Most Popular
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Korea enters full election mode
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Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Lee Jong-sup resigns as envoy to Australia
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Yellow dust engulfs S. Korea, advisory alert issued
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families
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Court upholds jail term for man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend
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Kia EV9 wins world car of year
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Korea misses out on global bond index boost
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Man lies about wealth, education, tries to kill wife who forgave him
A 29-year-old South Korean man was sentenced on Tuesday to four years in jail by an appellate court for attempted murder of his wife, whom he had tricked into marriage by lying about his wealth and educational background. Gwangju High Court found the defendant surnamed Choi guilty of attempted murder, but overturned the earlier ruling by a lower court that had sentenced him to five years and six months in prison. "The defendant’s history of mental illness, including depression, appear
March 12, 2024
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Health care standoff worsens as professors threaten to leave hospitals
Further uncertainty is hovering over South Korea’s critical care system, as medical professors, who have been filling the vacuum left by junior doctors walking out, warned they too could walk out in protest against the government’s expansion plan. The Medical Professors Association of Korea -- a coalition of professors from 33 medical schools -- issued a statement Tuesday that the group would take collective action “if any damage is inflicted” on trainee doctors or medica
March 12, 2024
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[Herald Interview] Med school expansion won’t solve health care shortage: WMA president
The South Korean government’s decision to add 2,000 new spots in medical school admissions is not a solution to alleviate the immediate needs of medically underserved or specialty areas, according to Dr. Lujain Al-Qodmani, the president of the World Medical Association. In an exclusive written interview with The Korea Herald, the WMA head said the government’s decision overlooked the complexities of medical education and health care delivery and risks unintended consequences. Al-Qodm
March 12, 2024
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Busan's move to name district 'Eco Delta-dong' irks Hangeul advocates
Busan city is facing opposition from Korean language preservation groups as it moves to name a district “Eco Delta-dong,” making the first time an English place name would be used for an official administrative unit. As per the city’s announcement on Tuesday, the district office of Gangseo, Busan, has submitted the naming proposal last month for the new entity to be comprised of three existing areas, Gangdong-dong, Myeongji 1-dong and Daejeo 2-dong. In pursuit of the national
March 12, 2024
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[Out of the Shadows] A defense attorney's perspective on Korea's real drug challenges
Many Koreans perceive drug offenders as fundamentally different from ordinary people. An Jun-hung, a defense attorney who specializes in drug crimes, knows from his decade-long experience of representing them in court that this is not the case. He likens the experience of trying illegal drugs to getting into an unexpected car accident. "Most people who get caught doing illegal drugs first encounter them unknowingly or out of curiosity," the attorney from law firm Son & Partners s
March 12, 2024
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Baseball coach indicted for making elementary schooler run 100 laps
South Korean prosecutors said Monday it has indicted a baseball coach at a local elementary school on charge of child abuse, after he made one of his student athletes run 100 laps around the school grounds as punishment. According to Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, the suspect in his 30s is suspected of physical and psychological abuse against a member of his team. He is accused of forcing the student do the laps in addition to 500 pushups within 90 minutes last year. The child's
March 12, 2024
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Regrets from divorce? Men say 'lack of self-control,' women pick 'nagging'
When asked about their biggest regret from their marriages, divorced men cited a lack of self-control, while divorced women wished they had scolded their partner less, according to a survey by local matchmakers. Matchmaking services Only You and Bienarae jointly conducted the survey earlier this month on 518 men and women who have gone through a divorce. The leading answer for the question, "What do you regret most about how you treated your spouse from your first marriage?" 33.2 perc
March 12, 2024
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12-year-old dies, leaves note naming bullies
South Korean police said Tuesday it has launched an investigation into last year's death of a sixth-grader, as the bereaved family of the girl claim that the girl left a note of school bullies that allegedly tormented her until her death. According to Yeonje Police Station, the family recently told officials that the victim, who was 12 at the time, had been bullied for a year leading up to her death in October last year. The family told local media outlets that her suicide note contained th
March 12, 2024
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Health minister voices deep regret over SNU medical professors' resignation decision
Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong expressed deep concerns Tuesday over a decision by medical professors to resign unless there is a breakthrough in a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors, saying that such a collective action would pose a threat to the safety of patients. On Monday, medical school professors at Seoul National University resolved to submit resignations en masse next week if the government fails to present "a reasonable breakthrough" in the prolonged walkout. "The decisi
March 12, 2024
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[Graphic News] 2024 Cherry blossoms forecast
Cherry blossoms, one of the most beloved spring flowers in South Korea, are forecast to begin blooming nationwide from late March to early April this year, 1-7 days earlier than usual. Cherry blossoms are forecast to begin blooming in Seoul on April 3 after starting in Seogwipo, Jeju on March 24, according to local weather information center Weatheri. Considering that it takes about a week for cherry blossoms to go from just opening to full bloom, they are expected to be at their peak around A
March 12, 2024
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Civic group files complaint against Yoon over ex-minister's departure amid investigation
A civic group filed a complaint Monday against President Yoon Suk Yeol and two Cabinet ministers in connection with new Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup's exit of the country despite an investigation in which he is a suspect. The civic group, known as the "National Action for Judicial Justice" in Korean, filed the complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, accusing them of abusing power and helping a suspect flee. Lee, who served as defense
March 11, 2024
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Science ministers of S. Korea, Britain discuss cooperation
The science ministers of South Korea and Britain had a virtual meeting Monday to discuss measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in science technologies, Seoul's science ministry said. The meeting between South Korean Science Minister Lee Jong-ho and his British counterpart, Michelle Donelan, is a follow-up to the "Downing Street Accord" signed by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last year, aiming to strengthen the two countries'
March 11, 2024
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Online community operator raided over alleged KMA order to blacklist non-participating doctors in walkout
Police on Monday raided the operator of an online community as part of its investigation into a purported Korea Medical Association document ordering the listing of trainee doctors who are not participating in the ongoing walkout. Investigators of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency searched Dcinside Co. in Seoul, days after a document purportedly from the KMA, the biggest doctors' association, was uploaded on the namesake online community with the seal of the KMA chairman. The document co
March 11, 2024
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[New Neighbors] ‘We are workers in Korea too’: Foreign English hagwon teachers fight for annual leave
Native English teachers have become an essential part of South Korea‘s education system over the past three decades in a country where learning English is crucial to finding a quality job. However, many are concerned their rights as education workers are being violated, particularly concerning their freedom to choose when and how long they can take their vacation days — their only opportunity to reunite with their families far away. “We often face problems with our annual lea
March 11, 2024
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7 in 10 oppose easing rules on marriages between blood relatives: poll
Nearly 75 percent of South Koreans oppose the government moving toward easing laws related to marriage between blood relatives, a recent poll shows. According to data released on Monday by the Ministry of Justice, 74 percent of respondents said they think the government should prohibit marriage between blood relatives within eight degrees of relations, or "chon" in Korean, as it currently does. Fifteen percent of respondents said it should only prohibit marriage between blood relatives
March 11, 2024
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Prosecutors seek jail term for convicted child sex offender who broke curfew
South Korean prosecutors on Monday asked the court to sentence Cho Doo-soon to one year in prison, after the convicted child rapist broke his curfew and stepped outside of his home after dark late last year. The prosecution said Cho violated a legal order not to leave his home after 9 p.m., and left his residence in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province at around 9:05 p.m. on Dec. 4, where he allegedly wandered around the adjacently stationed police post. Officials also said Cho denied a police order to retu
March 11, 2024
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Man starves himself to avoid military service, gets suspended term
South Korean court on Monday sentenced a 22-year-old man to two years in prison, suspended for two years, for starving himself in a bid to avoid mandatary military service. Gwangju District Court found the defendant guilty of violating the Military Service Act, which mandates all able-bodied male citizens to serve in the military for at least 18 months as of 2024. But men whose physical conditions are under certain standards can carry out alternate non-combat service for a similar period. Betwee
March 11, 2024
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Medical schools paralyzed due to en masse boycotts
The doctors' protest against the South Korean government's planned medical enrollment quota hike is taking a toll on medical school campuses as students are boycotting classes en masse. All 40 medical schools in the country have either postponed the opening of classes or are unable to hold lectures, as students refuse to attend classes, according to the Education Ministry. "Ten medical schools have been confirmed to be boycotting classes," the Ministry of Education remarked.
March 11, 2024
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S. Korea’s sky-high elderly poverty edges even higher to 38.1%
More than 38 percent of over-65s were in relative poverty in 2022 a South Korean government report showed Monday. OECD data shows the country had the highest old-age poverty rate among all member states. The relative poverty rate for South Korea marked a 0.5 percent point increase from 37.6 percent before, according to the report jointly announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Statistics Korea. OECD defines relative poverty rate refers to the percentage of the population with income
March 11, 2024
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Korean workers thought to slack off for 80 mins of work day: survey
Human resource managers at major companies in Korea think their workers spend approximately 17 percent of their working hours, around 80 minutes, on other activities, a survey showed on Monday. According to the survey by the Korea Enterprises Federation, human resource managers of the largest 100 companies by sales rated their office workers’ productivity at an average of 82.7 out of 100. The survey revealed that HR managers think their office workers spend an average of around 1 hour and
March 11, 2024