Most Popular
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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S. Korea, Japan could consider simplified entry agreement: Seoul official
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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[Herald Interview] Guggenheim Museum makes a push for technology-based art with LG
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Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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'The Roundup: Punishment' becomes fastest 2024 film to top 2 mln admissions
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New chief named to anti-corruption body
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[Music in drama] An ode to childhood trauma
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USFK extends off-base curfew
The curfew for U.S. military personnel here will be extended another two months, the U.S. Forces Korea chief said Tuesday, citing the need to assess the current operational environment.According to USFK Commander General James Thurman, the curfew, originally intended to last until the beginning of this month, will be extended to Jan. 6.The USFK said the move was a temporary force protection measure to ensure the continued mission readiness of the command.“I firmly believe that military disciplin
Social AffairsNov. 3, 2011
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Korea, EU leaders agree to deepen strategic partnership
President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday agreed with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, to deepen the strategic partnership between Korea and the European Union during their summit talks in Cannes, France.Lee and the EU leaders exchanged views on how to tackle the eurozone fiscal crisis, the G20 summit and bilateral relations. They also assessed in addition to assessing the immediate results of the Korea-EU free trade agreement that ten
Foreign AffairsNov. 3, 2011
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Views differ on the rise of civic groups
Some regard Park’s mayoral election as threat to civil activism, while others an evolutionUpon the election of liberal activist Park Won-soon as Seoul mayor, civic groups stepped forward into the political arena out of their conventional role as watchdogs, raising both expectations and concerns at the same time.The Seoul mayor, the first elected as an independent and also as an activist, is dubbed the living witness to the history of civil activism in Korea.One of the founding members of the Pe
PoliticsNov. 3, 2011
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Korean, EU lawmakers launch leaders’ forum
Over 100 lawmakers, and diplomatic and academic dignitaries from Korea and the European Union gathered to discuss how best to raise the effectiveness of their free trade agreement, in Seoul on Thursday.At the first ROK-EU Leaders Forum, topics centered on the FTA were discussed to fully utilize the deal, which has already been in effect for four months.Representing the two sides were Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Kang-rae, president of the ROK-EU Parliamentarian Diplomacy Council of the National
Social AffairsNov. 3, 2011
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Germany investigates Korean arms broker for corruption charges
Former Navy officer denies all allegationsGerman prosecutors are investigating a Korean weapons broker for alleged corruption in a large-scale submarine acquisition deal with a German engine manufacturer, local and German media reported this week.They are looking into the possibility that broker Jeong Eui-seung used some of the commission he received from MTU, a subsidiary of the engine manufacturer Tognum, to bankroll some corrupt lobbying activities, the reports said.The 72-year-old former nav
DefenseNov. 3, 2011
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DP moves to unite left in single party
Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, invited liberal opposition parties and groups on Thursday to form a united party by the end of this year.“Integration is no longer an option but a mission for all those in the liberal camp,” said Sohn in a press conference.“On Oct. 26, we won in the Seoul mayoral by-election but faced defeat in most other constituencies where we failed to cooperate and work as one”He thus suggested a joint meeting of the leaders of the left-win
PoliticsNov. 3, 2011
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U.S. plans to offer $5.7 million for excavation work in N.K.
The U.S. Defense Department plans to offer some $5.7 million to North Korea for a project to search for and excavate the remains of the U.S. war dead in the communist country, Washington-based Radio Free Asia reported on Thursday.Citing an email message from Pentagon’s publicity officer Carie Parker, it said that the money will be used to establish base camps for the work in North Pyongan Province and South Hamgyeong Province and also cover overhead expenses.Parker also said that the amount of m
DefenseNov. 3, 2011
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FTA ratification faces further delay
Parties fail to send bill for plenary session The parliamentary ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement is unlikely for another week at least, after rival parties on Thursday failed to move the bill forward for a floor vote. A plenary session, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, was called off by the National Assembly speaker, amid a tense standoff between ruling and opposition lawmakers. “The FTA issue is so tangled up (to be handled today). Other than that, there are just a few agend
PoliticsNov. 3, 2011
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S. Korea to open 1,300 'thrift gas stations' by 2015
SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will set up 1,300 gas stations selling cheaper gasoline and diesel by 2015 as part of an ongoing effort to control inflationary pressure, the government said Thursday.The "thrift gas stations" will receive their fuel from state-run Korea National Oil Corp. (KNOC
PoliticsNov. 3, 2011
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Seoul seeks to halve city university tuition with budget support
Newly elected Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon’s ambitious dream to halve college tuition is about to take off as the Seoul Metropolitan Government is considering subsidizing the University of Seoul from next year in tuition terms. According to the municipal government, it has recently received a request f
PoliticsNov. 3, 2011
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Former Lee aide gets prison term for bribery in savings bank scandal
SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- A former legal affairs aide for President Lee Myung-bak was sentenced to one and a half years in prison on Thursday for receiving bribes in return for using his influence to gain favor for a scandal-ridden savings bank. The Seoul Central District Court handed down the priso
PoliticsNov. 3, 2011
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Divorces by intercultural couples in S. Korea grow 5 percent
SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- Divorces filed by international couples in South Korea grew nearly 5 percent last year, data showed Thursday, possibly leaving many of their children vulnerable to poor parental care and education.According to the data by Statistics Korea, a total of 14,319 couples with dif
Social AffairsNov. 3, 2011
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Lee, Medvedev vow to cooperate on gas pipeline venture
President Lee Myung-bak and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate on a project to pipe Siberian natural gas to South Korea via North Korea during their summit Wednesday in St. Petersburg.“The two leaders agreed that if carried out successfully, the project to import Russian natural gas will bring economic benefits to all three countries,” Lee’s office said in a press release.Noting that there are concerns over the stability of the pipeline running through Nor
PoliticsNov. 2, 2011
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GNP starts action on FTA bill
Bill tabled to Assembly panel, but opposition blocks voteThe ruling Grand National Party moved to ratify a free trade agreement with the U.S. on its own Wednesday, submitting the bill for a committee-level vote, despite strong resistance from opposition lawmakers. Rep. Nam Kyung-pil, chair of the parliament’s foreign affairs and trade committee and GNP lawmaker, used his authority to put the bill to the table, as opposition members physically occupied the committee’s main conference room to prev
PoliticsNov. 2, 2011
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Education innovation forum opens in Doha
DOHA ― The third World Innovation Summit for Education, one of the largest international education forums, kicked off its three-day run in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday with more than 1,000 attending. The forum has attracted about 1,200 participants and 140 distinguished speakers from about 120 countries, including Colombia University professor Jeffrey Sachs, former U.K. prime minister Gordon Brown and Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales. They will discuss the future of education and global challenges.The a
Social AffairsNov. 2, 2011
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Diplomats demand inquiry over death of Thai envoy’s wife
The diplomatic community is up in arms over the death of Thitinart Satjipanon, spouse of Thai Ambassador Chaiyong Satjipanon, on Sept. 19 at Soonchunhyang University Hospital.A letter sent by Uzbekistan Ambassador and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Vitali Fen to Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Kim Sung-hwan condemned, in the harshest of language and tone, the treatment of the Thai ambassador’s wife by the hospital. “I would like to convey strong denunciation on
Foreign AffairsNov. 2, 2011
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‘N.K. opens bureau to run free trade zone with China’
North Korea has opened a bureau tasked with running a free trade zone near its border with China, a source familiar with the country said Wednesday, indicating the North’s continued efforts to revive its forlorn economy.The move came shortly after North Korea and China agreed to create joint economic complexes on the border islands of Hwanggeumpyeong and Wihwa following a summit between their leaders in May.“North Korea has opened a bureau with some 10 staff members on Hwanggumpyong,” the source
North KoreaNov. 2, 2011
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Giving out grins for Halloween
Seoul Giving Club put grins on the faces of unsuspecting passers-by with a handout of ghoulish Halloween gifts this Saturday. The selfless group dressed in costumes to give away festive gifts and candy to people walking near Seoul’s Cheongyecheon from 4 p.m. The group of hind-hearted friends donated a small amount of cash before buying gifts and handing them out to strangers. They have held similar events in places around Seoul, including a prize-yielding plinko machine giveaway in Hongdae and a
Nov. 2, 2011
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NETs sought to teach Daegu kids
Native English speakers are being sought to teach kids attending a social welfare study room in Daegu. The elementary school students at the Jisan-dong center are in need of extra English-language assistance. Some of the 40 attending kids are orphans while others live with their grandparents, or in dorm-style housing. The Daegu Gyeongbuk branch of ATEK is seeking five volunteer teachers to help out for one hour a week on Tuesday, Thursdays or Fridays. Books can be provided if needed but the curr
Nov. 2, 2011
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Orphans and international kids meet on the field
An International Youth Football Championship has helped bring European children and Korean orphans closer together through soccer. The tournament organized by the Europe-Korea Foundation was held at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Gyeonggi-do. The tournament was started in 2005 and has seen European, Japanese, Chinese and American kids living in Korea take part in its five editions so far. This year, eight international schools and Suwon orphanage Dong Kwang Won took part in the event. Donations made
Nov. 2, 2011