Most Popular
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
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Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
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Students with history of violence will be barred from becoming teachers
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Top prosecutor pledges 'speedy, strict' probe into first lady's luxury bag allegations
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Medical feud leaves hospitals in financial crisis
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Samsung mocks Apple over iPhone alarm glitch
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'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart
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Chip up cycle won’t stay long: SK chief
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Speaker floats dual citizenship as solution to falling births
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Police launch crackdown on child pornography
On Monday, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency launched a nationwide crackdown on child pornography.The cyber crime investigation team said that they will strengthen monitoring of activities relating to child pornography, including production, trade and distribution of obscene materials.Downloading sexually explicit material from online storage services and peer to peer (P2P) sharing software are included in the activities subject to the clampdown.“People can be punished for distributing or holding
July 30, 2012
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Korea becomes hot summer-school destination
Bradely Lam, a 23-year-old K-pop fan from Singapore, is having a special summer in Seoul this year. He is not only enjoying Korean pop culture at its source but taking a summer school course at Sungkyunkwan University in partnership with Nanyang Technological University in his home country.Lam is one of a growing number of international students who got hooked on K-pop, became more interested in Korea and finally came to here to study.The phenomenon is certainly part of the Korean Wave, or hally
July 29, 2012
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Lawmaker submits a bill to increase tobacco price
A ruling party lawmaker has submitted a bill calling for tax hikes on cigarettes to curb the smoking rate.Lee Man-woo, a lawmaker with the ruling Saenuri Party, submitted the bill on Sunday calling the government to change its cigarette tax structure and increase the prices in relation to inflation rate.Lee pointed out that the cigarette taxes are not indexed for inflation as the government has been fixing the price for many years. Under the new bill, all tobacco makers would be required to incr
July 29, 2012
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Hackers steal 8 million KT subscribers’ data
Police arrest two on suspicion of stealing and selling personal informationPolice on Sunday arrested two hackers for stealing and selling on the personal information of 8.7 million KT users.Investigators said they would also investigate KT on suspicion of negligent management of firewalls and personal data as the number of victims accounts for nearly half of its subscribers. According to the National Police Agency, a telemarketing business operator and his coworker in February created a computer
July 29, 2012
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Education next frontier for hallyu
Lifelong learning expert heralds Korean education in developing worldA leading education expert says the Korean way of learning is becoming an inspiration to developing countries. Central and South American regions, in particular, are showing great interest in the lifelong learning programs in Korea, according to Choi Un-shil, the president of National Institute for Lifelong Education.“Lifelong learning is a growing industry. With the world developing so quickly, people want and need to continue
July 29, 2012
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S. Korean activist considers petition over China's torture
A South Korean activist who claimed have been tortured by Chinese authorities while under detention is considering bringing his case to the International Criminal Court, his close aides said Sunday. Kim Young-hwan and three other activists trying to help North Korean refugees in China were arrested in late March and accused of endangering Beijing's national security. After being deported to So
July 29, 2012
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A leader by example
Love, passion, positive mindset at the heart of physician-educator Lee Gil-ya’s life of social contributionSEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province ― For Lee Gil-ya, a stethoscope is more than a medical instrument. It is a conduit through which she has shared with her patients her love and passion ― the core elements that underpin her life of service and philanthropy.“I give a stethoscope to our medical school graduates at their commencement ceremony each year, and always tell them to become a doctor who tre
July 27, 2012
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Deadly heat wave to continue into early Aug.
The sweltering heat that has blanketed the country this week is unlikely to ease up any time soon, putting authorities on high alert for casualties and damage. At least six have died of heat stroke and hundreds have been rushed to hospital as of Friday, as the mercury soared to as high as 37 degrees Celsius for the past few days. Power consumption skyrocketed, pulling reserves down to a dangerously low level and prompting authorities to switch to emergency mode. Livestock farmers are battling th
July 27, 2012
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DUP’s Park ignores summons for third time
A chief lawmaker of the main opposition party again did not appear before prosecutors on Friday, disobeying the third and possibly final summons for questioning on suspicions of taking bribes from ailing savings banks.Park Jie-won, floor leader of the Democratic United Party, attended a scheduled party meeting at the DUP headquarters instead of showing up at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul as requested at 10 a.m., according to party officials.It marks the third time in a period
July 27, 2012
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A trailblazer in helping the needy
Lee Gil-ya was born in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, in May 1932. Her father ran a rice mill to support her family. From 1951-1957, she attended the medical school of Seoul National University. In 1958, she opened an obstetrics and gynecology clinic, starting a life of social service.After passing the U.S. medical license examination in 1964, she departed for the U.S. where she completed an internship at Mary Immaculate Hospital in 1965 and residency at Queen’s Hospital Center in 1968. From 197
July 27, 2012
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Lottery winner’s life ends in tragedy
A lottery winner killed himself Monday at a public bath in Gwangju, after losing all his money in failed investments.According to the police, the man won 1.8 billion won ($1.65 million) in 2007. As he won the lottery, he quit his job, began his own business and invested in stocks. However, all his investments failed and he was left with nothing. He was suffering depression after divorcing his wife.Police are investigating the man’s family based on the theory that hardships drove him to suicide.(
July 27, 2012
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Korea's top court nominee withdraws nomination amid pressure
An embattled nominee to South Korea's top court has withdrawn his nomination amid mounting pressure over his alleged ethical lapses, defusing a looming political standoff between the rival parties.Kim Byung-hwa, one of four Supreme Court justice nominees, said in a statement late Thursday that he was stepping aside because a delay in forming a new bench would cause a problem for the country.Kim ha
July 27, 2012
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Universities caught lying about graduates’ employment
A number of local universities have been falsifying graduate employment data to raise funds and attract students, according to a government investigation.The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced Thursday after a two-month investigation that it found 28 universities across the country falsely reported the employment rate for their graduates. The ministry report came as an increasing number of universities in the country face declining student enrollment and tightened budgets. “
July 26, 2012
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Koreans show world’s fastest improvement in TOEFL scores
Koreans’ average score for the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL, rose the fastest in the world from 2006 to 2011, data showed Thursday.Out of a total score of 120, Koreans’ average results increased to 82 in 2011 from 72 in 2006. The country’s ranking jumped to 70th among 150 test-taking countries from 111th out of 147 countries, according to Lee Ik Hoon Language Institute.The private language school analyzed six-year data published by the Educational Testing Services, a U.S.-base
July 26, 2012
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Women migrants to guide at national parks
Major national parks plan to recruit women from multicultural families as guides for ecological systems for foreign visitors.The Korea National Park Service has placed 120 such guides this year to help park visitors better understand the natural environment.Starting the end of July, 15 women from the Philippines, China and Mongolia will receive a month’s training for the work. It aims to place 80 female migrants at Mount Seorak, Bukhan and Naejang and 10 other parks by 2015.“The plan will create
July 26, 2012
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Lee’s brother indicted
The prosecution on Thursday indicted Lee Sang-deuk, elder brother of President Lee Myung-bak, for allegedly receiving kickbacks from the management of ailing savings banks in exchange for granting them business favors through influence-peddling.Lee has been detained since July 10 and will be the first sibling of an incumbent president to stand before the court. According to the special investigation unit at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, Lee is suspected of receiving more than 300 million won
July 26, 2012
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Seoul to toughen rules against sex crimes
The government and the ruling Saenuri Party are to toughen the punishment for sex crimes and expand the disclosure of perpetrators’ identities. The Ministry of Justice will take over the management of sex offenders’ information and increase the number of perpetrators whose personal information is made public. In order to toughen the rules, sexual assaults against minors under 13 years old will be subject to the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes and Protection of Victims, which will allow fo
July 26, 2012
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Young temps suffer labor abuses
Legal minimum wage still out of reach for many part-timersLee Hyun-mi, a 19-year-old high-school graduate, learnt a bitter lesson when she recently quit working at an ice cream shop. She worked six hours a day during the week for the past three months and was paid a meager 4,000 won ($3.49) per hour. When she said she wanted to quit, the boss told her that her final month’s pay would be cut in half. The reason, she was told, was that she was caught resting at a table while not attending customer
July 26, 2012
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Konkuk University names new president
Konkuk University in Seoul has named Song Hee-young, a professor of economics, as its new president. University officials said Song was elected to the position at a board meeting on Wednesday. The newly-elected president started teaching at the college of commerce and economics at the university in 1982, and served as director at the office of strategy and finance for five years from 1991, then vice president from 1998 to 2000. He was a committee member of the Local Press Commission, which suppo
July 26, 2012
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Prosecutors determined to question Park
The prosecutors investigating a savings bank scandal said they would take steps to arrest Park Jie-won, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic United Party, if he rejects a third summons issued Wednesday. The prosecution ordered Park to appear on Friday for questioning over suspicions that he had received kickbacks from the management of ailing savings banks. This is the third time the political bigwig has been called in for the investigation related to the scandal which also implicates
July 25, 2012