Most Popular
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Seoul to more than double military drones by 2026 to counter NK threats
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Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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Over 60% of S. Koreans support W100m childbirth incentive: survey
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‘Inside Out 2’ adds four new emotions, explores teenage life
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Questions raised over fair promotion of RM, NewJeans
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Police delay arrest of labor union chief
A major collision was averted Wednesday, as the police temporarily delayed their operation to arrest the head of the nation’s second-largest umbrella labor union taking sanctuary at a Buddhist temple to evade arrest on charges of leading illegal rallies.Police were on standby to force their way into the Jogyesa Buddhist Temple in central Seoul at around 4 p.m. to arrest Han Sang-kyun, the head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, on charges of leading a series of what they labeled as ill
Dec. 9, 2015
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Education, welfare ministries rank low on transparency list
The Ministry of Education and the Welfare Ministry were found to be the most corrupt among government agencies in the annual integrity scale, the state-run anticorruption watchdog said Wednesday.According to the Anticorruption and Civil Rights Commission, the Welfare Ministry scored the lowest among “type 1” government agencies with 2,000 or more employees while the Education Ministry finished at the bottom among “type 2” organizations that employ less than 2,000 people.The annual scales combine
Dec. 9, 2015
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‘My country pimped me to U.S. soldiers’
UIJEONGBU, Gyeonggi Province -- Near one of the U.S. military camps in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, there is an old, white cement building that now serves as a shelter for former sex workers for U.S. soldiers in the region. For Min Su-hwa (not her real name), it is also where she was forced to get weekly checkups with painful treatments for sexually transmitted diseases in the 1980s. The building used to be a state-run health clinic for Korean sex workers who served U.S. troops, including her.
Dec. 9, 2015
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Dispute grows over Seoul’s jobless allowance
Dispute between the central government and Seoul City is escalating over the municipality’s plan to provide allowances for unemployed young people as part of its welfare measures. The Seoul Metropolitan Government vowed in October to offer an average of 500,000 won ($425) in monthly support for unemployed youth for up to six months in an aim to better support young job seekers. This is part of the city’s five-year measures for supporting the employment of young people. Seoul City Mayor Park Won
Dec. 9, 2015
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City Hall confirms signs of Gangnam smear campaign
Seoul City said Wednesday it had confirmed signs that the Gangnam district office conducted an online smear campaign against Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon amid deepening conflicts between the two parties over various infrastructure projects. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it verified circumstantial evidence that the Gangnam district government had systematically posted slandering online comments against the city government while advocating Gangnam district Mayor Shin Yeon-hee from October to
Dec. 9, 2015
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Herald Corp. acquires family-friendly certification
Herald Corp. acquired a family-friendly certification from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family in recognition of promoting employees’ good balance between work and family life, the company said Thursday. The family-friendly certification is given to companies that provide exemplary welfare schemes for workers. The certification is valid for three years and can be extended for two additional years upon review.This is the first time a media company has received the family-friendly certifica
Dec. 9, 2015
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In digital age, teen violence takes new turn
The South Korean government has been striving to curb violence in various corners of society, including at schools, homes, workplaces and online. The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles delving into the reality and the country’s efforts to restrain the violence. This is the first installment. ― Ed.With technological development, the earlier constraints of time and space have slowly vanished as social networking enables people from across the world to instantly communicate online when
Dec. 8, 2015
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3 Indonesians deported for supporting al-Qaida
Three Indonesian migrants who were illegally residing in Korea have been deported on suspicion of supporting an international terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaida, South Korea’s spy agency said Tuesday. The government deported a 32-year-old Indonesian man from South Korea on Dec. 1 and two others whose identities were withheld on Nov. 24 for violating the Immigration Control Act, the National Intelligence Service said. This undated file image posted on a militant website on Jan. 14 shows fig
Dec. 8, 2015
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Police pressure exiled union chief
Korea’s police chief on Tuesday issued an ultimatum to Han Sang-kyun, the leader of the nation’s second-largest umbrella union currently seeking refuge at a Buddhist temple, to appear before officials by 4 p.m. Wednesday, warning of a forced entry and arrest if he refuses.Korean National Police Agency chief Kang Sin-myeong said that the police would “no longer tolerate Han’s evasion,” saying that the leader of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions “had led numerous illegal and violent protests
Dec. 8, 2015
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Korea’s economic disparity widened: report
South Korea’s economic inequality widened over the past year, with the poverty rate showing little improvement, a report showed Tuesday. According to statistics released by the Korea Institute for Health and Science Affairs, the country’s Gini coefficient, or Gini index, based on expenditures surged to 0.262 last year, nearly equivalent to the figure from 2009, suggesting widening economic disparity. The index reached its highest in 2009 at 0.266, with the figure gradually improving until 2012.
Dec. 8, 2015
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3 Indonesians deported for following al-Qaida affiliate
Three illegal immigrants with Indonesian nationality have been deported for apparently following a terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaida, South Korea's spy agency said Tuesday. A 32-year-old Indonesian man was deported from South Korea last Tuesday for violating the country's immigration control act, the National Intelligence Service said, without identifying the man. The man, suspected of supporting the al-Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of al-Qaida, had written on his Facebook that he woul
Dec. 8, 2015
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Gov't to hike fines on boats violating navigation rules
The government will sharply increase fines slapped on boats that violate safe navigation rules in the face of growing public awareness for maritime accidents, the maritime ministry said Tuesday. Penalties for not adhering to set rules or disregarding oversight by authorities can lead to a fine of upwards of 10 million won ($8,500) starting on Dec. 23. This is up fivefold from the present 2 million won, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Under the changes, boats and ships that e
Dec. 8, 2015
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Over 3,000 Koreans join class-action suit against Volkswagen
Over 3,000 owners of Volkswagen vehicles in South Korea are participating in a class-action lawsuit against the German auto giant, demanding the cancellation of their purchases and full refunds, industry sources said Tuesday. According to the sources, about 3,200 customers of Volkswagen and its luxury brand Audi have joined the collective lawsuit filed with a Seoul court against the German carmaker, its local units and dealerships. The number of people suing Volkswagen has been on the rise si
Dec. 8, 2015
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UN officials warn of climate disaster if Paris pact fails
LE BOURGET, France (AP) – Talks on a universal climate pact shifted to a higher gear Monday with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urging governments to set off an ``energy revolution'' to rein in heat-trapping carbon emissions and avert disastrous global warming.Foreign and environment ministers joined the talks outside Paris after lower-level negotiators who met last week delivered a draft agreement with all crunch issues left unresolved.Warning that ``the clock is ticking towards climate cat
Dec. 7, 2015
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Police to seek ways to arrest labor union head
SEOUL (Yonhap) – The nation's police chief said Monday they will review diverse measures to arrest the head of a local umbrella labor group as he is unlikely to soon emerge from a major temple where he has taken shelter.Han Sang-gyun, the head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), is on the wanted list for organizing illegal rallies. He attended a massive anti-government protest that led to a clash with police on Nov. 14 and took refuge in Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul as police b
Dec. 7, 2015
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‘Liberal arts education translates into better jobs’
With South Korean youths struggling to get jobs amid the worsening employment rate, the nation’s higher education trend has been shifting toward practical courses like finance and engineering and away from liberal arts, which many job seekers have dismissed as irrelevant to their future careers. But Smith College president Kathleen McCartney believes otherwise. The head the leading liberal arts college in the U.S. stressed that what students learn through flexible curriculum provided by the libe
Dec. 7, 2015
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Korean men do least housework in OECD
South Korean men spend the least amount of time on housework among 29 surveyed members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, highlighting the persistent gender imbalance in household responsibilities.According to the work-life balance index published Monday by Statistics Korea and Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, South Korean men spent an average of 45 minutes a day on household chores, less than a third of the OECD average of 139 minutes. South Korea was the only
Dec. 7, 2015
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Living in constant fear near U.S. military base
POCHEON, Gyeonggi Province ― At sunset on Oct. 28, a group of South Koreans gathered outside the gates of Rodriguez Live Fire Complex at Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, some 24 kilometers from the heavily guarded demilitarized zone. The numbers swelled into the hundreds, with the mostly middle-aged crowd from adjacent villages starting bonfires, singing songs and watching live dance performances. However, despite the seemingly festive atmosphere, hostility could be felt as villagers were there to ho
Dec. 7, 2015
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Funeral held for victim of Japan's wartime sex slavery
Family members of a South Korean woman who was forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II mourned the death of their loved one during her humble funeral on Monday. Choi Gab-soon, 96, died of natural causes at a hospital in Namyangju, east of Seoul, on Saturday, reducing the number of surviving victims to 46. Some 10 people, including Choi's family and activists from the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, a civic group working t
Dec. 7, 2015
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Former chief of KT&G questioned over bribery
A former head of the nation's leading tobacco maker was summoned Monday for questioning on suspicions that he received kickbacks from a company subcontractor. Min Young-jin appeared before the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul. The 57-year-old is suspected of receiving a total of 100 million won ($85,830) in bribes from a subcontractor in exchange for business favors. The former head of the KT&G Corp. is also suspected of creating secret funds while taking over and
Dec. 7, 2015