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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Why femicide and dating violence are growing issues in S. Korea
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Arrest warrant issued for medical student for allegedly killing girlfriend after breakup
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Carcinogens found at 247 fuel storages
Soil around 247 fuel storage facilities nationwide, including gas stations, was found to contain excessive levels of carcinogenic materials, the Ministry of Environment said Sunday. The authorities examined the soil near 7,347 petroleum and natural gas production sites and petrol stations and other areas with underground or above-ground storage tanks. It found 247 places, or 3.4 percent of the facilities, containing TPH and BTEX above government guidelines. TPH, or total petroleum hydrocarbon an
Nov. 6, 2011
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Seoul to conduct radioactivity tests on asphalt-paved roads
The Seoul city government said Saturday it will conduct radioactivity tests on all asphalt roads paved in 2000 after higher-than-standard levels of radioactivity were detected on a pavement in a northern part of the city.Up to 10 times the average radioactivity levels were detected on a road in Wolgye-dong in northern Seoul, though the state-run Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety said the levels, which were measured at up to 1,400 nanosivert per hour, were not hazardous to human health.After hour
Nov. 6, 2011
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Carmakers violate working hour rules
Korea’s auto workers, represented by some of the country’s most powerful labor unions, are putting in hours beyond legal limits, the Labor Ministry said Sunday. The ministry’s on-the-spot checks found that all five carmakers operating in Korea, including the largest Hyundai Motor, had their employees work in excess of the 12 hours of weekly overtime that the law permits. Their working hours per week averaged 55, about 14 hours longer than the country’s industry average. The five carmakers are Hy
Nov. 6, 2011
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E. Asia scholar Scalapino dies
Robert A. Scalapino, the Robson Research Professor of Government emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, died last Monday in Oakland, of complications from a respiratory infection. He was 92.A renowned expert in East Asian studies, Scalapino advised three American presidents and various governmental groups on foreign policy. He published some 550 articles and 39 books or monographs on Vietnam, China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan as well as on Asian politics and U.S. Asian policy.In 1978,
Nov. 6, 2011
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Foreign Ministry names 1st woman spokesperson
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade appointed it’s first female vice spokesperson as part of its efforts to enhance communication with the public, officials said Saturday. Former journalist Han Hye-jin, 49, was selected through a competitive hiring process in which 10 people including some from outside the ministry like Han applied, officials said.“She is well versed in journalism, public relations and international affairs. We expect her to contribute to better communication with citizens
Nov. 6, 2011
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Seoul to boost welfare by W300b
Most of resources to come from budget cuts in construction projectsThe Seoul city administration’s welfare budget for next year is expected to increase by 300 billion won ($254 million) to 3.2 trillion won, city officials said Sunday. According to the municipal government, new mayor Park Won-soon directed a readjustment of the minimum cost of living. Once the cost is readjusted, an additional 300 billion won will be needed to fulfill the new standard, officials estimated. They said given the fac
Nov. 6, 2011
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Seoul City expands non-smoking areas
One fifth of capital to be designated smoke-free zones by 2014Smokers will find it harder to light up in Seoul, as smoking will be banned in a fifth of the capital’s total area by 2014, city officials said Friday.Seoul Metropolitan Government will expand non-smoking areas from the current 23 locations ― three squares and 20 parks ― to some 9,000 places covering 21 percent of the city within the next two years.For commuters like Lim Hae-sun, 25, this is a welcome change. “When I’m waiting for bus
Nov. 4, 2011
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$13.5 mln fraud implicates hundreds of S. Koreans
Police said Friday they had uncovered South Korea's largest insurance fraud, involving more than 400 people and 15 billion won ($13.5 million).The fraud was carried out by three hospitals, insurance workers and residents of Taebaek, a mining town in the eastern province of Gangwon, police said in a
Nov. 4, 2011
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Universities doctor books to hike tuitions: auditor
Private and public universities in South Korea have engaged in creative accounting practices resulting in excessive hikes in tuition fees, the state audit agency said Thursday.Wrapping up an investigation into 35 randomly chosen universities, including nine public institutions, the Board of Audit and Inspection said the institutions had habitually manipulated their accounting books over the past five years to justify steep rises in tuition expenses.The BAI estimated the creative bookkeeping prod
Nov. 3, 2011
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USFK extends off-base curfew
The curfew for U.S. military personnel here will be extended another two months.U.S. Forces Korea Commander General James Thurman chief announced the move Tuesday, citing the need to assess the current operational environment.Thurman said the curfew, originally intended to end at the beginning of this month, would be extended to Jan. 6.The USFK said the move was a temporary measure to ensure the continued mission readiness of the command.“I firmly believe that military discipline is the foundati
Nov. 3, 2011
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Court rules against dismissal of cloning scientist from SNU
A Seoul appellate court ruled Thursday that the top national university’s 2006 dismissal of disgraced stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk was illegal, overturning a lower court’s previous decision.Hwang, a former veterinary professor at the Seoul National University, filed a suit against the school chief in November 2006, demanding his dismissal from the school be rescinded. “The dismissal was made in violation of the proportionality principle or beyond (the school’s) discretion,” Seoul High Court
Nov. 3, 2011
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Universities come under fire for doctoring accounting books to hike tuitions
Private and public universities in South Korea have engaged in creative accounting practices resulting in excessive hikes in tuition fees, the state audit agency said Thursday.Wrapping up an investigation into 35 randomly chosen universities, including nine public institutions, the Board of Audit an
Nov. 3, 2011
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Court rules against dismissal of cloning scientist from SNU
A Seoul appellate court ruled Thursday that the top national university's 2006 dismissal of disgraced stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk was illegal, overturning a lower court's previous decision.Hwang, a former veterinary professor at the Seoul National University (SNU), filed a suit against the sch
Nov. 3, 2011
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USFK extends off-base curfew
The curfew for U.S. military personnel here will be extended another two months, the U.S. Forces Korea chief said Tuesday, citing the need to assess the current operational environment.According to USFK Commander General James Thurman, the curfew, originally intended to last until the beginning of this month, will be extended to Jan. 6.The USFK said the move was a temporary force protection measure to ensure the continued mission readiness of the command.“I firmly believe that military disciplin
Nov. 3, 2011
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Korean, EU lawmakers launch leaders’ forum
Over 100 lawmakers, and diplomatic and academic dignitaries from Korea and the European Union gathered to discuss how best to raise the effectiveness of their free trade agreement, in Seoul on Thursday.At the first ROK-EU Leaders Forum, topics centered on the FTA were discussed to fully utilize the deal, which has already been in effect for four months.Representing the two sides were Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Kang-rae, president of the ROK-EU Parliamentarian Diplomacy Council of the National
Nov. 3, 2011
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Divorces by intercultural couples in S. Korea grow 5 percent
SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- Divorces filed by international couples in South Korea grew nearly 5 percent last year, data showed Thursday, possibly leaving many of their children vulnerable to poor parental care and education.According to the data by Statistics Korea, a total of 14,319 couples with dif
Nov. 3, 2011
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Education innovation forum opens in Doha
DOHA ― The third World Innovation Summit for Education, one of the largest international education forums, kicked off its three-day run in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday with more than 1,000 attending. The forum has attracted about 1,200 participants and 140 distinguished speakers from about 120 countries, including Colombia University professor Jeffrey Sachs, former U.K. prime minister Gordon Brown and Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales. They will discuss the future of education and global challenges.The a
Nov. 2, 2011
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Ex-FSS chief indicted for bank irregularities
Prosecution indicts 76, wraps up probe into Busan Savings Bank scandalProsecutors have indicted Kim Jong-chang, a former top financial regulator, for the breach of a public officials’ ethics law, wrapping up its probe into a failed savings bank in Busan. “A total of 76 have been indicted in connection with our investigation into Busan Mutual Savings Bank, whose financial corruption amounts to 9 trillion won,” Choi Jae-kyung, an official at the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office told a press bri
Nov. 2, 2011
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One killed, one injured in Army helicopter emergency landing
SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- An Army non-commissioned officer was killed and another officer injured when a light attack helicopter made an emergency landing southeast of Seoul during an exercise, the South Korean military said Wednesday.An official said an MD 500 helicopter made the emergency landing
Nov. 2, 2011
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Former top financial regulator indicted over savings bank scandal
SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors indicted a former chief financial regulator Wednesday for a breach of ethics law, wrapping up a months-long investigation into a corruption scandal engulfing the troubled Busan Savings Bank.Kim Jong-chang, who in March ended his three-year term as chairman of th
Nov. 2, 2011