Most Popular
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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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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Govt. asks hospitals to mitigate impact of medical professors' absence
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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S. Korea's working-age population to dip nearly 10m by 2044 amid low births
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Doggy patrol team on the move to protect their cities
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S. Korea, China, Japan in talks to hold trilateral summit May 26-27: official
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Sales of eco-friendly cars top 100,000 in Q1 in S. Korea
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More S. Koreans embrace philosophy of 'living with less'
Getting rid of everything but the essentials in her home started from a simple source of motivation for Hwang Yun-jeong. The 47-year-old special education teacher, wife, mother of three children and dog owner no longer wanted to spend much time on cleaning, washing dishes and an endless list of household chores after returning home from work. What first caught her eye was a pile of clothes that she had not been wearing for years. Then she moved on to flowerpots and a fishbowl, which she had want
Oct. 13, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Jeonju, an intersection of tradition and innovation
In an era when a nation’s competitiveness has come to be defined by that of individual cities, it is crucial that each city preserves its uniqueness rather than mimic other major cities, according to the mayor of Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.The southwestern city, known for its traditional elements such as bibimbap, makgeolli, hanok, hanbok and local festivals, was selected by Lonely Planet in August this year as one of Asia’s top three tourist spots. US news broadcaster CNN also released a rep
Oct. 13, 2016
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Police to deploy team to investigate deaths of nationals in Philippines
South Korea decided Thursday to dispatch four police investigators to the Philippines to participate in the local authorities’ probe into the deaths of three Koreans in the country. “We decided to send four professional examiners to the country. The matter has been settled with the Philippines national police” an official at the Korean National Police Agency said. The investigation team includes three police detectives and a forensic expert for gun analysis, the official added.(Herald DB)Two man
Oct. 13, 2016
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3 S. Koreans shot to death in Philippines
Three South Koreans have been shot to death in the Philippines, a foreign ministry official said Thursday.The three -- two male, one female -- were found dead Tuesday with gunshot wounds in their heads, according to the official.Their bodies were found in a sugar cane field in Bacolor, a small city of around 30,000 people.One victim was found with his feet bound with tape, and the female body lying nearby had tied hands, he said. They have all been confirmed as South Korean nationals in their 40
Oct. 13, 2016
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K-dramas boost toasted seaweed sales
(Online) K-dramas boost toasted seaweed sales Sales of toasted seaweed are on the rise as more Chinese people are tuning into K-dramas. According to Lotte Mart, the discount chain operated by Lotte group, sales of the traditional snack sold to Chinese tourists at its wholesale supermarket chain near Seoul Station have jumped by 78 percent over the past three years. In 2012 sales of the product stood at 100, increasing to 178 in 2015.Among the different variations of the product, seasoned seaweed
Oct. 12, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Hospital illegally transferred blood samples
Employees at a well-known general hospital just outside Seoul handed over approximately 4,000 blood samples of patients to a local medical supplier without patients’ consent for two years, it was revealed Wednesday. The hospital, CHA Bundang Medical Center in Seongnam, wasn’t aware of the irregularity until a former staff member blew the whistle last month. It said it has fired the three employees involved in the illegal transfer of blood samples.“We will also improve the current medical waste d
Oct. 12, 2016
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Seoul metro proposes to raise age limit for free subway rides
Seoul’s metro operator is seeking to raise the age limit for free subway rides, citing the growing number of elderly passengers and its impact on the firm’s already-weak balance sheet, a lawmaker revealed Wednesday. In a petition submitted to the Finance Ministry on Sept. 7 and released by Rep. Shim Jae-chul of the ruling Saenuri Party, Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corp. asked the government to adjust the minimum age of passengers entitled to free rides from the current 65 to 70. It also pr
Oct. 12, 2016
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Methanol poisoning victims speak out
When a 29-year-old worker was dispatched to a factory through a recruitment agency early last year, he never imagined the job would lead to sight loss. After completing his mandatory military service, the worker, who only wanted to be identified by his surname Kim, badly needed a job. Instead of going back to university, he started to work at a third-tier mobile parts supplier for Samsung Electronics. “I had no idea how dangerous a job it would be. I was told that I would have to handle alcoh
Oct. 12, 2016
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Men caught distributing 30,000 items of online child porn
Police have caught three men accused of distributing child pornography on the internet, according to cybercrime investigation authorities. The cybercrime agency of Busan Police Station said Wednesday that they were currently investigating the suspects who are charged with spreading around 30,000 videos containing illegal pornography, many of which involved underage teens. Busan Police StationAmong the suspects is a 31-year-old website operator who made the videos available on five different web
Oct. 12, 2016
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Samsung stops Note 7 production, but explosion continues
Another case of an explosion of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 replacement device was reported Tuesday, following an announcement that the firm would be halting its production. The incident took place at Chungbuk University in northern Chungcheong Province. A Note 7 belonging to a college student surnamed Kim, 21, became “overheated and blew up.” A college man says his phone blew up from his pocket.Kim who publicized the issue with video footage via social media said he “found it emitting smoke from h
Oct. 12, 2016
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Seoul vows tougher actions against illegal fishing boats
South Korea will introduce stronger measures, including naval gunfire and shock tactics, to combat illegal Chinese fishing in its waters, the government said Tuesday. The measures also involve the active usage of force and firearms such as cannons and crew-served weapons to deal with unauthorized vessels poaching in Korean waters, the government announced after an emergency meeting held at the government complex in Seoul earlier in the day. The move comes after a Chinese fishing vessel attacked
Oct. 11, 2016
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Korean companies’ role crucial in combating labor abuses in Asia
In recent years, various reports have shed light on the “modern-day slavery” behind the global supply chain of frozen prawns and cheap clothes -- how millions of workers in Asia are trafficked into forced labor and endure excruciatingly long hours for low, if any, pay. David Knight, an international migration expert, says in combating this, Korean companies have a role to play. “Companies may not be aware of human rights abuses in their supply chain and sometimes there is a gap between what the
Oct. 11, 2016
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Restaurants, hotels expect sales drop after anti-graft law: poll
Small business owners in Seoul expect a sales decline due to a sweeping anti-graft law that took effect two weeks ago, a poll shows. According to the survey, released Tuesday by the Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation, 15.6 percent of the small corporations and micro-enterprise owners polled said that their businesses would be affected by the law, with 70.2 percent of them forecasting a grim outlook.By industry, accommodation and restaurants had the highest number of respondents anticipating an im
Oct. 11, 2016
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Little help offered on anti-graft act
When Kim Sung-hyun, a 28-year-old reporter, went out with close journalists from other news outlets last week, no one knew exactly whether they had to split the bill in accordance with the newly enforced anti-graft act. “I made more than 10 calls to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission the next morning to clarify some of the clauses in the law,” Kim told The Korea Herald. “But I failed to reach the agency because the line was always busy.” Two weeks into the enforcement of the
Oct. 11, 2016
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Japanese railway says ‘too many foreigners’ are to blame for inconvenience
An announcement on a Japanese railway line has rekindled debate about discrimination against foreigners, following a recent case of a sushi restaurant accused of serving excessive amounts of wasabi to Korean customers in Osaka. According to Japan’s Kyodo news agency Monday, a Nankai Electric Railway conductor made an inappropriate comment about foreign passengers during an announcement aired on a train bound for Kansai International Airport Station.During the announcement, the conductor said, “W
Oct. 11, 2016
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Extreme diets linked to teen suicide risk: report
Teenagers who engage in extreme dieting are exposed to greater suicide risks, a study shows. Researchers at Yonsei University in Seoul said on Monday that children in middle and high school who were obsessed with dieting, fasting, or binge eating, and the use of unprescribed medication are twice more likely to commit suicide than those on a normal diet. The study’s result came after they had reviewed the previous survey from the Minister of Health and Welfare in 2014, which surveyed around 70,00
Oct. 10, 2016
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Suicide survivor convicted for negligence
A suicide survivor was ruled guilty of neglect in the death of her companion, Suwon District Court said Monday. The convicted woman, surnamed Kim, had attempted to die with a man she came to know through an online community on suicide. She survived the attempt alone, and was put on trial.Kim, 21, had asked for a jury trial, whereupon the jury of seven unanimously declared her guilty. The court sentenced Kim to six months in prison with a two-year probation period. (123RF)The court said Kim suffe
Oct. 10, 2016
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GPS tracker fails to prevent sex offender’s second crime
A released sex offender wearing an electronic ankle bracelet was arrested again after using a weapon to threaten and rob a woman. The Jeonju Wansan Police on Monday said the 43-year-old man, surnamed Kim, is being charged for intruding into the house of the 53-year-old victim at around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. (Yonhap)Kim allegedly punched the victim and took money and valuables worth over 1 million won ($900).Kim has been wearing an electronic tracker on his ankle since he was convicted for a se
Oct. 10, 2016
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Bodies found in Han River 8 times per month: data
An average of eight bodies were found floating down Seoul’s Han River a month over the last five years, data showed Sunday. According to data compiled by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, 460 bodies were retrieved from Hangang Parks between early 2012 and July 2016. This meant a body turned up in the river every four days. (The Korea Herald DB)Other attempts to kill oneself by jumping in the river, whether resulting in death or not, accounted for 222 cases in the same period.The numbers swelled
Oct. 10, 2016
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Coffee mix is most beloved beverage among foreigners: survey
Instant coffee, or soluble coffee powder with sugar and creamer, is the most popular Korean beverage among foreign visitors, a survey found. More than 50 percent of the surveyed (491 travelers out of 926) who visited here between September and October said the Korean instant coffee mix was their favorite when asked to pick the top Korean beverage that they enjoyed while staying, according to a local travel agency, Cosmos Jin on Monday. YonhapThe most common reasons for the affection was conveni
Oct. 10, 2016