Most Popular
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
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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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Top prosecutor pledges 'speedy, strict' probe into first lady's luxury bag allegations
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Medical feud leaves hospitals in financial crisis
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Samsung mocks Apple over iPhone alarm glitch
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Chip up cycle won’t stay long: SK chief
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'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart
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Speaker floats dual citizenship as solution to falling births
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Missing Korean teen receiving IS training: spy agency
A Korean teenager who went missing in Turkey last month is training to become a member of the Islamic State militant group, the National Intelligence Service said Tuesday. The 18-year-old tourist from Seoul, surnamed Kim, vanished on Jan. 10 after leaving a hotel in the border town of Kilis. He initially arrived in Istanbul on Jan. 8 and flew to the southern city of Gaziantep before reaching Kilis by car the next day, a typical route locals say is taken by aspiring IS jihadists. The Seoul police
Feb. 24, 2015
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Korea, U.S. to go ahead with military drills
South Korea and the U.S. plan to stage their annual joint military drills next month, the allies said Tuesday, as North Korea threatened a military response to what it called a “rehearsal for aggressive war.” Key Resolve, a computer simulated command post exercise, will kick off on March 2 for a 12-day run, involving some 10,000 South Korean troops and 8,600 American servicemen. The Foal Eagle field training drill, which will continue through April 24, is expected to mobilize about 200,000 South
Feb. 24, 2015
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Korean Air, KAI to vie for S. Korean fighter project
South Korea's top air carrier Korean Air Line Co. and the country's sole aircraft manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., placed their bids for Seoul's indigenous fighter development program Tuesday, the arms procurement agency said. Codenamed KF-X, the 8.5 trillion won ($8.3 billion) project calls for South Korea to develop fighter jets of the F-16 class to replace its aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s. Some 120 jets are to be put into service starting around 2025. "Korean Air in partnershi
Feb. 24, 2015
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S. Korea, U.S. to stage annual joint military drills next month
South Korea and the United States will conduct their annual joint military drills next month, the Combined Forces Command said Tuesday, amid heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula following repeated threats against the exercises from North Korea. The computerized command post exercise, called Key Resolve, will be held from March 2-13 to improve the combined forces' operation and combat capabilities to deter threats from the North, according to the CFC. The two-week war game will involve ab
Feb. 24, 2015
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Questions raised over China’s THAAD opposition
China’s dogged opposition to the potential deployment of an additional U.S. missile defense asset to South Korea has raised questions over Beijing’s true intensions, given that the interception system does not pose any serious security threat to China.Some assume the opposition to the Theater High-Altitude Area Defense system is intended to forestall any potential negative ramifications for China’s security. Others say the dissent appears designed to weaken the South Korea-U.S. alliance.Despite
Feb. 23, 2015
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S. Korea replaces Navy chief over ship controversy
The government on Monday accepted the resignation of the Navy chief who offered to quit over alleged corruption and named a vice admiral as his successor, the defense ministry said.Adm. Hwang Ki-chul expressed his will to step down from the post in December, two weeks after the state audit agency announced the outcome of an investigation into alleged graft involving the country's indigenous salvage ship, the ministry said in a statement.Chung Ho-seop, vice chief of naval operations, will replace
Feb. 23, 2015
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Military eyes quick troop dispatch for disaster relief
The military is pushing for a plan to immediately mobilize military personnel and equipment in case of large-scale disasters to better guarantee public safety, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday. It is part of the country's ongoing efforts to reform its 48-year-old system for integrated defense, which outlines how to respond to a wide range of threats such as enemies' attacks, disasters and terrorism. Earlier this month, key security agencies discussed the issue during a regular meeting pres
Feb. 23, 2015
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Seoul: Joint exercises with U.S. unrelated to inter-Korean ties
South Korea's defense ministry reaffirmed its commitment Monday to staging military drills next month with the United States as scheduled, despite North Korea's repeated demands to halt them. Seoul and Washington plan to carry out their annual major drills -- Key Resolve, a computerized command post exercise, and the field training exercise Foal Eagle -- starting in early March to check and boost their crisis management abilities and joint readiness posture. "The annual drills to defend the Ko
Feb. 23, 2015
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U.S. combat ship to take part in military drill with S. Korea
The United States plans to send a littoral combat ship to South Korea for their joint military exercise scheduled for next month, the U.S. navy said Sunday. The USS Fort Worth, a 3,450-ton Freedom-class littoral combat ship, will take part in the Seoul-Washington military drill Foal Eagle due next month during its rotational deployment to the 7th Fleet, said U.S. Naval Forces Korea spokesman Arlo Abrahamson in a statement.The allies plan to stage their annual field training exercise Foal Eagle i
Feb. 22, 2015
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U.S. expert warns against China’s THAAD opposition
China’s heavy-handed opposition to the possible deployment of a THAAD missile defense battery to South Korea could backfire and prompt greater public support in the South for a stronger alliance with the United States, an American expert said.Scott Snyder, a senior researcher on Korea at the Council Foreign Relations, made the point in a recent article posted on the CFR website, saying it makes no sense for Beijing to demand Seoul refrain from bolstering its missile defense capabilities “in the
Feb. 16, 2015
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More U.S. soldiers to join military drills with S. Korea: Seoul
The United States will send a larger number of troops to this year's major joint military exercises with South Korea than last year's, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday.The allies plan to stage their annual major drills -- Key Resolve, a computerized command post exercise (CPX), and the field training exercise (FTX) Foal Eagle -- starting in early March to check and boost their crisis management abilities and joint readiness posture."As for the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises, the total
Feb. 16, 2015
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[Graphic News] Seoul ranks No. 10 in defense spending
South Korea ranked 10th in defense spending in 2014, according to an annual report.The report on the world’s top 15 defense-spending countries by Britain’s International Institute for Strategic Studies showed that Seoul’s defense expenditures amounted to $34.4 billion.The U.S. topped the list with defense spending of $581 billion, followed by China with $129.4 billion, Saudi Arabia with $80.8 billion, the U.K. with $61.8 billion, France with $53.1 billion and Japan with $47.7 billion.
Feb. 15, 2015
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Scientists claim N. Korea conducted secret nuclear test in 2010
North Korea appears to have conducted a secret nuclear test in 2010 and the explosion could have gone unnoticed by the outside world, scientists have claimed, adding to a series of similar allegations. Researchers Michael Schoeppner of Princeton University and Ulrich Kuhn of the University of Hamburg made the claim in an article on the website of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, citing a seismic analysis published last month. In May 2010, multiple radionuclide and noble gas stations in
Feb. 14, 2015
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'No consultations on THAAD': Pentagon press secretary
The United States and South Korea are discussing a wide range of military issues, including missile defense, but no consultations are under way about the controversial THAAD system, the Pentagon press secretary said Friday."We discuss a wide range of military missions and capabilities with our allies there. Some of those do include -- they would have to, of course, include the idea of missile defense. But there's no formal consultations on THAAD," Rear Adm. John Kirby said at a regular briefing.
Feb. 14, 2015
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‘Ode to My Father’ impresses American veterans of Korean War
Dozens of American and South Korean veterans attended a special screening Wednesday of a South Korean box-office hit that chronicles the Korean War and other hardships South Korea has gone through to rebuild itself from the ashes.“Ode to My Father” has become a sensation in South Korea since its opening on Dec. 17, surpassing the 10 million viewer mark in less than a month, as it struck a chord with older generations who have witnessed how South Korea overcame poverty and other hardships to beco
Feb. 12, 2015
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U.S., Korea hold ‘constant’ THAAD discussions: Pentagon
The United States holds constant discussions with South Korea about the THAAD missile defense system, the Pentagon press secretary said Tuesday.“We all recognize the importance of the capability,” Rear Adm. John Kirby said during a press briefing in response to a question about whether the U.S. has had any talks with South Korea about the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system.“There’s constant discussions and certainly with our South Korean allies about that. But I have no detail to provide
Feb. 11, 2015
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N.K. leader urges troops to get combat-ready: Seoul minister
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has actively toured military units to encourage his troops to be fully prepared to fight as part of efforts to consolidate his regime, Seoul's defense minister said Wednesday. "Since November when the North began to stage winter drills, Kim has visited military units 10 times. While leading some aggressive exercises, he has encouraged the military to complete their readiness this year to fight," Defense Minister Han Min-koo told lawmakers. While carrying out an
Feb. 11, 2015
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U.S., S. Korea holds 'constant' discussions about THAAD: Pentagon spokesman
The United States holds constant discussions with South Korea about the THAAD missile defense system, the Pentagon press secretary has said. "We all recognize the importance of the capability," Rear Adm. John Kirby said during a press briefing on Tuesday in response to a question about whether the U.S. has had any talks with South Korea about the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system. "There's constant discussions and certainly with our South Korean allies about that. But I have no detai
Feb. 11, 2015
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JCS chairman to take control of cyber operations
The Cabinet decided Tuesday to empower the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff to control the operations of the cyber command as part of efforts to counter growing security threats online.Currently, the cyber command tasked with countering threats in cyberspace is under the Ministry of National Defense, with its activities being regarded more as administrative measures rather than military operations.At a weekly meeting, the Cabinet approved a revised decree on the cyber command, giving the JCS
Feb. 10, 2015
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S. Korea's bidding for fighter project falls through
A bid for South Korea's indigenous fighter development program failed on Monday due to a lack of bidders, leading to a second auction later this month, the state arms procurement agency said.Codenamed KF-X, the 8.5 trillion won ($8.3 billion) project calls for the country to develop and produce some 120 fighter jets of the F-16 class to replace its aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s."After closing the bid on Monday, the Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. was found to be the sole applier," an official of
Feb. 9, 2015