Most Popular
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[AtoZ into Korean mind] Humor in Korea: Navigating the line between what's funny and not
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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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Yoon seeks rebound, taps 5-term lawmaker as chief of staff
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Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
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Medical standoff deepens as doctors reject new med school plan, talks
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[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent
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[Herald Interview] Why Toss invited hackers to penetrate its system
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S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
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S. Korean envoys convene to navigate strategy amid Middle East tensions
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North Korea fires several short-range ballistic missiles into sea: JCS
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Lee Sun-kyun reports were leaked: police
South Korean police told reporters Monday that information related to the drug investigation into the since-deceased actor Lee Sun-kyun were consistently being leaked, and that officials are looking into how the reports were relayed to outside parties. Officials have confirmed suspicions that a photocopy of the original investigation report had been leaked, according to the National Office of Investigation's chief, Woo Jong-soo. Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency has been probing alleg
Feb. 5, 2024
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Is streaming making you want to smoke? Korea to propose regulating smoking scenes
In the hit Netflix drama series "The Glory," Lim Ji-yeon, adorned in an elegant magenta blouse, black skirt and gold earrings, leans casually against her white Mercedes-Benz, pulling out a cigarette. The scene, as successful as the drama itself, quickly went viral, prompting the creation of numerous parody videos. Nonetheless, the Korean government seems uneasy about such a smoking scene gaining widespread attention. Dramas aired on broadcast television in Korea are prohibited from dir
Feb. 5, 2024
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8 out of 10 doctors oppose medical school quota hike
Over 80 percent of doctors across the country oppose the government plan to increase the medical school enrollment quota, a survey showed Monday, with many of them saying that there are already enough medical staff in the country. The Research Institute for Healthcare Policy, an affiliate of the Korean Medical Association, conducted a survey on 4,010 doctors across the country and found that 81.7 percent of the respondents are against the government drive to increase the number of physicians. Th
Feb. 5, 2024
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Seoul unveils plan for world's largest 'vertical' business district in Yongsan
The Seoul city government unveiled a set of plans to transform an abandoned train maintenance depot in the central district of Yongsan into an international business district, with the construction of a 100-floor skyscraper and a sky trail linking high-rises there as the centerpiece. In a press briefing Monday, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the government will transform an area of unused land near Yongsan Station into an “international business district as a new center for global urban compe
Feb. 5, 2024
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Gangnam, Seocho districts see rise in first-year middle schoolers
Amid the shrinking school population, the two affluent neighborhoods in South Korea known for their excellent academics saw a spike in enrollment for first-year middle schoolers, reflecting parents’ zeal to provide better educational opportunities for their children, government data showed Monday. A total of 9,654 middle first-year students were assigned to schools in Gangnam and Seocho areas, both south of Seoul, a 1.36 percent increase, or up 130 students from last year’s figure of
Feb. 5, 2024
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No more cash-only at Myeong-dong's street stalls
Visitors to Myeong-dong's street stalls will soon have the option to make payments via cards, along with improved hygiene measures such as the food vendors wearing gloves, masks and caps. These are some of the voluntary efforts of the area’s merchants, announced by Seoul’s Jung-gu district office on Monday, to bolster their reputation among tourists and enhance the overall visitor experience. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Seoul, Myeong-dong’s image ha
Feb. 5, 2024
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Home prices drive Seoulites out of town
More than 5.47 million Seoulites have moved to a different metro area in the last 10 years, government data showed Monday, as home prices and uncertainties in the real estate market drive many to relocate to cities with more affordable housing. Of the total, some 1.74 million people said their main reason for leaving the city between 2014 and 2023 was housing, according to the Korean Statistical Information Service data on the number of people who relocated from Seoul to other cities and provinc
Feb. 5, 2024
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20 taxis called to presidential residence before dawn
Some 20 taxis were called to the official residence of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in the early hours of Monday by an unidentified caller, local police said, as officials are conducting an investigation for possible "obstruction of business." According to Yongsan Police Station, the score of taxis were stopped by police stationed at Yoon’s residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, while attempting to enter the premises between 2:30 a.m. and 4:20 a.m. Monday. It was fo
Feb. 5, 2024
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[Photo news] Seoul's biggest blessing is you
The new quote "Seoul's biggest blessing is you" is seen on the signboard on the front side of the Seoul Metropolitan Library building in central Seoul. Seoul Metropolitan Government put up the quote in celebration of Seollal, Korea’s traditional New Year's day, which falls on Saturday, the city announced Monday. The city government has displayed quotes collected from citizens since 2013 on the signboard hung at the former Seoul City Hall main building.
Feb. 5, 2024
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Court jails man for draft-dodging 'because he played Battlegrounds'
The Supreme Court recently confirmed a sentence of one year and six months in prison for a South Korean man who refused his mandatory military service, after the court dismissed his claims of "being against all war and violence," partly based on his avid playing of the battle royale game "PUBG: Battlegrounds." The defendant was indicted in November of 2018 on a charge of violating the Military Service Act, which stipulates that all able-bodied South Korean men are mandated to
Feb. 4, 2024
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Half of female elementary school teachers think of quitting
Some 50.1 percent of the female teachers at elementary schools in 2022 said they intend to quit before reaching retirement age, a report by the Korean Educational Development Institute showed Sunday. The state-run institute surveyed 2,803 elementary school teachers across the country in 2021 and 2022. The research found that 50.1 percent of the female respondents in 2022 said they will not continue to teach until retirement, up from 40.5 percent the year before. The percentage of female teache
Feb. 4, 2024
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Seoul's "Haechi" gets a makeover
Seoul Metropolitan Government recently unveiled the new design for its mascot Haechi, the character's first design change since its designation as the capital city’s official symbol in 2009. The new design of Haechi, whose design is based on the mythical haetae from Korean folklore, has a pink body with blue-green stripes. Seoul City Hall said it took the colors from Korea’s traditional colorwork for wooden buildings, known as “dancheong,” The colors replace the prev
Feb. 4, 2024
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Korea to push for ‘fundamental shifts’ in health insurance for sustainability
South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare on Sunday rolled out a five-year plan to push for “fundamental shifts” in the national health insurance system to ensure sustainability in the face of a health care supply crisis and rapid population downsizing. The 2024-28 comprehensive plan aims at better compensating essential but undervalued medical services to tackle the shortage of medical professionals in certain sectors, as well as target the issues of overtreatment and overs
Feb. 4, 2024
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4 in 10 fire officials have mental health concerns: report
Four out of 10 fire officials were found to have suffered from mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep disorder, according to survey results released by the National Fire Agency on Sunday. The survey underscores the urgent necessity to address the mental health concerns of fire officials, particularly in light of the recent tragic loss of two firefighters, shedding light on the challenging working environments they face. The two were trapped while responding to a fire a
Feb. 4, 2024
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Bereaved families protest president's veto of Itaewon tragedy probe
Bereaved family members of those who lost their lives in the Itaewon Halloween tragedy marched in the streets of Seoul on Saturday in protest of President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to shoot down a special bill authorizing a new probe into the deadly crowd crush in October 2022. The family group and civic groups from across the country held a joint press conference in front of a memorial for Itaewon victims in Jung-gu, central Seoul, decrying the president for his decision Tuesday to send the
Feb. 4, 2024
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3 serious accidents in SMEs reported a week after law expansion
Three serious accidents were reported by enterprises with fewer than 50 employees in the first week since the enforcement of workplace safety laws was expanded, South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor said Sunday. The ministry reported deaths at work at SMEs in Busan, Gangwon Province and Gyeonggi Province since the laws subjecting employers to penalties for fatal accidents were expanded to smaller businesses on Jan. 27. For instance, a male worker in his 50s died after being crushed
Feb. 4, 2024
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Seoul aims to revamp street vendors, boost aesthetic appeal
Seoul plans to overhaul its street stands, city officials said Sunday, saying the existing ones were aging and poorly managed. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the city will conduct monthly inspections on street sales facilities and shops for enhanced safety and design management. As of 2022, the city hosted 613 street newsstands and 830 shoe repair stands, most of which have been in operation for over a decade. There are a total of 5,443 other street vendor stalls, such as thos
Feb. 4, 2024
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3 in 10 staff at Seoul council have seen sexual harassment
Some 28.3 percent of employees at the Seoul Metropolitan Council said they have either witnessed or experienced sexual harassment in some way at the workplace, a report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family showed Sunday. The council was recently notified the results of the assessment on its overall culture by the ministry, officials said, which showed that its members reported authoritative attitudes, nepotism and negative perceptions toward victims of sexual harassment within the org
Feb. 4, 2024
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Church elder embezzles funds for 16 years, gets jail term
A church elder accused of embezzling some 420 million won ($310,000) of the congregation's funds was sentenced to two years in prison, the Chuncheon District Court said Sunday. The appellate division of the court upheld an earlier ruling that found the 73-year-old defendant guilty of violating Article 356 of the Criminal Act, which states that occupational embezzlement shall be punished by up to 10 years in prison or a 30 million won fine. The defendant, an elder at a church in Hoengseong-g
Feb. 4, 2024
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2 firefighters laid to rest at national cemetery
A funeral was held Saturday for two firefighters who died during a mission earlier this week to search for victims at a burning meat processing factory in the central city of Mungyeong. The two firefighters -- Kim Soo-kwang, 27, and Park Soo-hoon, 35 -- were laid to rest at Daejeon National Cemetery as their families and around 100 colleagues observed the funeral procession in deep sorrow and tears. Kim and Park were searching for possible victims at the fire scene in Mungyeong, 140 kilometers s
Feb. 4, 2024