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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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Push for shorter work hours gets lukewarm response
Many workers prefer fatter paychecks to more leisure time The government’s latest drive to reduce working hours is facing reluctance from workers who fear an impact on their paychecks. Yet, experts see it as inevitable that the country tackles the ingrained culture of long hours to boost productivity, improve workers’ quality of life and create new jobs. “Long working hours have prevailed in Korea under consent of three parties ― management, labor and government, with the management bent on redu
Feb. 2, 2012
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Korea supports job-seeking marriage immigrants
A growing number of spouses from international marriages are seeking jobs here, taking advantage of the South Korean government’s active job placement support for them, data showed Thursday.According to the data compiled by the labor ministry, a total of 11,724 foreigners who settled here after being married to South Koreans applied for employment via the government’s job network, called “Worknet,” up nearly six-fold in two years.“Some 80 percent of the foreign spouses landed a job in the manufa
Feb. 2, 2012
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Seoul to raise bus, subway fares
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday it will raise public transit fares by 150 won ($0.13) late this month to reduce mounting deficits in the public transportation system.The minimum bus and subway fare will rise from 900 won to 1,050 won for adults from Feb. 25. Fares for children and teenagers will remain unchanged.The decision to allow the fare hike was taken to lower deficits stemming from energy costs, fee discounts and some free rides, among other factors, officials said. It is
Feb. 2, 2012
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President’s brother claims W700m in secretary’s account
Rep. Lee Sang-deuk denies bribery, but faces interrogationRep. Lee Sang-deuk, elder brother of President Lee Myung-bak, said Thursday that 700 million won ($626,000) in his secretary’s bank account belongs to him. The six-term lawmaker denied that the money was a slush fund or political kickback, claiming it to be his personal property. Still, he is likely to be questioned over the money.According to Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Lee submitted a document purporting to prove his own
Feb. 2, 2012
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Korea shivers on coldest Feb. day in decades
Deep freeze disrupts public transport, pushes power demand to new highTemperatures in Seoul and the northern part of the country fell to the lowest levels reported in February in over half a century Thursday, disrupting transportation and pushing the power demand to a new record high. Cold air moving south from the Arctic blanketed the Korean Peninsula for the second straight day, driving the morning low in the capital to minus 17.1 degrees Celsius with a wind chill of minus 23.7 degrees. Accord
Feb. 2, 2012
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Podcast hosts blasted for racy campaign
The hosts of the nation’s most popular podcast have come under fire for a racy campaign to save one of its imprisoned colleagues. Female supporters posted pictures of themselves in bikinis with “let’s save Chung Bong-ju” written across their breasts on a website that demands the former Democratic Party lawmaker be freed. Feminists and other opponents are demanding the show hosts apologize and drop the campaign. Chung was imprisoned for spreading false information about President Lee Myung-bak du
Feb. 1, 2012
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Crossbow ex-professor files complaint against judge
Kim Myung-ho, a former Sungkyunkwan University professor made famous for attacking a judge with a crossbow, filed a complaint with the prosecution against Judge Lee Sang-ho on Tuesday, accusing him of unlawful detention and abuse of authority, prosecutors said Wednesday.Lee was the presiding judge in the case that found former Democratic Party lawmaker Chung Bong-ju guilty of spreading false information about President Lee Myung-bak. Chung was jailed for one year in relation to his claims about
Feb. 1, 2012
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Judges face punishment for political comments
Two judges who posted disparaging comments on social networking services about President Lee Myung-bak are facing disciplinary measures and possible dismissal.Judge Seo Ki-ho of the Seoul Northern District Court has been included on the list of judges deemed unfit for reappointment. Seo caused controversy when he used derogatory expressions about the president. He was reportedly informed through an e-mail that his performance record was too poor for him to continue serving as a judge. Since 1988
Feb. 1, 2012
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Political show hosts under fire for racy photos
The nation’s most popular podcast’s hosts have come under fire for encouraging their fans to make racy actions to save one of its imprisoned colleagues. Several female supporters took pictures of themselves dressed in bikinis with a slogan written on their breasts, saying “let’s save Chung Bong-ju,” and posted them on a website created to rally support for a drive to free the former Democratic Party lawmaker. Feminists and opponents are demanding the show hosts apologize and drop the plan. Chung
Feb. 1, 2012
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Seoul to roll back exemptions to work hour rule
Employers in financial services, retail, restaurants and a dozen other industries will likely be banned from having their staff work in excess of the 52-hours-a-week limit, according to a decision Tuesday by a tripartite panel of workers, employers and the government. The Korea Tripartite Commission reached an agreement to scale back exemptions from the statutory limit on weekly hours currently in effect for 26 industries to 10. The 16 sectors to be stripped of exemption include saunas, hair and
Jan. 31, 2012
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Heavy snows hit Seoul and western regions
Heavy snows hit Seoul and the western parts of the country on Tuesday.The Korea Metrological Administration issued a heavy-snow watch for Seoul, Incheon and the coastal areas of the Chungcheong provinces as of 4 p.m.The KMA said that while the snow will peter out in Seoul and the central regions late Tuesday, it may continue to fall in the Chungcheong provinces into Wednesday. The Seoul metropolitan government put in place the first stage emergency operations after the warning was issued. The ci
Jan. 31, 2012
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Branksome Hall Asia to hold admissions info session on Feb. 8
Branksome Hall Asia, the first overseas campus of a premier all-girls independent school in North America, will hold an admissions information session at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8, in the Orchid Room at Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas Hotel. According to the school’s PR representative KPR, Branksome Hall Asia, which opens in Jeju Global Education city in October, is accepting boys and girls for preschool to grade 3, and only girls for grades 4 through 12. For its foundation year, admission
Jan. 31, 2012
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Koreans’ average height grew about 12 cm over past century
Korean adults who lived during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) were significantly shorter on average than today’s generation, a medical study released on Tuesday suggests.According to the first nationwide study on the height of Koreans including Joseon-era forefathers, average heights of both male and female adults have increased by 12.9 centimeters and 11.6 centimeters, respectively, over the past century.The study estimated the average height of Koreans who lived during the Joseon era at 161.1
Jan. 31, 2012
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Pregnant health staff face discrimination
Lack of child care facilities another burden after their return to workA growing number of hospital workers including nurses, doctors and assistant medical staff are women, but their working environment is still difficult for balancing career and family.In a desperate bid to keep their career ongoing in the male-centered system, they take turns being pregnant, curtail their maternity leave “voluntarily,” and some even give up having children completely. According to a Korean Medical Women’s Asso
Jan. 31, 2012
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Charity sees donation reach all-time high
Community Chest of Korea has seen its year-end and New Year’s donations reach an all-time high as it celebrated the end of its donation campaign on Tuesday. The CCK said it raised a total of 254.1 billion won ($225 million) as of Jan. 30, surpassing its two-month goal of 218 billion won and breaking its 2010 record of 224.2 billion won.The nationwide charity network conducts the annual donation drive named “Hope Sharing Campaign” from December to January. The CCK’s giant “Thermometer of Love” pe
Jan. 31, 2012
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U.S. army probes military base passes
The U.S. military will interview all Koreans who have been granted passes onto U.S. military bases here, amid an investigation by police into two men for illegal issuing of passes.The Stars and Stripes reports that the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command said it has made “internal changes” to how it issues passes through the U.S. Forces Korea’s Good Neighbor program.The 8th Army’s logistic support arm said all civilians who have required passes through the Good Neighbor Program will be interv
Jan. 31, 2012
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MBC workers strike for resignation of station chief
Protest president’s alleged unilateral decision-making and political biasUnionized workers of the nation’s second-largest terrestrial broadcaster MBC staged a general strike on Monday, demanding their president Kim Jae-chul resign over his alleged political bias and unilateral decision-making style.
Jan. 30, 2012
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Hallyu to be discussed at 55th anniversary of Korea Society
The Korea Foundation said it will open a forum on hallyu, or the Korean Wave, at the foundation’s cultural center in Seoul on Tuesday to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Korea Society, a private, non-profit, New York-based organization that promotes understanding between the U.S. and Korea.Under the theme, “Riding the Wave: Korea’s Growing Cultural Reach,” the discussion will start at 2 p.m. with moderator Stephen Noerper, vice president of the Korea Society.Panelists include Alexandra Munr
Jan. 30, 2012
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Prosecutors raid Foreign Ministry
CNK head in Cameroon pressured to return home for questioningProsecutors raided the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Monday for evidence that its disgraced energy envoy was involved in stock-rigging. Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office dispatched investigators to confiscate computer hard disks and documents at the office of Kim Eun-seok, who was a senior diplomat in charge of energy and resource diplomacy. It was the first time prosecutors raided the Foreign Ministry. Kim’s home,
Jan. 30, 2012
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Seoul women’s centers report counseling cases double
The number of victims seeking counseling at women’s support centers has seen a large increase over the years, but some centers have closed because of funding problems.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday, the number of women seeking counseling for domestic violence and sexual assault has doubled from 40,208 in 2005 to 90,197 in 2010.While those seeking counseling for sexual violence rose from 19,065 to 23,956. Domestic violence counseling has rocketed over the same period fro
Jan. 30, 2012