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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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Massive anti-Park rally planned for central Seoul
After President Park Geun-hye’s mea culpa Friday, eyes are fixed on the upcoming rally in Seoul on Saturday for any sign of a shift in public sentiment toward the embattled leader. Police predict some 40,000 participants for the second major rally since the Choi Soon-sil scandal surfaced. It is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. The rally organizers -- an association of labor unions, student groups and civic organizations -- say nearly 100,000 people could turn
Nov. 4, 2016
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Designer talks about Choi Soon-sil’s attitude
A designer of traditional Korean dress, known as hanbok, revealed Thursday that Choi Soon-sil, at the center of a widening government scandal and a longtime confidante of President Park Geun-hye, had visited her store ahead of the president’s inauguration ceremony in 2013. In an interview with The Korea Herald, the designer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Choi came to purchase a hanbok for a “very important person” in December 2012. Choi Soon-sil at a Seoul court Thursday to attend a
Nov. 4, 2016
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Arrest warrant issued for Choi
A formal arrest warrant has been issued Thursday for Choi Soon-sil, President Park Geun-hye’s longtime confidante, accused of collaborating with a presidential aide to abuse power and attempting to commit fraud. After checking the charges raised against Choi, the court said that it is "necessary" to arrest her. Choi Soon-sil (center) enters a court room to attend a hearing on the court's review on the arrest warrant for her on Thursday. (Yonhap) Choi, a 60-year-old civilian who has no background
Nov. 3, 2016
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Man convicted of sexual assault after Australian victim’s campaign
Airdre Mattner, an Australian woman who was allegedly drugged, abducted and raped during a night out in Seoul last year, won a months-long fight to bring her offender to justice in what some call a rare victory.One of her offenders, a 37-year-old Nigerian man illegally residing in Korea, was sentenced to two years and six months in jail on charges of quasi indecent act by compulsion and negligent injury, among other offenses, Tuesday. “The evidence sufficiently shows that the defendant sexually
Nov. 3, 2016
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Choi attends warrant application hearing
Choi Soon-sil, President Park Geun-hye’s longtime confidante suspected of meddling in state affairs and embezzling public funds, was facing formal arrest Thursday as an accessory to abuse of power and attempted fraud, charges that critics say carry only light punishment. Choi, a 60-year-old civilian who has no background in policy and is a daughter of Park’s late mentor Choi Tae-min, appeared in front of the Seoul Central District Court at around 1:50 p.m., an hour prior to the hearing. Choi, wh
Nov. 3, 2016
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Kim Young-ran blasts Park over scandal
In a veiled criticism of President Park Geun-hye, Kim Young-ran, the former top judge who initiated the influential anti-graft law drive in 2011, said leaders who take advantage of their law-breaking subordinates should be held responsible. “Looking at the events in society nowadays, I think the law may require some radical thinking,” she said at the International Bar Association’s regional anti-corruption gathering in Seoul.“I think corruption cases reappear because those who get elected with t
Nov. 3, 2016
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SIS producing top students
As the first foreign school fully recognized by the Ministry of Education in 1973, Seoul International School has a history of offering an education with a global perspective. Headed by Chairman and principal Kim Hyung-shik, the private school offers a 12-year American curriculum in an English-only setting with a vision to inspire students to work with others in creating a better world.The school’s decades-long mission has been to offer essential knowledge and extracurricular opportunities to st
Nov. 3, 2016
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Arrest warrant sought for Choi
Prosecutors on Wednesday requested an arrest warrant for Choi Soon-sil, President Park Geun-hye’s confidante suspected of meddling in state affairs and siphoning public funds. Choi, a 60-year-old civilian who is a longtime friend of Park and the daughter of Park’s late mentor Choi Tae-min, is accused of regularly accessing presidential documents, exerting influence on government policies and receiving favors the president herself condoned.Choi was taken into custody late Monday on 48-hour detent
Nov. 2, 2016
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Seoul mayor, Ahn declare all-out war on Park
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and People’s Party founder Ahn Cheol-soo on Wednesday officially called on President Park Geun-hye to resign in an angry response to her Cabinet reshuffle proposal. “I am outraged. President Park Geun-hye shows no remorse after putting the country in a mess like this,” the mayor told an emergency press conference held an hour after the reshuffle was announced. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon (yonhap)“Her unilateral appointment of new Cabinet members is an act of belittling th
Nov. 2, 2016
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Will Han River water taxis take off?
Three days before the Han River water taxi service resumed last month, a group of reporters boarded one at the dock located inside Banpo Han River Park in Seoul.Eight water taxis were anchored at the water taxi stand, while workers were busy putting the finishing touches to the boulevard that led to the dock.“We will get to your destination as soon as possible in the safest way,” said Kim In-geun, a water taxi driver with 30 years of experience at sea, welcoming passengers with a friendly smile.
Nov. 2, 2016
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Funeral to be held for activist farmer 37 days after death
The funeral for activist farmer Baek Nam-gi will be held Saturday, 37 days after he died following a long coma after being struck by a police water cannon in an anti-government rally last year. According to Baek’s family and supporters on Wednesday, a funeral is planned for Baek at Seoul National University Hospital, where he died Sept. 25. A memorial ceremony is scheduled for Friday night. The coffin will leave the hospital at 8 a.m. Saturday and a funeral mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. at
Nov. 2, 2016
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S. Korea uses crew-served weapon against illegal Chinese fishing boats
South Korea's Coast Guard used a crew-served weapon for the first time to capture Chinese boats illegally fishing in its exclusive economic zone on Tuesday, authorities said.The Coast Guard's central regional headquarters said an M60 machine gun was fired into the sky to seize two Chinese fishing vessels that were operating illegally off the western port city of Incheon around 5:00 p.m.No Chinese fishermen were harmed and nothing was damaged, an official source said.The Coast Guard said the gun
Nov. 2, 2016
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Korea to dispose of 240,000 tons of rice in gov't stockpiles
The South Korean government said Wednesday that it will dispose of up to 240,000 tons of rice in government stockpiles, a move partly aimed at keeping prices up.The amount compares with 100,000 tons disposed at the start of this year. The rice to be disposed was produced in 2013, and will be used as animal feed, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.Currently, the government has 1.71 million tons of rice in its stockpile, more than twice the amount the government stora
Nov. 2, 2016
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Park’s approval rating plunges to new low
President Park Geun-hye’s approval rating dipped to a new low of 10.4 percent, a survey showed Tuesday. According to a nationwide poll by local pollster Research View, the disapproval rating for Park hit an all-time high of 81.2 percent, up 14.9 percent from a week earlier, right after the influence-peddling scandal surfaced. Park’s efforts to soothe public anger by making an apology and carrying out a reshuffle of the presidential staff have not had much impact. The latest data corresponds with
Nov. 1, 2016
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Avid fans of Park Geun-hye remain unshaken
Supporters of President Park Geun-hye are quickly turning their backs on her amid the snowballing allegations that her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil meddled in state affairs. A latest poll showed that Park’s popularity rating neared the unprecedented 10 percent range, with her popularity notably shrinking even in her traditional strongholds -- North Gyeongsang Province, Daegu and the over-60 age group. But there are still avid fans showing unwavering support for President Park, with many blaming
Nov. 1, 2016
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Ex-presidential secretary faces investigation over Choi scandal
South Korean prosecutors plan to summon former Presidential Secretary An Chong-bum on Wednesday on his alleged connection to the scandal that President Park Geun-hye allowed her old friend Choi Soon-sil to meddle in state affairs, officials said Tuesday.Senior Presidential Secretary for Policy Coordination An is believed to have played a part in raising funds worth some 80 billion won ($70 million) for Mir Foundation and K-Sports Foundation, which was then illegally channeled to Choi.Choi, the d
Nov. 1, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Choi scandal explained
Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the center of a scandal dominating South Korean politics, is now in custody and faces allegations of exerting undue influence over President Park Geun-hye in state policies and projects. The scandal is South Korea’s biggest political crisis in years, with citizens demanding Park’s removal from office. Here’s what we know so far. Q. Who is Choi Soon-sil?A. She is a 60-year-old woman who has never held a government post. She has been a close friend of President Park fo
Nov. 1, 2016
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Startups at state-run incubation center hit hard by Choi scandal
A major state-run incubation center designed to help startups is struggling to survive amid the widening influence-peddling scandal involving Choi Soon-sil, a confidante of President Park Geun-hye. The unfolding scandal is also hurting dozens of fledgling venture startups whose previous high hopes are now seriously endangered. The government-run project for startups, named “Cultural Creation and Convergence Belt,” or “cel,” was launched in December last year. The project was one of President Par
Nov. 1, 2016
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Prosecutors broadening probe into Choi Soon-sil scandal
Prosecutors are broadening their probe into Choi Soon-sil, a confidante of President Park Geun-hye who is currently at the center of a political scandal rocking the country.Late on Monday, prosecutors arrested the 60-year-old woman, after grilling her for hours on allegations of interfering in state affairs and peddling influence. Authorities decided to detain the suspect because she was a flight risk and could try to destroy evidence. Choi Soon-sil, a friend of Park Geun-hye who is at the cente
Nov. 1, 2016
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Excavator rams into prosecutors' office, injures security officer
A 45-year-old man drove his excavator into the country's top prosecution building in Seoul on Tuesday, injuring a security guard and destroying facilities, police said.The construction vehicle rammed into the Supreme Prosecutors'Office at around 8:20 a.m., according to police. The guard, 60, was injured while attempting to stop the vehicle by firing a gas gun and was rushed to a nearby hospital. (Yonhap)The entrance door of the building, as well as other facilities, were destroyed in the process
Nov. 1, 2016