Most Popular
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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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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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[Graphic News] Number of coffee franchises in S. Korea rises 13%
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S. Korean children, teens grow taller, mature faster than before: study
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Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
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Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
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[Robert J. Fouser] AI changes rationale for learning languages
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Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket
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Naver Q1 net income soars 1,171.9% on growth of major businesses
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Ador CEO's request for exclusive right to terminate NewJeans' contract with Hybe refused in February
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Prosecutors raid teachers’ union in electioneering probe
Prosecutors conducted on Monday a search operation looking for any evidence that a teachers’ union had illegally involved itself in last year’s presidential election.Officials from the Seoul South District Prosecutor’s Office raided an unnamed server provider to investigate traces of illegal electioneering on the Korean Teacher’s Union homepage. Prosecutors have reportedly found evidence supporting the charges against the KTU on the union’s website and intranet system.The KTU has been on a rolle
Dec. 9, 2013
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Rail workers protest privatization
Unionized rail workers launched a general strike Monday against a plan to launch a subsidiary for new bullet train operations, calling it a move to privatize the state-run rail operator. The Korea Railroad Corp. filed complaints with police against nearly 200 union members for impeding business and threatened to take disciplinary measures against all participants in the walkout. The strike caused no major disruptions to passenger transport services, including the KTX trains and Seoul subway line
Dec. 9, 2013
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More than 3,300 indicted for subsidy fraud
More than 3,300 people have been indicted on charges of siphoning off or embezzling state subsidies worth a total of 170 billion won ($160 million), prosecutors and police said Sunday, revealing serious problems with Korea’s subsidy management system.In a six-month joint crackdown launched in June, prosecutors and police uncovered a total of 3,349 people suspected of involvement in subsidy-related irregularities. Of them, 127 were formally arrested, while the rest were put to trial without physi
Dec. 8, 2013
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Online petition against ‘addiction bill’ gains more than 300,000 votes
The Korea Internet Digital Entertainment Association’s online petition against the so-called “addiction bill” saw more than 300,000 votes as of Sunday. According to K-IDEA, the online petition that launched on Oct. 28 against the proposed act, which classifies Internet games as addictive, has gained 300,978 votes. The poll is operated jointly by major domestic gaming corporations including Nexon, NCsoft, NHN Entertainment and CJ E&M Netmarble.“The opposition movement in every corner, even among
Dec. 8, 2013
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Regulator orders BAT Korea to change misleading ads
South Korea‘s trade watchdog issued a correction order to a British tobacco firm over misleading advertising. The Fair Trade Commission said Sunday it sent the order, a mild form of a sanction, to British American Tobacco Korea for describing its Dunhill Fine Cut 1 mg menthol as containing charcoal filters. The product had “charcoal filter” written on its packaging from November 2010 to September 2012 and generated 11.8 billion won ($11.15 million) in revenue, even though it did not have such a
Dec. 8, 2013
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Zookeeper attacked by tiger at Seoul Zoo dies
A zookeeper who was bitten by a Siberian tiger died Sunday after 14 days in a coma, according to Ajou University Hospital.The 52-year-old zookeeper, identified by last name Shim, was mauled by the 3-year-old tiger in the neck and spine at a zoo in Seoul Grand Park on Nov 24.According to the zoo officials, Shim was laying food outside the tiger compound when he was attacked. The tiger escaped through an enclosure door, but how the door came to be unlocked is unknown. The tiger walked back into hi
Dec. 8, 2013
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Prosecutors seek suspended jail terms for celebrities accused of illegal gambling
State prosecutors said Friday it is seeking suspended jail terms for singer Tony An, Tak Jae-hoon and comedian Lee Soo-geun after the three admitted to betting on illegal sports gambling websites.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office demanded that An be sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years. For Tak and Lee, prosecutors sought eight and six months behind bars, respectively, suspended for two years each. “It has been taken into account that all of the defendants have
Dec. 6, 2013
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S. Korea enshrines 666 sets of remains of Korean War dead
South Korea enshrined the remains of 666 soldiers on Friday, more than 60 years after they were killed in the three-year Korean War that ended in a truce in 1953.Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and 400 other government and military officials attended an enshrinement ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery for the remains excavated this year. A total of 731 sets of remains were recovered after searching 77 former battlefield sites from March to November, of which 666 have
Dec. 6, 2013
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Seoul cleared of ultrafine dust, gov't lifts advisory
The city of Seoul got cleared of ultrafine dust coming from China on Friday, leading the Seoul government to lift the warning against the pollutant.Concerns, however, persist, as China still has a high level of the "particulate matter (PM) 2.5," a nanoscale particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter and largely made up of sulphate and nitrate particles.The city and the surrounding areas experienced unprecedentedly thick layers of ultrafine pollutants on Thursday, prompting th
Dec. 6, 2013
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Seoul issues first-ever fine dust alert
The country’s first ever fine dust alert was issued in Seoul on Thursday, as fine and ultrafine dust particles continued to be blown in from China.The Seoul city government issued an alert as of 4 p.m., with ultrafine dust levels reaching 93 micrograms per cubic meter of air. Ultrafine dust is defined as particles that measure less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, or PM 2.5. Along with the ultrafine dust level, that of fine dust ― particles measuring less than 10 micrometers in diameter ― also
Dec. 5, 2013
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College students doubt effectiveness of English-only classes
Song Hong-bin, a 22-year-old college student in Seoul, regrets his choice of an all-English class this semester.Unable to comprehend lectures and conversations, he is only left with frustration and a sense of inferiority. “I chose the class to learn real-life English. But I feel like I’m being left out. Others seem to understand all the lectures,” he said.“It’s more like showtime for English-fluent people to boast their ability. I don’t think my English improved.” More and more universities are
Dec. 5, 2013
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[Graphic News] Major results of survey on social affairs for 2013
According to a survey released by Statistics Korea on Wednesday, most elderly people do not want to live together with their children and most Koreans read online or offline newspapers. The agency polled 38,000 people aged 13 years and older from 17,664 households throughout the month of May to research more about people’s livelihoods and lifestyles.
Dec. 5, 2013
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Conspiracy theory grows on series of big stories
The spy agency’s bombshell announcement of the fall of the North Korean leader’s powerful uncle came when suspicions were building that the presidential office played a role in the downfall of a defiant chief prosecutor. In similar fashion, the news on the prosecution’s investigation into charges of revolt faced by a progressive party this summer was released while calls for reforming the law enforcement agency were heightening. These and other high-profile news stories effectively muted voices
Dec. 5, 2013
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Political tension rises over alleged Blue House role in love child scandal
The prosecution on Thursday raided the home and office of an official suspected of requesting a presidential staffer to check the personal information of a child alleged to be an illegitimate son of former Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook. The official, identified only with his surname Kim and affiliated with the Ministry of Security and Public Administration, has denied the allegation raised by the presidential office following its internal probe into the case. The prosecution said it will als
Dec. 5, 2013
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Presidential staffer grilled over alleged involvement in love child scandal
A mid-level presidential staffer underwent questioning by prosecutors over suspicions that he illegally accessed personal information of a child suspected of being the illegitimate son of former top prosecutor, prosecution officials said Thursday.Cho Oh-young is under suspicion of illegally accessing the information of the 11-year-old, including his name, resident registration number and home address, via a senior official at the Seocho District Office in southern Seoul in June at the request of
Dec. 5, 2013
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Seoul to tighten rules on hiring of foreign artists
The ministries of gender equality, justice and labor will conduct a joint inspection of local businesses hiring foreign performers to tackle a growing number of prostitution and wage exploitation cases being reported in recent years, officials said Wednesday.The measure came after civic groups and foreign embassies here raised concerns that some female E-6 visa holders were being forced into prostitution and trafficked by agencies or businesses that hired them as performers.An E-6 visa holder re
Dec. 4, 2013
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Use YouTube in the classroom to teach history in divergent ways
The teaching of history is, or at least definitely should be, fundamental to any culture and its education systems. This may be truer for countries like South Korea with a difficult history of wars, conflicts and occupation. How the past is remembered is a matter of building national pride, instilling justice and defining a sense of identity.In a free democracy with rule of law, the advantage for history studies is that many voices can contribute to the history curriculum. Various perspectives a
Dec. 4, 2013
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Dispute escalates over college exam questions
Controversy is simmering over allegations that a question did not have a correct answer on the national college entrance exam, where even a one-point difference can make or break the fate of college applicants. Students, parents and teachers have raised a number of complaints about an ambiguous or erroneous question and answers for the past three weeks. The dispute took a new turn Friday as a group of students filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Education, claiming that they received incorre
Dec. 4, 2013
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Spy agency tweeted messages posted on far-right sites: opposition lawmakers
The state spy agency used automated messaging programs to spread large numbers of online posts favoring the ruling party ahead of last year's parliamentary and presidential elections, opposition lawmakers claimed Wednesday.The claim comes amid snowballing allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and other government bodies conducted an online smear campaign against the main opposition party in a bid to sway public opinion in favor of the ruling party in last year's polls.Former N
Dec. 4, 2013
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Power generation halted at Yeonggwang nuclear reactor
The 1 million-kilowatt reactor 3 of the Hanbit (formally Yeonggwang) Nuclear Power Plant in South Jeolla Province was partially suspended on Monday due to problems in a power generator, officials said. “The control tower of the unit stopped operation of the turbine generator for a close check-up, but the reactor itself is still running without a problem,’’ an official from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said. The state-run operator of the nation’s 23 reactors added it will resume the full-fledged o
Dec. 4, 2013