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 military commander in S. Korea during Gwangju uprising dies
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[Photo News] Seoul seeks 'best sleeper'
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[KH Explains] Why Korea's so tough on short selling
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US expert says N. Korea might ignore Trump if he returns to White House
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Ultrafine dust increases No. of mental patients
Ultrafine dust, smaller than 2.5 micrometer in diameter, may increase emergency hospitalization for mental illness, analysis showed Monday. There is a correlation between exposure to ultrafine dust and depression and schizophrenia, according to a joint study of 86,634 cases in Seoul from 2003 to 2013 by the Graduate School of Public Health and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. (Yonhap)When the concentration of ultrafine dust reaches 10 micrograms per cubic meter on average for two cons
Feb. 11, 2019
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Court allows import of sex dolls
The Seoul High Court ruled that the import of sex dolls should not be prohibited on grounds that that it corrupts public morals.In 2017, a company made an import declaration of a 159-centimeter-tall headless sex doll made of silicon that resembles a female body, but Incheon Customs put the entry on hold, saying it corrupted public morals. (Yonhap)The company filed a complaint against the chief of Incheon Customs and the first trial ruled in favor of the Incheon Customs chief, based on the reason
Feb. 11, 2019
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Animal activist group Gaon accused of embezzling donations
On the heels of a recent embezzlement scandal at the animal protection organization CARE, another animal protection group known as Gaon now stands accused of appropriating donations.Seo Sun-il, head of Gaon, was indicted without detention Sunday on suspicion of embezzling donations and using them for his personal use. Seo allegedly misused approximately 98 million won ($87,150) worth of donations received by the group between November 2016 and April 2018. The funds were donated by some 1,000 peo
Feb. 11, 2019
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[Multicultural Korea] Universal birth registration first step to ensuring children’s rights: Lawmaker
The number of foreign residents in Korea continues to grow and now accounts for some 3.6 percent of the country's population. This is part of a series that examines how Korea is grappling with the issue of multiculturalism, as well as the challenges facing new arrivals. -- Ed.As the precise number and whereabouts of undocumented children in South Korea remain unknown, lawmakers are moving to pass revised laws on birth registration accessible to foreign residents.“The amendment was prepared from
Feb. 10, 2019
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[Multicultural Korea] Undocumented children in South Korea deprived of basic rights
The number of foreign residents in Korea continues to grow and now accounts for some 3.6 percent of the country's population. This is part of a series that examines how Korea is grappling with the issue of multiculturalism, as well as the challenges facing new arrivals. -- Ed.Pueong, 7, smaller than his peers, is an undocumented child living with his undocumented Vietnamese migrant parents in Gyeonggi Province. “When I grow up I want to be a policeman and catch thieves. My favorite food is spagh
Feb. 10, 2019
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[From the scene] Koreans mourn overworked doctor’s death
A funeral was held Sunday for emergency doctor Yoon Han-deok, who died of a heart attack at his office and whose death cast light on the difficult working conditions faced by emergency medical staff. Lee Guk-jong, head of the trauma center at Ajou University Hospital, pays his respects to Yoon Han-deok, head of the National Emergency Medical Center, at Yoon’s funeral in Seoul on Sunday. (Yonhap)Yoon, head of the National Emergency Medical Center, was found dead on Monday during the Lunar New Yea
Feb. 10, 2019
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[Newsmaker] No damage reported from 4.1 magnitude earthquake off Pohang
A 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the southeastern city of Pohang on Sunday, but there have been no reports of damage, meteorological officials said.The quake happened at 12:53 p.m. in waters 50 kilometers northeast of the port city at a depth of 21 km, officials at the Korea Meteorological Administration said. The KMA had earlier announced the quake's magnitude was 4.0 but later revised it. (Yonhap)About 1 1/2 hours later, a smaller 2.5 magnitude quake happened at 2:12 p.m. in waters 45 k
Feb. 10, 2019
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Seoul Mayor vows to root out dog meat biz
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Saturday pledged to completely eliminate the business of dog meat in South Korea’s capital. “Once dog-butchering businesses are completely removed soon, I plan to make a declaration,” he said in a meeting with an audience after watching animated film “The Underdog” at a local cinema. (Yonhap)Park promised to “put pressure” in various ways to shut down the few remaining dog meat shops in Seoul after watching the Korean film about the journey of abandoned dogs to find
Feb. 10, 2019
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Former SNU graduate student accuses professor of sexual abuse
A former Seoul National University graduate student has publicly accused a professor of sexual misconduct and condemned the school for lack of punishment for the perpetrator, stoking the flames of the #MeToo movement on the campus.The student posted flyers written in Korean, English and Spanish at the campus Wednesday, calling for students’ attention to wrongdoings committed in the Department of Hispanic Language and Literature. (The student council of the College of Humanities Facebook)“During
Feb. 8, 2019
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Severe cold wave to continue over weekend
The bitter cold snap gripping Korea as of Friday will continue through the weekend, with temperatures in many parts of the nation plummeting below minus 10 degrees Celsius.As of 10 a.m., cold wave advisories were in effect nationwide, with the exceptions of South Gyeongsang Province and Jeju Island. Chuncheon is forecast to be the coldest, with its morning low at minus 11 degrees C. Temperatures in Seoul plummeted to minus 10 degrees C in the morning, with Incheon hitting minus 9 degrees C, Daej
Feb. 8, 2019
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[Newsmaker] JTBC chief Sohn countersued
Sohn Suk-hee, a popular news anchor and president of cable TV network JTBC, has been countersued by a freelance journalist who threatened to go public about a car accident involving Sohn.Kim Woong, 49, sued Sohn, 62, for assault, blackmail and libel on Thursday.According to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office, Kim claimed that Sohn not only punched him, but also pressured him to agree to a settlement, and spread false information by issuing a press release.Kim had filed a police repor
Feb. 8, 2019
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[Video] Contract worker’s funeral held two months after death
Memorial services for 24-year-old Kim Yong-gyun, a contract worker who died in an industrial accident Dec. 11 while inspecting a coal-fired power station in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, will be held for three days from Feb. 7 to 9. (Yonhap) A wake, popularly called the “Democratic Society Funeral,” will take place at Seoul National University Hospital’s funeral home. The wake is open to the public.
Feb. 7, 2019
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Garbage returned from Philippines a headache for Korea
Some 1,200 tons of plastic waste shipped back to Korea from the Philippines last week are unrecyclable, environment authorities concluded after opening some of the containers carrying the garbage Thursday. (Ministry of Environment)Officials from the Ministry of Environment and Customs office opened some of the 51 trash-filled containers at Pyeongtaek Port to check on conditions of the waste as part of administrative procedures to process it. The first batch of the plastic waste, which a Korean c
Feb. 7, 2019
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[Weekender] Why do Korean taxi drivers oppose carpooling?
In tech-savvy South Korea, ride-sharing and ride-hailing mobile apps are an untouched market due to vehement protest from some 300,000 taxi drivers, who claim new technologies will ultimately wipe out the taxi industry, an industry insider said Thursday.“First, it is illegal to operate carpooling services (in Korea). The biggest issue is the high possibility that carpool apps would take over the taxi market. We are fighting to protect our livelihoods because the government is pushing to allow ca
Feb. 7, 2019
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Women-only taxis to run in Seoul
Women-only taxis equipped with child car seats and taxis unable to refuse passengers based on their destinations will begin running in Seoul as early as this month, the Seoul city government said Thursday. (Yonhap)The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it issued a business license Feb. 1 to a taxi franchise company, Tago Solutions, which consists of some 50 companies with 4,500 taxis. Tago Solutions plans to test-run two services for three months: Waygo Lady and Waygo Blue. Waygo Lady taxis, dr
Feb. 7, 2019
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[Newsmaker] IT entrepreneur under probe for attempted contract killing
An IT entrepreneur recently indicted for abusing his employees is now under investigation for allegedly attempting contract killing.In September 2015, Yang Jin-ho, chief of several local online storage service firms and robot developer K-Technology, allegedly asked a Buddhist monk to murder the brother-in-law of his ex-wife who at the time was going through a divorce suit against him.Police found that Yang paid 30 million won to the monk, who told police that Yang asked him to stab the husband o
Feb. 7, 2019
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Fire at housing unit kills 3 people in central Korea
Three members of a family were killed and one seriously injured after a multiplex housing unit was engulfed by a fire in central South Korea on Thursday, police said.The fire broke out around 6:37 a.m. on the third floor of the three-story housing unit in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, before being extinguished in 26 minutes. (Yonhap)The police said the bodies of the three dead -- a 72-year-old husband, his 66-year-old wife and his 40-year-old daughter -- were found on the third floor.Thei
Feb. 7, 2019
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Gov't watchdog restricts access to over 230,000 instances of harmful online material in 2018
South Korea's communication watchdog said Wednesday that it ordered over 230,000 examples of harmful online material to be deleted or restricted from access in the country in 2018.The action taken by the Korea Communications Standards Commission represents a three-fold spike over the 84,000 cases found in violation of the rules in 2017 and a 20 percent increase from 2016, when 201,000 cases of illegal and harmful content were barred from being screened on the domestic Internet. (Yonhap)The lates
Feb. 6, 2019
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Seoul taxi fare to rise Feb. 16
Taxi fares in Seoul will rise on Feb. 16, the city government said Wednesday.The basic taxi fare will increase from the current 3,000 won ($2.60) to 3,800 won, while the basic late-night fare from midnight to 4 a.m. will also rise -- from 3,600 won to 4,600 won. (Yonhap)Meters will rise faster as well. Under the current fare system, taxis go 142 meters per 100 won after the basic fare covers the first 2 kilometers. When taxis travel slower than 15 kilometers per hour, 100 won is added to the fa
Feb. 6, 2019
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[Newsmaker] External sources account for 75% of Korea's fine dust pollution
External sources accounted for 75 percent of South Korea's ultrafine dust air pollution in January, a state-run environment agency said Wednesday. South Korea saw a drastic rise in the average level of ultrafine dust particles, those smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, in between Jan. 11 and 15. According to the National Institute of Environmental Research, a think tank under the Ministry of Environment, external sources from China, Mongolia, North Korea and Japan were responsible for 75 p
Feb. 6, 2019