Most Popular
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Court refuses injunction on medical school expansion
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Why Korean crime stories typically feature nameless, faceless perpetrators
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Debate on 'no-seniors zones' heats up
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S. Korea, Cambodia forge strategic partnership
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Rare mid-May heavy snow warning issued over mountainous areas of Gangwon
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Is NewJeans headed for a long 'break'?
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[KH Explains] Hyundai-backed Motional’s struggles deepen as Tesla eyes August robotaxi debut
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Police raid popera singer Kim Ho-joong's house over hit-and-run suspicions
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Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official
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New Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office chief vows full-fledged probe into first lady
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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