Most Popular
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Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
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Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
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Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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North Korea removes streetlights along cross-border roads with South
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Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official
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S. Korea votes in favor of Palestinian bid for UN membership
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Bae Doo-na shares portraying Korean identity in Hollywood's 'Rebel Moon'
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Farming households dip below 1m for first time in 2023
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[From the Scene] Monks, Buddhists hail return of remains of Buddhas
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Women are better at parking than men: study
Women are better than men when it comes to parking, a recent survey found, reversing the existing idea that men have better spatial awareness.The report by a car parking operator in the United Kingdom studied the parking habits of 450 drivers through CCTV footage and surveyed 2000 more to find that
TechnologyJan. 30, 2012
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Quarter of households suffer 'absolute poverty' in 5 years
More than one out of four South Korean households have suffered "absolute poverty" in the past five years with over one third also facing relative difficulties making ends meet, a report showed Monday.According to the report by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, 27 percent of some 5,
Jan. 30, 2012
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Korea's current account surplus hits $3.96 billion in Dec.
South Korea posted a current account surplus for the 22nd month in December, but the surplus narrowed from the previous month as the service account turned negative due to tourism-related shortfalls, the central bank said Monday. The current account surplus reached US$3.96 billion in December, down
Jan. 30, 2012
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Korea Herald iPad app combines news, education
The Korea Herald has recently introduced a new application for the iPad, joining the drive to produce digital news customized for the rapidly growing number of tablet users.The latest mobile version of the country’s leading English daily also offers a multimedia tool for learning and practicing English through news. Harnessing rapidly developing media technologies, the company has been stepping up efforts to provide a variety of multimedia-rich content and improved user experiences.Its news cont
TechnologyJan. 29, 2012
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Herald strengthens mobile news offering
New iPad app latest in efforts to provide multimedia-rich content, better user experiencesSmart phones and tablet PCs have dramatically changed the features of the news industry. A host of media companies around the world have jumped into the digital market to secure a footing in the massive shift toward online and mobile news.The tablet PC market led by Apple and Samsung Electronics is more important for newspapers. While smartphones are restricted by small screens, tablets boast bigger screen
TechnologyJan. 29, 2012
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Commerce minister to address AMCHAM
Knowledge Economy Minister Hong Suk-woo will speak about the Korean economy at a luncheon meeting organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea on Jan. 31.After his speech, Hong will field questions from participants in the event that will take place at the Grand Hyatt hotel from noon to 2 p.m.The networking event, which is also open to the press, is 72,000 won for members and 92,000 won for nonmembers at the door. A 10,000 won discount applies to guests who register before noon on Jan.
Jan. 29, 2012
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Criticism escalates over SNS censorship
Criticism is escalating over censorship of online social networking sites in Korea after Twitter’s announcement that it will enable certain countries to withhold content if it goes against their law.“Twitter has changed my life over the past year and it was an extraordinary tool that I wanted to thank,” said a Twitter user named Kim Yeo-jin on Sunday. “It’s just sad news for me to hear that Twitter has decided to censor tweets upon specific requests from a country and as a result, I’ve decided t
IndustryJan. 29, 2012
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Asia driving force for Lufthansa Cargo
Lufthansa Cargo, a German global cargo airline, plans to expand its presence in Korea and China, forecasting that more than 50 percent of its business will be made in Asia soon. “Forty-seven percent of our business is in Asia and growing,” chairman and CEO of Lufthansa Cargo Karl Ulrich Garnadt told The Korea Herald on Saturday. “Very soon it will be 50 percent. China is the most important market at 20 percent out of the total 100 percent.“We will see air cargo traffic grow by 4.5 percent (world
IndustryJan. 29, 2012
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Hana’s forthcoming acquisition of KEB meets challenges
Lender is set to emerge as second-largest financial group by total assetsFriday’s decision by the financial regulator to allow Hana Financial Group take over Korea Exchange Bank is set to impact the financial market in general and the credit card sector in particular, with Hana still to resolve a thorny integration issue. The Financial Services Commission approved Hana’s bid to buy KEB from Lone Star Funds for 3.92 trillion won ($3.5 billion), allowing the U.S.-based fund to exit its eight-year
Jan. 29, 2012
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Traditional markets losing vitality amid slow sales
Customers turn to department stores, supermarket chainsSai Sachiko, a Tokyo-based school teacher, includes Namdaemun Market in her “must-see routes” whenever she visits Seoul. “In addition to their quality products, people there, especially middle-aged female merchants, are always energetic and stimulate me in a good way,” she said. “The atmosphere is totally different from Japanese markets. I can feel warmth and affection unique to Korean traditional markets.”Many foreign tourists pick the chea
IndustryJan. 29, 2012
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Trade minister stresses need for FTA with China
DAVOS, Switzerland (Yonhap News) ― Korea’s trade minister stressed the need to sign a free trade agreement with China, as the deal will help Seoul attain its goal of becoming a global free trade hub and lure more foreign investment.“As Korea has FTA deals with the U.S. and the European Union, it would be a right move to clinch additional FTAs with China and Japan,” Bark Tae-ho, the country’s new trade minister, said in an interview with Yonhap news agency here on Saturday.“There might be little
Jan. 29, 2012
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Shares likely to settle this week
Korean stocks are expected to lose momentum next week, weighed down by the pessimistic U.S. economic index and credit downgrades of eurozone countries, analysts said Saturday.The benchmark KOSPI inched up 0.8 percent to close at 1,964.83 on Friday on strong foreign buying buoyed by positive corporate earnings and the U.S. Fed’s low-rate pledge. The key index has spiked nearly 100 points over the previous two weeks.World’s largest memory chip maker Samsung Electronics posted 13.7 trillion won ($1
Jan. 29, 2012
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Hyundai Mobis net rises, Daewoo E&C turns positive
Hyundai Mobis Co., Korea’s largest auto parts maker, said Friday that its net earnings rose 11.5 percent in 2011 from a year earlier on brisk sales of auto parts amid record sales by local automakers.Net profits came to 3 trillion won ($2.7 billion) last year from 2.7 trillion won in 2010, the company said in a regulatory filing. Sales also rose 18.7 percent on-year to 26.3 trillion won from a year ago, and operating profit gained 6.7 percent to total 2.7 trillion won, the company said.In the me
Jan. 29, 2012
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Woori Bank aims for Asia’s top 10 by 2017
Woori Bank, the country’s largest lender by assets, aims to be in the top 10 in Asia, CEO Lee Soon-woo said at the bank’s annual meeting of executives Saturday.“This year will be a challenging one for us as the banking industry is facing major takeovers which would reshuffle the rankings of the top four. We need to be at our best to strengthen fundamentals to become a global bank,” the chief of the state-run bank told his workers. Lee’s comments follow regulator’s approval on Lone Star Fund’s sa
Jan. 29, 2012
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Korea to beef up FX liquidity conditions
Korea plans to set up a second line of defense for its foreign currency liquidity by prompting local state-run lenders to further secure such liquidity to brace for the eurozone debt crisis, an official said Sunday.The move came as the deepening eurozone debt crisis may squeeze local banks’ foreign currency liquidity situations.“Since late last year, the country’s four state-run lenders have scurried to secure FX liquidity,” said an official at the Financial Services Commission. The four banks m
Jan. 29, 2012
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Korea’s public debt nears W800tr
Analysts attribute fast rise to undertaking of numerous public infrastructure projectsKorea’s public sector debt stood at 789.4 trillion won ($702.3 billion) as of September as the government struggled to curb household borrowing, data showed on Sunday. The combined debt owed by the government and state-run enterprises marks a 9.2 percent increase from a year earlier, the Finance Ministry said. The total debt is 2.4 times the government’s 325.4 trillion won budget for this year. The figure place
Jan. 29, 2012
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U.S. firms bid to retake luxury car market
U.S. luxury cars manufacturers like Cadillac and Lincoln, respectively run by GM and Ford, are struggling to win back a share of the expanding luxury car market, largely controlled by Japanese and German automakers.These brands, which once embodied the very essence of luxury cars, saw quality decline in the years before the industry crisis, and drivers abandoned them in their droves.Now they must recover their former glory by improving entry-level models, which was not their strong suit, but whi
MobilityJan. 29, 2012
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Automakers compete with fuel efficient cars
Korean, foreign firms strive to attract customers with new diesel line-upsCompetition to launch vehicles with high fuel efficiency has been heated in the local automobile market.Among the contenders are Korean carmakers, such as Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, and major import brands including BMW, Mini, Volkswagen, Nissan and Chrysler.Noticeably, fuel efficient diesel-powered sedans as well as diesel-powered sport utility vehicles are gaining popularity with Korean consumers.Drivers’ priorities
MobilityJan. 29, 2012
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Asan Nanum Foundation to send 100 volunteers overseas next month
The Asan Nanum Foundation said Sunday that it will dispatch 500 people as youth overseas volunteers every year to take part in projects aimed at remodeling children’s education facilities located in developing countries.The first team of 100, which held its kick-off ceremony on Saturday, will be heading to five different nations ― Kenya, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Nepal and China ― beginning Feb. 13.“I’m pleased that our young people are gifted with the opportunity to go overseas and share what they ha
IndustryJan. 29, 2012
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'We care about every worker': Apple CEO
WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Apple chief executive Tim Cook has responded to media reports alleging harsh working conditions in China for manufacturing employees of the popular gadget-maker.Cook, who took over as chief executive from Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs, addressed the reports of long hou
TechnologyJan. 29, 2012