Most Popular
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Jimin of BTS, actor Song Da-eun suspected to be dating, again
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Police raid popera singer Kim Ho-joong's house over hit-and-run suspicions
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What's next for the government's push in quota hike?
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Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official
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Woman falls to death from acquaintance's home after exhibiting ‘unexplained' behaviors
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N. Korea slams planned S. Korea-US military drills, warns of 'catastrophic aftermath'
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N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS
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‘Malice should not undermine the system, social order,’ says Hybe's Bang
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[Robert J. Fouser] Social attitudes toward language proficiency
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[Graphic News] How much do Korean adults read?
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Senior gov't officials to visit 'comfort women'
South Korea's No. 2 diplomats will pay a visit to victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery Tuesday to discuss a landmark agreement aimed at ending the two countries' dispute over the crime, the Foreign Ministry said.South Korea and Japan reached a breakthrough deal Monday, which centers on Tokyo's admission of responsibility for the atrocity and plans to pay reparations to the victims.First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam and Second Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul plan to meet with the vic
PoliticsDec. 29, 2015
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North Korea condemns South Korea-Japan deal on sex slaves
North Korea criticized South Korea Tuesday for reaching a deal with Japan over Tokyo's wartime sex slavery, calling it a "humiliating agreement" that missed holding the Japanese state responsible for such atrocities.A day earlier, Seoul and Tokyo reached a rare deal to resolve the issue over Korean women forced into Japan's sex slaves during World War II. The agreement included Japan's apology for Korean victims and a 1 billion yen ($8.29 million) fund to be created with Japan's money, but it fa
Foreign AffairsDec. 29, 2015
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U.N. chief welcomes Korea-Japan agreement on wartime sexual slavery
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed Monday's landmark agreement between South Korea and Japan on resolving the issue of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, expressing hope for improved relations between the two countries."The secretary-general welcomes that the governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea have reached an agreement on the issues related to 'comfort women' at the bilateral Foreign Ministers meeting held in Seoul on 28 December," Ban's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a
Foreign AffairsDec. 29, 2015
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Korea-Japan deal shows 'leadership,' 'courage,' 'statesmanship' of leaders: U.S. experts
The breakthrough deal between South Korea and Japan on resolving the issue of Japan's wartime sexual slavery was made possible thanks to "leadership," "courage" and "statesmanship" of the leaders of the two countries, U.S. experts said Monday.The experts also said that the agreement paves the way for greater trilateral security cooperation with the U.S. to deal with a rising China and a nuclear North Korea. What's important now is for Seoul and Tokyo to fight back nationalist pressure and sincer
Foreign AffairsDec. 29, 2015
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U.S. praises Korea, Japan for reaching breakthrough deal on wartime sexual slavery
The United States on Monday praised South Korea and Japan for reaching a breakthrough deal on resolving the issue of Japan's wartime sexual slavery that has seriously plagued relations between the two key American allies for years.South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, reached the agreement in talks in Seoul earlier in the day, which centers on Japan's admission of responsibility for the wartime crime and plans to pay reparations to the victims.Th
Foreign AffairsDec. 29, 2015
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Opposition party changes name
Striving to renew its image prior to the April general elections, the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy revised its name to “Together Democratic Party” on Monday.With this, the party moved closer to its former and most recognized name “Democratic Party,” and also removed any trace of defected cochairman Ahn Cheol-soo, whose signature slogan is “new politics.”“The party decided that the title Together (‘deobuleo’ in Korean) Democratic Party, though not 100 percent in accord with
PoliticsDec. 29, 2015
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Rival parties split over S.Korea-Japan deal on wartime sex slaves
South Korea's ruling and opposition parties showed mixed responses Monday to the outcome of talks between the top diplomats of Seoul and Tokyo on the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese army during World War II. Evaluating the deal as significant progress, the ruling Saenuri Party called for the Japanese government's diligent and specific course of action to fulfill the agreement. "It is a deal with considerable improvement in that the responsibility of the Jap
PoliticsDec. 28, 2015
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Korea inks final deal to undertake KF-X project
South Korea's arms procurement agency inked Monday its formal agreement with the country's sole aircraft maker, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), to undertake an ambitious project to build indigenous fighter jets. "With the signing of the contract with KAI on Monday, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration will officially set about the fighter jet development project," DAPA said in a statement. The project will take 10 years and six months before completing the developmental phas
DefenseDec. 28, 2015
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Experts divided over assessment of Seoul-Tokyo deal on sex slavery
South Korean experts showed mixed reactions Monday to an agreement by Seoul and Tokyo to resolve the issue of Japan's wartime sex slavery, saying that improvement of their frayed ties hinges on how to carry out the deal. Earlier in the day, South Korea and Japan reached a landmark deal to settle the issue of Tokyo's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women for Japanese soldiers during World War II. Under the agreement, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed an "apology and repentance
Foreign AffairsDec. 28, 2015
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Challenges remain after landmark deal on 'comfort women'
The landmark agreement between South Korea and Japan to end their dispute over Japan's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women has already prompted questions about whether it really is the end. The two countries' top diplomats announced the terms of the deal in a press conference Monday, wrapping up 12 rounds of bilateral working-level talks that began in April 2014. Key features of the agreement included a personal apology from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his country's wartime
Foreign AffairsDec. 28, 2015
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Park calls for fresh ties with Japan over landmark deal
President Park Geun-hye expressed hope Monday that South Korea and Japan will build confidence and start bilateral relations anew based on a landmark deal on the comfort women. South Korea and Japan "should turn the agreement into a precious opportunity to restore honor and dignity" to the comfort women and heal their scars, Park said in a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, according to Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office. In the 13-minute conversati
Foreign AffairsDec. 28, 2015
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Health Ministry to invest W52.5b in infectious disease research
Following a number of public health disasters this year, including the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak, South Korea’s Health Ministry announced Monday that it will invest 52.5 billion won ($45 million) in research studying infectious diseases next year. The ministry allocated a total of 532.2 billion won for all of its research and development projects, including research for cancer, chronic diseases and infectious diseases. Next year’s budget for the specific cause is 7.6 billion won
Social AffairsDec. 28, 2015
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Workplace bullying gets smarter, crueler in South Korea
The South Korean government has been striving to curb violence in various corners of society, including at schools, homes, workplaces and online. The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles delving into the reality and the country’s efforts to restrain the violence. This is the second installment. --Ed. It wasn’t too hard for Yoon Eun-ji -- not her real name -- to find out that her senior colleague had been bullied by one of the executives of her company earlier this year. It wasn’t dif
Social AffairsDec. 28, 2015
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Arduous history of sex slavery victims
Braving social bias and ostracism, Kim Hak-soon, a South Korean comfort woman, took to the podium in 1991 to testify about her wartime forced prostitution experiences for the first time in public. Another 237 Korean women, forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II, followed suit, demanding a sincere apology and legal compensation from the Japanese government. Later that year, Kim and three other victims filed a lawsuit against Japanese authorities. But Japan’s highest
NationalDec. 28, 2015
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Japan officially apologizes, offers funds
Japan on Monday expressed its apology and contrition for its colonial-era sexual enslavement of Korean women, and agreed to provide 1 billion yen ($8.3 million) for a foundation to be established by South Korea to support the surviving victims.The Tokyo government also said that it “felt strongly” about its responsibility for the issue “involving the Japanese military” that has been at the core of South Korea’s historical resentment toward its onetime colonizer -- from 1910-45.(Yonhap)The move c
Foreign AffairsDec. 28, 2015
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Korea confirms thousands of wartime forced labor sites
More than 8,300 places on the Korean Peninsula have been identified as wartime forced labor sites during Japanese colonial rule, a South Korean commission said Monday.It is the first time that the number of labor sites on the peninsula has been confirmed by the South Korean government. A total of 8,329 sites have been found since 2005, compared with 4,119 sites in Japan, the commission affiliated with the prime minister's office said. The sites can be proof to show Japan's use of the peninsula a
Foreign AffairsDec. 28, 2015
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Korea, Japan strike deal on 'comfort women'
South Korea and Japan reached a landmark deal on Monday to resolve the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II.Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, announced the agreement after talks at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, which centered on Japan's admission of responsibility for the wartime crime and plans to pay reparations to the victims."The comfort women issue is an issue whereby many women under the then mi
Foreign AffairsDec. 28, 2015
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Marine commander orders 'perfect' combat readiness on frontline islands
Marine Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Lee Sang-hoon instructed his troops to maintain tight combat readiness as he inspected the defense postures of the two frontline islands facing North Korea on Monday.The commander visited Marine Corps units on the western border islands of Maldo and Udo along the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime demarcation between the two Koreas, earlier in the day, according to the Marine Corps. "Udo and Maldo are something akin to the point of a sword in the Marine Co
DefenseDec. 28, 2015
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Korean man indicted over alleged Yasukuni bombing
Japanese prosecutors indicted a South Korean man for the suspected bombing of a public restroom at a Tokyo war shrine last month, news reports said Monday.The 27-year-old suspect, identified only by his surname Chon, is charged with breaking into the premises on Nov. 23 and was taken into custody, Kyodo News agency reported.Chon was arrested earlier this month shortly after voluntarily returning to Tokyo by plane.An explosion was heard inside the shrine on the morning of Nov. 23. Police found a
Social AffairsDec. 28, 2015
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Public officials taking bribes to be expelled at once
Any public official taking money or valuables worth more than 1 million won ($856) as bribes will be kicked out of office without exception from now on, the government said Monday.The Ministry of Personnel Management said the revised bill regarding disciplinary action towards public servants will take effect from Tuesday.It is the first time the government has stipulated the degree of punishment for bribed officials depending on the amount of money received. Previously, it used the guidelines fr
Social AffairsDec. 28, 2015