Most Popular
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Seoul to more than double military drones by 2026 to counter NK threats
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Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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Over 60% of S. Koreans support W100m childbirth incentive: survey
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‘Inside Out 2’ adds four new emotions, explores teenage life
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Questions raised over fair promotion of RM, NewJeans
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[Newsmaker] Is Kim Yo-jong a spare for Kim Jong-un?
To the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, his younger sister Kim Yo-jong is a very special figure. Kim Yo-jong assists Kim Jong-un at close range for official events. She is intimately involved in important international affairs and wields great influence over the politburo. Is Kim Yo-jong a successor to Kim Jong-un? Or a top spare for the Kim dynasty? asked Yoshihiro Makino, a reporter and former Seoul bureau chief of the Asahi Shimbun, one of the four largest newspapers in Japan, in his recently
BooksJan. 9, 2023
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[Newsmaker] [My Hangeul Story] Hollywood actor Thomas McDonell's accidental affair with Korean language
American actor Thomas McDonell, best known for his role as Finn Collins in the US television network CW’s post-apocalyptic series “The 100,” has a rather peculiar presence on Twitter. One day in 2017, he made his first tweet in Korean. At that time, he was into tweeting in various languages to reach out to people from all over the world who were looking at his profile. His tweets are usually simple expressions -- "I'm bored," "Is this for real?" -- in
Hello HangeulJan. 8, 2023
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[Newsmaker] Culture Ministry prioritizes boosting content, tourism industries in 2023
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will focus on boosting South Korea’s content and tourism industries in 2023, it said on Thursday during a New Year’s policy briefing to President Yoon Suk Yeol. The ministry has set out a goal to achieve $22 billion in content exports by 2027, significantly up from $12.4 billion in 2021. The ministry will inject 790 billion won ($625 million) in policy funds to help boost content exports in 2023. For tourism, the ministry aims to inc
CultureJan. 6, 2023
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[Newsmaker] [Herald Interview] ‘Why does no one ever apologize?’ cries family of tunnel fire victim
On Dec. 29, the life of 66-year-old Jeon ended abruptly by a fire that broke out inside a soundproof tunnel on a highway. He was one of the five who died in the deadly flame in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, which left 41 others injured and 45 cars destroyed. In his last phone call alive, Jeon told wife it was chaos in the tunnel and that he couldn’t move the car nor open the car door. “There was an explosion in the tunnel. It’s filled with smoke and it’s all dark. &hellip
Social AffairsJan. 5, 2023
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[Newsmaker] Goryeo relics found at Cheong Wa Dae
A number of relics presumed to be from the Goryeo (918-1392) and Joseon (1392-1910) era, have been found in eight different locations within the Cheong Wa Dae grounds, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Tuesday. The CHA's Royal Palaces and Tombs Center unveiled the result of its four-month-long preliminary study of the site. Two associations, including the Korea Association for Architectural History, were commissioned to conduct the study, which took place Aug. 28 to Dec
CultureJan. 4, 2023
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[Newsmaker] Rich enough to ‘flex’ but not enough to pay taxes, apparently
The South Korean national health insurance operator's list of heavy defaulters – those whose overdue premiums payments exceed 10 million won ($7,833) – includes self-styled “rich” rapper Dok2. He has failed to pay 16.6 million won from 2018 to 2019, it showed. The revelation came just a month after the National Tax Service made public the same rapper’s overdue balance of 320 million won in taxes. When this was disclosed, Dok2 posted promotional images of his
CultureJan. 3, 2023
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[Newsmaker] Chip supremacy gives South Korea more geopolitical freedom: lawmaker
Rep. Yang Hyang-ja, a former executive at Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor business division, called securing a competitive edge in chips a “matter of life and death” amid the ever-evolving geopolitical landscape and an escalating US-China rivalry. “The winner of the global chip battle will control the economic security order, while the loser will end up becoming a technological colony,” Yang, who heads the ruling People Power Party’s special panel on chips,
EconomyJan. 2, 2023
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[Newsmaker] Hollywood blockbusters, pandemic-deferred films to open in 2023
The year that just ended was all about finally seeing a number of movies that began production prior to the pandemic. Despite better-than-expected ticket sales, having so many options to watch comfortably at home led many film buffs and moviegoers to stay inside. How will upcoming movies this year impact ticket sales at the cinema? From Hollywood’s megasized projects to a variety of local films finally meeting audiences after enduring setbacks and delays due to the pandemic, following are
FilmJan. 1, 2023
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[Newsmaker] Former pope Benedict XVI dies aged 95
VATICAN CITY (AFP) - Former pope Benedict XVI has died at the age of 95, the Vatican announced Saturday, almost a decade after he became the first pontiff to resign in six centuries. "With sorrow, I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. The German pope emeritus, whose birth name was Joseph Ratzinger, had been living a quiet life in a former convent
PeopleDec. 31, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Foreign workers fluent in Korean to receive visa extension benefits
Foreigners working in South Korea on an E-9 visa with a high command of the Korean language will likely be allowed to stay in Korea continuously for up to 10 years. According to a plan announced Friday by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Employment Permit System will be revised to give benefits to foreign laborers who are fluent in Korean. Currently, holders of the E-9 nonprofessional work visa wishing to extend their stay after 4 years and 10 months must leave Korea and reapply for th
Social AffairsDec. 30, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Owner of Chinese restaurant accused as front for ‘China’s secret police’ says allegations 'unjust'
The owner of a Chinese restaurant in southern Seoul on Thursday requested for police protection, denying media reports that it may be one of the overseas fronts for China’s secret police. Holding a press conference at his eatery Oriental Pearl Tower in Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, the owner, identified as Wang, called the allegations “unjust.” The man said there will be another press conference on Saturday for which reporters are required to pay to attend. “The (Oriental Pearl
Social AffairsDec. 29, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Danuri successfully enters lunar orbit
South Korea’s first lunar mission Danuri has successfully entered lunar orbit, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute said Wednesday. With Danuri’s successful entrance into lunar orbit, South Korea has become the seventh country in the world to have capability to explore the moon. Danuri, also known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, began circling around the moon at the targeted orbit altitude of some 100 kilometers above the lunar surface on
TechnologyDec. 28, 2022
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[Newsmaker] For whom the Bosingak bell tolls: Koreans celebrate return of New Year's ceremony
The New Year’s bell-ringing ceremony at Bosingak will be back this Saturday as an offline event for the first time since 2019. Coronavirus restrictions had forced the ceremony to be held exclusively online for the past two years. Just as Americans gather to see the ball drop at New York City's Times Square at midnight, South Koreans flock to the Jongno-gu area to see the old bronze Bosingak bell being rung 33 times, a time-honored tradition with religious roots that signifies “c
Hashtag KoreaDec. 27, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Frigid monster storm across US claims at least 34 lives
BUFFALO, New York -- Millions of people hunkered down against a deep freeze Sunday to ride out the winter storm that has killed at least 34 people across the United States and is expected to claim more lives after trapping some residents inside houses with heaping snow drifts and knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. The scope of the storm has been nearly unprecedented, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60
World NewsDec. 26, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Kim Keon-hee expands role as first lady
Kim Keon-hee is expanding her role as first lady, straying from her earlier promise that she would not play a role “beyond that of a spouse.” While Yoon Suk-yeol was still a presidential candidate, the couple had said that Kim would not serve as first lady in the traditional sense if he is elected. Kim told a press conference held last year that she would not have a formal presence as first lady during her husband’s tenure in office, and that she would “not have a role be
PoliticsDec. 25, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Even in bustling Seoul, you can find ways to spend year-end in peace and quiet
The last week of 2022 is almost here. Most popular restaurants and hotels have been booked for weeks and department stores are packed with people doing last-minute Christmas shopping. People across the country will be getting together for a family dinner or sharing wine with friends in brightly lit bars. However, if all the year-end workplace and family obligations have you tired and worn out, you might consider heading to a calm, peaceful spot where you can reflect on the past year and make pla
TravelDec. 23, 2022
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[Newsmaker] On-air ‘sexual harassment of stepdaughter’ controversy sparks police probe
A man who was seen inflicting unwanted physical contact on his 7-year-old stepdaughter on a recently-aired TV show is under investigation for sexual harassment, local police said late Wednesday. According to the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency, officials have commenced the pre-arrest investigation on the person after being notified of the allegation. “Details of the case will not be revealed due to fear of secondary damage on the victim. (Officials) will summon the related individuals whe
Social AffairsDec. 22, 2022
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[Newsmaker] 14 years a miser...to be a home owner in Seoul
An average wage earner in South Korea would have to save up one’s entire income for 14 years to buy a home in Seoul, a government study showed Wednesday. The price-to-income ratio -- the median home price divided by the median annual household income -- for Seoul in 2021 jumped to 14.1 from 12.5 in the year before, according to the 2021 Korea Housing Survey released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The figure was higher than that of any other region in the country, wi
EconomyDec. 21, 2022
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[Newsmaker] House Jan. 6 panel urges Trump prosecution with criminal referral
WASHINGTON -- The House Jan. 6 committee urged the US Justice Department on Monday to bring criminal charges against Donald Trump for the violent 2021 Capitol insurrection, calling for accountability for the former president and “a time of reflection and reckoning.” After one of the most exhaustive and aggressive congressional probes in memory, the panel’s seven Democrats and two Republicans are recommending criminal charges against Trump and associates who helped him launch a
World NewsDec. 20, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Where do child sex offenders live? Where should they?
At the bottom of a winding path in the quiet neighborhood of Wa-dong, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, resides one of South Korea's most infamous child sex offenders in a nondescript apartment. In 2008, a middle-aged man called Cho Doo-soon sexually attacked and maimed a then-eight-year-old girl in a church restroom. The inhumane assault resulted in unspeakable injuries to the victim, which she still suffers from according to a recent statement by her father. This also led to a flurry of proposed
Social AffairsDec. 19, 2022