Most Popular
-
1
Korea forecast to overtake Taiwan in chip production by 2032: report
-
2
[K-pop’s dilemma] Can K-pop break free from ‘fandom’ model?
-
3
YouTuber fatally stabbed on livestream by another YouTuber in Busan
-
4
No plan to let doctors with foreign licenses practice here anytime soon: PM
-
5
Yoon rebuffs opposition's call for special probe into wife
-
6
Stray Kids hit with racism in Met Gala photo line
-
7
[News Analysis] Yoon's first 2 years marked by intense confrontations, lack of leadership
-
8
Ador CEO's dismissal to be decided on last day of May
-
9
[Graphic News] Beer the most favored alcoholic drink by Koreans
-
10
Yoon doubles down on repeal of financial investment income tax
-
S. Korea to punish wage-paying firms amid Kaesong income row
South Korea said Friday it will punish South Korean firms that have paid March wages to North Korean workers at a joint industrial park in the North in defiance of Seoul's guidance.The two Koreas have been embroiled in the wage dispute as North Korea unilaterally decided to hike the minimum monthly wage for about 53,000 North Korean workers at the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the border city of the same name.Seoul has requested its companies not to send out March paychecks, vowing to punish vio
PoliticsMay 8, 2015
-
S. Korea denounces Japan for politicizing UNESCO
South Korea criticized Japan Friday for politicizing UNESCO through a campaign to win its recognition for several industrial facilities where many Koreans were coerced into slave labor during the colonial era.Japan has applied for the listing of a package of 23 coal mines, shipyards and other early industrial zones as world heritage sites. It includes seven facilities where nearly 60,000 Koreans were forced to work during World War II. Japan colonized Korea from 1910-45.The International Council
InternationalMay 8, 2015
-
Park to nurture global venture hub in S. Korea
President Park Geun-hye Friday pledged to develop South Korea as a global venture business hub, vowing her government's full support for start-ups."I plan to develop our country as the most dynamically advancing global hub for business ventures," Park said in a speech at the opening ceremony for a venture academy by tech giant Google Inc.Following a long stagnation for the past decade or so, the local venture sector is regaining vitality and vigor on the back of the increasing number of start-up
PoliticsMay 8, 2015
-
Disputed Lotte skyscraper to reopen next week as city lifts ban
South Korean retail giant Lotte Group said Friday it plans to reopen its namesake skyscraper next week, about five months after the Seoul city government ordered its shutdown when a string of accidents stoked safety fears.The plan comes on the heels of an announcement by the city government that lifted the usage ban on Lotte World Mall's aquarium and movie theater upon consulting with industry and government officials. The municipal government also scrapped a construction ban on its concert hall
Social AffairsMay 8, 2015
-
Government’s teaching aid for sex education under criticism
South Korea’s official teaching aid for sex education is under criticism for some of its content, including its definition of dating and a section on date rape. According to PowerPoint slides provided by the Education Ministry, which is currently available to the public online, dating is defined as “a process for young men and women in a relationship without any commitment for the future.” The teaching aid also states that teenage dating “does not lead to marriage” in another slide. Government’s
Social AffairsMay 8, 2015
-
Two Koreas in verbal clash over Yellow Sea border
South and North Korea exchanged barbs on Friday over Pyongyang's claims of South Korean ships' violation of the western sea border. In what it called "an emergency special warning," the communist country's Command in Southwestern Sector of Front claimed that South Korean Navy speedboats made a "military provocation" by deeply intruding into the North's territorial waters in the Yellow Sea two or three times a day between May 1 and 7."From this moment, it will make a sighting strike without any p
North KoreaMay 8, 2015
-
Koreas seek joint events this summer
South and North Korea agreed Friday to push for joint events to mark the 15th anniversary of a historic inter-Korean summit and the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's colonial rule.The two sides will designate a two-month joint commemoration period from June 15 under a deal between representatives from the South's civilian groups and North Koreans. They had a meeting in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang earlier this week.A historic summit between then-South Korean Presid
North KoreaMay 8, 2015
-
Top military chief calls for readiness against N. Korea threats
The top military officer called for a watertight readiness posture Friday against threats from North Korea's weapons of mass destruction.Adm. Choi Yun-hee, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the remarks during his visit to the Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Defense Command in southern Seoul."Our military has no luxury to loosen our readiness posture even for a moment facing the North Korean forces, which possess a large amount of CBR weapons," Choi said. "It is necessary to be f
North KoreaMay 8, 2015
-
N. Korea threatens to attack S. Korean ships in Yellow Sea
North Korea threatened Friday to attack South Korean warships without warning if they continue to violate the western sea border.North Korea claimed that South Korean Navy speedboats made a "military provocation" by deeply intruding into the North's territorial waters two or three times a day between May 1 and 7, according to the Korean Central News Agency. In what it called an "emergency special warning," the North said the South's military claimed they were clamping down on illegal fishing by
North KoreaMay 8, 2015
-
Governor appears for prosecution query over alleged bribery
A provincial governor appeared at the prosecution office here Friday for an interrogation into allegations he accepted bribes while campaigning for a party leadership election in 2011. Hong Joon-pyo, governor of South Gyeongsang Province, is among those presumed to have been bribed by the chairman of a construction company who committed suicide last month.Late businessman Sung Wan-jong left behind a note listing eight names, including those of former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo and several of Pr
PoliticsMay 8, 2015
-
Ex-presidential secretary detained in graft case
A former presidential secretary was arrested Friday on suspicion of exerting influence to provide business favors to a local university.(Yonhap)Park Beom-hun, senior presidential secretary for education and culture under the previous Lee Myung-bak administration, is accused of pressuring the Ministry of Education into approving illegal projects proposed by Chung-Ang University, his alma mater, in Seoul between 2011 and 2012.The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest writ, saying "the susp
Social AffairsMay 8, 2015
-
N.K. official rejects alleged executions of senior officials as 'malicious slander'
A North Korean official rejected as "malicious slander" reports from South Korea's main intelligence agency that the North's autocratic leader, Kim Jong-un, executed 15 senior officials this year alone as he continued a reign of terror.Seoul's National Intelligence Service reported during a closed-door briefing to lawmakers late last week that Kim does not tolerate different views and punished officials for challenging his authority, including executing a vice forest minister for raising complai
North KoreaMay 8, 2015
-
U.S. declines comment on Japan's bid for UNESCO recognition of wartime facilities
The United States on Thursday declined comment on Japan's bid to list some of its 19th century industrial complexes as UNESCO World Heritage sites despite strong opposition from South Korea and China.Japan's pursuit of world heritage status for 23 industrial sites is yet another source of historical tension in the region because some of the facilities are where a number of Korean slave laborers toiled during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.The bid is seen as an attempt to beautify Japan's wartime
Foreign AffairsMay 8, 2015
-
Presidential office blames parties for failed pension bill
The presidential office on Thursday urged rival parties to delink the issue of raising payout rates for national pension subscribers from a public servants’ pension bill, stressing the latter must get priority to relieve the burden of future generations.Cheong Wa Dae also expressed regrets that the parties could not pass the pension reform bill for civil servants on Wednesday, saying they broke their promise to the people.“If the political community really cares about the people, (parties) must
PoliticsMay 7, 2015
-
Non-mainstreamer picked as opposition floor leader
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy chose Rep. Lee Jong-kul, a former human rights attorney, as its floor leader Thursday, tasking him with addressing rising factional rifts and leading drawn-out negotiations over public pension reforms. The fourth-term lawmaker Lee, 57, won 66 of the 127 ballots in the second round of voting, defeating Rep. Choi Jae-sung. Lee will replace exiting floor leader Rep. Woo Yoon-keun. Reps. Cho Jeong-sik, Kim Dong-cheol and Sul Hoon finished third
PoliticsMay 7, 2015
-
Korea unveils new attack submarine
South Korea unveiled a new 1,800-ton attack submarine on Thursday amid its stepped-up efforts to cope with evolving maritime security challenges such as from North Korea. The 214-class submarine, the country’s sixth, was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. and for the first time named after a woman ― Yu Gwan-sun, a venerated independent fighter during Japanese colonial rule. Defense Minister Han Min-koo, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Chung Ho-seop, other top military and ind
DefenseMay 7, 2015
-
Seoul approves Lotte reopening
Seoul City permitted the reopening of controversial facilities at Lotte World Tower, five months after they were suspended over a series of safety issues and accidents, officials said Thursday. The municipality lifted the suspension of a theater and aquarium at the skyscraper in Jamsil, southern Seoul, after confirming that the company’s safety measures were carried out well. The two facilities have been closed since December last year after a dozen safety problems prompted public concerns. A wa
Social AffairsMay 7, 2015
-
Seoul elderly outnumber youth: data
The number of elderly citizens in Seoul has surpassed that of young people for the first time since the city started compiling the data, sparking concerns over the fast-aging society. According to a report released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday, the number of those aged 65 or older reached 1.24 million as of last month, about 5,000 more than the number of youth aged under 15. The aging index also hit a record high of 100.4 points, exceeding 100 points for the first time, the c
Social AffairsMay 7, 2015
-
Elderly men at highest risk for suicide: study
Men had double the suicide rate than women in Korea in 2013, with elderly men especially at risk, a study revealed. Just over 10,000 men committed suicide in 2013, compared to just over 4,300 women. This means 39.8 per 100,000 men and 17.3 per 100,000 women committed suicide that year, according to a recent study published by the Korea Institute of Criminology. Korea has one of the highest suicide rates among OECD countries, with 29.1 Koreans per 100,000 people taking their own lives, compared t
Social AffairsMay 7, 2015
-
Seoul school stripped of elite status
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education confirmed Thursday its decision to strip an elite school of its status, after it did not meet the required standards of the public office’s evaluation and repeatedly failed to show up for hearings.The SMOE said it will proceed with the process of canceling the designation of Seoul Foreign Language High School as a foreign language high school, which specializes in foreign language education and is widely considered elite through its selective student admiss
Social AffairsMay 7, 2015