Most Popular
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[Weekender] Geeks have never been so chic in Korea
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N. Korea says it test-fired tactical ballistic missile with new guidance technology
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NewJeans members submit petitions over court injunction in Hybe-Ador conflict
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[News Focus] Mystery deepens after hundreds of cat deaths in S. Korea
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S. Korea's exports of instant noodles surpass $100m for 1st time in April: data
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[Herald Interview] Byun Yo-han's 'unlikable' character is result of calculated acting
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US Air Force blames power loss, weather for F-16 crash in S. Korea in May 2023
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Ex-president Moon recalls in memoir NK leader voiced will not to use nukes
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US military commander in S. Korea during Gwangju uprising dies
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US expert says N. Korea might ignore Trump if he returns to White House
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Female Army officer found dead with gunshot wound
A female Army officer was found dead on Friday with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, military officials said, noting investigations are underway to find the exact cause of the incident.The 30-year-old Army captain, surnamed Hong, was found dead inside her car by her colleagues at 8:10 a.m. in her unit in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, with a gunshot wound in the neck, a senior Army official said, asking customary anonymity. A K-1 rifle and its bullet shell were found inside the car that was
May 31, 2013
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Head of elite Army academy offers to retire over sexual assault case
The commanding general of South Korea's elite military academy has offered to retire to take responsibility for a recent sexual assault case on campus, Army officials said Thursday.Army Lt. Gen. Park Nam-soo, head of the Korea Military Academy located in Seoul, said he will leave the military to hold himself accountable for the sexual assault allegation surrounding a senior male cadet, Army officials said. The military police have arrested the cadet, who is being accused of sexually assaulting a
May 31, 2013
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Panel agrees on wage peak system
A tripartite body of labor, business and government reached an agreement Thursday to create more quality part-time jobs and implement a wage peak system in a concerted effort to expand employment opportunities for the young and the senior citizens.The landmark agreement is expected to pave way for President Park Geun-hye’s campaign pledge to raise the nation’s employment rate to 70 percent by 2017 from the present 59.8 percent. The labor panel has decided to work together to reduce work hours, p
May 30, 2013
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[Newsmaker] KCIJ makes waves with tax haven revelations
The Korea Center for Investigative Journalism, or Newstapa, is making waves with its revelations of high-profile Koreans who use tax havens to store their wealth.Founded in 2012 by a group of journalists, the KCIJ is an independent online media outlet that states its purpose as “delivering the truth to the public, and not using press releases distributed by those with power and money.” Saying that they have judged that the revealed related information “serves the public’s right to know and the
May 30, 2013
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Prosecution expands probe into river project
Prosecutors are looking into allegations that more local builders colluded to clinch bids for the previous administration’s highly controversial project to refurbish the country’s four major rivers, officials said Thursday.The administration of former President Lee Myung-bak carried out the 22.2 trillion won ($19.8 billion) project to refurbish the rivers, saying it would generate thousands of jobs, improve water supply and prevent floods. But critics have long accused the mega project of being
May 30, 2013
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Kindergarten teachers to face stronger penalties for abuse
Kindergarten teachers who are caught abusing children will face stronger punishment such as a 10-year ban on establishing or working at childcare centers, the ruling party said Thursday.The measures, announced by the government earlier this month, plan to be introduced into law before the end of this year, the Saenuri Party said in a press release following a meeting with relevant government officials.The current punishment for child abuse is a maximum three-year ban on establishing or working a
May 30, 2013
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Female-only law school ruled constitutional
The Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that allowing only female students to enroll at law schools run by women-only universities is constitutional.In 2008, the government approved a total of 25 local universities, including Ewha Womans University in Seoul, to create U.S.-style three-year law schools. Ewha Womans University Law School has since annually admitted 100 female students.Soon after that decision, two male law-student hopefuls filed a petition with the court, arguing that the female-o
May 30, 2013
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Samsung heir’s son to quit prestigious school after favoritism talks
Samsung Electronic Co. vice chairman Lee Jay-yong publicly apologized on Thursday for a controversy involving his son’s admission to the Younghoon International Middle School.“I am sorry for causing public concern involving my son’s school admission,” said Lee, heir-apparent to Korea’s largest conglomerate Samsung Group. “I think it is right for my son to leave the school.Lee’s 13-year-old son did not show up at Younghoon on Wednesday. Disputes arose in January over his admission to the elite in
May 30, 2013
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University campus evacuated after gas leak
A gas leak at a Seoul university Wednesday caused for more than 2,000 people to be evacuated, according to police investigators. No casualties were reported.The leak was reported just past 4:20 p.m. at Sejong University in eastern Seoul, investigators said.About 1.5 kilograms of liquid boron tribromide, known as BBr3, had leaked in the form of a gas after being exposed to air during an experiment with solar panels in a laboratory, they said. BBr3 is colorless but has a pungent odor and can caus
May 29, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Governor closes public hospital
South Gyeongsang Province on Wednesday closed its main public medical center plagued by snowballing losses, bellicose unionists and heated political disputes. Governor Hong Joon-pyo pushed ahead with the plan to shut down Jinju Medical Center despite fierce opposition from the union, opposition parties and the central government.The former ruling party leader sparked a nationwide controversy when he warned that the government will shut down the country’s second-oldest public hospital unless its
May 29, 2013
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Prosecutors detain school official in admissions fraud
Prosecutors investigating admissions fraud at Younghoon International Middle school detained the school’s administration official on bribe charges Wednesday.The official surnamed Lim is suspected of receiving money from parents to admit some unqualified students.The investigators raided 16 places related to the school foundation including the chairman’s home, offices and other affiliated primary and secondary schools.The school in northern Seoul first came under fire after it was revealed earlie
May 29, 2013
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Construction of Miryang power-line towers halted
Korea Electric Power Corp. agreed to halt work on high-voltage transmission towers in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday while a group of experts reviews alternative plans. The company and residents accepted the parliamentary Trade, Industry and Energy Committee’s mediation measures. The nine-member group ― consisting of experts picked by the residents, KEPCO and the National Assembly ― will review various alternatives for 40 days.The panel will give priority to plans for circumven
May 29, 2013
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Faculty, leadership power USC’s growth
Los Angeles was a small, dusty town when the University of Southern California was launched with some 50 students in 1880. Today the school is the largest private institution in the megacity, enrolling more than 39,000 students and 3,700 faculty members.In an interview with The Korea Herald, C.L. Max Nikias, the president of USC, underscored the driving force of its growth: a focus on top-notch faculty, students and research, and leadership that looks to the future and the world. Nikias, who was
May 29, 2013
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Prosecutors raid CJ chairman’s home in tax, slush fund probe
Prosecutors investigating allegations of tax evasion and a slush fund formed by CJ Group raided the home of the group’s chairman Lee Jay-hyun on Wednesday.The investigators also raided the headquarters of Shinhan Bank over the 24 billion won ($21 million) loan the bank gave to Pan Japan, a Japan-based company said to be operated by the chief of CJ Group’s Japanese branch. Ahead of the raid on the bank, an employee of Shinhan Bank’s Tokyo branch was summoned for questioning on Tuesday. Along with
May 29, 2013
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Comedian turns himself in for DUI
A South Korean comedian Yoo Se-yoon turned himself in Wednesday for drunk driving.Gyeonggi Ilsan police detained Yoo without physical detention on the charge of driving under the influence of alcohol around 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Yoo allegedly drove for 30 kilometers from Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul to Ilsan, northwest of the capital.“I came to the police because I felt guilty,” he told the police.According to police, Yoo’s blood alcohol content level was 0.086 percent, enough to have his driver
May 29, 2013
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Military investigates sex assault case involving Army cadets
The South Korean Army has launched an investigation into allegations that a senior male cadet sexually assaulted a junior female officer cadet under the influence of alcohol on campus during a festival last week, military officials said Wednesday.Last Wednesday, about 30 students and professors at the Korea Military Academy had lunch and drank alcohol after a sports event earlier in the day to celebrate Cadet Day. After a female sophomore drank too much and kept vomiting, the senior cadet brough
May 29, 2013
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Prosecution raid Younghoon International Middle School
The prosecution on Tuesday raided the office of Younghoon International Middle School to secure evidence of alleged admission fraud. According to the investigation, dozens of officers at the Seoul Northern Prosecutors’ Office secured documents, computer files and other material around 3:30 p.m. The evidence is believed to support their suspicion that the school’s vice headmasters as well as teachers fabricated school records used in the initial application screening process in order to admit unq
May 28, 2013
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Prosecutors widen CJ Group probe
The investigation into CJ Group’s alleged illegal financial activities is expanding as evidence emerged that its chief Lee Jay-hyun and his family were involved in overseas tax evasion, slush funds and of holding additional assets held under borrowed names. Investigators of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office are said to be focusing on determining whether the group has illicit assets in addition to those revealed in 2008. In 2008, the group paid 170 billion won ($151 million) in taxes
May 28, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Miryang power-line towers a headache
The controversy over work on high-voltage transmission towers in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, continues with potential solutions running into further problems.Last week, Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Han Jin-hyun said that the government and the ruling Saenuri Party will ensure that compensation promised by the Korea Electric Power Corporation is paid.The Ministry of Strategy and Finance, however, has taken the position that the compensation should be funded by KEPCO, as tho
May 28, 2013
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Seoul to pilot test-free semester in September
All middle school students will be allowed to spend a semester without tests and assessment starting in 2016, the Education Ministry announced Tuesday.The “free-learning semester,” one of President Park Geun-hye’s pledges, is designed to ease the burden of school testing and help students focus on career planning. The ministry will test-run the program in September in 42 middle schools, providing each school with a 30 million won ($26,600) subsidy. It will pick 40 additional schools next year.Th
May 28, 2013