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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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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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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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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Korea divided over imprisonment of Samsung heir
South Korea's business and political communities on Friday were divided over a local court's ruling to put Lee Jae-yong, the heir-apparent of Samsung Group, behind bars, with some expressing concerns over the potential fallout for the national economy.Multiple business insiders, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed shock over the Seoul Central District Court's decision to slap Lee with a five-year jail term for bribery, embezzlement and other charges in a massive corruption scandal that led
Aug. 25, 2017
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Suspects get prison terms for blackmailing Samsung with indecent footage of chairman
A lower court on Friday handed out prison sentences to several people for recording compromising videos of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee and using them to extort hundreds of millions of won from the conglomerate. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, before he fell ill (Yonhap)The suspects were convicted of colluding in secretly filming scenes of Lee spending time with women believed to be prostitutes at his homes in southern Seoul five times between December 2011 and June 2012.
Aug. 25, 2017
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[Weekender] Urban forests offer greener life in Seoul’s concrete jungle
Seoul is probably more closely associated with stark concrete jungle than forests. However, the city is becoming greener as local governments turn to forests to battle pollution. Forests in urban areas work as filters for air pollutants and fine particles. According to the National Institute of Forest Science, a single tree can absorb 35.7 grams of fine dust particles in a year -- an amount that could fill an espresso cup. A coniferous tree can absorb up to 44 grams of air pollutants, and enviro
Aug. 25, 2017
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Samsung heir jailed 5 years for bribery
A Seoul court on Friday sentenced Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong to five years in jail on charges connected to the corruption scandal that led to former President Park Geun-hye’s ouster. The Seoul Central District Court convicted Samsung’s de facto heir of bribing former President Park Geun-hye and her close friend Choi Soon-sil in return for the government’s help in tightening his control over Samsung Group, saying he was in position to benefit most from the bribery scheme. “
Aug. 25, 2017
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IAEA checks safety of nuke reactors in quake-hit city
The International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday it has recently carried out a safety check on two nuclear power plants in southeastern South Korea following an earthquake there last year.In September 2016, a 5.8-magnitude temblor struck the historic city of Gyeongju, 371 kilometers southeast of Seoul, where the Wolsong and Sinh-Wolsong nuclear power stations are located.The UN nuclear watchdog said a five-member delegation visited the atomic power plants and its operator, the Korea Hydro & Nu
Aug. 25, 2017
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Fears mount over 'toxic' sanitary pads
Thousands of women plan to file a class action suit against a South Korean firm after civic groups found harmful chemicals in sanitary pads and a growing number of women reported health problems after using them. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 15,000 expressed their intention to join the legal action, claiming that they have suffered negative effects, such as reduced menstrual bleeding, skin rashes and painful cramps after using Lilian brand pads produced by Klean Nara. A local law firm, w
Aug. 24, 2017
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Prosecution asks for postponement of sentencing of ex-spy chief in election-meddling scandal
Prosecutors asked Thursday for the postponement of a court sentencing of a former state intelligence agency chief accused of meddling with the 2012 presidential election, as they have reopened an investigation into the scandal.Sentencing for former National Intelligence Service Director Won Sei-hoon is scheduled for Aug. 30. Won has been on trial for allegedly pulling the strings of secret operations to use Internet comments to sway voters in favor of then-conservative candidate Park Geun-hye ag
Aug. 24, 2017
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[Herald Interview] ‘Going 100% renewable not mission impossible for Korea’
South Korea going 100 percent renewable by 2050 is not a sci-fi fiction, but will become reality, if only it stays committed, a global environmental leader said. Currently, renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, accounts for just 2 percent of the country’s electricity production, while coal-fired power plants generate about 40 percent and nuclear reactors 30 percent. The Moon Jae-in administration is making a strong push for renewables, aiming to raise its share to 20 percent by 2030, w
Aug. 24, 2017
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Drunk Kiribati man walking on Busan train track sparks safety row
A drunk Kiribati man who walked 4 kilometers down the light rail track in Busan sparked a major row over poor management of transit safety.The Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit said on Thursday a 22-year old man from Kiribati was caught walking on the train track near Sasang Station last Tuesday in the afternoon.The man was safely removed from the track but his behavior had entailed a high risk, given that the fully-automated trains on the BGLRT operate without on-train staff. (Yonhap)The man, ini
Aug. 24, 2017
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Court upholds penalty against activist for vandalizing picture of former leader Park
CHANGWON -- An appeals court on Thursday upheld a lower court decision penalizing an activist for vandalizing a photo of former President Park Geun-hye at a pro-democracy memorial hall in December last year.The Busan High Court rejected an appeal by Kim Young-man, 72, who was indicted for hurling an egg at and spraying ketchup on the picture, five days after parliament voted on Dec. 9 to impeach her over corruption. It was exhibited in a facility in the southern city of Changwon in commemoration
Aug. 24, 2017
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Koreans excited about rumors of ‘extended’ Chuseok holiday
(The Korea Herald)Office workers in Korea were excitedly confused Thursday morning, after a local media outlet broke the news that President Moon Jae-in is set to designate Oct. 2 as a temporary holiday to create a 10-day-long weekend linking National Foundation Day, Chuseok holidays and Hangeul Proclamation Day.The exhilaration was short-lived, however, as Cheong Wa Dae officials later corrected the fact as nothing having been officially decided as of yet. Still, hopeful rumors are continuing t
Aug. 24, 2017
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Govt. to inspect all chickens for insecticides
The government will conduct an investigation into chickens throughout the country after some chicken meat has been found to have more anthelmintic residue than the permissible level, the agricultural ministry said Wednesday.The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will conduct the inspection into whether any chickens carry dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, the toxic pesticide that was banned nearly 40 years go. (Yonhap)So far, the investigation into chickens has only been conducted a
Aug. 24, 2017
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Lee Jae-yong’s fate to be decided Friday
After five months of trial, a Seoul court will determine Friday the fate of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong. Lee’s final court session, which will not be televised in accordance with the court’s decision Wednesday, will begin at 2:30 p.m. Judges will deliver the verdict on Lee and four other former or incumbent executives of Samsung and if they are found guilty, will issue a sentence. This is a lower-court trial and either side could appeal. Competition for the 30 audience seats a
Aug. 23, 2017
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Thousands of Taiwanese tourists to visit Seoul for incentive trips
Some 2,000 employees from a dining franchise company in Taiwan will visit Seoul on incentive overseas tours, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday.Groups of up to 90 employees on 21 separate occasions will tour Seoul for five days from late August to November, the city government said.Thousands of employees of a Chinese health care company, Joymain Science and Technology, try Korean traditional ginseng chicken soup by the Han River during their five-day incentive trip to Korea in May
Aug. 23, 2017
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IT company apologizes for sex slavery ‘emojis’
China’s IT-giant Tencent on Tuesday apologized for the controversial emojis featuring wartime sex slaves on its instant-messaging platform, QQ. The emojis, made with images taken from the Chinese documentary film “Twenty Two,” show the distraught “comfort women” survivors of World War II with Chinese phrases “I am lost” and “I am wronged” comically placed next to them. Online users have heavily condemned Tencent for the emojis’ insulting nature towards the surviving victims. (Yonhap)Tencent, als
Aug. 23, 2017
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Opposition lawmaker sentenced to fine that could cost parliamentary seat
An appeals court on Wednesday upheld a penalty against an opposition lawmaker for illegal electioneering, which is heavy enough to cost him his National Assembly seat. The Seoul High Court confirmed a lower court's conviction of Rep. Choi Myung-gil of the minor opposition People's Party for hiring an unregistered election campaigner ahead of last year's parliamentary elections. (Yonhap)It maintained the sentence of 2 million won ($1,766) in fines. By law, lawmakers lose their parliamentary seats
Aug. 23, 2017
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Prosecutors raid 30 locations in investigation into spy agency‘s alleged election meddling
Prosecutors raided 30 locations Wednesday as they stepped up an investigation into allegations that the state intelligence agency secretly hired outside people to write Internet comments in an effort to sway voters ahead of the 2012 presidential election.An internal probe of the National Intelligence Service found that the agency ran 30 such "cyber teams" involving Internet-savvy civilians for election-meddling operations. The agency has referred the 30 team leaders to the prosecution for invest
Aug. 23, 2017
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Oil thieves nabbed for allegedly digging 40-meter tunnel to steal from underground pipeline
IKSAN -- Police said Wednesday they have arrested two members of a six-man theft ring accused of having dug a 40-meter tunnel in South Korea's central province of North Chungcheong for more than one month to pilfer oil from an underground pipeline. The Iksan Police Station in southwestern South Korea also booked an accomplice and the owner of a gas station involved in the alleged distribution of stolen oil without physical detention.The gang, including its leader surnamed Lee, met at a warehouse
Aug. 23, 2017
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Heavy rain hits Seoul, leads to traffic jams
Heavy rain pummeled the central regions of Korea on Wednesday, snagging morning traffic in Seoul. Sudden rainfall of 50-150 milliliters poured down in Seoul from 8:30 a.m., catching commuters off guard. (Yonhap)The local weather agency cited the influence of Typhoon Hato and cold air descending from northern regions as causes of the heavy rain in the nation.The rain is expected to continue through Thursday, with some areas expected to see as much as 200 milliliters of torrential rain.In the sou
Aug. 23, 2017
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Ex-prime minister released from prison after two-year term over political funds
UIJEONGBU -- Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook was released from prison early Wednesday after finishing up a two-year sentence for taking an illegal political donation.Han, prime minister from 2006 to 2007, was put behind bars in 2015 after the Supreme Court convicted her of accepting about 900 million won ($793,301) in illegal political funds from the head of a local construction company. The conviction also stripped her of her parliamentary seat.On Wednesday, dozens of supporters and well-
Aug. 23, 2017