Most Popular
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Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
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Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
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Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
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Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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[KH Explains] Hyundai's full hybrid edge to pay off amid slow transition to pure EVs
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North Korea removes streetlights along cross-border roads with South
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Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official
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S. Korea votes in favor of Palestinian bid for UN membership
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Farming households dip below 1m for first time in 2023
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More strollers sold for furry companions than infants
In perhaps yet another sign of the country's declining number of births, South Korea’s largest online marketplace reported Monday that sales of pet strollers exceeded those of baby strollers for the first time this year. According to Gmarket, of the total strollers sold on the platform during the first three quarters of this year, those for pet animals accounted for 57 percent, while those for babies constituted the remaining 43 percent. This situation marks a notable change from pr
Dec. 25, 2023
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Fire at apartment building in northern Seoul kills 2, injures 29 people
A fire broke out at an apartment building in northern Seoul, leaving two people dead and injuring 29 people, firefighters said Monday. The blaze occurred at the third floor of the 27-story apartment building in Seoul's Dobong district at around 4:57 a.m., according to fire services. Two men in their 30s and a woman in her 70s were found in a state of cardiac arrest and sent to a hospital, and two of them were pronounced dead. About 222 firefighters battled the fire and extinguished it abo
Dec. 25, 2023
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80% of foreign workers in S. Korea have jobs at small firms
The number of foreign nationals having jobs in South Korea reached an all-time high of nearly 1 million this year, and nearly 80 percent of them were affiliated with companies with fewer than 50 workers, data showed Sunday. The number of foreigners aged 15 and older residing in the country came to 1.43 million as of May, and 923,000 of them had jobs here, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. Both figures marked about a 10 percent on-year increase to hit a record high, the data sho
Dec. 24, 2023
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[Herald Interview] Why Korean teachers are speaking out in English on school reality?
Not long after a 23-year-old elementary school teacher’s death in July laid bare the truth of waning respect for educators, a group of 30 elementary and middle school teachers came together to shed light on the realities of teaching in South Korea. In late August, they formed the group “K-Teachers,” an abbreviation for Korean teachers, to create and upload English-language content on educational issues in Korea on Instagram and YouTube. There, they speak their minds on what nee
Dec. 24, 2023
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Hero rescue dog retires after a career of saving 9 lives
Gyeonggi Province fire authorities said Friday that veteran rescue dog A-rong is retiring after a six-year stint, and is seeking a new family. A-rong, a male Labrador retriever weighing 32 kilograms, was born in 2014 and participated in 312 rescue operations and aided the rescue of nine individuals, according to the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters. A member of the Gyeonggi-do Northern Special Response Unit since December of 2017, he has had special training for rescue operations in the m
Dec. 24, 2023
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Regional governments roll out measures to boost birth rate
With the country's record-low birth rate expected to fall even further next year, regional governments across the country have been implementing policies to motivate South Korean families to have more children. A December report by Statistics Korea projected that the country's total fertility rate -- the number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime -- will be 0.68 in 2024 and 0.65 in 2025. South Korea already recorded the lowest figure in the world with 0.78 in 2022,
Dec. 24, 2023
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Meat preservative added to list of 'suicide hazardous materials' in Korea
Sodium nitrite, commonly found in sausages and other processed meats as a preservative, has recently been added to the list of “suicide hazardous materials” in South Korea as the country seeks to address increasing instances in which this food additive was used for self-harm. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the listing blocks the online sale and distribution of the white powdery substance, which can be lethal in doses as small as 4 to 6 grams, for suicide purposes. A
Dec. 24, 2023
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Religious leader appeals 23-year prison sentence over his sexual offenses
Jeong Myeong-seok, the leader of a controversial religious organization, the Jesus Morning Star, has lodged an appeal against a recent ruling over sexual offenses. Jeong appealed to the Daejeon District Court on Friday to reconsider the ruling handed down that day that ordered the 78-year-old to be put behind bars for 23 years for sexual assault and molestation. He was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting two female followers of foreign nationality and a South Korean female follower betwe
Dec. 24, 2023
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3 killed from electrocution at public bathhouse in Sejong
Three elderly women died from electrocution at a public bathhouse in the central city of Sejong on Sunday, police said. The three, all in their 70s, were in a hot tub at the bathhouse in Sejong's Jochiwon district when the accident happened at 5:37 a.m. A witness told the police the three collapsed with a scream, and she called the 119 emergency number for help. When rescue workers arrived, all three were in a state of cardiac arrest and were rushed to a hospital, but two of them died short
Dec. 24, 2023
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[Photo News] Celebrating Christmas
Just a few days ahead of Christmas, South Koreans enjoy the festive moods in varying ways possible, from going to an amusement park to watch parades to sharing love through donations and gifts. The jubilant atmosphere is spotted throughout Seoul, with Christmas-themed billboards emitting vibrant colors of yuletide and Seoulites enjoying night skating at Seoul Plaza.
Dec. 23, 2023
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3.0 magnitude quake hits near southwestern county of Jangsu
A 3.0 magnitude earthquake struck near the southwestern county of Jangsu early Saturday, firefighting authorities said, but no damage has been reported. The quake struck 17 kilometers north of Jangsu, 216 km south of Seoul, at 4:34 a.m. at a latitude of 38.5 degrees north and a longitude of 127.53 degrees east at a depth of 6 km. "There are no reports of damage from the earthquake, no dispatches or any unusual situation," a firefighting official said. Still, authorities said they recei
Dec. 23, 2023
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Actor Lee Sun-kyun to appear for 3rd police questioning over drug suspicions
Actor Lee Sun-kyun of the Oscar-winning "Parasite" will appear before the police for the third time Saturday for questioning over his alleged drug use. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency will interrogate him on charges of using marijuana and other illegal drugs in violation of the Narcotics Control Act. Lee is suspected of using the drugs at the home of a hostess working at a high-end bar in Seoul's Gangnam district on multiple occasions since early this year. He was previousl
Dec. 23, 2023
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Fire at Posco's Pohang Steelworks put out
A fire broke out at Posco's Pohang Steelworks on Saturday, partially suspending facilities before the blaze was put out, officials said. The fire started around 7 a.m. near a blast furnace at the steelworks in Pohang, 262 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to South Korea's top steelmaker and local firefighting authorities. No casualties were reported. The police initially said the fire appeared to have started from a spark caused by a gas leakage from a damaged pipe inside one of
Dec. 23, 2023
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Korail reinstates staffer fired for looking up BTS RM's info
A Korea Railroad Corp. employee who was fired for looking up personal information related to BTS' RM has recently been reinstated, a report obtained by a lawmaker showed Friday. The National Labor Relations Commission last Thursday ordered the state-run railway operator to give back the female staffer's job, along with reimbursement for wages that the staff would have made if she had not been fired in April, according to the Democratic Party of Korea's Rep. Kim Doo-kwan, who got a
Dec. 22, 2023
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Fierce winter weather grounds Jeju flights, stalls traffic
Severe weather conditions accompanied by heavy snowfall and strong winds caused major disruptions in flight operations at Jeju International Airport, with its runway suspended from the early morning on Friday. According to the airport, the runway reopened after 7 hours and 40 minutes, after the completion of snow removal operations on the runway. Back-to-back delays beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Friday had stalled more than 8,000 departing passengers in the airport. A total of 261 flights were cance
Dec. 22, 2023
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S. Korea aims to attract young foreign caregivers
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced measures to attract young foreigners to work as caregivers, as the country faces a dramatic shortage in the sector to care for a rapidly aging society. The ministry is seeking ways to allow D-10 visa holders to acquire nursing qualifications, it said Thursday. D-10 is considered a "job-seeker visa," which is designed for individuals who have graduated from Korean universities or have worked in the country for at least one year. Once a D-
Dec. 22, 2023
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Buying a home in Seoul costs a decade's salary, and then some
A Seoul resident would have to not spend a single dime of their income for 15.2 years to buy a home in South Korea's capital, a state-issued report showed Friday. The Price Income Ratio for Seoul for 2022 was 15.2, according to the latest report by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The yearly PIR increased from 14.1 in 2021, and has been on the upward trend since marking 9.6 in 2018. The PRI refers to the median home price of a certain region divided by the median yearly h
Dec. 22, 2023
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Bus runs over passengers at Suwon Station, kills 1, injures 17
A bus ran over passengers at Suwon Station in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Friday, killing one and injuring at least 11. The incident occurred at around 1:27 p.m., when the bus rammed into passengers who were crossing the street to the transfer center on the upper level of the station, subsequently moving to the sidewalk where it hit more people. The site of the accident draws high foot traffic, including to adjacent shopping centers. A woman in her 70s was killed, despite being carried to a h
Dec. 22, 2023
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Main street in Seocho-gu becomes utility pole-free zone
The district office of Seocho-gu in southern Seoul has removed all utility poles across Gangnamdaero, officials said Friday. Gangnamdaero is a 7.2-kilometer, 10-lane main road connecting the northern and southern part of the district, and is among the busiest roads in South Korea. It is adjacent to the commercial district of the affluent Gangnam region, along with Gangnam Station and Yangjae Station, among the most populated subway stations here. The district office said it just completed the th
Dec. 22, 2023
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Court clears man accused of leaving his children on the street
A man who left his three children on the streets temporarily to look for their mother has been cleared of child abandonment charges, after the court decided that he did not intend to actually leave his children. "(The defendant) left his children on the streets so they could meet their mother. It does not appear that his actions were to an extent detrimental to the children's mental health," the appellate division of the Gwangju District Court said in its ruling Wednesday. The 44-
Dec. 21, 2023