Most Popular
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No plan to let doctors with foreign licenses practice here anytime soon: PM
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Ador CEO's dismissal to be decided on last day of May
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[Graphic News] Beer the most favored alcoholic drink by Koreans
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Science Ministry expresses regret over Japan’s pressure on Naver
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Haeundae Beach to become sand art museum in late May
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Medical professors set to take day off amid protracted walkouts by junior doctors
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Hostilities get out of hand as YouTuber murders another outside courthouse
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Police officer jumps barefoot into drainage tunnel to save man
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Lee Sun-kyun's posthumuous film to hit theaters in August
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Yoon interacts with public for 1st time since election defeat
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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
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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
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Seoul to host global education forum
The Education Ministry on Thursday unveiled plans for the World Education Forum 2015, a gathering of education authorities, experts and high ranking personnel from education-related international organizations.At the event slated for May 19-22, some 1,500 participants from 154 member states of the United Nations such as education ministers and vice ministers are expected to attend, according to the organizers. The most prominent participants include U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; World Bank
Social AffairsMay 7, 2015
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Auditors chide Foreign Ministry for flawed overseas aid program
The state auditors on Thursday called on Seoul’s Foreign Ministry to improve the flawed management of its aid to developing countries after wrapping up their recent inspection of the ministry and its overseas missions.The Board of Audit and Inspection especially pointed out that there were no specific rules or guidelines in the planning, internal review and management of the official development assistance, which has made it difficult for the ministry to use it more effectively and strategically
Social AffairsMay 7, 2015
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Non-mainstreamer elected major opposition floor leader
A non-mainstream lawmaker was elected floor leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy Thursday following the party's crushing defeat in the recent parliamentary by-elections.Four-time lawmaker Lee Jong-geol narrowly beat Choi Jae-seong, 66-61.His victory is seen as NPAD's effort to heal its image since it failed to win any of the four seats up for grabs in the by-elections last month.He is not part of the pro-Roh Moo-hyun faction, to which NPAD chairman Moon Jae-in belong
PoliticsMay 7, 2015
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China opposes Japan's bid for colonial-era site as World Heritage
China opposes Japan's bid for world heritage of industrial sitesChina on Thursday voiced opposition to a bid by Japan to list some of its 19th century industrial complexes as UNESCO World Heritage sites, a move also criticized by South Korea because many Koreans were forced to work there. Japan is seeking to gain world heritage status for 23 industrial sites, where about one million Korean people were brought to such coal mines and shipyards. The Korean Peninsula was a Japanese colony from 1910
InternationalMay 7, 2015
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S. Korean diplomacy at crossroads
Criticisms abound on the lack of South Korea's diplomacy as the United States and Japan hurry to enhance their bilateral alliance and Seoul shuns Tokyo over history disputes.South Korea has for decades maintained close three-way security ties not only with its ally, the U.S., but with Japan, South Korea's former colonizer, amid growing threats from nuclear-armed North Korea.Seoul's ties with Tokyo, however, have been soured in recent years as the Shinzo Abe government has refused to apologize fo
InternationalMay 7, 2015
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Chinese duo caught for sex trafficking
Police said Thursday they detained two Chinese people for arranging prostitutes to sell sex to Chinese tourists here.The duo, including a 33-year-old Chinese woman, allegedly made 300 million won ($275,000) trafficking sex to an unknown number of tourists since July last year, a spokesman for the Yangcheon Police Station in southwestern Seoul said.They attracted customers through a Chinese chatting app and took 250,000 won per session.The prostitutes they recruited turned out to be Chinese, thou
Social AffairsMay 7, 2015
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Park regrets failure to pass pension reform bill
The presidential office expressed regret Thursday over the failed parliamentary passage of a pension reform bill for public workers, one of President Park Geun-hye's policy priorities."It is very regretful that the ruling and opposition parties failed to keep their promise to citizens after repeated difficulties in negotiations over the public worker pension reform," Kim Sung-woo, the chief presidential press secretary, said in a briefing. On the last day of the recent extra National Assembly se
PoliticsMay 7, 2015
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Amount of mailed drugs hits record in Q1
A record amount of drugs have been mailed to South Korea during the first three months of this year due to the brisk use of social networking services by dealers, customs authorities said Thursday.Between January and March of 2015, some 3.6 tons of drugs entered South Korea by mail, an astronomical figure compared to 5.4 kilograms logged in the same period last year, the Korea Customs Service said. There were nearly 70 different kinds of drugs worth a total 4.6 billion won ($4.2 million), an off
Social AffairsMay 7, 2015
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S. Korea, China urge N. Korea to halt nuclear activities
South Korea and China have agreed that North Korea must immediately halt its nuclear activities and allow international inspectors to monitor the North's nuclear complex, Seoul's top nuclear envoy said Thursday. Hwang Joon-kook, South Korea's top envoy for the long-stalled talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program, said prospects about holding "exploratory talks" with the North are still uncertain because Pyongyang shows no signs of giving up its nuclear ambition. "Both sides agreed that No
North KoreaMay 7, 2015
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Foreign Ministry chided for ineffective ODA fund spending
A state auditor Thursday urged the Foreign Ministry to present guidelines for the effective implementation of South Korea's aid to developing countries in order to improve South Korea's ties with the beneficiaries.South Korea's growing official development assistance fell short of making strategic and efficient contributions to underdeveloped countries due to the foreign ministry's inefficient spending of the aid fund, the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea said.In announcing the results of
PoliticsMay 7, 2015
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Park to meet with foreign envoys in Seoul
President Park Geun-hye will meet with a delegation of foreign ambassadors Thursday afternoon here to exchange opinions on South Korea's diplomacy, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.The reception comes amid concerns that South Korea is sandwiched between the United States and China seeking regional dominance and Seoul and Tokyo engaged in disputes over Japan's refusal to apologize for the wartime sex slavery of Korean women by the imperial Japanese Army.It is the first time she will hos
PoliticsMay 7, 2015
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Antitrust watchdog fines builders for bid rigging
The nation's antitrust watchdog said Thursday it has slapped a combined 182.6 billion won (168.8 million) in fines on more than 20 construction companies for rigging bids for large-scale state projects.According to the Fair Trade Commission, 22 builders have been fined a combined 174.6 billion won for rigging the bidding process of 27 pipeline projects in 2009 and again in 2011, which prevented free and open competition.Violators include such builders as Hyundai E&C, Samsung C&T Corporation, Han
Social AffairsMay 7, 2015
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China emerges as S. Korea's No. 2 investment destination
China became South Korea's second-largest investment destination last year, relegating the European Union to the third spot, central bank data showed Thursday.South Korea's external investment, which includes stocks and bonds, reached $716.6 billion at the end of last year, up $95.5 billion from the previous year, according to the data compiled by the Bank of Korea.South Korean investment in the U.S. reached $173.6 billion at the end of last year, the largest among other regions with a 24.2 perc
InternationalMay 7, 2015
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Gov't announces plans to develop marine leisure industry
South Korea on Thursday announced a set of measures aimed at developing the country's marine leisure industry that include allowing the use of casinos on cruise ships by local residents.The move comes only about four months after the National Assembly enacted a law allowing the establishment and operation of casinos on cruise ships carrying the South Korean flag, a move aimed at encouraging new private investment in the currently non-existent industry.However, the latest revision failed to allow
PoliticsMay 7, 2015
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New English book features Korea's real faces
A French professor who has been living in South Korea for more than 20 years has published an English-language book introducing Korean culture seen from the perspective of foreigners, not Koreans.Written by Benjamin Joinau, a professor of French Language & Literature at Seoul's Hongik University and a cultural anthropologist specialized in Korean Studies, "Sketches of Korea: an illustrated guide to Korean culture" provides a comprehensive guide to everyday life in Korea.Joinau introduces readers
Social AffairsMay 7, 2015
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N. Korean official calls ties with China 'precious treasure'
A top North Korean official has touted his country's traditional alliance with China as a "precious treasure" amid concerns over chilling ties due to the North's nuclear ambition.Yang Hyong-sop, vice president of North Korea's Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, made the remarks at a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Pyongyang Li Jinjun on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy. "The traditional friendship between North Korea and China, created by the older ge
North KoreaMay 7, 2015
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NK leader inspects machine-making factory
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un offered field guidance to a machine-producing factory, stressing the need to produce modern machinery at full scale, the North's media said Thursday.Kim looked around the February 11 Plant at the Ryongsong Machine Complex in the northeastern city of Hamheung where he emphasized the need for the factory to start full-fledged production of modern machines as early as possible, according to the Korean Central News Agency.As usual, it did not specify the date of his v
North KoreaMay 7, 2015
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S. Korea launches new attack submarine
South Korea unveiled its sixth 1,800-ton-class attack submarine Thursday aimed at boosting its underwater warfare capabilities against North Korea.The launching ceremony for the 214-class submarine, manufactured by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. and named after revered independence fighter Yu Gwan-sun (1902-1920), will take place in the southern coastal city of Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, according to the Navy.The Navy plans to commission the submarine in November 2016, it
DefenseMay 7, 2015