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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[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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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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[Grace Kao] Hybe vs. Ador: Inspiration, imitation and plagiarism
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Japan researchers close in on stem cell trial
TOKYO (AFP) ― Researchers in Japan have moved one step closer to clinical trials using adult stem cells in a therapy they hope will prove a cure for common sight problems, an official said Thursday.The ethics committee at the Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation in Kobe, west Japan, on Wednesday approved a trial treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells.The trial is aimed at creating retinal cells that can be transplanted into the
TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013
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Unspeakable pain ― premenstrual syndrome
Kim Min-sun, a 28-year-old office worker, takes a day off every month for one physical reason that she wouldn’t speak aloud ― premenstrual syndrome. “I feel ashamed of asking for physical leave. But I think it is better to take a day off rather than suffering from cramps and back pain all day long at the office,” she said.Like Kim, the number of young women claiming their right to deal with premenstrual syndrome is on rise. The number of patients with PMS-related problems surged nearly 50 percen
TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013
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LG vows to top next-generation TVs
LG Electronics said Thursday it would roll out 55-inch organic light-emitting diode televisions nationwide on Monday as it strove to obtain the top position in next-generation TVs.The world’s No. 2 TV maker said that it would be the world’s first to display the OLED TVs at stores across the nation on Feb. 18. It will begin shipping its 100 pre-ordered TV sets on the same day. The price of the new 55-inch OLED TV will be above 11 million won ($10,144).The company said it aimed to increase its fla
IndustryFeb. 14, 2013
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Mahindra chief: No exit strategy for Ssangyong
Mahindra & Mahindra, the majority shareholder of Ssangyong Motor, on Thursday approved a plan for investing 80 billion won ($75 million) into the nation’s smallest carmaker. This will mean, for this year at least, Ssangyong will have some 170 billion won worth of capital to work on the development of new models and facility investment.“We see a bright future in Ssangyong,” Pawan Goenka, president of Mahindra’s automotive and farm equipment sectors, told The Korea Herald. “We have no exit strateg
IndustryFeb. 14, 2013
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U.S.-EU trade deal expected to have little impact on Korea
A trade deal between the European Union and the U.S would have little impact on the Korean economy, which has its own free trade agreements with the two major export destinations, experts in Seoul said on Thursday. “It is too early to talk about the detailed fallout of the EU and U.S. trade pact, but Korean exporters could be shielded by the two effective trade pacts with the U.S. and EU,” an official from the Korea International Trade Association said. Concerns have been raised over the afterma
Feb. 14, 2013
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State-run energy giants to support shipping firms
State-run energy companies have launched a project to support faltering local shipping and shipbuilding companies by placing orders for coal import deliveries and shipbuilding. On Thursday, five power generation subsidiaries of the Korea Electric Power Corp., including Korea Midland Power and Korean Southern Power, signed an 18-year contact with four local shipping companies for the delivery of their coal imports, the energy source to fuel thermal power plants nationwide.The shipping companies a
Feb. 14, 2013
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FSS tells banksto support risky debtors
The Financial Supervisory Service has asked commercial banks to prevent customers with overdue payments from becoming credit delinquents via a pre-workout program.A pre-workout program is a debt rescheduling method, under which banks reduce heavy payment burdens on individuals and corporate customers, who suffer from cash flow problems.Key methods include rollover of payment dues and lower interest.Banks have run a pre-workout program worth about 10.3 trillion won ($9.5 billion) for about 150,00
Feb. 14, 2013
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Shares gain on eased uncertainties
South Korean stocks closed 0.18 percent higher Thursday as a spate of negative factors began to fade, whetting investors’ appetite for risk, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index advanced 3.54 points to finish at 1,977.42. Trading volume was moderate at 330.5 million shares worth 3.36 trillion won ($3.09 billion) with gainers outstripping decliners 481 to 304. “North Korea’s nuclear test had little impact, currency worries
Feb. 14, 2013
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Fitch maintains S. Korea’s ratings after N.K. nuke test
SEJONG (Yonhap News) ― Global credit appraiser Fitch Ratings will maintain its sovereign ratings on South Korea despite heightened geopolitical tension following the recent nuclear test by North Korea, government officials said Thursday.The credit ratings agency officially notified the Seoul government of the decision through an email, according to the finance ministry. Fitch also said it will maintain its rating outlooks at “stable.”Last September, Fitch raised the ratings on South Korea from “
Feb. 14, 2013
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Trade surplus hits one-year low in January: data
South Korea logged a trade surplus for the 12th straight month in January but the surplus dropped to the lowest level ever during the same period as exporters faced tough competition in global markets, customs data showed Thursday.According to the customs clearance trade figures provided by the Korea Customs Service, South Korea’s exports rose 10.9 percent on-year in January to $45.68 billion, while imports grew 3.9 percent to $45.21 billion. As a result, South Korea posted a trade surplus of $4
Feb. 14, 2013
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S-Oil offers help to deceased fireman’s family
S-Oil will deliver 30 million won ($27,663) in compensation to the family members of a firefighter chief who died on the job, officials said Thursday.Yoon Young-soo, 33, died Wednesday while extinguishing a fire in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. He is survived by his mother, wife and an infant son.“We wish to pay respect to the deceased who died trying to protect the citizens’ life and assets,” said an official of S-Oil.The oil refinery company, in hand with the National Emergency Management Agency
IndustryFeb. 14, 2013
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Ssangyong E&C turns to overseas sales
Driven into a corner by the protracted slump in the local housing market, the nation’s No. 13 builder Ssangyong Engineering & Construction is struggling to survive while anticipating a boom in the overseas high-end construction market.Ssangyong E&C’s net loss last year was around 400 billion won ($369 million), snowballing from a 157 billion won net loss in 2011, according to officials on Thursday.The net loss has impaired Ssangyong’s capital worth 148.8 billion won, which means that the builder
IndustryFeb. 14, 2013
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Samsung chief’s stock value tops W12tr
Lee Kun-hee, chairman of South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co., has retained his position as the wealthiest shareholder in the country thanks to a surge in share prices of the company and a key affiliate, industry data showed Thursday.Lee held 12 trillion won ($11 billion) worth of shares as of Wednesday, up 31.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Chaebul.com, which tracks the country’s conglomerates.The researcher said the rise came as shares of Samsung Ele
IndustryFeb. 14, 2013
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Weak battery demand delays operation at LG’s U.S. plant
LG Chem Ltd., the world’s largest battery maker, said Thursday weak demand for vehicle batteries has led to a delay in the start of its American lithium-ion battery plant’s commercial operation, denying U.S. media reports that the factory is not run effectively.Citing the U.S. Department of Energy Special Report, The Washington Post and other U.S. media reported Wednesday that the factory in Holland, Michigan, into which $142 million of American taxpayer money was injected, is allowing workers t
CompaniesFeb. 14, 2013
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No room for small firms in canteen business
One of the perks of working in a big-enough company or institution in Korea is getting balanced meals from cafeterias at relatively low prices compared to nearby restaurants.The operation of most of these canteens is consigned to large firms ― Samsung Everland, Our Home (which spun off from LG Group in 2000, but is still entirely owned by the founder’s grandchildren), Hyundai Green Food, Shinsegae Food, Hanwha Hotels & Resorts, CJ Freshway, Dongwon Home Food and ECMD (of Pulmuone). These compani
IndustryFeb. 14, 2013
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Stress from violence can be passed to offspring: study
Stress experienced by pregnant women in violent situations can be passed down generations and negatively affect their grandchildren’s health, a recent study suggested. According to a report presented at Asia-Pacific Economic and Business History Conference on Thursday, babies born from mothers who spent their prenatal life in the May 18 democratic movement in 1980 were lighter and more likely to be born prematurely than others.The report stated babies’ inherited stress had no link to their paren
TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013
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Guppies use ugly friends to seem more attractive
When it comes to mating, guppies treasure their ugly friends - because they look so good by comparison.An article published Wednesday by Britain‘s Royal Society says that male guppies prefer to associate with their drab-colored counterparts when females are around."Males actively choose the social context that maximizes their relative attractiveness," the article said. Or, as lead author Clelia Gasparini put it, "If you are surrounded by ugly friends, you look better."Gasparini and her colleague
TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013
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Seoul shares gain 0.18 pct on eased uncertainties
South Korean stocks closed 0.18 percent higher Thursday as a spate of negative factors began to fade, whetting investors' appetite for risk, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 3.54 points to finish at 1,977.42. Trading volume was moderate at 330.5 million shares worth 3.36 trillion won (US$3.09 billion) with gainers outstripping decliners 481 to 304. "North Korea's nuclear test had little impact, curren
Feb. 14, 2013
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Women with high calcium levels twice as likely to die from heart disease: study
Women with high levels of calcium are at twice the risk of dying from heart disease than those with normal levels, a recent study has found.A research team at Uppsala University studied the correlation between calcium levels and women’s causes of death by analyzing the eating habits of 61,443 female participants aged 50 and older. The data included each participant’s diet and supplement intakes for an average of the past 19 years. Results showed that 48 percent of women with over 1,400 mg of dai
TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013
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Fitch maintains sovereign ratings on S. Korea despite Pyongyang's nuke test
Global credit appraiser Fitch Ratings said Thursday that it maintains its sovereign ratings on South Korea despite heightened geopolitical tension following the recent nuclear test by North Korea.The credit ratings agency also said it maintains its rating outlooks at "stable."Last September, Fitch raised the ratings on South Korea from "A+" to "AA-," the fourth-highest of its rating system, and has maintained the level ever since.North Korea conducted its third nuclear test on Tuesday in defianc
Feb. 14, 2013