Most Popular
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Yoon sorry for shortcomings but insists policies were right
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1 in 3 Koreans live alone, family types becoming diverse
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S. Korea ‘strongly’ protests Japan’s claim over Dokdo in diplomatic bluebook
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US 'incredibly concerned' about suspected NK-Iran military ties
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Korean won weakens amid heightened uncertainty
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Korea, Japan finance chiefs vow to tame rampant FX market volatility
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Seoul says will cut power to porn festival planned on Han River
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Sewol victims commemorated on tragedy's 10th anniversary
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Chanel, Louis Vuitton see muted growth in Korea
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K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
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S. Korea, China to hold talks on cooperation against new coronavirus
South Korea and China will hold a video conference this week on possible cooperation to fight the new coronavirus, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. During the talks on Friday, the two sides will share their experience combating COVID-19 and discuss ways to jointly stem the further spread of the new virus, according to the ministry. The planned meeting comes after President Moon Jae-in and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed to strengthen cooperation in their fight against the n
March 12, 2020
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Chinese embassy provides 25,000 masks to Seoul city amid virus concerns
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea said Thursday it has provided 25,000 masks to the Seoul city government amid concerns over possible mass transmission of the new coronavirus in the metropolitan area. In a letter to Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, China's top envoy to Seoul, Xing Haiming, said the masks are in return for the help Seoul provided when the COVID-19 situation was at its worst in China, according to the embassy. Earlier, the Seoul city government provided 600 million won ($497,100) w
March 12, 2020
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Foreign diplomats to visit Incheon airport for first-hand look at S. Korea's quarantine efforts
About 20 foreign diplomats will visit Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, this week to take a first-hand look at South Korea's all-out efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, officials said Thursday. Friday's visit comes against a backdrop of more than 120 countries imposing entry bans or stricter quarantine measures for visitors travelling from South Korea, which has so far reported 7,869 confirmed cases with 66 deaths. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha proposed the vis
March 12, 2020
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123 countries, territories restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus concerns
A total of 123 countries and territories were restricting entry or enforcing tougher quarantine measures for people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns on Thursday, the foreign ministry said. As of 2 p.m., 47 countries and territories were planning to impose or were enforcing an entry ban on people who have been in Korea at least in the past two weeks. Malaysia was moved to this list as it was expanding the scope of its entry ban from parts of Korea to the entire country, effective fro
March 12, 2020
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Trump says US may reevaluate travel warning on S. Korea
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his administration may reevaluate the US travel warning on South Korea as the coronavirus situation in the country improves. Trump made the remark during an address to the nation held at the White House, after announcing a ban on travel from Europe, except the United Kingdom, to the United States for 30 days starting Friday at midnight. "At the same time we are monitoring the situation in China and South Korea, and as their sit
March 12, 2020
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Foreign countries begin granting businesspeople exceptions to entry restrictions on S. Koreans: ministry
A few countries have allowed in businesspeople from South Korea in exceptions to their coronavirus entry restrictions, a foreign ministry official said Wednesday, pledging greater efforts to make such exceptions a standard practice. The ministry said earlier that the government is in consultations with some 20 countries to explore ways to allow entry for at least businesspeople seeking to travel overseas for work, on the condition that they are cleared of symptoms. Such countries possibly i
March 11, 2020
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S. Korea to apply strict quarantine screening on arrivals from virus-hit Italy, Iran
South Korea said on Wednesday that it will apply strict quarantine screening to entrants from COVID-19-hit Italy and Iran in addition to those arriving from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. Starting from midnight, passengers from the two countries grappling with spiking outbreaks of the novel coronavirus will be required to write a special quarantine report, answering questions about whether they have a fever or respiratory problems. Since February, South Korea has been adopting enhanced
March 11, 2020
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116 countries, territories restricting entry from coronavirus-hit S. Korea
A total of 114 countries and territories were imposing entry restrictions or tougher quarantine procedures for people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns on Wednesday, as a few more nations in Africa and the Caribbean have joined the list. As of 3 p.m., 43 countries and territories were barring the entry of travelers who have been in South Korea, China, Japan and other virus-hit countries, up from the previous day's tally of 40, according to the foreign ministry website. The Bahamas ha
March 11, 2020
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Harris praises S. Korea's anti-coronavirus airport
US Ambassador Harry Harris visited Incheon International Airport on Wednesday to see how fever checks on US-bound passengers are going, praising the process as "the exemplar around the world." Harris visited a boarding gate in the Second Terminal of the airport, west of Seoul, and observed officials taking the temperatures of passengers of an Atlanta-bound Korean Air plane and received a briefing about the screening process. "I appreciate the hard work that (airport staff are)
March 11, 2020
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S. Korea, Japan end marathon talks with no deal
South Korea said Wednesday it failed to make any significant progress in its marathon overnight talks with Japan on ending their nine-month trade dispute. The 16-hour talks that ended early Wednesday morning came amid fresh tensions between the neighbors after they virtually closed their borders against each other over the global outbreak of the new coronavirus. The travel restriction forced Lee Ho-hyeon, South Korea's director general for international trade policy, to hold a video confere
March 11, 2020
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[News Focus] Chinese masks highlight amicable ties between Seoul, Beijing
China’s decision to provide masks to South Korea while imposing tit-for-tat entry restrictions on Japanese nationals is highlighting Seoul-Beijing relations. From Tuesday, China temporarily halted its visa waiver program for Japanese nationals coming to China for tourism, to visit acquaintances or to change planes. Visa-free travel will still be allowed for Japanese visiting relatives in China or going there on business. The measure is thought to be a response to Japan’s latest
March 10, 2020
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China to send first batch of coronavirus relief items to S. Korea
China will send the first batch of face masks and other coronavirus-related relief items to South Korea this week to help the neighboring country fight the viral disease, a foreign ministry official in Seoul said Tuesday. About 80,000 N95 respirator masks and 10,000 items of protective clothing will arrive here via a flight on Wednesday, the ministry official told reporters. Two more batches, including 20,000 masks of the same type and another 1 million surgical masks, will be delivered on Th
March 10, 2020
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Govt. to conduct fever checks this week on passengers traveling to US
The government will begin fever checks and other health examinations this week on passengers heading to the United States, an official said Tuesday, amid rising concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus in America. Starting at midnight Wednesday, government officials will undertake the examinations, which have so far been conducted by airlines, to ensure they will proceed "in earnest and in a more systematic manner," the foreign ministry official said. It plans to install thre
March 10, 2020
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Seoul raises travel warning on Italy over coronavirus
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry raised the travel alert for two additional regions of Italy effective Monday, amid the fast-rising number of COVID-19 cases. Seoul issued a “yellow warning,” which calls for travel restraint and is the third-highest in the country’s four-notch warning system, for Piedmont and Marche in Italy’s northwest and central east, respectively. There are now five provinces in Italy with a “yellow warning,” including Lo
March 10, 2020
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Moon orders diplomatic consultations over special entry for Korean businessmen
President Moon Jae-in ordered officials Tuesday to seek diplomatic consultations with countries imposing entry bans on South Koreans amid coronavirus concerns over ways to permit Korean businesspeople with health documents to be granted exceptions for entrance. The possession of a health condition report means that the outcome of COVID-19 tests is negative, according to Kang Min-seok, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman. The instruction came as a series of entry bans on people from South Korea makes it d
March 10, 2020
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4 Japanese not allowed to visit Korea on 1st day of entry limit
Four Japanese nationals without an entry visa for South Korea were not allowed to board an airplane bound for Seoul on Monday, the first day of the two countries' entry restrictions on each other's citizens, the Ministry of Justice said Tuesday. South Korea halted a 90-day visa-free entry program for Japanese nationals, effective Monday morning, over new coronavirus concerns, while Japan simultaneously implemented similar entry restrictions for South Koreans for the same reason. The ministry
March 10, 2020
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Thailand-bound passengers from S. Korea required to undergo mandatory fever checks
All Thailand-bound air travelers from South Korea will be required to undergo fever checks at local airports, Seoul's transport ministry said Tuesday, in an effort to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The mandatory move, which takes effect starting Wednesday, comes at the request of the Thai government to try to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The rule applies to passengers for all air carriers operating fli
March 10, 2020
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109 countries, territories restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus fears
A total of 109 countries and territories were imposing entry bans or tougher quarantine procedures for people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns Tuesday, up by three from the previous day, the foreign ministry said. As of 2 p.m., Norway, Slovakia and Rwanda have joined the list of countries and territories imposing stricter immigration controls and requiring or recommending self-quarantine, raising the tally to 49, according to the ministry website. Norway recommends a 14-day self-iso
March 10, 2020
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Seoul, Tokyo kick off trade talks amid escalating diplomatic spat
South Korea and Japan on Tuesday met for the first time in three months to discuss their trade dispute amid dimmed hopes for reconciliation as the spread of the new coronavirus has led to more bilateral trust issues. The two countries started the director-general level video conference at 10:00 a.m. according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Officials from South Korea and Japan had planned to hold a face-to-face meeting in Seoul, but they later decided to hold a video conferenc
March 10, 2020
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China to send relief items to S. Korea amid anti-virus effort
China is preparing to send masks and other relief items to South Korea to help the neighboring country fight the coronavirus, the foreign ministry said Monday. China plans to send about 1 million medical masks, 100,000 general face masks and 10,000 items of protective clothing to Korea through the Red Cross, the ministry said in a release. The two countries are discussing details, it said. The move came after South Korea delivered four batches of relief goods to a number of the virus-hit regi
March 9, 2020