Most Popular
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Korean industries gauge impact of Biden's steep tariffs on China
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Do Korean doctors make too much money?
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Is FTC's conglomerate listing a boon or bane for Hybe?
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NewJeans to headline palace show
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Coupang's Kim Bom escapes chaebol chief designation again
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Why Korean crime stories typically feature nameless, faceless perpetrators
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Rare mid-May heavy snow warning issued over mountainous areas of Gangwon
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CIO chief nominee to explain allegations at confirmation hearing
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Yoon vows to run country 'rightly' on Buddha's birthday
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Debate on 'no-seniors zones' heats up
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S. Korean task force working with U.S. government in response to jet crash
South Korean government officials said Sunday they have formed a task force of diplomats and will also work with their U.S. counterparts in response to the crash of a South Korean passenger jet in San Francisco.The foreign ministry said its task force will be in contact with the South Korean consulate general in the U.S. city and other relevant local agencies to keep a tab on the developments after an Asiana Airlines Boeing jet crashed and caught fire as it landed at San Francisco International
July 7, 2013
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Two killed in Asiana jet crash at San Francisco airport
An Asiana Airlines passenger jet carrying 307 people crashed upon landing at San Francisco International Airport Saturday, killing two Chinese people and injuring dozens of others on board, officials said.The Boeing 777 plane, which departed from Shanghai, China and stopped over at Incheon International Airport west of Seoul, was carrying 291 passengers and 16 crew members, according to the airliner, which is South Korea's second largest."Everyone has been accounted for," San Francisco Mayor Ed
July 7, 2013
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Prosecution seeks arrest warrant for former intelligence chief
State prosecutors said Friday they were seeking an arrest warrant for former National Intelligence Service chief Won Sei-hoon accused of accepting bribes from a construction company in return for peddling influence.Hwang Bo-yeon, head of now-bankrupt Hwangbo Construction, had testified that he has given Won some 100 million won (US$87,565) in cash and gifts since 2009 in exchange for the spy chief's influence in getting major construction projects by public institutions and large corporations. A
July 5, 2013
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Ex-chief of state nuke power operator nabbed
BUSAN (Yonhap News) ― Prosecutors said Friday they have detained a former chief of the country’s state-run nuclear power plants operator on suspicion of bribery as part of their probe into the corruption scandal over nuclear reactors. Kim Jong-shin, who headed the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, was arrested on late Thursday after the task force of the Busan District Prosecutor’s Office in the southeastern port city secured evidence that Kim had accepted bribes from one of the company’s contracto
July 5, 2013
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Minimum wage set to rise 7.2%
Korea’s minimum hourly wage will rise 7.2 percent to 5,210 won ($4.57) next year, a three-party council of government, labor and business representatives said Friday.Under the agreement, the minimum wage of laborers working 209 hours a month will be increased to 1.08 million won. About 2.56 million workers will benefit from the deal, it added.“Diverse factors including economic growth rate, price inflation and wage increase rates of other income groups have been reflected in the 7.2 percent (wag
July 5, 2013
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Ex-chief of state nuke power operator nabbed for alleged corruption
Prosecutors said Friday they have detained a former chief of the country's state-run nuclear power plants operator on suspicion of bribery as part of their probe into the corruption scandal over nuclear reactors. Kim Jong-shin, who headed the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP), was arrested on late Thursday after the task force of the Busan District Prosecutor's Office in the southeastern port city secured evidence that Kim had accepted bribes from one of the company's contractors.The arrest c
July 5, 2013
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[Graphic News] Child abuse increases
Child abuse cases increased by 7.9 percent on-year in 2012, with more than 80 percent committed by parents at home, according to a survey by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
July 4, 2013
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Ex-spy chief grilled on bribery suspicions
The prosecution questioned former spy agency chief Won Sei-hoon on Thursday over allegations that he received bribes from a local construction company in exchange of business favors. In a separate case, Won was indicted last month on charges of masterminding an online smear campaign against the opposition candidate to sway public opinion ahead of presidential election late last year.He served as head of the National Intelligence Service under former President Lee Myung-bak. He is suspected of ta
July 4, 2013
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New state English test shows glitch, faces criticism
A number of students who recently took a state-administered English proficiency test complained that there were critical errors in the exam system.They said that they were unable to complete the Internet-based exam because their answer sheet suddenly disappeared from the computer screen.Fifty-eight of the 1,116 test takers cited the same error, raising questions about the National English Ability Test that the government developed with a reported investment nearing 30 billion won ($26 million) o
July 3, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Hangeul advocates oppose Hanja classes
The government’s plan to enhance Hanja, or Chinese character, classes sparked backlash from civic groups and advocates for Hangeul, or the Korean writing system, who claim it would hamper efforts to defend the purity of the Korean language and further burden students. They launched a sit-in protest in front of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno demanding the authority cancel the plan which would “revive an old-fashioned and unnecessary” education program. The plan could impose acad
July 3, 2013
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Korea to get tougher on admission scams at foreign schools
The government will toughen punishment on admission fraud by foreigner-only schools in the country in an effort to uproot the nagging problem, the education ministry said Wednesday.Under the plan, foreigner-only schools caught for admission fraud more than three times can be forcibly shut down, with more information about their irregularities to be available online.The move comes after a series of recent cases where several foreign schools in the country were found to have admitted students in v
July 3, 2013
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Hunters and explorers: How an MBA can transform your career
There is a perception among many that an MBA is a degree for finance workers and business consultants looking to move up the corporate ladder. It’s an outdated view ― but one that still pervades. True, look at any top MBA program globally and you will find your fair share of bankers and consultants ― and with good reason; the MBA, as ever, is a sound choice for professionals who want to develop their careers vertically.However, if you were to examine the placement profiles of a quality MBA class
July 3, 2013
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14% of students addicted to smartphones: poll
Fourteen percent of South Korean primary and secondary school students are addicted to smartphones, more than twice their Internet addiction rate, a poll showed Wednesday.According to the survey conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 240,000 or 14 percent of the 1.7 million fourth-grade elementary school students and first-grade students of both middle and high schools polled across the country, are addicted to smartphones.The figure of 240,000 was 2.3 times more than the 105,0
July 3, 2013
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Ex-basketball player arrested for murder of sister-in-law
A former basketball player, identified only by his surname Jeong, was nabbed by police Wednesday on suspicion of murdering his sister-in-law and abandoning her body. Hwaseong Dongbu Police Station arrested without a warrant a 31-year-old suspect for allegedly murdering the twin sister of his 32-year-old wife last Wednesday at the home of his wife’s parents.According to police, Jeong got into a heated argument with the victim before strangling her to death. Jeong then took the victim’s body to a
July 3, 2013
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Embattled ex-chief of spy agency summoned over bribery suspicions
Prosecutors said Tuesday they have summoned the embattled former chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to appear for questioning later this week over allegations that he took bribes from a local construction firm.Won Sei-hoon, who served as NIS chief under former President Lee Myung-bak until early this year, is suspected of accepting more than 100 million won (US$88,144) of cash in bribes from the head of a local construction firm in exchange for business favors.Prosecutors said they
July 2, 2013
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Hopes building for repatriation of China’s Korean War dead
Just a few kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, there is a lone graveyard where 1,000 North Korean and Chinese soldiers killed during the Korean War are buried.Unlike Korea’s burial tradition, the graves at the enemy cemetery are pointed to the North ― demonstrating the last wish to return home.Officially known as “Cemetery for North Korean and Chinese Soldiers,” the graveyard in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, opened in 1996 under an international convention that urged
July 2, 2013
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Fewer SAT tests to be held in Korea
The operator of the main U.S. college admission test has decided to cut the number of its tests administered in South Korea after a recent revelation of pervasive cheating surfaced, its website showed Tuesday.The number of Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) dates offered in the country will be cut from six to four for the 2013-2014 academic year, while the SAT Subject Tests, the U.S. national admissions tests, are planned to be administered twice, according to the College Board.The SAT is held seven
July 2, 2013
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Teaching visa rule to guarantee minimum pay
The Justice Ministry has tightened visa regulations for foreign language teachers to ensure they are paid at least 1.5 million won ($1,324) per month. The ministry said the new guideline was designed to improve their working conditions and the quality of language education. Under the rule, effective as of Monday, the E-2 teaching visa will be issued only if employers guarantee foreign teachers the minimum monthly rate. Its survey in March found that some lecturers are paid less than 1 million wo
July 2, 2013
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Women leave jobs for average 4.5 years
Women in Seoul take an average of 4.5 years away from their career mostly due to childbirth and rearing, research showed Tuesday.The Seoul Women’s Resources Development Institute released its survey of 1,969 women who registered at job-training and career-building agencies for women in the city.Half of them said they had once worked, but found they had to quit after an average of 8.4 years. They were out of work for 4.5 years on average. About 46 percent of them cited childcare as the reason for
July 2, 2013
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Number of foreign residents nears 1.45 million
The number of foreigners living in South Korea has been on the rise over the past few years, with a sharp increase in the number of children born to non-Korean families, government data showed Tuesday.According to the data by the Ministry of Security and Public Administration, foreign residents numbered 1.45 million as of Jan. 1, 2013, accounting for 2.8 percent of the country’s total population.The 2013 figure is up 2.6 percent from a year earlier and marks the seventh consecutive on-year rise
July 2, 2013