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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Activist group to provide ‘comfort women’ teaching manual
A Seoul civic group representing Korean women forced by Japan into sexual slavery during World War II said Wednesday it has developed guides for teachers to use for educating elementary school students on the subject of the wartime victims.According to the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery, copies of the teaching manuals along with DVDs will be distributed free of charge to those willing to use them to teach third to sixth graders about victims of the Japanese sexu
Nov. 21, 2012
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Another assault on Korean in Australia raises alarm
Another Korean in Australia was seriously injured in an assault last month, raising concerns over the safety of Asian immigrants in the country.The 33-year-old Korean, identified only with his surname Kim, was attacked on Oct. 13 by four to five people near his residence in Sydney, according to Kim and Australian police. The attackers kicked Kim and struck his head with a golf club. The Korean ended up with two broken ribs and skull fractures, police said.“They were hiding behind a car and sudde
Nov. 20, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Kim case reveals ugly face of prosecution
Kim Kwang-jun, a senior prosecutor at Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, was arrested Monday on suspicion of corruption in a case that is tainting the reputation of the prosecution. The 51-year-old is accused of a long list of wrongdoings, mostly bribery and influence-peddling. Among them is that he may have received nearly 900 million won ($826,000) from Cho Hee-pal, the mastermind of Korea’s biggest-ever pyramid scheme, and Eugene Group, a mid-sized conglomerate, in exchange for favors. Kim’s mod
Nov. 20, 2012
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Bus strike looms larger over parliamentary taxi bill
Bus drivers vowed Tuesday to begin a naitonwide strike later this week in protest against a bill that redefines taxis as a mode of mass transit and offers them compensation for losses.The debate over whether taxis are public transportation means heated up after a parliamentary committee last week unanimously passed the bill that effectively categorized taxis as a mode of mass transit.The bill has yet to be approved by a full parliamentary session.Expressing immediate opposition to the move, the
Nov. 20, 2012
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Threatened bus strike could cause public transport chaos
All city and inter-city buses nationwide could stop operating from Thursday morning if the National Assembly passes a revised act Wednesday that acknowledges taxis as a means of public transportation.“Five hundred bus operators and 100,000 bus drivers cannot but express anger toward ignorance of the political circles, who are only interested in garnering votes in the upcoming presidential election,” said the bus union through a statement released Monday. Around 48,000 city and inter-city busses
Nov. 20, 2012
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‘Human flesh’ pills from China contain human DNA
Human DNA, body and skin tissues were found in “human flesh” pills smuggled from China and illegally traded at local markets in Korea, health authorities said Tuesday.The Korea Food and Drug Agency said the pills being sold at a local market in Seoul contained a mix of human organs and skin tissues. Body parts of animals like cows, pigs and horses were not found in the genetic analysis of the tablets, officials said. They did not detect medical substances like steroids or bacteria such as salmon
Nov. 20, 2012
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Seoul City receives Guangzhou award for urban innovation
Seoul City said Monday that it received the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (the “Guangzhou Award”), an award co-hosted by Metropolis, Guangzhou Municipal Government and the United Cities and Local Governments. They received a trophy and prize money of $20,000 last Friday.Vancouver (Canada), Vienna (Austria), Kocaeli (Turkey) and Lilongwe (Malawi) have also received the award.UCLG is a local government organization established in 2004 with over 1,000 cities and 112 Local Gover
Nov. 20, 2012
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N.Y. high-school students visit Korea
Representatives from a high school in New York City’s Harlem visited the Education Ministry on Tuesday as part of their two-week cultural exchange program in Korea.Democracy Prep High School founder and superintendent Seth Andrew is guiding 35 students from the school from Nov. 9. The purpose of the trip is to show them all different aspects of Korea, and to broaden their understanding of the country, according to the school official.“I came to Korea many times, but it’s the first I bring my stu
Nov. 20, 2012
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Painting depicting Saenuri presidential candidate stirs controversy
A painting depicting ruling Saenuri Party presidential hopeful Park Geun-hye giving birth to a baby who looks like her late father has fueled fresh controversy about freedom of expression and political exploitation of art ahead of the December election.The painting by Hong Sung-dam, a member of the country's progressive Minjung art movement, shows Park reclining in a hospital delivery room with her legs in stirrups, and expressing joy at having given birth to a baby boy wearing sunglasses.The wo
Nov. 20, 2012
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Number of Koreans studying overseas falls
The number of Koreans studying overseas fell this year for the first time in four years amid a prolonged economic slowdown, a report said Monday.As of April, students at foreign universities or short-term language courses dropped by nearly 9 percent from a year earlier to 239,213, according to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.The report released by the Bank of Korea showed that some 154,000 students are pursuing degrees at overseas universities, a 6 percent drop from the previou
Nov. 19, 2012
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Bus unions warn of strike against new taxi rules
Bus operators across the country threatened to halt operations in protest of a National Assembly bill that acknowledges taxis as a means of public transport, which would increase state subsidies and allow them to use bus lanes. A federation of bus operators plans convene an emergency general meeting in Seoul Tuesday, gathering regional representatives from 17 major cities and provinces The move came after the Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Committee at the National Assembly last Thursday u
Nov. 19, 2012
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Leaders of Korea, China bash Japan over history
PHNOM PENH (Yonhap News) ― President Lee Myung-bak and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao took a swipe at Japan Monday for failing to fully shed its wartime past as they met on the sidelines of a regional summit overshadowed by history and sovereignty spats among the three neighbors.The one-on-one meeting held on the margin of a regional summit in Phnom Penh highlighted tensions both South Korea and China have with Japan. Seoul and Tokyo have been at odds over Japan’s claims to South Korea’s easternmost
Nov. 19, 2012
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Policeman catches suicidal teen
A school girl, who was stressed over dating issues, threw herself from a building in an apparent suicide attempt, but survived with only minor injuries after a policeman caught her.Suwon Nambu Police Station said it received an emergency call from a 16-year-old girl saying she was about to kill herself at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. “I had a fight with my boyfriend. I’m going to fall to my death so contact him when I die,” the unnamed girl said.After tracing the call, police found the girl standing on a
Nov. 19, 2012
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WHO to disclose toxic tobacco ingredients
The World Health Organization, in collaboration with its member countries, will disclose toxic tobacco ingredients in a global move to scientifically assess the harmful effects of smoking. At an international conference on tobacco control held in Seoul, about 140 participating countries agreed to list the poisonous contents of tobacco that threaten not only the health of smokers but also those around them, officials said. The new measure will allow governments around the world share the list of
Nov. 18, 2012
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Korea has most road deaths in OECD
Korea recorded the highest rate of death by road accidents in 2010 among 29 OECD member nations, according to the Korea Transport Institute.At a seminar to promote better transportation and road safety on Friday, Seol Jae-hoon, a KTI official, said that 11.3 per 100,000 people died due to road accidents.Greece and the U.S. came second and third as they marked 11.1 and 10.6, respectively. Iceland recorded the lowest death rate with 2.5, followed by Sweden, 2.8, and the U.K., 3.1. Car accidents ov
Nov. 18, 2012
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Ex-President Kim’s widow suffers minor injuries
Lee Hee-ho, widow of former President Kim Dae-jung, suffered minor injuries Thursday night after having fallen backward while washing her face, officials at the Severance Hospital said.She needed three stitches in the back of her head.“The result of magnetic resonance imaging shows no anomalies,” a hospital official told media, declining to be named. Lee was discharged from the hospital Friday.Her husband, the 2000 Nobel Peace laureate, passed away in 2009. Since then, Lee, 90, has headed the Ki
Nov. 18, 2012
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Home of 3,000 miracles borne of personal tragedy
From outside, it looks no different from ordinary commercial buildings lining Seoul’s streets. A step inside and the impression is totally different. A tiny bakery caf at one corner of the lobby is staffed by persons with disabilities. A group of handicapped children gather around at another corner, bursting into laughter from time to time. Right in the middle stands a big, red donation box.A signboard on the wall says that this is a place for disabled children. Upstairs, there are play-therapy
Nov. 16, 2012
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Lack of rehab centers leaves disabled at risk
The number of patients with a physical handicap in Korea is sharply increasing but rehabilitation facilities to help them readjust to society are far short of covering the growing need, experts said. According to Rep. Lee Mok-hee of the Democratic United Party, the number of disabled registered with the government jumped from 1.45 million in 2003 to 2.52 million last year. However, there were only 18 rehabilitation hospitals for the disabled around the country as of 2010, mostly in Seoul and nei
Nov. 16, 2012
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Purme fundraising for ‘hospital of dreams’
The Purme Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to disability issues, is raising funds for the construction of a rehabilitation hospital that can accept up to 100 inpatients. The project is the centerpiece of Purme’s campaign since its establishment in 2004 to help disabled children who are often deprived of a chance at a better life due to the lack of adequate rehabilitation services. “Our data shows that nearly 15,000 children in Korea require hospitalized rehabilitation care. But th
Nov. 16, 2012
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Military lashed for poor medical services
The military’s medical treatment system is receiving public criticism following its latest blunder that led an enlisted man to lapse into a coma.Even though experts have called for improved medical services in the army, the Ministry of Defense continues to see accidents and deaths stemming from treatment mishaps occurring every year.Last Monday, Corporal Kim Yoo-seung with the Fifth Corps’ armored brigade was transferred to Asan Medical Center where he has been unconscious after belatedly being
Nov. 16, 2012