Most Popular
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Jimin of BTS, actor Song Da-eun suspected to be dating, again
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What's next for the government's push in quota hike?
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Woman falls to death from acquaintance's home after exhibiting ‘unexplained' behaviors
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‘Malice should not undermine the system, social order,’ says Hybe's Bang
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N. Korea says it test-fired tactical ballistic missile with new guidance technology
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N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS
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[Weekender] Geeks have never been so chic in Korea
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Korean firms target EV charging market in US
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Seoul sees further jump in cost of dining out
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Human rights commission urges Korea to raise awareness of LGBTQ rights
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New address system enters full effect
Only the street name-based address system should be used in official documents starting this year, replacing land lot number-based addresses which were used for nearly a century, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration said. The new address system, which is based on the names of streets and designated building numbers, was initially floated as an alternative system in 1997 in order to simplify the address system and make it more consistent. In recent years, however, policymakers strug
Jan. 1, 2014
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Penalties for child abuse strengthened
The National Assembly has passed a bill to toughen the punishment for child abuse after a series of cases touched off a spate of public anger last year. Those who beat children to death will be sentenced to a minimum five years up to life imprisonment. Courts are no longer allowed to give probation to the offenders in question. The prosecution must file a loss of parental right to courts for habitual offenders or for those who commit serious child abuse crimes. The tougher punishment came after
Jan. 1, 2014
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KORAIL union ends strike while management vows discipline
Unionists of the state-run railway operator KORAIL on Tuesday ended a 22-day walkout and returned to their workplaces.However, they vowed to continue their struggle against the government's approval of the establishment of a KORAIL affiliate, which will run the new bullet train route out of Suseo in southwestern Seoul from as early as 2015."All union members returned and resumed their work as of 11 a.m. We will go back to our normal duties," said Choi Eun-cheol, spokesman of the union.KORAIL chi
Dec. 31, 2013
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Child abusers to spend life behind bars
Child abusers whose assault has caused death of their victims could spend their life behind bars indefinitely in the future, as a bill obliging tougher measures against child abuse passed the National Assembly’s general session on Tuesday.According to the special bill on child protection and abuse prevention proposed by Rep. Ahn Hong-joon of the ruling Saenuri Party, those whose abuse resulted in death of the child victim will be subject to life sentence while those whose deeds inflicted “hard t
Dec. 31, 2013
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KORAIL unionists end strike, return to workplaces
Unionists of the state-run railway operator KORAIL on Tuesday ended a 22-day walkout and returned to their workplaces.However, they vowed to continue their struggle against the government's approval of the establishment of a KORAIL affiliate, which will run the new bullet train route out of Suseo in southwestern Seoul from as early as 2015."All union members returned and resumed their work as of 11 a.m. We will go back to our normal duties before the strike," said Choi Eun-cheol, spokesman of th
Dec. 31, 2013
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U.S. soldier acquitted of raping fiancee
A Seoul court acquitted an American soldier of raping his South Korean fiancee in 2011, court officials said Tuesday. The sergeant major of the U.S. Army, whose identity has been withheld, was indicted on charges of raping and assaulting his fiancee, whose identity remains anonymous, officials said. The Seoul Central District Court delivered a not-guilty verdict, citing lack of evidence, they added. "The court does not take credibility in the plaintiff's statement as well as other ev
Dec. 31, 2013
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Court upholds gov't order to amend history textbooks
A local court on Monday turned down a request from authors of six history textbooks to suspend a controversial government order to amend them for containing ideological bias, allowing the distribution of revised versions to high school students early next year as scheduled. The Ministry of Education ordered publishers of the books on Dec. 2 to revise 41 parts of their descriptions for containing factual errors and views that could "negatively affect students perspective of history." Two days
Dec. 30, 2013
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[Eye on English] For Koreans, English used as mark of status
For Koreans, English is much more than a lingua franca. It is a crucial measure of personal marketability, intelligence and even academic assiduity that would facilitate their entry into top-tier schools and high-paying professions, and their rise up the corporate ladder.Since the 1990s when the government’s mantra of globalization resonated throughout the whole country, English skills have become a vital means of survival in Korea’s hypercompetitive society.Most students and job-seekers have sp
Dec. 30, 2013
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[Eye on English] English fever needs cooling
Kim So-yeon, a 23-year-old college student, spends two to three hours each day memorizing English expressions, doing listening exercises and reading English news articles.She also routinely takes the TOEIC, one of the popular English proficiency tests, every three months, hoping to get a higher score to make her resume look better.“I go to a hagwon (private institute) for the test and spend more than 350,000 won ($332) a month just for English,” said the senior at Sogang University.“I don’t thin
Dec. 30, 2013
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[Photo News] Year of horse
Dec. 30, 2013
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Expensive imported padded jackets stir up controversy
The sweeping popularity of expensive winter jackets from foreign brands among students is becoming a social issue in South Korea. The premium padded jumpers made by foreign apparel companies like Canada Goose and Moncler usually cost more than 1 to 2 million won ($947 to $1,893). Despite their price tags, the jackets became a huge hit among Korean students this year. The jackets were initially imported in limited quantities for high-income consumers in Gangnam and other posh areas but are now be
Dec. 30, 2013
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[Graphic News] Korean middle class shrinking: report
Korea’s middle class has steadily decreased from 74.47 percent of the population in 1990 to 67.33 percent in 2010, while the percentages of high-income and low-income earners have increased 2.23 and 4.9 percentage points, respectively, to 20.43 percent and 12.24 percent over the last 20 years, according to a report released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs Monday.
Dec. 30, 2013
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Rail union agrees to end strike
Leaders of unionized rail workers agreed to end their prolonged strike after the ruling and opposition parties promised to form a parliamentary subcommittee aimed at preventing privatization of rail services, lawmakers said Monday.The union confirmed the agreement, saying there are only internal procedures left before its members return to work, ending the 22-day walkout."The union decided to withdraw the strike," Choi Eun-cheol, a spokesman for the Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) union, told Yonh
Dec. 30, 2013
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Railway strike set to bring transport chaos
The ongoing strike by railway workers is likely to cause major disruptions to transport services ahead of the New Year holiday as labor and management showed no signs of compromise. Korea Railroad Corp.’s labor union continued its strike Sunday for the 21st consecutive day and the major labor confederation threatened a second sympathy walkout and wider antigovernment protest. They pledged to escalate action after the government on Friday issued a license for a new high-speed train affiliate of K
Dec. 29, 2013
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[Photo News] What lies ahead
Dec. 29, 2013
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Ex-KB Tokyo managers indicted for illegal loans
The prosecution has indicted two former managers of KB Kookmin Bank’s Tokyo branch for extending illegal loans worth 400 billion won ($379 million), officials said Sunday. The prosecutors are further investigating whether the two suspects, identified by the surnames Lee and Ahn, received kickbacks from the borrowers and used them to create a slush fund at home. They were arrested earlier this month on charges of breach of trust. Lee, former branch chief, and Ahn, former deputy chief, were found
Dec. 29, 2013
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Cargo ship collides with chemical tanker, 91 rescued
A cargo ship collided with a chemical-laden tanker off South Korea's southeast coast early Sunday, causing the tanker to catch fire, but all 91 crew members on the two vessels were rescued safely, coast guard officials said.The 55,000-ton freighter Gravity Highway was on a test-run when it collided with Maritime Maisie, a tanker carrying 29,337 tons of inflammable chemicals, in waters about 9.2 nautical miles off the southeastern port city of Busan around 2:15 a.m., officials said.The impact cau
Dec. 29, 2013
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Two Kookmin Bank employees to stand trial over massive illegal lending
Two employees of Kookmin Bank's unit in Tokyo have been indicted on charges of extending illegal loans worth 400 billion won (US$380 million) to Korean companies operating in Japan, state prosecutors said Sunday.The Tokyo branch of South Korea's leading bank has been investigated by prosecutors over suspicions that it lent more than permitted to Japan-based firms to secure returns used to amass massive slush funds.The suspects, including a 57-year-old former Tokyo branch manager only identified
Dec. 29, 2013
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KORAIL receives license to establish Suseo KTX affiliate
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Friday issued a license for the state-run rail operator to establish an affiliate to run a new branch of the KTX line, despite fierce opposition from labor unions and others.The issuance is expected to increase pressure on the 27 percent of KORAIL’s 20,443 employees who have been on strike since Dec. 9 against what they claim to be a move to privatize the railroads.“The Daejeon District Court on Friday evening approved the registration of the
Dec. 27, 2013
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Sending off a year with a bang
The final day of the year is a big day in most cultures but Koreans take things a step further, seemingly dedicating the entire month of December to wrapping up the year. In the run up to the Dec. 31 ringing of the Boshingak bell, December is packed with year-end events that range from heavy drinking with colleagues and friends to fortune-telling. The Korean word for end of year events “songnyeonhoe” literally means “send off for the year” and many choose to send the year off in a sea of alcohol
Dec. 27, 2013