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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Cause of collective pneumonia outbreak identified in South Korea
Health authorities on Tuesday identified the bacteria that may have caused the collective pneumonia outbreak that took place at Konkuk University in Seoul and affected 55 students beginning from October. According to the Health Ministry, the bacteria was identified as Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula, which causes hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an inflammation of the alveoli within the lung triggered by inhaled organic dust. The sufferers are known to have been commonly exposed to the dust during t
Social AffairsDec. 23, 2015
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Over 2,500 North Koreans forced to work in Mongolia, Poland
More than 2,500 North Korean workers have been forced to work in Mongolia and Poland under poor working conditions with their human rights being violated, a South Korean civic group said Wednesday.About 1,800 North Korean workers are being forced to work mainly in Mongolia's construction sector or in sewing factories while around 800 North Koreans are employed in Poland in the shipbuilding and construction sectors, according to the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights.Marzuki Darusman,
North KoreaDec. 23, 2015
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N. Korea rebukes Canada for taking issue with its ruling against pastor
North Korea slammed Canada Tuesday for taking issue with the North's "fair" ruling over a Canadian pastor who has been sentenced to hard labor for life in the North.Last week, North Korea's highest court sentenced Lim Hyeon-soo, a Korean-Canadian pastor, to life in prison, citing his "subversive plots" against the communist country.Lim, 60, has been detained in the North since he entered the North via China on a humanitarian mission in late January. Canada has called for the North to release him
North KoreaDec. 22, 2015
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Park hopes expressway brings rival regions together
President Park Geun-hye expressed hope Tuesday that the extended opening of an expressway connecting the southwestern city of Gwangju and the southeastern city of Daegu will bring the rival regions together."I hope that the extended opening of the Gwangju-Daegu expressway will bring about more voluntary exchange and act as a catalyst for regional harmony," Park said.Park made the remark during the opening ceremony held at Hamyang, some 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul.Park said that the express
PoliticsDec. 22, 2015
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What is holding up business bills?
A negotiation impasse at the National Assembly is proving hard to break, as rival parties refuse to yield their position on provisions embedded in a set of controversial economic bills aimed to relax regulations on business activity. National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa (third from right) convenes a meeting of standing committee chairpersons on Tuesday. The NPAD members did not attend. YonhapThe bills in question are the Service Industry Development Act and Special Act for Boosting Business (b
PoliticsDec. 22, 2015
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Park steps up pressure on reform bills
President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday continued to add pressure on lawmakers to pass key bills related to government-led reforms in business, labor and education sectors, stressing that the college reform bill is critical to “enhancing competence in higher education” eventually raising youth employment.Speaking at the last Cabinet meeting of 2015, the South Korean leader also warned that the failure to carry out the reform may result in South Korea‘s sovereign credit rating being downgraded. Park s
PoliticsDec. 22, 2015
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Textbook row taken to Constitutional Court
South Korean civic groups on Tuesday filed an appeal to the Constitutional Court against the government for “infringing upon the impartiality of education” by taking over the publication rights for secondary education history textbooks.Minbyun, or Lawyers for a Democratic Society, said it made the appeal against the Education Ministry’s recent plan to reinstate government-issued textbooks from 2017, a contentious plan that has stoked opposition from mainly the progressive faction and much of the
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2015
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Saenuri blood boils at Choi’s return
A major factional feud looms at the ruling Saenuri Party upon the imminent return of Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan, the president’s top aide with a mission to sway parliamentary election nominations in favor of pro-Park figures.Choi is coming back to his third-term seat after his successor as finance minister was named in a Cabinet reshuffle Monday. He is expected to spearhead the faction loyal to President Park Geun-hye, and bracing for his return is the party’s chairman Rep. Kim Moo-sung, who represent
PoliticsDec. 22, 2015
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Nearly 70% survive 5 years after cancer diagnosis in South Korea
Almost 70 percent of Korean patients who were diagnosed with cancer from 2009-2013 have survived or are expected to survive at least five years after their initial diagnosis, a newly released government report showed Tuesday. The survival rate, 69.4 percent, is an increase of 15.6 percentage points over the rate for patients who were diagnosed from 2001-2005, which was 53.8 percent. The increased number of Koreans engaged in regular health checkups and healthier lifestyles, as well as a decrease
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2015
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Seoul to simplify pollution controls
The central government will simplify the system for controlling pollution-generating facilities starting from 2017 as part of its efforts to reduce unnecessary procedural issues and lessen the burdens of businesses, officials said Tuesday. For this, the Environment Ministry said it would integrate polution permit systems. Currently, up to 10 types of separate permissions are required to run one pollution-generating facility. The permissions range from air pollution to water quality.The new syste
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2015
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Cabinet OKs Air Force reorganization plan
The Air Force will reorganize its hitherto geographically arranged command structure into a function-based one to enhance efficiency in peacetime and wartime aerial operations, officials said Tuesday.The plan was endorsed at the Cabinet meeting, which was presided over by President Park Geun-hye.Under the plan, the Air Force Operations Command will have two major subordinate units -- the Air Combat Command and the Air Mobility & Reconnaissance Command, whose roles are divided by combat role, rat
DefenseDec. 22, 2015
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N.K. to face greater dilemma over its nuke policy in 2016
North Korea is expected to face a greater dilemma next year over its policy of simultaneously developing nuclear weapons and its economy, a local think tank said Tuesday, noting that it would struggle to find a way out of it through provocative moves such as nuclear and missile tests. The dilemma may further deepen as the North is likely to face a “serious” shortage of food, caused by this year’s severe droughts, lack of international aid and sanctions over its nuclear and missile development, a
North KoreaDec. 22, 2015
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Nigerian falsely accused, denied right to legal defense: watchdog
South Korea’s human rights watchdog said Tuesday that police and prosecutors were recently cautioned for denying foreign suspects’ rights to self-defense by detaining an African man for 12 days without contacting his embassy. According to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, police and prosecutors arrested a Nigerian and detained him for 12 days, ignoring his multiple requests to contact the Nigerian Embassy. Police arrested the man, who was at the time on the wanted list, on a theft
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2015
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North Korean defectors' jobless rate falls to 4% this year
The unemployment rate for North Korean defectors declined to the 4-percent level this year thanks to the government's support programs for their resettlement, a report showed Tuesday.The jobless rate for North Korean defectors stood at 4.8 percent as of November, down from 6.2 percent a year earlier, according to a report from the Unification Ministry. South Korea's unemployment rate hit 3.5 percent for 2014.The defectors' unemployment rate has been on the decline since it reached 9.7 percent in
North KoreaDec. 22, 2015
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Korea revives Universal Studio theme park project
South Korea on Tuesday announced a consortium involving Chinese investors as a preferred bidder to build a theme park in partnership with U.S.-based Universal Parks and Resorts, reviving the project after a three-year hiatus.The state-run Korea Water Resources Corporation said it chose the multinational consortium consisting of Daewoo Engineering & Construction and Dohwa Engineering of Korea as well as China State Construction Engineering Corporation, China's largest construction company, and Ho
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2015
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Pastor faces trial over security law breach
Prosecutors said Tuesday that they have indicted a progressive pastor on charges of violating South Korea's National Security Law.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said the 51-year-old, identified only by his surname Kim, is suspected of making reports to a North Korean agent on domestic situations in return for money.He is also accused of meeting with the agent in China three times and of pledging allegiance to the North.The pastor also allegedly read North Korean books and studied
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2015
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Military chief urges frontline readiness against North Korean provocations
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Lee Sun-jin on Tuesday instructed frontline commanders to maintain tight combat readiness, citing the possibility of North Korea's unexpected military provocations."Around-the-clock operational readiness should be maintained so that we can automatically and powerfully react if the North Korean military launches sudden provocations," he was quoted as saying by the JCS during his visits to the First Army Command."If the enemy launches another provocation, they should
DefenseDec. 22, 2015
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Lawyers bring history textbook row to court
A group of lawyers filed an appeal to the Constitutional Court on Tuesday over the government's move to reintroduce state-authored history textbooks for secondary school students.The Lawyers for a Democratic Society claim that the government's decision to publish national textbooks violates the Constitution, which stipulates autonomy in education.A little more than a month ago, the government announced it would revise the current textbook publication system so that middle and high school student
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2015
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Opposition lawmakers get jail term for bribery
A local court on Tuesday handed down jail terms to two opposition lawmakers for taking kickbacks from a local vocational training school in return for helping pass a bill in favor of the school.The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Reps. Shin Geh-ryeun, 61, and Shin Hak-yong, 63, of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy party to 24 months and 30 months in jail, respectively.The court also ordered the 61-year-old Shin to pay a fine of 25 million won ($21,000) and forfeit an
PoliticsDec. 22, 2015
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Facebook most popular social media tool in Korea: poll
Facebook is the most popular social networking service in South Korea this year, a poll showed Tuesday, outpacing other global and local platforms.According to a survey by market researcher DMC Media on 780 SNS users aged between 19 and 59, 59.8 percent picked Facebook as their most-used SNS.KakaoStory, a photo-sharing service operated by Kakao Corp., followed with 17.1 percent. Kakao is the operator of KakaoTalk, a free mobile messenger that has 35 million local users in the country of 50 milli
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2015