Most Popular
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Seoul to more than double military drones by 2026 to counter NK threats
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
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Over 60% of S. Koreans support W100m childbirth incentive: survey
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‘Inside Out 2’ adds four new emotions, explores teenage life
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Questions raised over fair promotion of RM, NewJeans
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[Newsmaker] Oh, Ahn start poll to decide who will run for Seoul mayor
The opposition’s two strongest candidates have begun a two-day poll starting Monday to decide which of them should run in the Seoul mayoral by-election on April 7 to defeat the ruling party. Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People’s Party will conduct surveys of 1,600 people each, and add up the results to be announced by Wednesday. Should they be able to finish earlier, the final candidate may also be revealed on Tuesday
Social AffairsMarch 22, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Football star Ki Sung-yueng files damage claim against accusers
South Korean football star Ki Sung-yueng has filed a claim for damages against two former teammates who have accused him of sexual assault from over 20 years ago. Ki's legal representative, Song Sang-yeop of the Seoul-based law firm Seopyeong, put out a press release on Monday, announcing that Ki is seeking 500 million won ($442,530) in compensation for damages caused by what Ki has said are false accusations against him. Song said the claim was filed at the Seoul Central District Court. Separ
SoccerMarch 22, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Diplomatic spat between NK and Malaysia deepens
A diplomatic spat between North Korea and Malaysia is escalating over the Southeast Asian country’s decision to extradite a North Korean person to the United States to face money laundering charges. In protest over Malaysia’s decision, North Korea said Friday it would sever diplomatic ties, signaling even further diplomatic isolation for the hermit kingdom. In response to Pyongyang’s move, Malaysia ordered North Korean diplomats stationed in Kuala Lumpur to leave the country
North KoreaMarch 21, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Oh, Ahn to conduct survey for unifying Seoul mayor candidacies from Monday to Tuesday
Two leading opposition candidates for Seoul mayor will conduct a public opinion poll early this week to determine who should run as the single unified candidate in next month's by-election, their campaigns said Sunday. The campaigns for Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People's Party said they agreed during working-level talks to hold the survey from Monday to Tuesday and announce the winner as soon as the results of the survey are o
PoliticsMarch 21, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Imprisoned Samsung heir undergoes surgery for appendicitis
Lee Jae-yong, the imprisoned de facto leader of Samsung Group, underwent surgery for appendicitis, officials here said Saturday, according to Yonhap News. Lee, the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., was transferred to Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul and received the surgery on Friday night due to a ruptured appendix, the report said. In January, the 52-year-old tycoon was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in a retrial of a bribery case involving former President Par
IndustryMarch 20, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Big Hit Entertainment to change name to Hybe
South Korea’s entertainment powerhouse Big Hit Entertainment, home to global K-pop sensation BTS, is set to start on a new journey under the name, Hybe. The company on Friday released the “New Brand Presentation” video on their YouTube channel, introducing changes to its name and organization, as well as the revelation of its new office building to mark its rebranding into an entertainment lifestyle platform company. According to chairman Bang Si-hyuk, the new brand name Hy
K-popMarch 19, 2021
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[Newsmaker] President Biden orders five-day mourning period for victims of Atlanta shootings
President Joe Biden on Thursday instructed all public facilities, including the White House and military installations, to honor the victims of deadly shootings in Atlanta by flying the US flag at half-staff over the next five days. The proclamation came shortly after the US president declared the shootings "un-American." "As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on March 16, 2021, in the Atlanta Metropolitan area ... I hereby order that
Foreign AffairsMarch 19, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Expat community displeased with mandatory COVID-19 testing for foreign workers
Local expat communities are expressing anger and disappointment over the Seoul and Gyeonggi Province government mandates for all foreign workers to submit themselves to be tested for COVID-19. The Seoul city government said Tuesday that all foreign workers will be required to take COVID-19 tests by the end of this month. The measure follows Gyeonggi Province’s order made days earlier to have all foreigners in the province undergo COVID-19 testing by March 22. The measures drew mixed res
Social AffairsMarch 18, 2021
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[Newsmaker] DP apologizes again to victim of alleged sexual harassment by ex-Seoul mayor
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Thursday once again apologized to the victim of alleged sexual harassment by late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, pledging its full support to help her return to normal life. "On behalf of the DP, I once again give my sincere apology to the victim," floor leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon, who is acting as the party chairman, said during a party meeting. "(The DP) will take full responsibility in helping the victim return normally to her everyday
PoliticsMarch 18, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Soccer star Ki continues to face sexual assault allegations
Former national soccer team captain Ki Sung-yueng continues to face allegations that he sexually assaulted two of his elementary school teammates 21 years ago, as a television program aired interviews of the purported victims on Tuesday. The two, who were themselves punished for school violence four years later in 2004, said they now realize that they should have sincerely apologized to their victims. The two told MBC’s “PD Notebook” that Ki and another teammate, who were six
Social AffairsMarch 17, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Police raid land ministry over mounting LH scandal
Police conducted raids on Wednesday into multiple places, including the land ministry, in a widening investigation into alleged land speculation by employees of a state housing developer. Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency has sent investigators, 33 in total, to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in the administrative capital of Sejong, some 120 kilometers south of Seoul. The raid is said to be aimed at corroborating allegations that employees at the Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH)
Social AffairsMarch 17, 2021
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[Newsmaker] AstraZeneca vaccine rollout to continue in S. Korea: authorities
South Korean health authorities said Wednesday that the rollout of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will continue despite major European countries' decision to pause vaccinations to investigate reported side effects. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said in a press release that there is no evidence suggesting correlation between vaccines manufactured by British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University and reports of blood clots in some recipients. A
Social AffairsMarch 17, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Oscar nomination caps Youn’s five-decade career
On Monday night, Youn Yuh-jung became the first South Korean actor to be nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress. She is being recognized at the 93rd Academy Awards for her performance in the US film “Minari,” directed by Lee Isaac Chung. “I am actually honored just to be nominated,” Yoon said in a statement released through her management agency after the announcement on Monday. “I am not a big fan of competition. I cannot even watch TV programs that r
FilmMarch 16, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Kakao founder pledges to donate half of assets
The founder of South Korea's top mobile messenger operator Kakao Corp. said Tuesday that he will donate half of his wealth -- currently estimated to be more than 10 trillion won ($8.9 billion). "Through this pledge today, we commit to give more than half of our wealth back to society during our lifetime," Kim Beom-su said in a message posted on the website of the Giving Pledge. Giving Pledge, created by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, is a global campaign by the world's we
IndustryMarch 16, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Police seek another missing child in case of toddler’s death
A police investigation looking into who had left a 2-year-old girl alone in an empty house for months continues, after her death reported last week ignited a public uproar. The toddler named Boram was found dead on Feb. 10 in the southeastern city of Gumi in North Gyeongsang Province. Police arrested a 22-year-old woman surnamed Kim on charges of homicide and child neglect as they suspected she had left the child alone as she remarried. Recent DNA test results showed, however, that Kim’s
Social AffairsMarch 15, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Police conduct raids against local lawmaker, public servants amid LH scandal
Police on Monday raided the homes and offices of local public servants and a council member in a widening investigation into land speculation nationwide. Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency sent investigators to the home and office of a ruling Democratic Party council member of Siheung and the home and office of a Gwangmyeong municipal government employee. Siheung and Gwangmyeong, both south of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province, are at the center of a massive scandal sparked by allegations of land speculati
Social AffairsMarch 15, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Investors flock to unicorns after Coupang's IPO jackpot
The race to bid for unlisted companies‘ next initial public offering bonanza among South Korean investors is intensifying, data showed Sunday, as the recent high-profile deals including Coupang’s $4.6 billion US IPO whet investor appetite. Krafton, which develops and publishes battle royale game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, saw its trading price spike on over-the-counter platforms here. The game developer is the country’s largest unicorn -- a term used to describe a
MarketMarch 14, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Egg prices expected to soar 68% in March-May: think tank
Prices of eggs in South Korea may jump by up to 68 percent in the March-May period this year, as the spreading avian influenza is expected to further exacerbate the supply shortage, a state-funded think tank said Sunday. In the three-month period, the supply price of a large-size 10-egg carton is estimated at 1,600 won ($1.41) to 1,800 won, considerably higher than the 1,069 won-1,158 won per carton a year ago, according to the forecast by the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI). As of Frida
EconomyMarch 14, 2021
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[Newsmaker] Coupang’s stellar NYSE debut hoists related stocks in Korea
The landmark debut of Coupang Inc., the parent company of South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang Corp., gave a boost to stocks that have business ties with the firm here on Friday. Following its strong first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, related firms enjoyed a ripple effect as their shares surged. KEC Holdings, a company that offers business management and consulting services, saw its shares spike by the daily permissible limit of 29.96 percent to reach 1,735 won
MarketMarch 12, 2021
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[Newsmaker] S. Korea's Christian community expresses concern about situation in Myanmar
South Korea's Christian community has expressed concerns about political instability in Myanmar in connection with the recent coup and vowed for solidarity with the pro-democracy movement there. "The Catholic Church in Korea expresses her deepest concern about the outbreak of violence and the subsequent bloodshed in our neighboring country, Myanmar," the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea said in a statement released Thursday. It said South Korea has gone through similar military
Social AffairsMarch 12, 2021