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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US 'incredibly concerned' about suspected NK-Iran military ties
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K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
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K-pop singer lost consciousness after being hit by foul ball, cancels show
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Korean Muslim YouTuber's plan to build mosque in Incheon goes viral
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[Kim Seong-kon] Democracy and the future of South Korea
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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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Seoul says Fu Bao loan 'not going to happen'
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[Newsmaker] Hyundai tests strength in autonomous cars
Hyundai Motor may not sound as adventurous as Elon Musk’s Tesla. But when it comes to the issue of making self-driving cars commercially affordable, the South Korean carmaker appears to have some strong points. Hyundai Motor demonstrated its technological developments in autonomous driving in Las Vegas last week, testing its strength in the mass market of future mobility. Instead of using 360-degree light detection and ranging sensors -- the 3-D laser scanning methods that are expensive but cent
MobilityDec. 20, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Ban ratchets up criticism of Park
Ever since the United Nations’ Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hinted at his potential bid for the 2017 presidential election, it has been speculated that he would run on a ticket led by President Park Geun-hye and her loyalists from the ruling Saenuri Party. But the political situation here has been working against such a scenario, as a corruption scandal has caused Park and her party to plunge to record-low approval ratings. The more Ban was associated with the president, polls suggested, the le
PoliticsDec. 19, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Mugabe: Liberation hero turned despot
Zimbabwe‘s veteran leader Robert Mugabe once quipped that he’d rule his country until he turned 100.On Saturday, his ruling ZANU-PF party endorsed the 92-year-old leader as its candidate for the 2018 presidential election, bringing him closer to achieving his wish.From crushing political dissent to ushering in disastrous land reforms that saw the economy crumble, many accuse Mugabe of turning the regional breadbasket into a food importer.The leader who is currently Africa’s oldest president, hav
World NewsDec. 18, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Daesung chief explores new territory for energy transition
Younghoon David Kim, chairman of Daesung Group, a South Korean conglomerate specializing in the energy business, has a unique and grand mission in mind: finding individuals like Michael Faraday.Stressing that the world is on the verge of an energy transition, Kim believes the time is ripe for entrepreneurs like him to find the brightest minds to bring about a paradigm shift from a fossil fuel-based economy to one based on new sources of energy. To open a new chapter in human history, the world n
IndustryDec. 16, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Amazon makes first drone delivery
Retail giant Amazon.com has made its first drone delivery to an actual customer, dropping off one of its Fire TV streaming devices and a bag of popcorn to a house in the English countryside 13 minutes after receiving an online order.The delivery occurred Dec. 7 near Cambridge in a zone that UK aviation authorities have authorized for drone test flights, according to a tweet Wednesday by company CEO Jeff Bezos and a video documenting the flight. “First-ever #AmazonPrimeAir customer delivery is in
World NewsDec. 15, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Hanjin Shipping teeters on the brink
Hanjin Shipping, once the world’s seventh-largest shipping company, is on the verge of collapse and fading into history, despite its strenuous efforts to revive itself while under court receivership. According to the Seoul Central District Court in charge of the court receivership, accounting firm Samil PricewaterhouseCoopers has concluded that liquidation of the cash-strapped shipper is “more economical” rather than continuing with rehabilitation. The accounting firm estimated the liquidation v
IndustryDec. 14, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Guterres sworn in as UN chief, vows change
Antonio Guterres was sworn in Monday as the ninth secretary-general of the United Nations, saying the world body must change to better confront global crises such as the war in Syria.During a solemn ceremony at the General Assembly, the former prime minister of Portugal placed a hand on the UN charter and took the oath of office administered by the president of the General Assembly, Peter Thomson.The first former head of government at the UN helm, Guterres takes over from Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 1 a
World NewsDec. 13, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Can independent counsel untangle Choi scandal?
Independent counsel Park Young-soo faces the daunting task of proving exactly how deep the corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye runs. South Korea’s prosecutors Sunday effectively wrapped up their two-month investigation, handing over the baton to the special counsel. They managed to link criminal activities committed by Park’s former aides An Chong-bum and Jeong Ho-seong to her through notes and recorded phone conversations which showed the two were acting under the president’s o
Social AffairsDec. 12, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Is Constitutional Court stacked in Park's favor?
Now that the parliament has voted to impeach Park Geun-hye, the fate of her presidency is left to one unique entity that is rarely in the public eye: the Constitutional Court. A tough legal battle looms, as the president, embroiled in a corruption and nepotism scandal involving her secret confidante Choi Soon-sil, is determined to defend her job and name. Legal issues aside, observers say the court itself is stacked against forces that want Park gone as soon as possible. Two factors come into pl
Social AffairsDec. 11, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Park Geun-hye: the disgraced president
From the first child of a slain dictator to the nation’s first female president and now the epicenter of the country’s worst political fiasco, the life of Park Geun-hye has had many turns. Park taking on her first public role in South Korea happened as dramatically and abrupt as ever; with the assassination of her mother Yuk Young-soo, wife of former president Park Chung-hee.The death of Yuk to a bullet meant for her husband and president called for then-22-year-old Park to take on the role as t
PoliticsDec. 9, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Unpopular PM becomes unlikely acting
Throughout his four-year career in the Park Geun-hye administration, new acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn has been a perennial source of contention. His two confirmation hearings, first in 2013 as a justice minister nominee and then for the premiership two years later, were strewn with allegations of wrongdoing. He was accused of dodging income and gift taxes, real estate speculation and military service evasion, among other allegations, while sparking public furor over his lopsided historical, po
PoliticsDec. 9, 2016
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[Newsmaker] What will impeachment vote be like?
Friday’s parliamentary vote on whether or not to impeach President Park Geun-hye is unlikely to involve a filibuster or physical brawls among rivalling lawmakers. According to the National Assembly on Thursday, no lawmakers have requested time to address the floor ahead of the ballot during a plenary session slated for 3:00 p.m. Friday. “Traditionally, the motion related to the seat of public officials does not require additional debate among those that approve and those that disapprove,” an off
PoliticsDec. 8, 2016
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[Newsmaker] ‘King of secretaries’ fends off onslaught
President Park Geun-hye’s former Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon appeared poised and prepared, flatly denying a string of allegations lawmakers made over his role in the Choi Soon-sil scandal throughout the second public hearing Wednesday.Unlike other testifiers, the 77-year-old showed no emotion, even when an opposition legislator called him an “eel” for his constant, astute evasion of tricky questions, and another said he would not to go heaven when he dies. Unscathed, Kim repeated he was sorry, c
PoliticsDec. 7, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Military intranet hacked by North Korea
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday the military’s intranet had been hacked for the first time ever, presumably by North Korea, resulting in a number of military secrets being leaked.The military found that malicious code had been spread on its computers via its servers used to relay updates on Sept. 23. “The military formed a cyber investigative team to look into this matter and found that some military data -- including confidential information -- has been leaked. It appears to be a No
DefenseDec. 6, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Public petitions for Park’s impeachment online
A website allowing citizens to submit online petitions to lawmakers for President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment has gone viral, with over 800,000 petitions submitted in less than four days since it was created.As of 5:30 p.m. Monday, 804,823 people have called for Park’s dismissal at “Park Geun-hack.com” (https://parkgeunhack.com). Park is being investigated as a suspect in a corruption and influence-peddling scandal involving her civilian friend Choi Soon-sil and former aides.The civilian-run web
PoliticsDec. 5, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Trump shrugs off fuss over Taiwan call
President-elect Donald Trump is unapologetic about roiling diplomatic waters with his decision to speak on the phone with Taiwan‘s leader, a breach of long-standing tradition that risks enmity from China.The US severed diplomatic ties with the self-governing island in 1979, but has maintained close unofficial relations and a commitment to support its defense.Trump’s conversation with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen drew an irritated, although understated, response from China, as Foreign Ministe
World NewsDec. 4, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Trump picks retired Gen. Mattis for defense secretary: reports
US President-elect Donald Trump has decided to nominate retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis for defense secretary, and a formal announcement is expected by early next week, The Washington Post reported Thursday.Mattis, a former commander of the Central Command, has been widely considered the No. 1 candidate for defense secretary as Trump said last month that he had a "very impressive" meeting with him and lauded him as "the real deal" and "a true general's general." The Washington Post said t
InternationalDec. 2, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Jeju's women divers gain UNESCO recognition
When the female divers of Jeju Island emerge from their minutes-long foray underwater, they let out a much-awaited sigh. Called “sumbi,” the exhalation releases carbon dioxide from the lungs with a sound that is similar to whistling. When the divers pop up in groups, a chorus of singsong breathing echoes through the coast.“Haenyeo,” or women divers who have been diving in the waters off Jeju for centuries to gather seafood, were inscribed onto the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
CultureDec. 1, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Anti-Park Saenuri MPs key to impeachment
President Park Geun-hye‘s allies and foes in the parliament have made their respective stances clear: The former wishes to deter the impeachment of the embattled state head and the latter wants to oust her as soon as possible.The middle ground amid this widening political divide is a group within the ruling Saenuri Party who stand at odds with the president and the party’s pro-president leadership.These 30-40 lawmakers are considered indispensable in the opposition’s impeachment drive, as their
PoliticsNov. 30, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Trump threatens to ‘terminate’ US-Cuba thaw
President-elect Donald Trump on Monday threatened to end the US thaw with Cuba unless Havana makes key concessions, potentially upending the historic rapprochement engineered by the White House, which insists the opening serves American interests.Trump‘s tough comments sparked a flurry of speculation about the incoming Republican administration’s policies regarding the communist-ruled island, and come after former leader Fidel Castro‘s death Friday.“If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for
World NewsNov. 29, 2016