Most Popular
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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[KH Explains] Will alternative trading platform shake up Korean stock market?
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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Right-hand man says his boss died in 2011
The right-hand man to the mastermind behind South Korea's largest pyramid scheme said Wednesday that his former boss has died.Kang Tae-yong told reporters that his boss, Cho Hee-pal, died in 2011 and he witnessed it.Cho was rumored to have died from cardiac arrest there four years ago, though his death had not been verified so far.Kang made the comment as he arrived in the district prosecutors' office in the southeastern city of Daegu for questioning from the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing.The
Dec. 16, 2015
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Sewol hearing highlights lackluster rescue
A three-day hearing on matters related to last year’s ferry sinking wrapped up Wednesday with the fact-finding committee stressing a lack of sufficient rescue efforts, men in charge dodging responsibility and suspicions left unanswered.The hearing focused mainly on the rescue efforts taken by the now-defunct Korea Coast Guard, Maritime Ministry and other related government officials in the face of Sewol’s sinking, which left 304 dead or missing in April 2014. The five committee members recommend
Dec. 16, 2015
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Sculpture unveiled to mark International Migrants Day
Seoul City and the International Organization for Migration installed a sculpture work in Seoul Plaza to mark International Migrants Day, slated for Friday, officials said Wednesday. Titled “My Migrant Neighbor,” the large sculpture representing three multicultural siblings offers distinguished looks through different angles, delivering a message of importance of embracing diverse cultures, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said. This is part of the IOM’s campaign to raise awareness of the migra
Dec. 16, 2015
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Union group stages strike to protest labor reforms
By Ock Hyun-ju South Korea’s second-largest umbrella labor union held a partial strike nationwide Wednesday in protest of the government’s push for labor market reform.The third partial strike of the year by the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions was staged for two to four hours in the afternoon in 12 cities ahead of the third antigovernment rally scheduled for this weekend.The KCTU, which encompasses 2,043 unions and more than 691,000 members from sectors including construction, public transpo
Dec. 16, 2015
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City seeks probe into Gangnam’s smear campaign
Seoul City said Wednesday that it has requested prosecutors to investigate Gangnam district’s alleged online smear campaign against the city government. Last week, Seoul Metropolitan Government said it caught signs that Gangnam-gu Office had systematically posted slanderous online comments against Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. The two parties have been in discord over various infrastructure projects since 2012. “The majority of suspicious comments are currently being deleted and there are concerns
Dec. 16, 2015
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Seoul to sell names of 10 subway stations
Seoul City will put the names of subway stations up for sale from next month to help subway operators raise profits, city officials said.Seoul Metropolitan Government said it would sell the names of 10 stations on Subway line Nos. 1-8 on a trial basis. The new names will be used together with the original subway names at subway entrances, platforms, metro maps and in announcements. Companies within 500 meters of the stations will get priority in being able to apply for the name change. The quali
Dec. 16, 2015
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China hands over swindler's right-hand man to Korea
Prosecutors said Wednesday that they have received the right-hand man to the mastermind behind South Korea's largest pyramid scheme from Chinese authorities. Prosecutors said they plan to take Kang Tae-yong to their office in the southeastern city of Daegu for questioning after he arrives from the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing. The extradition came two months after South Korea asked China to arrest Kang who faces nearly 30 charges, including embezzlement and fraud. Kang is accused of swindl
Dec. 16, 2015
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Korea's sea level up 10 cm in 40 years: data
The sea level around South Korea has risen about 10 centimeters in the last 40 years, a clear sign of global warming impacting the environment, the country's hydrographic administration said Wednesday. According to the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Administration, which has kept tabs on mean sea levels over the years, the rise is linked to the melting polar ice caps, blamed on the warming of water temperatures. The organization added that natural erosion by waves and wind and the develop
Dec. 16, 2015
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Former lawmaker arrested over accepting bribe
Prosecutors said Tuesday they have formally arrested a former lawmaker on charges of accepting a bribe in return for a business favor.The district court in the southeastern city of Daegu issued a warrant to arrest Sim Hag-bong, citing considerable reason to believe he committed the crime and concerns that he may try to flee or destroy evidence.Sim is accused of accepting 40 million won (US$34,000) from a company by arranging a public official so that the company could be selected in a government
Dec. 15, 2015
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Park renews call for correct history education
President Park Geun-hye said Tuesday that history should be taught "correctly" for young South Koreans in what could be the latest move to advocate for state history textbooks."I think history achieved by our elders should be taught correctly in order for our country to leap forward," Park said during a luncheon she hosted for the elderly at Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office.The invited guests included those who turned 100 this year, aged residents of foreign countries, and retire
Dec. 15, 2015
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Graduate job seekers to outnumber employment openings for next 10 years
A government report showed Tuesday that the number of university and college graduates will exceed demands in the job market by 792,000 from 2014 to 2024.According to a Labor Ministry report on job prospects by college degree, 3.02 million four-year university graduates and 1.72 million two-year college graduates are expected to enter the job market from 2014-2024. But the number of available jobs for them in that time will be roughly 2.69 million and 1.25 million, respectively.The report pointe
Dec. 15, 2015
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More potential victims of humidifier disinfectants reported
Hundreds of more potential victims of toxic humidifier disinfectants were reported over the past month amid concerns over the government’s move to stop receiving health damage reports from next year, a civic group said Tuesday.The Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health said a total of 310 potential victims made health complaints to the Environment Ministry to join the third round of the public health investigation into the humidifier disinfectant impacts. Of them, 38 were reported by
Dec. 15, 2015
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Sex trade exploits legal loopholes in South Korea
It’s been some 10 years since South Korea enacted its antiprostitution law, but new forms of sex trade have continued to evolve through legal loopholes, including sex services for women and overseas prostitution. With the law vocally opposed by an increasing number of sex workers, its efficacy has constantly been questioned. The Korea Herald is publishing a three-part series shedding light on the hidden side of Korea’s sex industry. The following is the second installment. – Ed. When Lucien Lee,
Dec. 15, 2015
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CJ chairman gets prison term in retrial
A Seoul appellate court on Tuesday sentenced the chairman of food and entertainment conglomerate CJ Group to two years and six months in prison for embezzlement, breach of trust and tax evasion. Chairman Lee Jay-hyun received the jail term in a retrial held three months after the nation's top court sent the case back to the Seoul High Court for reconsideration. The court also ordered the chairman to pay 25.2 billion won ($21.31 million) in fines, upholding a lower court's decision. Lee was in
Dec. 15, 2015
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Textbook controversy spills over to selection of authors
With the government postponing the announcement of the criteria for government-issued history textbooks for the third time Monday, the dispute over the selection of authors fueled the debate over the plan that the Park Geun-hye administration had vowed to keep transparent.The National Institute of Korean History, in charge of the publication process of the history textbook, is unclear on when it will reveal the criteria, the Education Ministry said. The NIKH initially was slated to make the anno
Dec. 15, 2015
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Prosecution indicts 179 professors over copyright breach
In a rare move, Korean prosecutors indicted Thursday 179 professors across the country on charges of republishing existing books in their own names after replacing the covers. According to Uijeongbu District Prosecutors’ Office, 74 professors have been indicted in relation to the case while other 105 have been summarily indicted. They have been charged with copyright infringement and disrupting public duty. Out of the 105 who have been summarily charged, the professors who stole their peers’ wor
Dec. 14, 2015
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Depression symptoms gender-specific: study
Depression symptoms such as physical fatigue and loss of sexual desire have been shown to be significantly gender-specific in South Korea, according to a study on Monday.In the joint study by Seoul National University, Inha University and Kyungpook National University, the number of Korean women who experienced physical fatigue when clinically depressed was 2.8 times higher than their male counterparts. Meanwhile, the number of depressed men who experienced diminished sex drive was twice as high
Dec. 14, 2015
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Korea less peaceful than last year: report
South Korea is less peaceful than last year, due mainly to domestic political discord, a report showed Monday. According to the Global Peace Index released by the World Peace Forum, Seoul ranked 51st with 72.9 out of 100 points, down four notches from last year and 10 steps from 2013. The average of a total of 143 countries recorded 67.4 points, the lowest figure since 2000. In subrankings, Korea’s local political peace ranking plummeted from 29th to 51st while the military and diplomatic index
Dec. 14, 2015
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Prosecutors indict Indonesian follower of al-Qaida affiliate
Prosecutors said Monday that they have indicted an Indonesian illegal immigrant, who follows a terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaida. The 32-year-old, suspected of supporting the Syrian branch of al-Qaida known as al-Nusra Front, is charged with forging documents, as well as violating South Korea's immigration control act and control of firearms, swords, explosives, etc. act. The man had been arrested about a month ago in South Chungcheong Province, where he has been working in a small manu
Dec. 14, 2015
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Labor union chief arrested for ‘illegal rallies’
Seoul police on Sunday arrested Han Sang-kyun, leader of the nation’s second-largest umbrella labor union, on charges of leading what the police call illegal protests.Han, who leads the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, had been under police interrogation since Friday for his alleged involvement in multiple antigovernment rallies, including those on Nov. 14. He has so far exercised his right to remain silent, investigators said.The court issued the arrest warrant on grounds that the investig
Dec. 13, 2015