Most Popular
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Yoon visits ancient Uzbek city, wraps up Central Asia trip
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N. Korean military's construction activities spotted inside DMZ: source
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[Weekender] IV drips: A quick energy shot for overworked Koreans
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S. Korea calls on Japan to address 'entire history' of Sado mine in UNESCO Heritage application
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[Drama Tour] Follow Suwon’s fortress to find traces of ‘Lovely Runner’
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Yoon returns amid tensions over Putin's Pyongyang visit
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[AtoZ into Korean Mind] Korea's broken ladder of social mobility
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Seoul, Washington, Tokyo to keep close tabs on Putin's visit to NK
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Unlicensed driver rams day care center van into wall
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Top 4 conglomerates convene strategy meetings to navigate uncertainties
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Yongin determined to take lead in environment, gender issues
In 1996, Yongin was largely a farming region surrounded by mountains. Now, the city has established itself as one of the fastest-growing cities in South Korea, with a population of nearly 1 million. It’s home to Everland and Caribbean Bay, the nation’s most popular amusement and water parks, 10 university campuses and some of the most significant museums and galleries in the country -- including the Ho-Am Art Museum and the Nam June Paik Art Center. An image of Yongin Techno Valley (Yongin Cit
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2016
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Elementary schoolers want to be chefs, star athletes
The top dream jobs among young students in South Korea are to be an entertainer, star athlete or other professional in sports and art, a survey showed Thursday.It marked a stark contrast to former generations who mostly wished to become the president (1970s, '80s) or a doctor (1990s).According to a survey by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on 456 fourth and sixth graders in elementary schools, 40.5 percent of respondents said they wanted to become athletes, artists or entertain
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2016
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Seoul holds off Shilla’s hanok hotel project
Hotel Shilla’s third attempt to obtain a permit to build a traditional-style hotel in central Seoul was once again mired in a deadlock by Seoul City on Thursday.The Seoul Metropolitan government said it reserved the decision to approve the company’s request to ease regulations for the project envisioned at a location designated as a development-restricted area.The company had sought to build a hanok hotel at Jangchung-dong in Jung-gu district, a neighborhood near the historic Fortress Wall of Se
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2016
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Low-income Koreans more suicidal than richer people
South Koreans in the low-income bracket think about committing suicide much more than people at higher income levels, a report showed Thursday.According to the report by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, one out of 15 low income earners has thought about killing themselves in the past year, 4.3 times higher than those in higher income brackets. The low income bracket refers to those who earn less than 60 percent of the median income for all Koreans. The degree of depression felt
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2016
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Lotte executive gets suspended jail sentence in construction worker's death
An executive director of Lotte Engineering & Construction Co. was given a suspended jail sentence Thursday for neglecting safety measures at the construction site of its skyscraper in Seoul leading to the death of a worker.The Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced the 57-year-old executive in charge of the construction project to eight months in prison, suspended for a year, for involuntary manslaughter.Two other defendants who supervised the site received shorter jail terms with a year of susp
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2016
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Appeals court upholds stripping teachers’ union of legal status
The Seoul High Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of the government’s decision to strip the Korea Teachers and Education Workers’ Union of its legal status, dealing it yet another blow in its two-year legal fight. The left-leaning group has been engaged in a bitter battle with the Labor Ministry since October 2013, when it was no longer deemed a legal entity. The ministry cited a violation of a labor law clause that bans dismissed education workers from joining trade unions. According to the Educat
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2016
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Korea puts KF-X fighter jet project in full swing
South Korea officially kicked off its multibillion-dollar project Thursday to produce homemade fighter jets over the next decade.Under the Korean Fighter Experimental project by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, contractor airplane maker Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. will come up with six units of a homegrown prototype fighter by 2021.The test fighters will undergo flight tests for four years before the development project is completed by mid-2026, according to DAPA.Based on the
DefenseJan. 21, 2016
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Pets no longer considered ‘waste’ under new law
Pet owners are no longer required to dispose of the bodies of their beloved pets in the trash, as a revised animal protection law came into effect Thursday. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, pets treated at animal cremation facilities will no longer be classified as waste under the revised law. Animals not treated at cremation facilities will still be subject to the waste management law, which requires pet owners to dispose of the bodies as waste.Before the law wa
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2016
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Inter-Korean exchanges frozen after nuke test
The South Korean government said Thursday it would not allow any direct civilian exchanges with North Korea for the time being, a punitive step against Pyongyang for its fourth nuclear test.It's time to concentrate efforts on imposing effective sanctions on the North, said an official at the Unification Ministry that handles Seoul-Pyongyang relations.The reaffirmation of Seoul's firm stance came after reports that the North proposed contact in China with the South's civilian organizations not be
North KoreaJan. 21, 2016
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THAAD will help counter N.K. missile threats: U.S. think tank
Amid North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats, the stationing of advanced U.S. missile assets on the peninsula would boost the allies’ defense capabilities, a leading Washington think tank said Wednesday. Speculation persists that Washington is seeking to deploy a unit of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in the South, though U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken reiterated that no decision has been made yet during a news conference in Seoul on Wednesday. In a comp
North KoreaJan. 21, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Minjoo lawmaker under fire over defection
Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae, a third-term lawmaker representing Saha-gu in Busan, was once portrayed as a pioneer in condemning localism in politics, as he survived three consecutive elections in the traditionally conservative constituency.But after 12 years as an opposition representative, Cho decided to defect to the ruling party ahead of the upcoming general election, arousing derision and accusations that he had betrayed his political beliefs for the sake of reelection.“I hope that my fresh start ac
PoliticsJan. 21, 2016
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Korean fighter jet project kicks off
South Korea on Thursday announced the launch of projects to introduce indigenous fighter jets in the mid-2020s, kick-starting the journey that has spawned much controversy following the U.S. rejection to transfer key technologies. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration held a commencement meeting in the headquarters of contractor Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. Some 200 government and industry officials as well as military scientists also from partner co
DefenseJan. 21, 2016
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Korea's power demand hits new high amid cold wave
South Korea's power demand soared to an all-time high on Thursday as people turned up their heaters amid a severe cold wave, the government said Thursday.The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Power Exchange said electricity demand rose to 82.97 million kilowatts as of 11 a.m., breaking the previous record of 82.12 million kilowatts set two days earlier.The spike came as the average temperature for all of South Korea fell below freezing, with Gimhwa in Cheorwon County, 88 kilom
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2016
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Park vows to push for effective measures against N. Korea
President Park Geun-hye said Thursday that South Korea will push for effective possible means to make North Korea pay a price for its nuclear test earlier this month.She did not elaborate on what she meant by effective possible means. South Korea has resumed anti-Pyongyang broadcasts as part of its punishment against North Korea for its nuclear test.The latest comments were made at a defense meeting with officials and come at the same time that the U.N. Security Council is working on a new resol
North KoreaJan. 21, 2016
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Korea to focus on structural, labor reform to fuel growth in 2015
South Korea will focus on pushing forward much needed structural reforms this year in order to create quality jobs for the younger generation and strive to revive domestic demand and exports as part of overall economic policy plan, the government said Thursday."We will do our best to create jobs by producing tangible results of structural reform and economic renovation," the finance ministry said in a follow-up of the 2016 economy policy plan released last week.It said the measures are aimed at
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2016
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Court acquits South Korean for following pro-North Twitter account
A local court has acquitted a 73-year-old former journalist accused of following a Twitter account praising North Korean ideology, court records showed Thursday.The Seoul Western District Court found the defendant, identified only by his surname Lee, not guilty of following the account of North Korea's main propaganda website, Uriminzokkiri, which means "only by Korean ourselves."Prosecutors indicted Lee on charges of following the account and posting pro-Pyongyang writings on his blog in Novemb
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2016
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Four in 10 Korean households unprepared for old age
Approximately four in 10 South Korean households have no concrete plans to cope with life after retirement, a report showed Thursday.The report by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on circumstances facing senior citizens showed 38.5 percent of local households are unprepared for old age, while those who claim they are ready expect difficulties in maintaining current living standards."Many South Koreans don't have plans for life after retirement because they have to educate their
Social AffairsJan. 21, 2016
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THAAD to provide Korea with valuable capability
The U.S. THAAD missile defense system would provide South Korea with great protection against growing missile threats from North Korea, a U.S. think tank report said Wednesday.The Center for Strategic and International Studies made the suggestion in a report on the U.S. rebalance to Asia policy, saying the Asian nation "has no area defense capabilities against North Korean ballistic missiles."Chinese demarches have made a potential THAAD deployment a "sensitive issue" for Seoul, it said."The ROK
DefenseJan. 21, 2016
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S. Korea aims to attract 8 million Chinese tourists this year
South Korean President Park Geun-hye voiced hope Wednesday that many Chinese tourists will visit Seoul as she celebrated the year of visiting Korea in China.In 2014, Park and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping designated 2015 and 2016 as the year of visiting China and the year of visiting South Korea, respectively. “I am pleased to invite Chinese people to South Korea,” Park said in a video message at a ceremony marking “The Year of Visit to Korea” in China. She also asked Chinese tourists to vi
NationalJan. 20, 2016
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Park names North Korea expert as head of advisory body on unification
President Park Geun-hye appointed a North Korea expert as the head of the presidential advisory body on unification, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.Bae Jung-ho, a research fellow of the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, will lead the National Unification Advisory Council, the presidential office said. (Yonhap)
PoliticsJan. 20, 2016