Most Popular
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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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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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors
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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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Samsung mocks Apple over iPhone alarm glitch
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Govt. asks hospitals to mitigate impact of medical professors' absence
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[Weather] Yellow dust blankets S. Korea
The annual yellow dust reportedly blown in from China’s Gobi Desert has blanketed the skies over Seoul again, adding to public concerns over health across the Korean Peninsula from polluted air. South Korea saw clear skies in most regions of the country with the exception of Seoul, island regions of the West Coast and parts of Gangwon Province being shrouded in yellow dust as of 10 a.m. Thursday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. (Yonhap)The density of fine dust particles in
May 24, 2018
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1 in 10 basic pension recipients not paid fully
Nearly 1 in 10 recipients of South Korea's basic pension program don't get full monthly payments due to a scheme meant to prevent income inequality among pensioners, government data showed Thursday.South Koreans who are aged 65 and older and belong to the bottom 70 percent of the income bracket are eligible for the basic pension that amounts to a maximum 200,000 won ($185) per month.According to the data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, about 91 percent of 4.94 million basic pensioners r
May 24, 2018
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Police begin probe into Hanjin's suspicious assignment of security personnel
Police are carrying out a preliminary probe into allegations that Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho made security personnel hired by one of the conglomerate's affiliates work at his home at the expense of the company, police said Wednesday.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it started an investigation last week. Korean Air headquarters in western Seoul. (Yonhap)The staffs claimed that they were hired by Jungseok Enterprise, a real-estate management arm of Hanjin, but were actually sent t
May 23, 2018
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Gender ministry expresses opposition to abortion ban ahead of Constitutional Court hearing
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has sent its opinion against the current law banning abortion to the Constitutional Court, before the court hears arguments over the latest petition calling for its decriminalization, the ministry said Wednesday.The first hearing is scheduled for Thursday over a petition filed last year by a doctor who was convicted of carrying out an abortion procedure. The doctor requested the court to review the constitutionality of the current anti-abortion law. (Yo
May 23, 2018
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Fire on car carrier almost put out
INCHEON -- Firefighters had almost extinguished a big fire on a Panama-registered car carrier on Wednesday, but more than 1,400 used cars and 5,000 tires on board were completely destroyed, fire officials said.The 52,422-ton Auto Banner anchored at the South Korean port of Incheon caught fire Monday morning. It was loaded with 2,438 second-hand cars bound for Libya.Efforts to put out the fire continued for three days amid heavy smoke and extreme heat that hovered around 300 C degrees. Fire fight
May 23, 2018
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High school student booked for filming up teacher’s skirt
A high school student was booked without physical detention over allegations that he secretly filmed up a teacher’s skirt with his phone, Incheon police said Wednesday. The 18-year-old suspect is charged with allegedly violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Assault Crimes, specifically using a camera to film. He is accused of filming up the victim’s skirt at the teachers’ office at a high school in Incheon at 1:10 p.m. on April 26. (YouTube-Yonhap)The victim gave her statement to
May 23, 2018
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Ex-President Lee denies corruption charges at first hearing
Former President Lee Myung-bak denied the charges against him at the first hearing of his trial Wednesday, accusing the prosecution of conducting “unreasonable” investigations. At the Seoul Central District Court, the 77-year-old former leader attended his hearing held at 2 p.m., making his first public appearance 62 days after he was arrested in March 22 over a series of charges including bribery and embezzlement. Former President Lee Myung-bak (Yonhap)“I stand here today with grief. I could no
May 23, 2018
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Three firms bought more radioactive material than Daijin
Three companies each purchased more monazite, which contains radioactive substances, than the mattress maker for Daijin Bed, a lawmaker said on Wednesday amid rising public anger over mattresses emitting dangerous levels of radioactive material.The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission announced last week that some of Daijin Bed’s mattresses emitted radon at levels of up to 9.3 times the national safety standard.Long-time exposure to radon -- a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas -- can lead t
May 23, 2018
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Man ‘angry at being woken up’ assaults passerby who came to aid
A man in his 50s was booked without physical detention on suspicion of verbal and physical assault against a passerby who reportedly tried to help the man out in the rain, Busan police said Wednesday.According to Busan Yeonje Police Station, the suspect, who was intoxicated at the time, is accused of verbally insulting and slapping the 47-year-old person with an open palm at approximately 1 a.m. Wednesday at a building lobby in Yeonjae-gu, Busan. (Yonhap)The victim said the man assaulted him af
May 23, 2018
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Supermarket staff get jail term for planning to kill boss
An appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that sentenced two supermarket workers to prison terms for preparing weapons to kill their boss and hurting each other.The Seoul High Court said Wednesday that it sentenced defendants surnamed Lee and Choi to a two-year imprisonment suspended for three years, and a jail term of two years, respectively, on charges including making preparations to murder.The two shopping cart attendants decided to kill their manager, who they thought was condescending t
May 23, 2018
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Top fashion designer gets suspended term for drug use
The Seoul Western District Court on Wednesday said it had sentenced a top fashion designer to 8 months in jail, suspended for two years, and 40 hours of substance abuse treatment for injecting methamphetamine. The 49-year-old designer, who is currently a full-time professor at a technical college, was indicted last year in July for allegedly injecting the drug with an unidentified person at a motel in Seodaemun-gu, northwestern Seoul. (Yonhap)The designer bought the drug via a mobile messaging
May 23, 2018
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Korea's childbirths continue to decline in March
The number of newborns in South Korea fell again in March, government data showed Wednesday, in the latest sign of the chronic low birthrate that has plagued Asia's fourth largest economy for more than a decade.About 30,000 babies were born in March, down 9.6 percent, from 33,200 tallied a year earlier, according to data from Statistics Korea.In the first quarter of this year, the number of newborns fell 9.2 percent on-year to 89,600. It was the first time since 1981 that the number of newborns
May 23, 2018
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Number of newborns with birth defects on the rise in Korea, possibly due to air pollutants: study
The number of newborns with birth defects has increased significantly in South Korea from 2008-2014, possibly due to pregnant women’s increased exposure to air pollutants and endocrine disruptors, a research showed on Wednesday.The study by Inha University researchers, came to the conclusion after analyzing the National Health Insurance data on 3,208,617 newborns born 2008-2014. Their research showed that the number of newborns with birth defects increased by 67 percent during the time period. I
May 23, 2018
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Blood poisoning in Gangnam dermatologist clinic triggered by ‘contaminated propofol’
The multiple sepsis cases at a dermatologist clinic in southern Seoul were caused by contaminated propofol, which the clinic was using in higher than usual dosages, according to health authorities. The Korea Medical Association, the country’s largest body of medical doctors, told The Korea Herald that it does not intend to comment on the specific case. The organization, however, has been fiercely protesting against the authorities’ decision to criminally charge three medical professionals accu
May 22, 2018
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Money, patriarchal culture stand in the way of Korean men taking child care leave: study
Kim Dae-seon has been on his second paternity leave since October last year. The civil servant has two children, aged 7 and 2. “I didn’t initially intend to take child care leave for my second child,” he told The Korea Herald. “But he was injured during birth, and he still needs to visit a medical clinic every day. So my wife decided to go back to work, and I decided to stay at home and care for him.” While he thoroughly enjoys his time with his children, he says that not getting monthly paychec
May 22, 2018
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Man arrested for killing neighbor for ‘being too loud’
A man surnamed Lee in his 40s has been arrested by police for allegedly killing his neighbor who “made too much noise” at night. Busan Saha Police Station said Tuesday that it is investigating the man on the charge of murder.The suspect is accused of stabbing a 31-year-old who lived in the same apartment building in Saha-gu, Busan, around 2 a.m. Tuesday. He was caught red-handed after the victim’s friend filed a report to police.The victim was sent to a nearby hospital but died in the middle of
May 22, 2018
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Court recognizes 65 as retirement age for physical workers
With longer average life expectancy, courts are increasingly recognizing 65, instead of 60, as the retirement age for physical workers. Until recently, courts have followed a Supreme Court precedent in 1989 that saw 60 as the retirement age for laborers. The Seoul Central District Court said on Tuesday that it ruled in favor of a traffic accident victim who appealed that he should receive more compensation as he could have worked until the age of 65 had it not been for the injury. A lower court
May 22, 2018
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Man caught drunk driving after threatening to ‘blow up’ presidential office
A man has been caught driving under the influence near Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday morning, after reportedly threatening to blow up the presidential office.The Seoul Jongno Police Station said Tuesday that he has been booked and is currently under investigation for driving the wrong way down the street in front of Cheong Wa Dae at around 3:50 a.m.The man called the police on Monday evening and warned that he would “go to blow up Cheong Wa Dae at 4:30 a.m.” He drove toward the presidential office in
May 22, 2018
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[Photo News] Temples celebrate Buddha’s Birthday
To mark the Buddha’s Birthday, temples across Korea held various events Tuesday. About 10,000 locals, politicians and Buddhist monks gathered at Jogyesa Temple at 10 a.m., where a celebration ceremony took place.The ceremony included religious rituals such as “Buddha bathing,” “Six Offerings to the Buddha” and a prayer from Jogyesa Temple’s chief monk. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in also sent a congratulatory message.Colorful lanterns set up across the temple highlighted the festive mood of
May 22, 2018
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Student couple booked for abandoning dead baby
The Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office said Tuesday that it has charged a male high school student and a female college student without detention for allegedly abandoning their baby who died from neglect.In November 2016, when the infant died from 18 hours of neglect, the couple reportedly left the baby wrapped in a padded jacket and towels on a mountain path in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province. (123RF)The baby’s body was found on Dec. 9, 2017. Police traced the parents based on the informat
May 22, 2018