Most Popular
-
1
Science Ministry expresses regret over Japan’s pressure on Naver
-
2
Hostilities get out of hand as YouTuber murders another outside courthouse
-
3
Yoon interacts with public for 1st time since election defeat
-
4
[Weekender] Pet food makers bet big on ‘recession-free’ pet food market
-
5
N. Korea says to deploy new multiple rocket launcher starting this year
-
6
Lee Sun-kyun's posthumuous film to hit theaters in August
-
7
Seoul transit pass for travelers to be available starting July
-
8
State-led adoption system to be established to ensure adoptees' well-being, minimize overseas adoption
-
9
[Drama Tour] Romantic trip to ‘Queen of Tears’ filming spots
-
10
Leader of doctors' group continues to spark controversy after 'racism' dispute
-
4,000 tons of garbage sitting on Songdo
An estimated 4,000 tons of garbage are sitting in Songdo International City, Incheon, pending lawsuits, after a separate case in which a container full of plastic waste was found to have been illegally exported to the Philippines. Garbage illegally exported to the Philippines (Greenpeace)According to the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, the 4,000-ton heap of waste, including plastic and wood, has been left on an around 7,900-square-meter site owned by the Incheon Port Authority.A waste exp
Jan. 10, 2019
-
[Newsmaker] Two Korean students die of unknown cause while volunteering in Cambodia
Two South Korean college students have died of an unknown cause in Cambodia while doing volunteer work, officials said Thursday. The Konyang University students had been treated at a hospital in the capital city of Phnom Penh since Tuesday, after they had acute stomach pains, according to the university officials. Cambodia(AP)They returned to the lodge the next day, only to start showing the same symptoms and be again transferred to the hospital. One of the two died Wednesday night and the oth
Jan. 10, 2019
-
Ex-Woori Bank chief gets 18-month jail term for illegal hiring of employees
A Seoul court sentenced a former chief of Woori Bank Co. to 1 1/2 years in prison Thursday for giving favors to jobseekers who have ties with the bank's VIP clients or ranking government officials. The Seoul Northern District Court handed down the verdict to Lee Kwang-goo, who headed the lender from 2015-2017, finding him guilty of "obstruction of business." (Yonhap)Lee was immediately taken into custody following the ruling, as the bench issued a writ on grounds that the defendant presents a f
Jan. 10, 2019
-
Korea announces blueprint of regulatory sandbox program
The South Korean government on Thursday announced its blueprint for the so-called regulatory sandbox program, which centers on encouraging local companies to seek innovation and new opportunities by providing them with more freedom and less control."A regulatory sandbox is a policy that seeks balance between fostering new technologies or industries along with promoting public values, such as lives and the safety of the people. (Yonhap)Eventually, it aims to set up a precise and safe regulatory p
Jan. 10, 2019
-
Cabbie in apparent self-immolation protest dies
A cabbie presumed to have set himself and his taxi on fire in yet another apparent suicide protest over a planned commercial ride-sharing service, died in hospital early Thursday, police said. A sedan taxi near Gwanghwamun Station in central Seoul caught fire on Wednesday night. The driver, only identified by his last name Lim, was moved from his vehicle with severe burns on much of his body. (Yonhap)Lim's death makes the second case in which a taxi driver apparently killed himself to protest t
Jan. 9, 2019
-
Prosecution seeks 4-year jail term for ex-governor in sexual abuse trial
The prosecution on Wednesday sought a four-year jail term for former South Chungcheong Gov. An Hee-jung in an appeals court hearing over his sexual abuse charges, following a lower court's not-guilty verdict last year. (Yonhap)An, once considered a potential presidential candidate of the liberal bloc, was indicted in April last year on charges of having sexually abusing his secretary multiple times between August 2017 and early last year. The case was brought into the open after Kim Ji-eun, the
Jan. 9, 2019
-
[Newsmaker] Short track gold medalist sues ex-coach over alleged sexual assault
Olympic short track gold medalist Shim Suk-hee has sued her former coach Cho Jae-beom over alleged sexual assault, police said Tuesday. Cho, who has been serving jailed for committing violence toward short track speedskaters including Shim, denied the allegation. Short track skater Shim Suk-hee (Yonhap)According to Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, Shim filed the complaint against Cho on Dec. 17, which includes the allegation that Cho had raped and sexually molested her since the summer o
Jan. 9, 2019
-
Japanese firm asset seizure over forced labor ruling takes effect
The seizure of Korean assets of Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal over Japan’s wartime use of South Korean forced labor went into effect Wednesday, prompting the Japanese government to summon South Korean ambassador to Tokyo in protest. The Daegu District Court’s Pohang branch approved the seizure last week, as the firm has refused to follow the Oct. 30 ruling by the top court here to compensate four South Koreans forced into labor during Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of the Korean
Jan. 9, 2019
-
[News Focus] Complaints grow over housing benefit for newlyweds
SEJONG -- The Moon Jae-in administration has introduced a housing benefit for married couples in an effort to promote marriage and raise the nation’s fertility rate, which is among the lowest in the world. Those who have been married for less than seven years are favored in apartment subscription, regardless of whether they have children. Public and private-sector constructors are respectively required to provide 30 and 20 percent of newly built apartments to newlyweds.However, this measure has
Jan. 9, 2019
-
Man gets 30-month jail term in YouTuber sex abuse case
A Seoul court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 2 1/2 years in jail for molesting a YouTube celebrity and leaking semi-nude photos of her on the Internet. The Seoul Western District Court found the 46-year-old defendant, only identified by the surname Choi, guilty on charges of sexual molestation and circulating photographic material banned by the sex crime act. (Yonhap)The court said the evidence was sufficient to acknowledge the charges and that there were a few reasons to suggest the defendant
Jan. 9, 2019
-
Soranet co-founder sentenced to four years in prison
A Seoul court on Thursday sentenced a woman who co-founded South Korea’s largest pornography website, Soranet, to four years in prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of obscene material. The Seoul Central District Court also fined the 46-year-old woman 1.4 billion won ($1.25 million) and ordered her to attend 80 hours of sexual violence prevention education. (Yonhap)The woman, surnamed Song, was suspected of having operated the file-sharing site, whose server was located abroad, with
Jan. 9, 2019
-
Police conclude suspect killed psychiatrist out of delusion
Police have concluded that the suspect in the recent murder of a psychiatrist killed his own shrink due to a delusion that he had a bomb inside his head and the doctor refused to make it go away, officials said Wednesday.Wrapping up the probe, Seoul's Jongno Police Station said it referred the case to the prosecution, seeking an indictment of the suspect, identified only by his surname Park, for the murder. (Yonhap)Park, 30, is accused of stabbing his psychiatrist, Lim Se-won, to death during a
Jan. 9, 2019
-
Korea's jobless rate rises in December
South Korea's jobless rate rose slightly in December from a year earlier, government data showed Wednesday, as the finance minister vowed to create 150,000 jobs this year.The unemployment rate stood at 3.4 percent last month, up 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. (Yonhap)The number of employed people reached 26.63 million in December, an increase of 34,000 from the same month in 2017, according to the latest findings.The unemployment rat
Jan. 9, 2019
-
Court approves seizure of Japanese steelmaker's assets over forced labor ruling
A local court said Tuesday that it has approved a request by South Korean plaintiffs to seize Korean assets of Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. over Tokyo's wartime forced labor.The move came as the firm has refused to follow an order by South Korea's top court to compensate four victims of Japan's forced labor. A Japanese activist (first left) and two South Korean lawyers representing the four victims of Japan`s wartime forced labor showing a document calling on Nippon St
Jan. 8, 2019
-
Fewer millennials getting married in Korea: report
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs’ latest report, published Monday, showed only 3 to 4 in 10 unmarried Koreans aged between 20 and 44 are dating, with even fewer tying the knot.In 2012, the percentage of men and women in a relationship stood at 33 and 37 percent, respectively, with fewer people dating as they get older. About 31 percent of men 30 to 34 years old were dating, and the number nearly halved to 14 percent for men 35 to 39 years old. Thirty percent of women 30 to 34 ye
Jan. 8, 2019
-
Korea catches 400 drunk drivers per day in run-up to Christmas
A stricter drunk driving law came into effect three weeks ago but it does not seem to have deterred people from drinking and driving.The National Assembly passed two revision bills on criminal laws and traffic laws on Nov. 29 and Dec. 7, respectively, to strengthen penalties for DUI. The amendments are widely known as “Yoon Chang-ho’s Laws,” after a 22-year-old soldier who died on Nov. 10 when he was hit by a drunk driver.Rep. Lee Yong-ju of the Party for Democracy and Peace was recently fined 3
Jan. 8, 2019
-
‘Reservation war’ starts for train tickets home for Lunar New Year
When Korea’s two major holidays approach every year, people get ready to take part in fierce competition for train tickets to their hometowns. On Tuesday, Korail opened ticket sales for the 2019 Lunar New Year holiday period, drawing mixed reactions from people who succeeded or failed to secure seats.People wait in a line to get train tickets for the Lunar New Year holiday on Tuesday morning at Seoul Station (Yonhap)For Lee Hyun-song, 26, originally from Busan, Tuesday morning was a nightmare.“M
Jan. 8, 2019
-
Govt. to give 860 billion won in subsidies to universities, colleges this year
The government will pay 860 billion won ($766 million) in subsidies to all universities and colleges nationwide this year to help upgrade their academic competitiveness, the Ministry of Education said Tuesday.Universities and four-year colleges will receive 568.8 billion won of the amount, up about 28 percent from last year, while vocational colleges will be paid 290.8 billion won, up 16 percent on-year, the ministry said. (Yonhap)Unlike in previous years, this year's subsidies will be distribut
Jan. 8, 2019
-
Police shut down 25 pirate websites in 2018 for stealing cultural content
South Korea's specialized IPR police shut down 25 pirate websites and arrested the operators of 13 of them last year in their massive crackdown on illegal sharing of cultural content, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday.The nation's largest illegal manga-sharing site, Marumaru, was among the 25 pirate websites closed in the crackdown on the infringement of intellectual property rights, which was carried out jointly with the Korea Communications Commission and the National Po
Jan. 8, 2019
-
[Newsmaker] KB Kookmin Bank stages strike, 600 branches affected
Workers at KB Kookmin Bank, South Korea's leading lender, launched a nationwide strike Tuesday for the first time in 19 years over bonuses and wage system reforms, its labor union said.The one-day walkout started at 9 a.m., as last-minute overnight negotiations between the labor and the management did not lead to a breakthrough. (Yonhap)The last time unionized workers took collective action was in 2000, when the bank acquired the Housing & Commercial Bank.The exact numbers of participants and br
Jan. 8, 2019