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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'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart
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Chip up cycle won’t stay long: SK chief
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Speaker floats dual citizenship as solution to falling births
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U.S. cable channel selects G-Dragon as best new artist
G-Dragon, a member of Big Bang, was chosen as the Best New Artist of 2013 by U.S.-based music channel Fuse TV, YG Entertainment said on Wednesday. The K-pop star garnered 76 percent of votes in the third round of voting, outpacing American singers K. Michelle and Danielle Bradbery.Fuse TV conducted the polls on 72 artists from around the world in 12 genres, and came up with the three finalists in the Best New Artist category. G-Dragon, 25, released his second studio album “Coup d’Etat” on Sept.
Sept. 25, 2013
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Senior actor in hot water over pay at tourism agency
Senior actor in hot water over pay at tourism agency Veteran actor Baek Il-seob came under fire on Wednesday for allegedly lining his pockets in the name of working for the Korea Tourism Organization as a nonexecutive director. The main opposition Democratic Party claimed that Baek got away with 77.4 million won ($71,800) in monthly pay and meeting expenses even though he did not attend a single meeting at the KTO since 2012. The 69-year-old actor strongly denied any wrongdoing. “It is a false
TelevisionSept. 25, 2013
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Rihanna selfie with rare Thai primate gets locals arrested
BANGKOK (AFP) ― Thai authorities on Monday said two men had been arrested on suspicion of possessing a protected primate after pop star Rihanna posted a picture of herself online holding the creature.The singer posed with the tiny, large-eyed slow loris on a night out in the tourist resort of Phuket on Friday, posting a picture on Twitter and Instagram, without apparently realizing that the use of the animal as a prop for tourist snaps is illegal.The image ― captioned “Look who was talkin dirty
PeopleSept. 24, 2013
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Kwon named Korea Coal CEO
Kwon Hyuk-soo, 64, was appointed as the new CEO of Korea Coal Corp.According to the state-run coal mine operator, Kwon, who joined Korea Coal Corp. in 1975, served as a vice president between 2006 and 2008, and then worked for state-run Kangwon Land Corp. as an outside director. Industry watchers said the biggest task ahead of Kwon was to develop a restructuring plan to lower the company’s debt level. Korea Coal Corp. gained the poorest score in the 2013 financial standing evaluation of 22 state
PeopleSept. 24, 2013
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N.Z. photographer retraces steps of Hamel, Winchester
When Simon Winchester wrote his travelogue “Korea ― A Walk through the Land of Miracles” in 1988, he was retracing the steps of Hendrick Hamel, a Dutchman who became one of the first Westerners in Korea when he was shipwrecked on Jejudo Island in the 1600s.Now that path has been trodden again, this time by New Zealand photographer Blair Kitchener, who has made a photo booklet of his journey, called “Korea from the Road.”The route starts on Jejudo Island and winds up the western side of the penin
Expat LivingSept. 24, 2013
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10-minute play fest returns to Seoul
Seoul Players will be holding its third annual 10-Minute Play Festival starting Friday, with 16 plays by expats and overseas writers.Eight 10-minute-long plays will be performed on Friday and Saturday at Spazio Luce in Itaewon, with the audience voting for the best four on both days.Those eight will go through to the final the following Saturday, when the audience will choose the winning play.The plays were chosen in early summer after about eight months of receiving submissions. Seoul Players t
Expat LivingSept. 24, 2013
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Seoul, Beijing strive to step up nongovernmental ties
South Korea and China held their first joint forum on public diplomacy on Tuesday as the two countries increase efforts to step up their nongovernment-level ties.The forum with a tag line “the path toward winning heart and trust” was held in Seoul, with officials from the foreign ministries of the two nations and diplomacy scholars attending. The forum is part of efforts by the two neighbors to promote bilateral public diplomacy encompassing nonpolitical sectors like culture, sports or education
PeopleSept. 24, 2013
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Equestrians begin horseback journey from Jeju to Gwacheon
About 50 equestrians kicked off a cross-country horseback ride from Jejudo Island to Seoul on Monday in a bid to promote equestrianism.Organized by a national association to promote the horse industry and a local club of horse riders, the journey started at Jeju Race Park on the southern island of Jejudo and will end at Seoul Race Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, the equestrian ground nearest to the nation’s capital, on Oct. 3.The 11-day tour will mobilize about 60 horses for 490 kilometers
PeopleSept. 24, 2013
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Softball tournament to run in Gyeongju
A local expat is running a softball tournament in Gyeongju on Oct. 26 and 27.The tournament will use a knock-out format for eight teams, with seven innings per game. Teams will have 10 players on the field, with at least two women, and up to 12 hitters.Teams that lose in the first round will go through to a separate knockout stage in a repechage format, meaning all teams will play three games each.Organizer Stephen Craig plays in the Daegu Softball League, which involves teams from cities in the
Expat LivingSept. 24, 2013
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Expat volunteer group to hold trivia night
Expat-led volunteer group PLUR will hold a trivia night on Oct. 5 to raise funds.The event will raise money for the group’s ongoing “...Your Seoul” projects, which involve helping the homeless and hungry, teaching underprivileged children and looking after abandoned animals.Organizer Linda Lam said that the funds would be used to pay for new textbooks and for basic equipment such as boots and aprons for the “Feed Your Seoul” project, which provides food to the hungry on Fridays and Saturdays.It
Expat LivingSept. 24, 2013
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KOICA, Peace Corps to team up for overseas volunteer projects
The Korea International Cooperation Agency and the Peace Corps of the United States will join forces to boost their overseas volunteer projects. According to the Korean governmental agency for overseas aid and grants on Tuesday, KOICA president Kim Young-mok is scheduled to sign an agreement with the Peace Corps during an annual dinner reception to be hosted by the Korea Society in New York on Wednesday. Under the agreement, volunteers of both agencies will cooperate on international development
PeopleSept. 24, 2013
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MU:CON Seoul gears up for second global music conference
Music executives from around the world will soon flock to Seoul to attend the second annual three-day MU:CON global music conference and showcase from Oct. 10-12. The MU:CON conference has invited a number of key international and local figures in the music industry who will come together to discuss topics such as creative global cooperation and communication in the Asian music market as well as having the opportunities to attend showcases that highlight various Korean music acts. “MU:CON is abo
PerformanceSept. 24, 2013
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China’s richest man aims to rival Hollywood
QINGDAO, China (AFP) ― An ambitious studio complex built by China’s richest man will be a major boost for the country’s film industry but experts say it needs more than sprawling grounds to rival Hollywood.Global A-listers Nicole Kidman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Catherine Zeta-Jones showed up on Sunday for the lavish event to showcase plans for the Oriental Movie Metropolis, set to span 376 hectares, in the eastern port city of Qingdao.The 50 billion yuan ($8.3 billion) complex will house 20 studio
FilmSept. 24, 2013
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U.S. honors Ray Charles with limited-edition stamp
ATLANTA (AP) ― The U.S. Postal Service is planning to add soul singer Ray Charles to its “Music Icons Forever” stamp series.Postal officials say the agency is releasing a stamp featuring the Albany, Georgia, native on Monday along with one of the artist’s previously unreleased songs.Charles was a singer and songwriter who pioneered the soul and rhythm and blues genres. He died in 2004.Events are being planned in Atlanta and Los Angeles to celebrate Charles’ inclusion in the series.R&B singer Ash
PerformanceSept. 24, 2013
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Jang Keun-suk game gives fans chance at romance
Hallyu star Jang Keun-suk has created a mobile dating simulation game for fans to experience a secret romance with the star. The game, “Jang Kun-suk Heart-beating Love Story,” was released in Japan on Sept. 20.“With the special effects in the game, romance with Jang Keun-suk will seem more like reality than a fantasy,” said Jang’s agency Tree J Entertainment. Players start out as an employee at Jang’s agency, and can experience dating the star in secret, with realistic special effects that will
Sept. 24, 2013
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Jung Joon-young releases teaser for debut single
Singer Jung Joon-young, who first came into the spotlight after appearing on cable channel Mnet’s “Superstar K4,” is set to release his first single on Oct. 1. CJ E&M released a teaser video of the track at noon on Tuesday showing a dark, mysterious setting paired with Jung’s strong voice. The track features a heavy rock sound, with the phrase “I don’t remember,” along with the date of release also appearing in the video. The title of the song has not been revealed. A representative for the sing
Sept. 24, 2013
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Jay Park establishes independent music label
Singer Jay Park has announced that he has established his own independent music label: AOMG, standing for “ABOVE ORD!NARY MUSIC GROUP.” The former 2PM member will still be under the management of the agency SidusHQ while managing his own label. Park launched the label to give more opportunities and support to younger hip-hop, R&B and pop artists in the market along with producing his own albums. The label will focus mainly on helping to train talented new and upcoming musicians and to jump-start
Sept. 24, 2013
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Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun makes acting debut
K-pop-to-drama crossovers are fast becoming the norm, with many singers making their acting debut via the small screen. Girls’ Generation member Seohyun is among the recent crop of K-pop idols to star in a television series. “I have harbored dreams of becoming an actress since I was young,” the 22-year-old singer confessed at the drama’s press conference in Seoul on Monday. “But, I didn’t want to rush it.”“I planned on taking a chance when the right role came along,” she explained. Of the decisi
TelevisionSept. 24, 2013
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Film on Korean shaman to open DMZ Docs
A film about a famed shaman and her life intertwined with the tumultuous modern history will open this year’s DMZ Korean International Documentary Film Festival (DMZ Docs), the organizers announced on Tuesday.Written and directed by famed media artist and filmmaker Park Chan-kyong, the documentary film “Manshin: Ten Thousand Spirits” follows the tortuous life of Kim Guem-hwa, a well-known shaman in Korea. Born in 1931 in a rural town in Hwanghae Province, now in North Korea, Kim was often threat
FilmSept. 24, 2013
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Buddhist chief slams order’s election system
The race for the leadership of the country’s largest Buddhist order has intensified with the incumbent chief slamming the current election system. Ven. Jaseung, the current leader of the Jogye Order, on Monday said he did not support the current election system. “I think the leaders should be recommended for the position by a unanimous recommendation,” he said as he announced his platform in Seoul. “But if that is not feasible in real life, I think we should adopt a direct election system, where
CultureSept. 24, 2013