Most Popular
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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[Eye Interview] 'If you live to 100, you might as well be happy,' says 88-year-old bestselling essayist
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police
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Missing S. Korean traveler in Paris found safe after 2 weeks
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Defense chiefs of US, Australia, Japan decry NK-Russia military cooperation
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Lifer convicted of contract killing gets more jail term for bribery
A former member of the Seoul municipal council, who is serving a life sentence for abetting a murder, received an additional three-year jail term Wednesday for bribery.The Seoul Southern District Court sentenced the former Seoul city councilor Kim Hyung-sik to three years in jail, convicting him of receiving kickbacks from a deceased wealthy businessman, identified only by his surname Song, from 2010 to 2014.The court ordered Kim to pay 50 million won ($40,700) in fines and forfeit another 583 m
Feb. 17, 2016
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Prosecution raids swimming body over corruption
Prosecutors on Wednesday raided the offices of the nation’s swimming governing body and its executives over suspicions they embezzled government subsidies.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office searched the offices of the Korea Swimming Federation and its affiliate in Gangwon Province, seizing hard drives and business documents. YonhapSeveral of the officials, including executive-level officials, were arrested on corruption charges. Their identities were withheld. Authorities will als
Feb. 17, 2016
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Four in 10 prospective candidates in April have been convicted
South Korea’s election watchdog data showed four in 10 prospective candidates planning to run in April general elections have been convicted of charges ranging from driving under the influence to attempted murder. The National Election Committee said that of the 1,448 candidates registered to run in the upcoming race, roughly 37 percent of political aspirants were found to have a total of 973 criminal counts on their prior records. The number was based on the agency’s data as of Tuesday. While m
Feb. 17, 2016
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1.8% of school children received gifted education last year
Some 1.8 percent of the country's elementary to high school students were enrolled in gifted education last year, mostly in the fields of mathematics and natural science, the education ministry said Wednesday.The ministry said that 110,053 students, or 1.81 percent of all 6,088,827 primary and secondary students, received advanced education, a steady increase from 0.77 percent in 2008.Last year, 2.13 percent of elementary school students were part of gifted programs. Some 2.35 percent of middle
Feb. 17, 2016
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Seoul to require more elevators in 30-story buildings
YonhapThe Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that it will now recommend all residential buildings with 30 or more stories have at least two elevators. The guideline was sent to construction and architecture companies currently preparing to submit reviews of their apartment projects, the city officials said. The city said having two elevators will enhance convenience for residents and better prepare for safety accidents. The city is in charge of assessing and permitting construction of
Feb. 17, 2016
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Seoul City to mediate conflicts over pets
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said this week it would offer mediation services when conflict arises among citizens over pets and stray animals.The city will establish a team of six observers and five volunteers. The members will receive training next month and start operating from April.According to the city, 700 to 1,000 cases of conflict related to animals are reported in each district every year. Of these cases, 38 percent are related to stray cats and 17 percent to pets. YonhapConflicts
Feb. 17, 2016
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Number of single households surges
The number of single-person households in South Korea surged nearly eightfold in the past 30 years, with living alone set to become the most common form of habitation in the next 20 years, statistics showed Wednesday.The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs said in its report on changes in family, marriage and childbirth, that the number of single households was estimated at 5.06 million in 2015, a 7.7-fold surge from 661,000 in 1985.The ratio of one-person households also increased to
Feb. 17, 2016
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Hyundai Motor to begin building 105-story business center in 2017
Hyundai Motor Group and Seoul City agreed to kick off the construction of its landmark buildings in Gangnam early next year, wrapping up months-long negotiation over the development project, officials said Wednesday. Seoul Metropolitan Government said the carmaker would construct the Global Business Center by 2021 that consists of a 105-story landmark tower 553 meters tall, and five other buildings that encompass a hotel, exhibition centers, concert halls and offices. Hyundai Motor GroupThe two
Feb. 17, 2016
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Korea to launch mosquito control drive to prevent Zika infections
South Korea will launch a nationwide mosquito control drive in the coming months to prevent possible Zika virus infections that can pose health risks for the country, the government said Wednesday.The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it will step up monitoring of mosquitoes that can spread the virus, check potential habitats where mosquitoes may breed, and start training pest control workers in early March so they can be fully prepared and take preemptive actions to exterminate mosquitoes.
Feb. 17, 2016
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[Graphic News] Seoul on course to become super-aged by 2033
Due to a low birthrate and increased life expectancy, the number of senior citizens in Seoul will reach 2.393 million by year 2033, statistics showed Tuesday.This means that by that time 1 out of every 5 citizens will be aged 65 years or older, according to the report released by the Seoul Metropolitan government.The median age will consequently rise, from the current 39 as of 2013 to 48.6 in 2033.The city’s number of economically active people aged between 15 and 64 will continue to decline fro
Feb. 16, 2016
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Seoul city expects economically active people down, elderly citizens up in 2033
In 2033, the Seoul metropolitan city will have already been a super-aged society for more than seven years, where the elderly population of 65 years and older will account for 25.3 percent of the city's total 10 million population. According to a population outlook for 2033 released by the Seoul government on Tuesday, the number of aged people in the capital city will reach 2.39 million in 2033, up from 1.08 million in 2013.The report said that the city's senior population will break the 20-perc
Feb. 16, 2016
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Gov't to toughen punishment on overcharging taxi drivers
The Cabinet approved a law revision Tuesday to toughen the punishment for taxi drivers who rip off passengers.Under the revision, a taxi driver who is caught three times for overcharging a customer will face the maximum punishment of having his business license nullified.Previously, a taxi driver who was caught overcharging a passenger for the first time was subject to license revocation for 60 days, a second-strike offender for 90 days, and a third-time offender for 180 days. The revision still
Feb. 16, 2016
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Forensics conduct autopsy of murdered girl
The state-run forensics service Tuesday carried out an autopsy on the body of a 7-year-old girl who was beaten to death by her mother five years ago. Police officials from South Gyeongsang Province, who have been investigating the case, requested late Monday that the National Forensics Service check the body for the exact cause of death. The girl’s body was found earlier in the day, after her 42-year-old mother, surnamed Park, had confessed to tying up her then 7-year-old child and beating her t
Feb. 16, 2016
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Prosecutors consider murder charge in toxic humidifier disinfectant probe
South Korean prosecutors are speeding up their probe into the toxic humidifier disinfectants that killed at least 95 people and injured 221, mostly pregnant women and children. The prosecution on Monday searched premises of toxic humidifier disinfectant manufacturers and distributors, and secured product supply records and ingredient analysis documents. The investigation includes local companies HomePlus and Lotte Mart, and manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser, which produced Oxy Ssak Ssak, the produc
Feb. 16, 2016
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‘Sex slave defamation’ author wages to be seized
A Seoul court has ordered the author of a controversial book on “comfort women” to have her wages seized, legal sources said Tuesday, following last month’s ruling that ordered the defendant to compensate nine victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery.Park Yu-ha, the author of “Comfort Women of the Empire,” was found guilty of defamation and infringement of human rights against surviving comfort women last month, and was ordered to pay them 90 million won ($73,900) in compensation. The nine plai
Feb. 16, 2016
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Healthcare workers' radiation exposure halves in decade
South Korean healthcare workers' exposure to radiation has been halved over the past 10 years thanks to stringent evaluations and closer monitoring of risks, government data showed Tuesday.According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average amount of radiation that a local healthcare worker was exposed to in 2014 stood at 0.41 millisievert, down 57.7 percent from 0.97 mSv in 2004.The numbers come from data compiled by the KCDC which keeps special tabs on local radiogra
Feb. 16, 2016
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Korean scholar's wages to be seized over wartime sex slaves dispute
A local court has ordered a South Korean scholar's wages be partly seized, following another court's decision for her to compensate nine women who were sexually enslaved by Tokyo during World War II, legal sources said Tuesday.The Seoul Western District Court accepted the nine plaintiffs' request for garnishment and a collection order and told Sejong University to deduct it from the monthly wage of professor Park Yu-ha, the author of "Comfort Women of the Empire," starting this month.The book, r
Feb. 16, 2016
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One more victim of Japan's wartime sex slavery dies
Another South Korean woman who was forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II has died, a civic group said Tuesday, the latest since Seoul and Tokyo reached a controversial agreement on the issue last year.The deceased, surnamed Choi, died Monday at the age of 90, according to the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan.Her death drops the number of surviving victims to 45. In 2015, nine former sex slaves died.Only 238 women have regist
Feb. 16, 2016
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With more foreigners in court, interpretation services at premium
With a growing number of foreign nationals facing trial in South Korea, interpretation services are increasingly at a premium, though there appears to be much room for improvement in their quality and interpreters' working conditions. According to the Supreme Court on Monday, 3,789 foreigners faced criminal trials in South Korea in 2014, up from 3,243 in 2012. The figure doesn't include civil or family court cases.By the Supreme Court's count, there were 1,736 registered interpreters for 29 lang
Feb. 16, 2016
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Arrested mom confesses murdering 7-year-old daughter
vA mother on Monday confessed to beating her first daughter to death over four years ago, a day after she was arrested for neglecting her duty to provide educational care for her children, police said.The 42-year-old woman, surnamed Park, in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province admitted that she had tied up her then 7-year-old child with tape in a terrace and beat her to death for damaging home furniture in October 2011. She left her child tied overnight on the terrace and she was found dead later
Feb. 15, 2016