Jeju decided Friday to grant refugee status to two Yemeni asylum seekers, the first move of its kind since South Korea began to grapple with their inflow early this year. The immigration office also gave 50 other applicants humanitarian stay permits while denying refugee requests of 22 applicants, according to the Ministry of Justice. (Yonhap)Those who obtained refugee status and stay permits are allowed to leave the island for other parts of the
Dec. 14, 2018
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Minimum wage hike improves productivity in manufacturing sector
An increase in the minimum wage has helped improve productivity at South Korean manufacturing firms in general, but its impact varied by sector and size of business, a report said Friday.South Korea's minimum wage has gradually increased since the government first implemented the policy in 1988. (Yonhap)Between 2011-2016, the minimum wage rose to 6,030 won ($5.4) from 4,320 won, according to the report published by the Bank of Korea.The manufacturing industry saw its productivity improve over t
Dec. 14, 2018
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[New Focus] Moon to enter midterm year amid economic, social polarization
SEJONG -- President Moon Jae-in has finished the first 19 months of his 60-month tenure and will enter his third administrative year in two weeks.About 70 to 80 percent of South Koreans supported his administrative affairs last year. But Moon’s current approval rating has fallen to a record low, staying under 50 percent, according to polls conducted in recent weeks. Surveys by Realmeter, Gallup Korea and R&Search showed approval ratings of 49.5 percent, 49 percent and 47.9 percent, respectively,
Dec. 13, 2018
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Korea ranks low in response to climate change: report
Despite worldwide calls for efforts to slow down climate change, a recent report revealed that Korea ranked lowly in terms of its response to climate change. According to the Climate Change Performance Index 2019, Korea ranked 57th out of 60 countries in terms of climate-related performance. The report looked at 56 countries and the European Union, which account for about 90 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. (Global Strategic Communications Council)The report was released Monday at COP
Dec. 13, 2018
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Government to conduct comprehensive facility checks as number of accidents rise
The government will conduct comprehensive safety inspections of public facilities following a recent spate of accidents, including a telecom network failure caused by a fire at a mobile carrier’s building and the derailment of a bullet train.In a meeting with ministries and regional governments, Interior and Safety Minister Kim Boo-kyum expressed regret over the series of accidents and highlighted the need to come up with a safety system. Interior and Safety Minister Kim Boo-kyum“As safety minis
Dec. 13, 2018
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YouTuber now among top 10 occupations desired by elementary students: survey
YouTuber is now one of the 10 occupations most desired by South Korean elementary school students, while scientist has been pushed out of the top 10, a government survey showed Thursday.In the survey of thousands of young students by government agencies earlier this year, professional athlete replaced teacher as the most popular profession desired by elementary students. (Yonhap)Teacher was the most-desired future career among young South Korean students over the past five years.The survey was c
Dec. 13, 2018
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16 spots on old hot water pipes found to have safety risks
An inspection on old heating pipes that run 686 kilometers nationwide found 16 spots with safety risks, the Korea District Heating Corp. said Thursday.An old hot water pipe burst near a subway station northwest of Seoul, killing one and injuring 45 on Dec. 4, prompting the KDHC to examine the hot water pipes that are more than 20 years old. Such pipelines account for 32 percent of the nation’s heating pipes that run a combined 2,164 kilometers in public areas. (Yonhap)In an inspection by 93 peop
Dec. 13, 2018
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[Weekender] Winter is colder for the poor
Winter is hitting society’s neediest the hardest.The National Weather Agency issued this year’s first “extreme cold” warning in the second weekend of December, when the lows fell below minus 10 degrees Celsius in Seoul for two consecutive days.As winter approaches its peak, subzero temperatures persist day after day. The weather agency says the coldest month of the year in Korea is January, when the temperature lows average minus 6. The cold wave sweeping the Peninsula is especially harsh on tho
Dec. 13, 2018
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[Weekender] Jjimjilbang: Sanctuaries of winter warmth
The freezing temperatures may make some want to climb into bed and snuggle deep under the covers, but for Koreans it is time to lay their backs on heated floors. The ideal place is a jjimjilbang, a Korean-style sauna that incorporates two traditional heating systems. The “ondol” -- heated floors -- and “gama” -- heated kilns akin to typical sauna rooms -- offer comfort in the cold weather. Dragon Hill Spa in Seoul (Dragon Hill Spa)The origin of jjimjilbang can be traced back to the Joseon era.
Dec. 13, 2018
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Korail emergency manual cited for delayed evacuation
A Korail manual that requires cabin attendants to consult a manager before evacuating passengers delayed the evacuation on the derailed KTX bullet train last week, according to a cabin attendant. Four of the Seoul-bound bullet train’s 10 cars went off the tracks shortly after it left the eastern coastal city of Gangneung, Gangwon Province, with 198 passengers Saturday. Fifteen people were injured in the accident, including a Korail employee who was inspecting another track. (Yonhap)At the time
Dec. 13, 2018
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[Graphic News] Public servant most-coveted job among Korean adults: poll
A civil servant position is the most sought-after job among South Korean adults, though most of them aim to take jobs as office workers for practical reasons, a poll showed. Of 1,143 job seekers and salaried people questioned, the largest portion - 26.7 percent - said they wanted to work for the government or a public institution regardless of the reality, according to the survey conducted by online job portal Saramin. Another 16.2 percent said they hoped to run a restaurant or other independen
Dec. 12, 2018
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[Newsmaker] 15-story building in Gangnam evacuated after signs of collapse
15-floor office building in Gangnam, Seoul, was evacuated and left vacant Wednesday after signs of its impending collapse were reported the day before. City officials who inspected the building concluded that it was dangerous.Seoul’s Gangnam District Office designated the Daejong Building in Samseong-dong, Gangnam, as a “Class-3 Establishment,” the lowest safety level, meaning that it presents a “high risk of disaster” or requires “continuous management to prevent disasters.”(Yonhap)Wide cracks
Dec. 12, 2018
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Team probing alleged wrongdoings of prosecution requests extension
A team looking into the possible abuse of power and human rights abuses by public prosecutors has asked for another extension, local media reported Tuesday. According to reports, the investigators requested the commission overseeing related issues to be extended for three months, citing incomplete investigations. The operation of the commission is set to end Dec. 31. Members of women`s rights groups call for an extension into the probe into alleged irregularities in prosecution`s investigations
Dec. 12, 2018
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Alcohol addiction increasing among youth: report
The number of youths getting treated for alcohol addiction neared 2,000 last year, doubling from seven years ago, a report said Wednesday.The drinking rate among the young is declining, but the severity of problems from drinking is still heavy, with one out of two youths drinking to dangerous levels, the report from the National Assembly Research Service said. (Yonhap)There were 1,968 young people diagnosed as being addicted to alcohol last year, up 2.1 times from 922 in 2010. An online health
Dec. 12, 2018
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Thousands spend night without heat after hot water pipe leaks in Mok-dong
An underground hot water pipe in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, leaked Tuesday, cutting off hot water and heat to more than 1,800 households for 17 hours. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Energy Corporation, 1,882 housing units had no heat or hot water after the pipe leaked near an apartment complex in the Mok-dong neighborhood at around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. (Yonhap)A resident reported seeing steam rising from a flower bed in front of an apartment building at around 8:50 a.m.Hea
Dec. 12, 2018
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Health law revision proposes graphic warnings on alcoholic beverages
A public health law revision is under review to require pictorial warnings of health hazards on alcoholic beverages, officials said Wednesday.The warning labels will resemble those on cigarette packs, alerting consumers to health risks from drinking and the consequences of drunk driving, according to the officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the parliamentary committee on health. (Yonhap)Proposed warnings would have photos of what could happen when driving under the influence, th
Dec. 12, 2018
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Korea's jobless rate rises in Nov.
South Korea's jobless rate rose slightly in November, government data showed Wednesday, amid the government's efforts to create more jobs.The unemployment rate stood at 3.2 percent last month, up 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier, according to the report compiled by Statistics Korea.The number of employed people reached 27.18 million in November, an increase of 165,000 from the same month in 2017, according to the data. (Yonhap)The hike is the largest since January 2018 when the number o
Dec. 12, 2018
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Labor Ministry to increase support for unemployed, working poor
The Labor Ministry briefed President Moon Jae-in on its 2019 policy plans Tuesday, mainly focusing on increasing support for unemployed people and the working poor.The briefing took place at the government complex in the administrative city of Sejong.Among the goals for 2019 are strengthening of the employment safety net, eradicating workplace abuses and settling the minimum wage and shorter workweek. (Yonhap)By 2020, the ministry said it plans to provide 500,000 won ($442) in aid for up to six
Dec. 11, 2018
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Gyeonggi Gov. Lee indicted for telling lies during election campaign
Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung will stand trial for telling falsehoods about a series of allegations raised against him and about his family during his election campaign for the governorship. The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office indicted Lee without physical detention on charges of violating the national election law, it said.Lee has been under investigation for allegedly lying about his brother's institutionalization due to a mental illness during his campaign in the runup to the June l
Dec. 11, 2018
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‘Santa’ protests Korea’s fine dust problem at Poland UN convention
A man dressed up as Santa Claus appeared in front of the venue of the UN Climate Change Conference COP24 in Poland on Tuesday to raise awareness of Korea’s fine dust problem.The one-man protester, revealed to be Korea Green Foundation Chairman Choi Yul, covered himself with black dust to emphasize Korea’s poor air quality. (Korean Green Foundation)His sign reading “Stop fossil fuel, there’s no border in the sky” attracted the attention of passersby, with many stopping to take pictures and read
Dec. 11, 2018