Most Popular
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Jimin of BTS, actor Song Da-eun suspected to be dating, again
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What's next for the government's push in quota hike?
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Woman falls to death from acquaintance's home after exhibiting ‘unexplained' behaviors
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‘Malice should not undermine the system, social order,’ says Hybe's Bang
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N. Korea says it test-fired tactical ballistic missile with new guidance technology
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N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS
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[Weekender] Geeks have never been so chic in Korea
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Korean firms target EV charging market in US
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Seoul sees further jump in cost of dining out
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Teens banned from entering, working at 'hold 'em' pubs, cafes
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Former Samsung vice chairman summoned over bribery allegations linked to ex-leader Lee
Prosecutors said Wednesday they have ordered a former vice chairman of Samsung Group to undergo questioning over alleged bribery involving former President Lee Myung-bak.Lee Hak-soo, who headed the now-disbanded Samsung control tower between the late 1990s and 2000s, was summoned to appear at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Thursday, according to the prosecution. The prosecution raided his home last week as part of the probe.Lee, 72, is expected to be grilled over his involveme
Feb. 14, 2018
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[Newsmaker] Prosecution likely to summon former Justice Ministry official suspected of sexual harassment
The prosecution’s special investigation team is likely to summon a former Justice Ministry official suspected of sexual misconduct after the Lunar New Year’s holiday, as it speeds up fact-finding efforts into the sexual harassment scandal revealed by a female prosecutor. According to the prosecution Wednesday, the team is looking into data seized in a rare raid at the Justice Ministry conducted the day before. Senior prosecutor and the head of Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor's Office Cho Hee-j
Feb. 14, 2018
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Army Colonel indicted for blocking probe into military's political operation
A South Korean Army colonel was indicted Wednesday for obstructing the military's investigation into the alleged involvement of its cyber warfare unit in domestic politics, the defense ministry said.The arrested officer, identified only by his surname Kim, impeded or manipulated the military police's probe while serving as chief of the ministry's criminal investigation team from 2013-2014, according to a task force.He also falsified an official document on the results of the probe to be released
Feb. 14, 2018
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Korean victim of Japan's wartime sexual slavery dies at 88
GWANGJU -- An elderly Korean victim of Japan's wartime sexual slavery died early Wednesday, a foundation that deals with the issue said. She was 88.The woman, identified only by her last name Kim, passed away at around 6:40 a.m., according to the foundation in Gyeonggi Province. She had been suffering from a stroke and severe dementia, it added. It declined to disclose any further details on the victim at her family's request. (Yonhap)Kim's death has brought the number of surviving victims down
Feb. 14, 2018
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DMZ tour popular among foreign tourists: study
A visit to South Korea's heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone was picked as the most popular tour destination among foreign visitors, a study showed Wednesday.According to the study by the Korea Tourism Organization, a half-day visit to the DMZ area was the most popular tour picked by foreigners through the travel website Viator. (Yonhap)The DMZ, a strip of land that runs across the Korean Peninsula, serves as a demarcation line between South and North Korea, which are technically still in a sta
Feb. 14, 2018
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Political divide poses challenge for inter-Korean summit
As the South Korean government considers ways to create the “right conditions” for the inter-Korean summit proposed by the North, a sharp divide in South Korea remains a challenge for the government. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, via his sister Kim Yo-jong, invited President Moon Jae-in for talks in Pyongyang on Saturday, which put the Moon administration in the delicate position of having to continue the conciliatory mood without alienating the US. However, that’s not the only task for Moon,
Feb. 13, 2018
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Choi Soon-sil sentenced to 20 years in prison
Choi Soon-sil, former President Park Geun-hye’s confidante accused of meddling in state affairs, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday. Seoul Central District Court also ordered Choi to pay a fine of 18 billion won ($16.6 million) and the forfeiture of 7.3 billion won. The ruling came 450 days after she was indicted in 2016. Choi Soon-sil (Yonhap)The court also sentenced Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin to 2 1/2 years in prison and the forfeiture of 7 billion won for giving bribes in exchange
Feb. 13, 2018
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Chinese vice premier to visit Korea for closing ceremony of Olympics
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong will visit South Korea later this month to attend the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.Liu will come to South Korea on Feb. 24 for a three-day stay as Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy for the Feb. 25 closing ceremony, according to the ministry.China sent a delegation led by Han Zheng, No. 7 in the Communist Party of China, for the opening ceremony of the Olympics held on Friday. (Yonhap)"It is rare
Feb. 13, 2018
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Prosecutors drop charges against McDonald's Korea in burger patty scandal
Prosecutors said Tuesday they will not file charges against the local unit of McDonald's, citing a lack of evidence undercooked burgers at its restaurants caused illness among some customers. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office released the result of its investigation into the fast food chain that was prompted by complaints from a few consumers last year, including a mother who claimed McDonald's a burger was responsible for her 5-year-old daughter's incurable kidney disease.The prose
Feb. 13, 2018
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[Weather] Warmer weather moves in
Weather on Tuesday is mostly clear with a significant rise in temperature, according to the weather agency. Morning highs hover from minus 11 degrees Celsius to 4 C, but will gradually rise during daytime hours to 8 C in most of the country. (Yonhap)Air quality is forecast to be partially bad throughout the day in the southern regions of the country, while light snow is expected to fall in some parts of Gyeongsang provinces and Jeolla provinces. In the coastal regions of Gangneung and mountaino
Feb. 13, 2018
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Korea says norovirus likely from food at private accommodation
Korea's health authorities said Tuesday the outbreak of norovirus infections in the Olympic host town of PyeongChang was likely caused by contaminated water from a lodging facility where private security staff for the Winter Games stayed.The cooking water at the facility in PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, was possibly contaminated, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its interim report. (Yonhap)The health authorities launched an epidemiological probe last
Feb. 13, 2018
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Ex-tax agency chief arrested over NIS funds
A former chief of the National Tax Service was arrested early Tuesday for suspected involvement in the state spy agency's secret operation against late President Kim Dae-jung during the previous Lee Myung-bak government.The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant for Lee Hyun-dong, who served as the NTS commissioner from 2010-2013, on charges of bribery and loss of state funds. It said that his charges are acknowledged and that he presents a flight risk. Prosecutors filed for a writ on F
Feb. 13, 2018
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PM issues rebuke over emergency alert system delay after weekend quake
Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon rebuked the state weather agency and the interior and safety ministry Monday over a delay in sending the emergency text message warning after Sunday's earthquake in the southeastern city of Pohang.(Yonhap)Under the alert system, a mobile phone text message is supposed to be automatically sent out to citizens as soon as an earthquake happens. But on Sunday, the message only came six minutes and 30 seconds after the 4.6 magnitude quake shook the city."Prime Minister Lee
Feb. 12, 2018
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Korea to introduce electronic travel authorization system for visa-free foreign visitors
Korea will gradually introduce an electronic travel authorization system for visa-free foreign visitors in order to strengthen border control, the government said Monday.Under the system, visa-waiver visitors should provide their personal and travel information in advance to gain authorization before entering Korea, officials said.The United States runs a similar program called Electronic System for Travel Authorization or ESTA. (Yonhap)The decision was made during an interagency meeting preside
Feb. 12, 2018
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194 cases of norovirus infection confirmed in PyeongChang
A total of 194 cases of norovirus infections have been confirmed as of Monday, since the outbreak in the Olympic host town last week, organizers of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics said.The organizing committee said that as of 4 p.m. on Monday, 17 additional people were found to have been affected by the virus, which is known to cause stomach pain and diarrhea. (AP)Currently, 47 patients are quarantined, while 147 others have recovered and returned to work.None of the Olympic athletes were infec
Feb. 12, 2018
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[PyeongChang 2018] Korean Olympic shooting champ volunteering at PyeongChang 2018
Jin Jong-oh, a Korean gold medal-winning shooter, has participated at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics as a volunteer worker, organizers said Monday.The four-time Olympic shooting champion -- with three gold medals from 50m pistol and one from 10m air pistol -- guided fans at Kwandong Hockey Centre in the sub-host city of Gangneung on Sunday, according to PyeongChang's organizing committee."I heard about 'special volunteer workers' from the Korean Sports & Olympic Committee and signed up for
Feb. 12, 2018
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Lunar New Year ritual food sales surge 12-fold in 3 yrs: Emart
Sales of food used during Lunar New Year ancestral rites have jumped 12-fold in the past three years, Korea's largest hypermarket chain said Sunday.The increase comes against a background of more women, who have traditionally prepared "jesa" food, having jobs and the growth of one-person households making it much more cost-effective to buy such foods rather than prepare them from scratch, Emart Inc. said. (Yonhap)The store said the variety of its ceremonial dishes sold ahead of the traditional h
Feb. 11, 2018
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[PyeongChang 2018] Intruder at Olympics opener Korean American, waves Miranda rights
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea -- The spectator who was kicked out of the PyeongChang Olympics' opening ceremony after making an unwarranted intrusion on stage was a Korean American, the Olympic organizing committee said Sunday."I'm aware that he is a Korean American and currently waiving his rights to remain silent," Sung Baik-you, spokesman for the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Games, said. The police are currently investigating the incident, Sung explained. In t
Feb. 11, 2018
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[Weather] Snow to continue across the country
Snow that started in the early hours of Sunday in the North and South Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces and on Jeju Island is to spread to other areas and continue throughout the day, the state weather agency said Sunday. The Korean Meteorological Administration issued heavy snow warnings for South Chungcheong Province and North Jeolla Province, where 2 to 4 centimeters of snow has accumulated. It said the snow in some areas would continue until the wee hours of Tuesday, Across the country, up to
Feb. 11, 2018
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Court to rule Tuesday on Park's friend in influence-peddling scandal
A Seoul court is scheduled to deliver its verdict this week on a woman at the center of a corruption scandal that led to the removal of former President Park Geun-hye from office early last year.The Seoul Central District Court will rule on Choi Soon-sil, Park's longtime friend and confidante, on Tuesday over 18 counts of corruption, including abuse of power, coercion and bribery.She was indicted in November 2016 and has been under presentencing detention for forcing 50 business conglomerates to
Feb. 11, 2018