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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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Hankook Tire takes over control of Hanon Systems
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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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S. Korea, Japan, China agree to create new financing facility against regional crises
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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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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[Ferry Disaster] Investigators probe operators of sunken ferry
A joint investigation team of prosecutors and police on Friday raided the office of Chonghaejin Marine Co., the owner and operator of the Sewol ferry that sank Wednesday.Computer files and documents related to the ferry were procured by some 10 officials at the office in Incheon. The raid kicked off the probe into allegations that the Sewol took an alternative route on its fateful journey from Incheon to Jeju, and whether human error affected the accident, which took lives of 25 as of 10 a.m. Fr
Social AffairsApril 18, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Families of victims lambaste government, rescue staff
Family members of the victims in the Sewol ferry disaster berated the government for what they called “insufficient” rescue efforts on Friday.During a press conference, they also claimed that the government lied to them about the number of rescuers. The government said it mobilized 555 personnel, but the families argued there were fewer than 200 rescuers at the scene.“We are pleading for help to you, the people, as we are infuriated about the government’s attitude,” the families said in a statem
Social AffairsApril 18, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Park phones parent of student missing in ferry sinking
President Park Geun-hye has spoken by phone with the father of a high school student missing in the sinking of a ferry off the south coast, honoring her pledge to call him to make sure a series of promises she made are being carried out, an official said Friday.Park made the phone call around 10 p.m. Thursday, her spokesman Min Kyung-wook said, after returning from a visit to the site of the ferry's sinking and a meeting with the grieving families of hundreds of people, mostly students, still re
PoliticsApril 18, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] ‘Survivor’ messages from ferry are fake: police
Police said late Thursday that all messages claiming to have been sent from the sunken ferry Sewol after it went down at noon on Wednesday appear fabricated.Police did not comment on the messages reported to have been sent in the morning when the ship was still sinking, many of which were disclosed by relatives and contain video and photos of the boat sinking.Investigators secured cellphone numbers of some 271 people that are still missing from Wednesday’s fatal sinking and analyzed the records,
Social AffairsApril 18, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Obama says his heart aches over Korean ferry tragedy
(Yonhap)U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday his heart aches to see South Koreans suffer a tragic ferry accident that left nearly 300 people dead or missing.He pledged Washington's full support for the ongoing search-and-rescue efforts, stressing South Korea is one of America's closest friends. "On behalf of all the American people, Michelle and I send our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the tragic ferry sinking off the coast of the Republic of Korea,"Oba
Latest NewsApril 18, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Death toll rises to 28 in ferry sinking
Navy and Coast Guard rescuers found 17 more bodies of passengers trapped in the Sewol on Thursday night and Friday morning, bringing the total number of confirmed dead to 28.Of the 17 victims, only 10 have been identified. They include eight high-school students, one crewmember and a 60-year-old passenger. All of the bodies were sent to Hankuk Hospital in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province.As the bodies arrived at the hospital, families of the victims burst into tears with some of the parents screamin
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] 5-year-old survivor released from hospital
The youngest survivor from the sunken ferry Sewol is out of the hospital, and is still pinning her hopes on rescue workers finding her missing father, mother and older brother. The 5-year-old girl surnamed Kwon and her family were aboard the ill-fated vessel en route from Incheon to Jejudo Island. Her father had reportedly decided to move the family to the resort island, away from the urban life. Kwon was alone when she was taken to Hankuk Hospital in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, Wednesday. One
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Sunken ferry insured for up to W350 million per passenger
Passenger-related insurance coverage for the sunken ferry Sewol is estimated at up to 450 million won ($433,000) per passenger, industry sources said. Chonghaejin Marine Co., the owner and operator of the ferry, holds passenger accident insurance from the Korea Shipping Association for liability coverage of up to 350 million won per passenger, the Financial Supervisory Services confirmed Thursday.All students on the ferry were also covered by additional travel insurance by Dongbu Insurance, whic
April 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Sunken ferry added cabins: port authority
Incheon Port said Thursday that the Sewol had installed more cabins, touching off speculation that the added weight might have played a role in the tragic sinking. Chonghajin Marine Co., which operates the ill-fated ship, added extra rooms to hold about 180 more passengers, shortly after the ship was brought to Korea from Japan in October 2012, the Incheon Regional Maritime Affairs and Port Administration said. The capacity of the ship rose to 921 passengers after the modification, with the numb
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Ferry captain's flight raises ire
Criticism is surging over allegations that the captain of the Sewol escaped first, abandoning hundreds of passengers who were fighting their way out of the sinking vessel.The 61-year-old captain, surnamed Lee, allegedly escaped using the only one of the 46 life boats to function properly.Maritime police questioned Lee for the second straight day Tuesday on the allegations and the cause of the ship’s sinking. They referred to Lee a “suspect,” whereas he was identified as just a “witness” the prev
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Anger surges over crew, state response
An onboard announcement telling passengers to stay inside the ferry Sewol as it sank off the coast of Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, appears to have reduced passengers’ chances of survival. Video clips taken by the survivors show that an onboard announcement repeatedly told passengers to stay inside, despite the vessel continuing to tilt. “Go inside and wait, as the cabin is safer,” a ferry crew member is heard saying in one video clip taken by a passenger. However, the clip also shows tha
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Rapid direction change may be cause of sinking
The ferry disaster off Korea’s south coast may have been caused by an attempt to change direction too sharply. According to reports, the Coast Guard arrived at a preliminary conclusion that the Sewol ferry turned too quickly to the left, causing it to lose balance, and ultimately to capsize. Based on the accounts provided by crew members, the investigators suspect that the Sewol sharply changed direction when only a gradual change was required. As the ship lost balance, its steering equipment is
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Investigation launched over claim of survivors in ship
Police authorities on Thursday launched an investigation into the claim that there were still survivors inside the sunken ferry Sewol.The claim was circulating through Kakao Talk, a local smart messenger service. “We are trying to verify the truth of the message that there were still survivors in the ship calling for help,” a police officer in charge of cyberterrorism told reporters, declining to be named.Police are not ruling out the possibility that the message could be a prank. They said that
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Fishermen claim route is frequented by ferries
(Yonhap)While there is a fast tidal current near the site where the ferry Sewol sank, there are no rocks that could sink such a large ferry, said fishermen on Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province. Residents familiar with the area claim that a mistake by the captain may have caused the tragedy that has left nine dead and 287 others unaccounted for.“Based on my experiences, (I’m) sure that it didn’t happen from a collision with rocks,” said a 49-year-old fisherman surnamed Kim, one of those who hel
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] U.S., China offer condolences over Korea’s ferry disaster
The U.S. State Department and Chinese Foreign Ministry have offered condolences to the victims of the South Korean ferry disaster and the bereaved families.“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those who lost their lives on board the South Korean ferry, the Sewol,” Marie Harf, the U.S. State Department’s deputy spokeswoman, was quoted as saying at the start of a daily press briefing on Wednesday.The United States is willing to offer any assistance necessary for the search-and-r
PoliticsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] JTBC president apologizes for ferry victim interview
The president of a local cable TV channel made a public apology on Wednesday for a fellow anchor who had asked a student during a live interview on Wednesday if she was aware that a classmate had died. “There is no need for excuses or explanations,” Sohn Suk-hee, chief anchor and president of JTBC, said during its prime time edition.“The biggest fault lies with me, as I failed to fully inform the anchor (involved) what I have learned (through anchoring for 30 years).” Sohn was referring to a new
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Park visits scene of ship sinking
President Park Geun-hye on Thursday visited the scene of the sinking of the ferry Sewol to offer words of encouragement to rescue personnel and console the families of the victims.The presidential plane landed at Gwangju Airport in the morning. Park traveled to Jindo Island by car and reached the scene in waters off the island by boat. She was accompanied by her chief of staff Kim Ki-chun, senior secretary for political affairs Park Joon-woo and senior secretary for public relations Lee Jung-hyu
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] 3 divers swept by waves rescued: report
(Yonhap)Three divers mobilized for the rescue operation of the capsized Sewol ferry off the coast of South Korea have been rescued by people on a fishing boat, cable news channel YTN reported.Chung Dong-nam, head of a rescue team at the scene, said the divers went missing at around 2:18 p.m. Thursday while searching for the 287 missing passengers. The navy officials said the rescue operation was being hampered by poor underwater visibility and strong currents. By Suk Gee-hyun (monicasuk@heraldco
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] P.M. to head search and rescue HQ for ferry accident
Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won is to take the helm of search and rescue operations for passengers on the sunken ferry Sewol, Chung’s office said Thursday.The government will form an inter-ministerial response headquarters for the sinking, with the prime minister as its leader. Home Affairs Minister Kang Byung-kyu and Maritime Minister Lee Ju-young will be deputy chiefs of the headquarters.Ministers of education, welfare, defense and culture as well as heads of the Coast Guard and National
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014
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[Ferry Disaster] Shipwrecked students send heart-wrenching texts
“Mom, This might be the last chance to say I love you”“Dad, I can't get out.”“Are you okay son? Son? Answer me...”“The ship is sinking. Dad, I’ll see you outside…”Heartrending messages sent from students on the sinking ferry off the coast of Jindo, South Jeolla Province are offering a vivid picture of the frantic situation inside the stricken vessel.“Mom, this might be the last chance to tell you that I love you,” said one 17-year-old student on the ferry in a text to his mother. Fortunately, th
Social AffairsApril 17, 2014