Most Popular
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1 in 3 Koreans live alone, family types becoming diverse
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Korea, Japan finance chiefs vow to tame rampant FX market volatility
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K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
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Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
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Korean Muslim YouTuber's plan to build mosque in Incheon goes viral
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Why is Apple Pay struggling to get purchase in Korea?
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Yoon's office denies considering liberal figures for key posts
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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[Today’s K-pop] BTS pop-up event to come to Seoul
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Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
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[Newsmaker] IT expert named to Park’s key ministry
President Park Geun-hye chose a top communications technology expert as the new science minister nominee to fill the seat left by a controversial self-claimed patriot.Professor Choi Mun-kee of top science university KAIST was named on Thursday to head the ministry of Future Planning and Science, which will be newly established under Park’s government reorganization plan.By naming Choi, Park completed the nomination of 17 ministers. Presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung said Choi’s expertise was
IndustryMarch 14, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Yongsan development plan hangs by a thread
The ambitious plan to redevelop Seoul’s Yongsan into a landmark international business district is heading toward collapse with its developer on the verge of bankruptcy, having defaulted on its business loan interest.In the worst-case scenario, the project failure may result in capital impairment of the state-run rail operator KORAIL and an unprecedented class action suits involving dozens of investor companies and thousands of victimized residents.Dream Hub announced its default status Wednesda
March 13, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Galaxy S4: Will it justify the hype?
March 14 will be a big day for both Samsung and fans of the Galaxy lineup, as the Galaxy S4 is set for its first public appearance in New York City.The latest model will be unveiled less than a year after the previous S3 was launched. But the hype has built up so much since it was first rumored that Samsung would be releasing another model ― almost immediately after the S3 came out ― that, for some, the S4 may already seem old. Nevertheless, for those of us still scratching our heads about the s
TechnologyMarch 12, 2013
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[Newsmaker] After Fukushima, Japan struggles to rebuild
The scene is a memory that will be etched into the minds of people worldwide for a generation. But for those who were there, it will take a generation more to recover.The world watched the catastrophe unfold as a 9.0-magnitude earthquake sent tsunamis up to 45 meters high toward Japan on March 11, 2011, drowning coastal towns and crippling the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. The natural disaster left some 16,000 dead, 2,700 missing and 315,00
InternationalMarch 11, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Ahn’s return signals greatest challenge yet
Generally popular but politically ambiguous, Ahn Cheol-soo was to return to South Korea on Monday after months of self-imposed exile from politics in the United States.If the circumstances were bad for the former professor when he left the country on Dec. 19, the day of the presidential election won by his former conservative rival Park Geun-hye, they are hardly more favorable now for the novice politician.Ahn will be running in the April 24 by-election in the constituency of Nowon-C of Seoul, a
PoliticsMarch 10, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Retired NEC chief leads humble life
A mom-and-pop store is hardly a place where people would expect to see a person who once served in the highest court and headed the national election watchdog. Especially in a nation where high-ranking officials usually chase career paths promising prominent status, influence and hefty financial rewards.Kim Neung-hwan, a former Supreme Court justice and former chairman of the National Election Commission of Korea, who works at a convenience store owned by his wife, has come under the spotlight f
Social AffairsMarch 7, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Chavez leaves uncertain legacy
He may have been a divisive figure, but late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has always been clear about how he wants to be remembered: a revolutionary standing up to the cruel and imperial United States and its cronies.As if to confirm this self-styled image, he told the Associated Press in 2007 that he admired the movie “Gladiator,” in which a lone fighter confronts an empire.Charismatic and populist, he took on Venezuela’s elite while retaining the propensity for impromptu marathon speeches
InternationalMarch 6, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Ahn’s return challenges progressives
Former professor and presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo is once again creating a stir in the political arena with plans to run in the April 24 by-election and create a new party. Unlike Ahn’s presidential bid last year that dealt a heavy blow to President Park Geun-hye’s campaign, the former venture entrepreneur’s latest political ambition will likely spell trouble for the opposition. On Sunday, Ahn’s former campaign aid Rep. Song Ho-chang announced that Ahn would be returning to Korea on Marc
PoliticsMarch 5, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Kim Jeong-hoon, patriot or scapegoat?
The obstacles were too many and the pressure was building up, fast. In the end, Kim Jeong-hoon admitted his defeat.Kim, yet another embattled nominee for the Park Geun-hye Cabinet, stepped down on Monday after being pummeled over his dual citizenship status.As head of Alcatel-Lucent’s Bell Labs and Corporate Strategy, Kim excelled in his field and touted extensive global ― if somewhat U.S.-oriented ― expertise. He certainly seemed to fit the bill for the new ministry created under Park to spearh
March 4, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Ex-army chief to head intelligence service
President Park Geun-hye on Saturday added Nam Jae-joon, another retired general, to her national security and foreign policy staff, in an apparent show of her resolve to effectively deal with escalating North Korean threats.Nam, the former Army chief of staff, will be the first graduate of the Korea Military Academy in 12 years to lead the National Intelligence Service after the confirmation hearing process is completed at the National Assembly. Park’s picks for the top security and diplomacy po
PoliticsMarch 3, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Pope's exit brings vain hopes for reform
Acknowledging the “rough seas” the Catholic Church has navigated in recent years, Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday appeared in front of a crowd of more than 150,000 people at Vatican City to give the last public address of his papacy.“…There were moments, as there were throughout the history of the church, when the seas were rough and the wind blew against us and it seemed that the Lord was sleeping,” he told the crowd at St. Peter’s Square in Rome. As of Thursday evening, Joseph Ratzinger ceased
Foreign AffairsFeb. 28, 2013
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[Newsmaker] N.K. military spy chief restored to rank
North Korea has recently reinstated hawkish military spy chief Kim Yong-chol to a four-star general, raising concerns that it will increase saber rattling following its third nuclear test last month.The Rodong Shinmun, the official newspaper of the North’s ruling party, ran a photo on Tuesday showing the head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau wearing a four-star insignia as he clapped behind leader Kim Jong-un during a recent national choir performance.The organization has masterminded a seri
North KoreaFeb. 27, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Gallery Seomi under tax evasion probe
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said Tuesday it has launched an investigation into Gallery Seomi, one of the most prominent art galleries in Korea, and its director Hong Song-won on suspicion of evading billions of won in taxes. Much attention is being paid to the case as it could cause a ripple effect up to some of the chaebol families who have long been in close relations with the gallery and Hong. The gallery is suspected of avoiding taxes by omitting some of its profits from i
Social AffairsFeb. 26, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Security, prosperity key to happiness: Park
National security, public safety and economic prosperity will be central to President Park Geun-hye’s plans for “opening a new era of hope.”In her inauguration speech, Korea’s first female president presented “economic revival,” “happiness of the people” and “flourishing culture” as key themes for her five-year term.Regarding her plans for the economy, Park did not stray far from past statements stressing the importance of creating a science and technology-based “creative economy,” the efforts f
PoliticsFeb. 25, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Defense chief nominee dogged by allegations
From tax evasion to influence peddling and religious bias, not a day has gone by in the past week without new allegations emerging about Defense Minister nominee Kim Byung-kwan.Derided by critics as “the department store of corruption,” the retired general became the biggest obstacle for the launch of the Park Geun-hye government that is already behind schedule. The main opposition Democratic United Party categorized Kim as “unfit” almost immediately after his nomination on Feb. 13 and has refus
PoliticsFeb. 21, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Nominee for science ministry in tight spot
Controversy over the appointment of Kim Jeong-hoon as the minister of future creation and science is growing as opposition lawmakers are increasingly questioning his nationality and patriotism.Kim’s strong track record as an entrepreneur and engineer with a rich education background, was not enough for the opposition Democratic United Party, which argued that it was against the law to appoint someone who has foreign citizenship.It also raised concerns about Kim’s loyalties, pointing out that he
TechnologyFeb. 20, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Park loyalist takes key post of chief aide
President-elect Park Geun-hye’s designation of Lee Jung-hyun, 55, as her senior secretary for political affairs was one of the few unsurprising appointments.Having devoted nearly three decades to politics, Lee has been considered one of Park’s very few men that could speak her mind as his own.Entrusted to act as her “ultimate” spokesperson, Lee has been Park’s close ally for years, smartly tuning up his role from being an outspoken mouthpiece to a prudent confidante depending on the situation.Hu
PoliticsFeb. 19, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Ex-lawmaker named Park’s chief of staff
Former lawmaker Huh Tae-yeol, who will be President-elect Park Geun-hye’s chief of staff following her inauguration on Feb. 25, is a veteran politician, bureaucrat and a key ally of Park.With the president-elect planning to give additional authority to the chief of staff, the position will likely be one of the most influential in the administration, especially in top-level appointments, policy coordination and consultation with political parties.In addition to serving the president in the closes
PoliticsFeb. 18, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Deputy P.M. nominee, a man of principles
The coming Park Geun-hye government on Sunday nominated Korea Development Institute president Hyun Oh-seok as deputy prime minister in charge of economic policy.He will be the first deputy prime minister in five years, as the Lee Myung-bak administration scrapped the post in 2008.When Hyun gains the National Assembly’s approval, he will take on the nation’s core economic policies by concurrently serving as deputy prime minister and finance minister.At a news conference following the nomination,
Feb. 17, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Death begets death in Tibet
The cause to “free Tibet” reached a macabre milestone on Wednesday when a Tibetan exile became the 100th person since 2009 to attempt self-immolation in protest against Chinese rule.According to witnesses, the man in his 20s covered himself in petrol before setting himself alight in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu. He was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.Supporters of the Tibetan independence movement say that China’s intolerance of protest forces Tibetans to resort t
PoliticsFeb. 14, 2013