Most Popular
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Over 80,000 millionaires, 20 billionaires in Seoul: report
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Korean battery makers heave sigh of relief over 2-year IRA reprieve
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Yoon apologizes over first lady’s Dior bag scandal, but accuses special probe attempt as political maneuvering
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Young Korean doctors seek plan B: cosmetic dermatology or overseas
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South Korea open to Indonesian proposal to cut KF-21 payments
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Girl hanging on bridge, police trying to rescue her both fall off; rescued immediately
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Coupang earnings hit hard by losses from ailing Farfetch
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[K-pop’s dilemma] Time, profit pressures work against originality
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Korea projected to outpace Taiwan in chip production by 2032: US report
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Why femicide and dating violence are growing issues in S. Korea
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Police nab rail walkout leader
Police detained another union leader of the state-run rail operator on Friday as part of their investigation into an ongoing controversial strike by thousands of unionized workers, which the government calls illegal. With a court-issued warrant, police detained the union leader of the state-run Korea Railroad Corp., only identified by his surname Koh, in Daejeon, 150 kilometers south of Seoul, after days of tracking him down.More than 6,500 unionized KORAIL workers walked off the job for the 12t
Dec. 20, 2013
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Deaths raise safety concerns over working holidays in Australia
The Foreign Ministry’s working holiday visa program is under fire after two South Koreans were apparently murdered within a one-month span in Australia.Kim Min-tae, a 20-something student, was found dead on Thursday in the suburbs of Brisbane. He was last seen on Monday and reportedly on his way to exchange more than 10,000 Australian dollars ($8,869) into South Korean won while preparing to return home in a few weeks.Seoul’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Australian police officials were holdi
Dec. 20, 2013
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[Photo News] Winter break
Dec. 20, 2013
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Ex-lawmaker protests against ‘illegal electioneering’ of former president
Former opposition lawmaker Chung Bong-ju held a demonstration outside former President Lee Myung-bak’s office in Gangnam, Seoul, Friday, to protest against Lee’s alleged involvement in last year’s presidential election.Through a sign titled “How are you doing?” Chung asked, “What was the topic of the 100 minute conversation between two of you on Sept. 2, 2012, ahead of the presidential election?” The “two of you” seems to refer to President Park Geun-hye and Lee.The demonstration appears to be a
Dec. 20, 2013
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landmark wage ruling
Hyundai Motor Co. and its sister company Kia Motors Corp. are scrambling to come up with an effective legal strategy in ongoing court cases with their unions over wage guidelines that are likely to have far-reaching implications for the entire business community.The two Hyundai Motor Group flagship companies are in the middle of two legal battles over how much bonus payments should be counted as ordinary wages. The factor became all important after the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that bonus
Dec. 20, 2013
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One more rail strike leader nabbed by police
Police arrested another union leader of the state-run rail operator on Friday as part of their investigation into an ongoing controversial strike by thousands of unionized workers, which the government calls illegal. With a court-issued warrant, police arrested the union leader of the state-run Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL), only identified by his surname Koh, in Daejeon, 150 kilometers south of Seoul, after days of tracking him down.More than 6,500 unionized KORAIL workers walked off the job fo
Dec. 20, 2013
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Hyundai Motor workers ordered to pay record W9b in strike damages
The Ulsan District Court on Thursday ordered part-time workers at Hyundai Motor Co. to pay the company a record 9 billion won ($8.5 million) in financial damages resulting from their illegal strike.The court statement ordered 22 of the 27 accused union workers to pay the 10-digit figure to the nation’s top automobile maker for conducting an illegal strike in one of the company’s factories in Ulsan. According to Hyundai Motor officials, over 200 part-time workers began a strike demanding the moto
Dec. 19, 2013
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How are you, really?
A seemingly apolitical statement turned out to be anything but apolitical. At first, “How are you?” was all that he asked. But the question begged an answer by provoking thousands, if not millions, into discussing what exactly is wrong with Korea today. In less than a week, it became a national catchphrase for voicing social discontent.Joo Hyun-woo, a business major at Korea University, posted the essay next to the school’s College of Political Science & Economics building on Dec. 10.It was like
Dec. 19, 2013
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Police step up investigation of striking railway union
Police on Thursday detained a railway strike leader and raided four union offices across the country in an investigation of the “illegal” walkout. About 15,000 train service workers escalated their protest in a massive rally in Seoul demanding the cancellation of what they call the “privatization” plot and a halt to the police clampdown on unionists. A union member identified by the last name Yoon was taken into custody on charges of hampering business with an illegal strike. The court issued wa
Dec. 19, 2013
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Prosecution indicts 12 in ‘celebrity’ prostitution case
Prosecutors on Thursday indicted 12 individuals without detention in connection with an alleged celebrity prostitution ring. The Ansan branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office is reported to have delved into the case after securing related information during a drug-related case in May.Unlike earlier reports, none of the big-name celebrities rumored to be involved were among the three men and nine women indicted. Although the prosecution did not release any names, rumors circulated that a
Dec. 19, 2013
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Construction accident kills 4 in Busan
A steel structure at a road construction site in Busan collapsed Thursday killing four workers. Three buried workers were unearthed and taken to hospital but died about an hour after the accident, the police said. The other worker was found dead later. According to witnesses, the structure buckled during the process of pouring concrete onto the road under construction. The police suspect that the structure failed due to the weight of the concrete. The authorities plan to question those in charg
Dec. 19, 2013
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Korean parents favor girls over boys: survey
The traditional preference of South Korean parents for boys over girls may be fading, a government survey showed on Thursday.According to the survey, 66.2 percent of respondents said they would want a girl if they could only have one child. A total of 2,537 men and women over 19-years old participated in the survey conducted by Korea Research at the request of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.Those who favor sons stood at 33.8 percent, only the half of those who prefer girls, illustra
Dec. 19, 2013
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Prosecution indicts 12 in “celebrity” prostitution case
Prosecutors on Thursday indicted 12 individuals without detention in connection with an alleged celebrity prostitution ring. The Ansan branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office is reported to have delved into the case after securing related information during a drug-related case in May.Unlike earlier reports, none of the big-name celebrities rumored to be involved were among the three men and nine women indicted. Although the prosecution did not release any names, rumors circulated that a
Dec. 19, 2013
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Proportion of seniors in S. Korea grows to nearly 11 pct: data
The proportion of senior citizens in South Korea has increased to nearly 11 percent in 2010, data showed Thursday, indicating that the country's population is aging at a fast pace. According to the data by Statistics Korea, the proportion of those aged 65 or older accounted for 10.9 percent of the country's total population in 2010. It is higher than 7 percent in 2000 and 8.9 percent in 2005.The agency earlier expected the ratio will continue to rise to 15.7 percent in 2020 and 32.3 percent in 2
Dec. 19, 2013
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Opposition decides to introduce bill on special probe into election scandal
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) decided Thursday to initiate a bill calling for an independent counsel investigation into the alleged state tampering in last year's presidential election.The decision was made in a general meeting of DP lawmakers. Party officials said they would try to introduce the bill on the floor of the National Assembly this week jointly with independent lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo and the minor opposition Justice Party.Prospects of the bill's passage, however, are uncl
Dec. 19, 2013
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Former KT chief summoned over alleged graft
The former head of local telecom giant KT Corp. was called in by prosecutors Thursday over alleged managerial wrongdoings and slush fund creations.Lee Suk-chae, who resigned last month amid mounting suspicions, showed up at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul around 9:50 a.m. to undergo questioning.Prosecutors have alleged that Lee inflicted huge losses on KT, the country's top fixed-line operator and No. 2 mobile carrier, by intentionally making poor investments and
Dec. 19, 2013
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Court denies arrest warrant for Hyosung Group chief
A Seoul district court on Thursday denied an arrest warrant for the head of a major family-run conglomerate suspected of creating large amounts of slush funds and evading taxes.Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Suck-rai, who underwent questioning by prosecutors twice last week, is facing multiple charges, including embezzlement, tax fraud and breach of trust, prosecutors said."There is not enough reason to detain (Cho) at the present stage considering the evidence, investigation process, and the defend
Dec. 19, 2013
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Truckers back rail workers’ strike
Thousands of truck drivers are likely to join the ongoing strike by railway workers soon, a move that could cripple the nation’s cargo transport and port operations.In a news conference Wednesday, the Korea Cargo Transport Workers’ Union pledged to refuse to deliver cargo in protest of the government’s clampdown on railway strikers.Police began manhunts for 10 strike leaders Monday with court warrants for detainment. Police said Wednesday it planned to request warrants for an additional 18 union
Dec. 18, 2013
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Freedoms for Saudi university girls end at gates
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) ― Within their female-only campuses, women at Saudi Arabia’s universities let loose. Trendy sneakers, colorful tops, a myriad of hairstyles. Some experiment with bleach blonde or even dip-dyed blue hair. The more adventurous ones have cropped their hair into short buzzes.In their bags, the textbooks vary, but one item is mandatory: a floor-length black abaya robe that each must cover herself with when she steps through the university gates back to the outside world of t
Dec. 18, 2013
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Big question mark over Korea’s public education
An article published in The Korea Herald on Oct. 6 caught my attention. The story cited a survey that shows the level of respect for teachers in South Korea ranked 4th among OECD member countries. It said only 10 percent of respondents answered that students really respect teachers. This figure is the lowest among 21 nations which participated in a study published by a non-profit global education organization, the Varkey GEMS Foundation.What I find particularly shocking is that we Koreans consid
Dec. 18, 2013