Most Popular
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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[Eye Interview] 'If you live to 100, you might as well be happy,' says 88-year-old bestselling essayist
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From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police
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Top prosecutor orders speedy investigation into first lady's alleged acceptance of luxury handbag
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Missing S. Korean traveler in Paris found safe after 2 weeks
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Defense chiefs of US, Australia, Japan decry NK-Russia military cooperation
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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[Ferry Disaster] Prosecutors detain ferry firm CEO
Investigators on Thursday detained the CEO of the Sewol’s operator as they sought to uncover the cause of the ferry accident. Chonghaejin Marine Co. CEO Kim Han-shik was detained at his house in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, after the court issued a warrant late Wednesday, officials said.Charges against Kim include manslaughter, negligence and violation of the Ship Safety Act. The prosecution also detained an auditor surnamed Park working for I-One-I Holdings ― a subsidiary of Semo Group ― and sum
Social AffairsMay 8, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Government to revoke license for operator of sunken ferry
The government said Thursday it will seek to permanently remove the operator of the sunken ferry Sewol from the related industry.The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it will revoke the operation license of Chonghaejin Marine Co. for its Incheon-Jeju Island route following the deadly sinking of a ferry en route to the southern resort island on April 16.The ministry said it will also press the company to voluntarily give up its operation license for two other routes -- between Incheon and wes
Social AffairsMay 8, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Korea to reinforce maritime safety
The government is taking steps to bolster maritime safety as the search for those missing in the Sewol accident continued for the 22nd day. The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill calling for the introduction of maritime safety inspectors, as part of the government’s plans to focus maritime safety-related measures on preventing accidents.Under the plans, the Maritime Safety Act will be revised to allow the appointment of safety inspectors. In addition, the revision will allow government support
Social AffairsMay 7, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Man arrested for blaming Korea-U.S. drill for ferry accident
A 50-year-old man has been arrested on charges of spreading a rumor online that a South Korea-U.S. military drill was responsible for last month's deadly ferry sinking off South Korea's southwest coast, police said Wednesday.The suspect, identified only by his family name Shin, disseminated the rumor that "the ferry Sewol sank because it deviated from its course due to the joint South Korea-U.S. exercise," according to the National Police Agency.Shin posted the claim on an online bulletin board
Social AffairsMay 7, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Consumption slumps after deadly ferry disaster: minister
Consumption in South Korea is showing signs of slumping as last month's deadly ferry disaster is hurting the overall consumer sentiment, the country's top economic policymaker said Tuesday.The nation has been in deep mourning since the 6,825-ton ferry Sewol sank in waters off South Korea's southwestern island of Jindo on April 16, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing.People canceled festivals and gatherings in memory of those who lost their lives and their families. The confirmed death t
Social AffairsMay 6, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Nets reinforced around S.Korean ferry to stop body drift
South Korean recovery workers strengthened a ring of netting around a sunken ferry Monday to try to prevent corpses drifting away as dive teams recovered 11 more bodies, raising the death toll to 260.A total of 42 people remain unaccounted for, 19 days after the 6,825-tonne Sewol capsized and sank with 476 people on board -- most of them schoolchildren.Workers in fishing boats strengthened netting around the scene of the disaster off the southwestern island of Jindo, amid concerns that powerful
Latest NewsMay 6, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Death toll from sunken ferry rises to 262
Twelve more bodies were retrieved from the sunken ferry Sewol on Monday, raising the death toll to 262 and lowering the number of those missing to 40, 19 days after the ship sank off South Korea's southwest coast.Divers have completed an initial search of 61 of the 64 compartments where people are expected to be found, officials said.The Sewol has a total of 111 compartments.After combing through the compartments, divers plan to search public spaces such as lobbies, staircases, shops, arcades an
Social AffairsMay 6, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Death toll rises to 226 in April ferry disaster
Five more bodies were recovered from a sunken ferry on Friday amid concerns that swift currents will hamper search operations and may have swept many bodies far away from the sinking site. Since the ferry Sewol carrying 476 people capsized off South Korea's southwestern island of Jindo on April 16, a total of 226 people have been confirmed dead, mostly high school students on a field trip to the southern resort island of Jeju.With 76 people still remaining missing, concerns have grown that the b
Social AffairsMay 2, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Sewol families’ anger directed at Blue House
President Park Geun-hye’s latest attempt to soften her public image has backfired, as questions were raised over whether her meeting with an elderly woman at a memorial altar was a set-up. The president was photographed on Tuesday with a woman she met at the mourning center in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, which instantly gave the public the impression of her trying to comfort the relative of a victim. Later on, the woman was found to be a visitor from the neighborhood who was not related to any of
PoliticsMay 1, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Probe into ferry Sewol finds cargo mishandled
Coast Guard divers prepare to jump into waters off the country`s southwest coast on May 1 to search for the missing people from the sinking of the ferry Sewol. (Yonhap)The sunken ferry Sewol lacked features for holding cargo in place, investigators said Thursday.According to the investigation team, the Sewol was fitted with an insufficient number of cones ― structural features used to hold cargo containers in place ― and lacked turnbuckles. Due to the lack of turnbuckles, equipment used to hold
Social AffairsMay 1, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Attention seekers invent stories after ferry disaster
South Koreans’ frustration with narcissistic attention seekers has hit a fresh high after a flurry of frauds and lies that added confusion to the recent ferry disaster.A woman who identified herself as a diver and made false claims about the ferry rescue operation on TV was arrested last month on charges of defamation and fraud. But long before her arrest, she was recognized by many online who claimed that she had been involved in numerous fraud cases ― posing as an entertainment news reporter,
Social AffairsMay 1, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Insurance not valid if ship sinking caused by alterations: court
Insurance firms are not required to pay for vessels that sink due to changes in the structure of the ship, a Seoul court said on Thursday.The Seoul Central District Court on April 3 ruled in favor of Dongbu Insurance Co., concluding that the firm does not have to pay for the vessel Seokjung 36 that sank off the coast of Ulsan in 2012. The then 29-year-old Japanese ship was purchased by Seokjung Engineering and Construction in 2007. Its structure was later modified, adding more than 500 tons to i
Social AffairsMay 1, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Dispute over Park's apology toward ferry victims escalates
Disputes escalated on Wednesday over a Cheong Wa Dae official’s response toward negative reactions from the families of ferry victims against President Park Geun-hye’s apology to them.Presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook said it is “regrettable and a pity” that the victims’ families protested against the president and viewed her apology as not sincere enough. During a Cabinet meeting held Tuesday, Park offered an apology over the government’s failure in adequately handling the Sewol ferry disas
PoliticsApril 30, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Key associates of ferry operator owner grilled
Yoo Byung-eon (Yonhap)The investigation into Yoo Byung-eon is making rapid progress, with prosecutors grilling key associates of the de facto owner of the operator of the sunken ferry Sewol.On Wednesday, the prosecutors investigating alleged criminal activities of Yoo and members of his family questioned Song Kook-bin, chief of door-to-door sales company Dapanda Co., as a suspect in the expanding case.Song is one of Yoo’s seven closest associates. The seven, of whom three have now been questione
Social AffairsApril 30, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Koreans stream to altar for victims of ferry
Thousands of mourners headed to the memorial altar in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday to express their condolences to the victims of the ferry that sank off the south coast two weeks ago. As of Wednesday noon, more than 200,000 Koreans had visited the memorial altar since it opened on April 23. Mourners in other regions also visited altars in their cities to pay their respects to the ferry victims. Local governments opened altars earlier this week after more people demanded places to express
Social AffairsApril 30, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Parties bicker over Park’s lackluster ferry disaster apology
Rival parties on Wednesday clashed over President Park Geun-hye’s apology, with the main opposition party labeling it as disappointing and the ruling party dismissing the reaction as an attempt to start a political fight.The New Politics Alliance of Democracy on Wednesday stepped up its attack against Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling Saenuri Party by saying that Park’s apology was not enough to console the people.“We hoped that it would give comfort to the people, but the president’s apology added a
PoliticsApril 30, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] ‘Overwork doubles risks of brain hemorrhage’
Working over 13 hours a day may double the risk of having a brain hemorrhage, a research paper published in the International Journal of Stroke showed Wednesday. According to a study conducted by neurology professor Kim Beom-joon at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, those who worked for more than 13 hours a day had a 94 percent higher chance of having a cerebral hemorrhage than those working for four hours a day.Kim analyzed the occupational types, workin
Social AffairsApril 30, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Park's apology over ferry disaster stirs up controversy
Rival political parties wrangled Wednesday over whether President Park Geun-hye's apology over the Sewol ferry disaster was sincere enough after families of victims dismissed the remarks as "informal."Park apologized during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, saying the government failed to prevent the disaster and bungled its response to the sinking. She also said she was "sorry to the people and heavy hearted that many precious lives were lost."The apology came 13 days after the 6,825-ton Sewol sank
Social AffairsApril 30, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] 12more bodies recovered from sunken ferry amid high tides
Rescue workers retrieved 12more bodies from a sunken ferry late Tuesday in desperate search operations against rising tides and strong currents for nearly 100 passengers still missing.The bodies were recovered from the sunken ferry Sewol on Tuesday afternoon, raising the death toll to 205 according to the Coast Guard. Still, 97passengers remain unaccounted for.After recovering four bodies in their overnight job, Coast Guard, Navy and civilian divers have been struggling to re-enter the ill-fated
Social AffairsApril 29, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Park offers apology, proposes to launch new ministry on safety affairs
President Park Geun-hye apologized to the public for the government’s failures during the Sewol ferry disaster, which left more than 300 dead or missing.“(We) lost so many noble lives. ... I feel sorry to the people,” she said during a weekly Cabinet meeting Tuesday.“I (wish) to express my deepest sorrow to the families, relatives and friends of the victims. … I don’t know how to say sorry for failing to prevent (the disaster) and for the poor initial response and follow-up measures,” she said.
PoliticsApril 29, 2014