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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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police
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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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[Ferry Disaster] Communications log shows gross negligence of crew
The sunken Sewol ferry’s crew may have delayed evacuating the passengers despite repeated instructions to do so, Jindo maritime traffic service’s communications log showed Sunday. The disclosed communications log detailing the conversation between the Sewol and the Jindo Vessel Traffic Service showed that the crew was told on a number of occasions to implement emergency measures. However, the Sewol’s communications officer concentrated on whether the Coast Guard was on its way without relaying t
Social AffairsApril 20, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Nation in grief
As the death toll creeps up and hope fades for about 240 missing passengers on the submerged ferry, grief and despair are sweeping through the nation. Many South Koreans opt for donations and volunteer work over spring festivals, weekend getaways and Easter celebrations. At the frontline of the rescue efforts, the families of the missing have been camping out on Jindo Island off the southwestern coast since the Sewol capsized and sank there. But it is the entire population, not only the relative
Social AffairsApril 20, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Companies send aid, volunteers to rescue
(Yonhap)Korean companies are working to provide the necessary aid and emotional support as the nation still rocks from shock and grief over the tragic accident involving the Sewol ferry. Samsung Group, the nation’s largest corporation, reportedly sent out an official memo for employees to refrain from activities such as golfing and drinking on April 17, a day after the ferry started to sink. Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee, who recently returned from an extended overseas business trip, expressed hi
Social AffairsApril 20, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Sewol operator misreports No. of passengers, cargo weight on ship
The number of passengers and the weight of cargo on the Sewol were falsely reported, raising suspicions that the ferry company was trying to cover up allegations that the ship was overloaded.In a departure report, Chonghaejin Marine Co. told authorities at the Korea Shipping Association that it had 450 passengers, 24 crew members, 150 vehicles and 657 tons of cargo on board, according to YTN reports on Sunday.But shortly after the accident on Wednesday, the ferry operator quickly changed the num
Social AffairsApril 20, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Families under tremendous emotional stress
Family members of missing passengers on the Sewol ferry expressed anger and outrage due to psychological trauma, according to a therapist who volunteered to help families on Jindo Island. The emotional stress has been escalating in the gymnasium on Jindo Island where families gathered to hear news about their loved ones. Furious about the little progress made in the search effort, some threw water bottles and shouted at officials during briefings.According to therapist Jeong Gyeong-sook, the fam
Social AffairsApril 20, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Families of missing passengers clash with police
Dozens of relatives of missing passengers clashed with police early Sunday morning on Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, near the ferry wreck site, after police blocked them from moving to Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul.About 70 family members of victims who went missing when the Sewol ferry sank had planned to visit the presidential office in protest of the government for the slow progress in the ongoing search-and-rescue operation, and its sloppy response to the fatal accident. As of 12 p.m., the de
NationalApril 20, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Navy sailor dies from injury sustained while supporting Sewol rescue
A Navy petty officer who fell into a coma due to injuries sustained while his unit provided support for the Sewol ferry rescue mission died late Saturday, the Navy announced Sunday. The petty officer, identified by the surname Yoon, fell into a coma after injuring his head on Wednesday. His ship, the destroyer Daejoyoung, was sent to the site of the ferry Sewol’s sinking to provide support. Yoon’s funeral will be held at the Navy’s Jeju Defense Command on Tuesday. By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@herald
NationalApril 20, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Funeral takes place for sunken ferry victims
The first funerals were held on Sunday morning for six victims who died in the Sewol ferry sinking.The families of two teachers and four students from Danwon High School bid farewell to their loved ones at separate funerals held in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province on Sunday. Victims included Nam Yun-cheol, a teacher who died while trying to rescue students, and Kim Cho-won, a first-year teacher who died on her birthday. Families of four other students were to hold funerals on the same day, but postponed
Social AffairsApril 20, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Divers recover bodies from sunken ferry
Divers made multiple trips into the sunken ferry Sewol to recover bodies on Sunday at the site of one of the nation’s worst disasters in at least two decades. Starting late Saturday, rescue workers recovered 29 bodies from inside the capsized ferry and nearby waters off the coast of Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province. As of 6 p.m. Sunday, the death toll stood at 58, while 244 remained missing. About 560 divers took turns going underwater during the day, focusing on searching for passengers. Mor
NationalApril 20, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Pope sends condolences for S.Korea ferry victims
(Pope's Twitter)Pope Francis on Saturday voiced condolences for the victims of a ferry disaster in South Korea, where 246 people are missing and 56 have been confirmed dead."Please join me in praying for the victims of the ferry disaster in Korea and their families," Francis said in a tweet published on his Twitter account @pontifex.Francis is due to make a five-day visit in August to South Korea, which has more than five million Catholics -- around 10 percent of the population.He will be the fi
WorldApril 20, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Seoul considers declaring special disaster zones
The Korean government is considering declaring the areas connected to the deadly ship sinking on Wednesday special disaster zones. "There is a need for swift, government-level support for the area as physical and emotional damages to Ansan city and Jindo-gun are growing," an official from the Prime Minister's office said Saturday.Ansan is the location of the high school attended by the 325 students aboard the sunken ship. Only 75 out of the 325 students have been rescued with the remaining 250 s
Social AffairsApril 19, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Arrested ferry captain defends actions
The arrested captain of the ferry that capsized sank off Jindo Wednesday, leaving more than 300 missing or dead, defended his decision to delay its evacuation,Lee Joon-seok, 68, was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need. Two crew members also were taken into custody, including a mate who a prosecutor said was steering in challenging waters unfamiliar to her when the accident occurred.Dressed in dark raincoats with their hoods pulled up, the three kept t
Social AffairsApril 19, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Sunken ferry's operator involved in numerous accidents: records
The operator of a ferry that sank off South Korea's south coast earlier this week, leaving hundreds dead or missing, has been involved in many other accidents at sea, records showed Saturday.Chonghaejin Marine, the owner of the ill-fated ferry Sewol, has been in marine accidents involving engine trouble and collisions every two to three years in the recent past, the records showed.Three weeks before Wednesday's sinking of the 6,825-ton Sewol, one of Chonghaejin's passenger ships collided with a
Social AffairsApril 19, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Survivors of sunken ferry show serious signs of depression
Survivors of a ferry that sank off South Korea's south coast earlier this week have shown serious symptoms of depression and anxiety, a hospital chief said Saturday.A total of 29 passengers have been confirmed dead since the 6,825-ton ferry Sewol capsized and sank off the southwestern island of Jindo on Wednesday. More than 260 others remain unaccounted for, with most of them feared to be trapped inside the vessel. Of the 174 survivors so far, 80 have been treated at the Korea University Ansan H
Social AffairsApril 19, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Patients need time to forget, hospital chief says
MOKPO, South Jeolla Province – The head of Mokpo Hankook Hospital on Saturday called for the survivors of the Sewol ferry disaster to be given time and space to recover from their ordeal. Eleven survivors are being treated at the hospital, and eight more have been discharged after treatment. “Please do not ask more than what is absolutely necessary,” Dr. Ryu Jae-kwang, Mokpo Hankook Hospital director, told the press.“The chief of the neuropsychiatry department, Dr. Jung Jae-jin, has told me thr
Social AffairsApril 19, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Ferry captain arrested, divers spot bodies
(AFP) - Investigators on Saturday arrested the captain accused of abandoning the South Korean ferry that capsized three days ago with 476 people on board, as divers finally accessed the submerged vessel and spotted bodies inside.Lee Joon-Seok and two of his crew were taken into police custody in the early hours of the morning, charged with negligence and failing to secure the safety of passengers in violation of maritime law.The 69-year-old captain has been severely criticised for abandoning his
Social AffairsApril 19, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Rescuers fight time to find hundreds missing in sunken ferry
Desperate search and rescue efforts for hundreds still unaccounted for in a deadly ferry accident in waters off South Korea's southwestern coast continued for a fourth day on Saturday, with the whole country clinging to dim hope of finding survivors.Hundreds of Navy and Coast Guard officers, along with civilian divers, have been battling strong underwater currents and low visibility to reach 273 people believed to be trapped inside the ferry Sewol that sank three days ago.More than 72 hours have
Social AffairsApril 19, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Captain of sunken ferry, two other crewmembers arrested
The captain of a South Korean ferry that sank earlier this week was put behind bars early Saturday as a local court issued arrest warrants for him and two other crewmembers.The 68-year-old captain, whose surname is Lee, faces five counts of charges including negligence of duty and violation of maritime law.The Mokpo court cited the possibility that they may flee or destroy evidence.Lee is accused of having escaped before passengers when the 6,825-ton vessel slowly sank Wednesday morning off the
NationalApril 19, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] ‘Sewol bodies show signs of decomposition’: CSI medical examiner
JINDO, South Jeolla Province -– Bodies recovered on Friday from the waters off Jindo Island where the ferry Sewol sank Wednesday morning show that the victims had died a few days ago, a Crime Scene Investigation expert said here Friday night. “It’s difficult to tell exactly when they died because calculating the (time of death) for bodies found in the water and land are different,” said the examiner, wishing to remain anonymous. He said he was not authorized to speak on the matter.“The bodies sh
Social AffairsApril 18, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Rescuers struggle to reach the missing
Rescuers accelerated their search operations to find survivors on the sunken ferry Sewol in waters off Korea’s southwestern coast on Friday as grieving families made desperate appeals for more efforts to save their loved ones.Navy and Coast Guard divers injected air into the ship for possible survivors and installed buoys to keep it from sinking further. They also entered the ship’s interior for the first time since the 6,825-ton vessel capsized on Wednesday, but failed to find survivors. (Yonha
Social AffairsApril 18, 2014