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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China reports 2 bird flu cases in humans
China‘s Health Ministry said Sunday two human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the southwestern city of Guiyang.The patients were identified as a 21-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man, who developed symptoms Feb. 2 and Feb 3, respectively.“They are in critical condition and medical workers are carrying out emergency treatment,” the ministry said in a statement. “No epidemiological connections have been found between the two cases.”The ministry said an investigation found o evidence the two had contac
TechnologyFeb. 12, 2013
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61% of U.S. adults have no living will
Fewer than 1-in-3 U.S. adults say they have a living will indicating whether they want life-sustaining medical care if incapacitated, a survey indicates.The survey by FindLaw.com, a legal information website, found 61 percent of U.S. adults said they have no living will, also known as a healthcare directive or directive to physicians. A living will is a document in which a person can indicate his or her instructions in advance as to what medical treatments he or she wishes to receive in the even
TechnologyFeb. 12, 2013
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Seoul shares slip 0.26 pct on program selloff
South Korean stocks closed 0.26 percent lower Tuesday, driven by foreign-led program selling, with North Korea's nuclear test having little effect on the market, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched down 5.11 points to finish at 1,945.79. Trading volume was light at303.5 million shares worth 2.81 trillion won (US$2.56 billion) with losers outstripping gainers 465 to 311. “Foreigners went on a net selloff in
Feb. 12, 2013
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Seoul shares edge down in late-morning trade
South Korean stocks traded marginally lower late Tuesday morning, led by losses in utilities and insurance companies, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched down 0.11 points, or 0.01 percent to 1,950.79 as of 11:20 a.m.State-run electricity provider Korea Electric Power Corp. slid nearly 2 percent, with No. 1 life insurer Samsung Life Insurance falling 1.2 percent. In contrast, tech and construction firms gathered ground, with flat panel giant LG Display ga
Feb. 12, 2013
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Computer helping save lost languages
Canadian computer scientists say a computer can reconstruct lost languages by analyzing the sounds uttered by those who speak their modern successors.Alexandre Bouchard-Cote at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and colleagues report a machine-learning algorithm can suggest the most likely phonetic changes behind a language‘s evolution as words mutate and sounds shift.As an example of sound shifting, the researchers cite a recent change known as the Canadian Shift, where many Canadi
TechnologyFeb. 12, 2013
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Planet color may suggest alien life
The light signatures of lichens and algae reflected in a distant planet's distinctive coloring could be evidence of alien life, German researchers say.Seen from space, Earth gives off a large amount of near-infrared light reflected off the chlorophyll in plants, and similar light wavelength might be seen on distant exoplanets if they also host green vegetation, they said.However, Siddharth Hegde and Lisa Kaltenegger of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, said they thin
TechnologyFeb. 12, 2013
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Korea logs surplus in cultural trade in 2012
South Korea posted the first-ever surplus in trade of cultural products and services last year on the back of the popularity of its pop culture in overseas countries, data showed Tuesday.The account tracking exports and imports of cultural products and contents logged a surplus of US$85.5 million last year, a turnaround from a shortfall of $94 million in 2011, according to data by the Bank of Korea (BOK).This marks the first time that this account posted a surplus since the central bank began to
Feb. 12, 2013
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Dogs may understand human point of view
Domestic dogs are more likely to steal food if they think nobody's watching, suggesting they understand a human's point of view, a British researcher says.Psychologist Juliane Kaminski of the University of Portsmouth has demonstrated when a human forbids a dog from taking food, the dog is four times more likely to disobey in a dark room than a lighted one, suggesting they're taking into account what the human can or cannot see."That's incredible because it implies dogs understand the human can't
TechnologyFeb. 12, 2013
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Local households' consumption falls on debt
South Korean households' consumption fell in the third quarter of 2012 from a year earlier, data showed Tuesday, apparently as the country's rising household debts gave limited leeway in their spending.Local households with more than two members saw their consumption-to-income ratio reach 59.6 percent in the third quarter, down 3.13 percentage points from a year earlier, according to the data by Statistics Korea.The number marks the lowest rate since the agency started to compile such data in 20
Feb. 12, 2013
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Seoul shares open tad higher on large-cap gains
South Korean stocks opened a tad higher on Tuesday, driven by gains in large-cap firms, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 2.36 points, or 0.12 percent, to 1,953.26 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Top-cap Samsung Electronics climbed nearly 1 percent, with second-largest listed company Hyundai Motor advancing 0.8 percent and chipmaker SK hynix rising 1.2 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,096.20 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m.,
Feb. 12, 2013
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Chinese women largest group of marriage immigrants
Korea saw the highest number of international marriages between Korean men and Chinese women over the last 10 years, while more Korean women married Japanese men.According to Statistics Korea, the number of marriages between Korean men and Chinese women reached 130,230 between 2002 and 2011. Observers speculate that the high rate is related to the increase in the number of ethnic Koreans in China who visit or stay in Korea.This figure is followed by Korean marriages with Vietnamese women at 59,6
Feb. 11, 2013
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Korea-EU trade balance in the red despite FTA
Despite the anticipated effects of the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement, the nations trade balance for the European Union last year posted a deficit for the first time in 15 years, according to the Korea Customs Service.Korea-EU exports, since they turned positive in 1998, had always remained in the black until the second half of last year.The key reason for the loss was the effects of the European financial crisis and a fall in the export of key strategic items such as ships, mobile phones and sem
Feb. 11, 2013
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[Power Korea] Lotte snacks, drinks tickle taste buds worldwide
With all-time favorites like the Choco Pie and Milkis, Lotte Confectionery and Lotte Chilsung Beverage have dominated Koreans’ tastes for the nibbles.The two are not just the largest Korean companies in their respective industries, but their stocks are also the two most expensive on the local bourse, traded at over 1.5 million won per share.And they are now pleasing the palates of people worldwide.Lotte Confectionery’s overseas sales are estimated to have grown from 450 billion won ($410 million
IndustryFeb. 11, 2013
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[Power Korea] Leap from chewing gum maker to nation’s No. 1 retail empire
When Shin Kyuk-ho founded Lotte in 1948, he began with selling chewing gum to children in post-war Japan.Dispelling doubts over the sweetened chicle business at a time when people were starving, Shin’s bubble gum became a major hit in Japan.He went on to start a trading firm, a real estate company and outstretched to the retail business, eventually building one of the biggest conglomerates in Japan.Shin, also going by Takeo Shigemitsu, then expanded business to his native Korea by establishing L
IndustryFeb. 11, 2013
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Korea braces for fast yen depreciation
Korean exporters may need to brace for rough sailing in overseas markets earlier than expected as Japan prepares to accelerate the depreciation of its currency to jumpstart its economy, analysts said.Foreign investment banks and domestic securities companies have drawn their outlooks for the Japanese yen to further weaken faster than their initial estimation, forecasting its value to drop over 100 yen to the dollar as early as the second half of this year.The general consensus among investment b
Feb. 11, 2013
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Korean Air to build tallest building in western U.S.
A $1 billion office-and-hotel tower being developed by Korean Air Lines Co. in downtown Los Angeles will be the tallest building in the western U.S. upon its completion in four years, according to the projects architect.The foundation of the 1,100-foot (335-meter) tower will be poured at the end of this year, with a grand opening planned for March 2017, said Chris Martin, chief executive officer of Los Angeles-based architecture firm AC Martin Partners. The building will rise higher than downtow
MobilityFeb. 11, 2013
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Korea’s auto production up 23.3 percent in Jan.
Output by South Korean carmakers jumped 23.3 percent in January from a year earlier on the back of strong overseas shipments, a local industry group said Monday.Industry leader Hyundai Motor Co. and four other local automakers produced a combined 410,602 vehicles last month, according to the data compiled by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association.The export volume also advanced 17.1 percent on-year to 288,344 vehicles in January, with the total value reaching $4.27 billion.Market watcher
MobilityFeb. 11, 2013
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Korean shares may rise if yen rebounds
South Korean stocks may rebound this week if the Japanese yen’s weakening abates, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index closed at 1,950.9 on Friday, down 0.35 percent from a week earlier.Despite positive economic data from the United States, the KOSPI got off to a weak start last week as the local currency continued to rise against the U.S. dollar amid a weakening yen.Eurozone concerns as well as North Korea’s nuclear threats also dented investor sentiment, further weighi
Feb. 11, 2013
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Diesel car sales double in 2012
Korean carmakers saw their combined diesel sales, excluding those for sport utility vehicles, more than double last year to 29,626 units, according to industry data released on Monday.Diesel car sales still make up a small fraction of total car sales in Korea, where a total of 1.54 million vehicles were sold last year. With their popularity growing among import car purchasers here, the acceptance for diesel-powered cars is spreading to Korean-brand cars. For Hyundai’s i30 hatchback, for instance
IndustryFeb. 11, 2013
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Massive hacking scheme to steal accredited certificates uncovered
South Korea’s financial authority said Monday it has uncovered a large-scale hacking scheme that resulted in the theft of personal financial transaction information of hundreds of bank clients.According to the Korea Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Institute, a group of hackers allegedly stole a total of 461 authenticated certificates, in an apparent bid to withdraw cash from victims’ bank accounts.The KFTC, which settles financial transactions among individuals, said it reported the c
Feb. 11, 2013