Most Popular
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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[Eye Interview] 'If you live to 100, you might as well be happy,' says 88-year-old bestselling essayist
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police
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Missing S. Korean traveler in Paris found safe after 2 weeks
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Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors
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[Newsmaker] Mega publishers merge to fight e-books
What do George Orwell’s “1984” and E.L. James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey” have in common? Starting later on in 2013, they’ll both be owned by the same company after a merger is completed between publishing heavyweights Penguin and Random House. The two have received unconditional approval from several regulatory commissions on competition in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with the latest coming from the European Union on Saturday. The merger does not “raise competition concerns, in par
CultureApril 7, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Park’s ‘pearl in sand’ loses her luster
President Park Geun-hye’s pick for minister of oceans and fisheries has become a new thorn in an ongoing nomination row after a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday revealed her lack of vision and knowledge of key issues.Both ruling and opposition lawmakers questioned nominee Yoon Jin-sook’s qualifications for the job. The main opposition Democratic United Party on Thursday called for her withdrawal.“(The minister of oceans and fisheries) is not a post that should be taken by someone with no philoso
PoliticsApril 4, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Gaeseong last remaining link
Founded under the agreement signed between South Korea’s Hyundai Asan Corp. and the North Korean government in 2000, the Gaeseong Industrial District is the largest inter-Korean economic project to date.More than 53,000 North Korean workers are employed by 123 South Korean companies that recorded a combined output of nearly $47 million in goods in 2012.In addition, provided that the industrial district is allowed to be developed fully according to the plans laid out by the two sides, it will gro
North KoreaApril 3, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Technocrat’s return a sign of reform?
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s appointment of Park Bong-ju as prime minister apparently reflects his resolve to kickstart the country’s long-overdue economic development. Park was once a symbol of economic reform, having spearheaded an ambitious yet unsuccessful project in 2002 to crank up industries and productivity along with three other specialists, Ro Do-chul, Kwak Pom-ki and Chon Sung-hun. The 74-year-old technocrat cultivated his expertise while studying at an engineering university, ma
North KoreaApril 2, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Blue House under fire for amateurish faux pas
Cheong Wa Dae committed an unprecedented diplomatic faux pas over the weekend by leaking the names of ambassadors-designate to five major posts only minutes after it requested an embargo from the press.It started with a vernacular daily’s report on Saturday that President Park Geun-hye designated Kwon Young-se, a pro-Park former lawmaker, to become ambassador to China.Immediately, presidential spokeswoman Kim Haing addressed a press briefing and listed off the names designated as ambassadors to
PoliticsApril 1, 2013
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[Newsmaker] FTC nominee Noh to face uphill confirmation
Korea Fair Trade Commission nominee Noh Dae-lae is expected to face a tough grilling at confirmation hearings as opposition lawmakers have questions over his positions on issues concerning conglomerates and weapons procurement.The former bureaucrat for the Ministry of Strategy and Finance has been known to be against further stringent rules on the equity structures of conglomerates.When the antitrust watchdog set out to introduce tougher measures on big businesses’ web of complex cross-sharehold
IndustryMarch 31, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Ex-leader’s confidant ends long reign
Kang Man-soo, who tendered his resignation as chairman of the state-owned KDB Financial Group on Thursday, was a close confidant of former President Lee Myung-bak.According to lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party, the economic policies of the Lee administration were based on the economic studies of Kang and his followers.He conducted a variety of controversal policies, including a currency devaluation against the U.S. dollar to boost exports, as the first finance minister of the Lee governmen
March 28, 2013
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[Newsmaker] MBC chief faces music after disputes
Is he a martyr for the previous administration’s broadcasting policy or a tyrant facing the music for his authoritarianism?Kim Jae-chul, who resigned on Wednesday after being voted out as chief of the state-subsidized broadcasting network MBC on Tuesday by the board of the broadcaster’s majority shareholder, Foundation for Broadcast Culture, had been at the center of controversy from the day he took charge at MBC in February 2010. Kim’s appointment was labeled “Lee Myung-bak cronyism” as he had
CultureMarch 27, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Scholar urges Tokyo to give up on Dokdo
Haruki Wada, a professor emeritus at Tokyo University, said in his new book that Japan should immediately renounce its claims of sovereignty over Dokdo.In his recently published book titled “How to Settle the Territorial Dispute in Northeast Asia,” the 75-year-old progressive scholar argued that Japan’s claim was immoral in light of Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910-1945. “It is hard to find morality in Japan’s assertion that Korea’s control of Dokdo is an ‘illegal occupati
Foreign AffairsMarch 26, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Former spy chief accused of political intervention
Won Se-hoon, former right-hand man to then-President Lee Myung-bak, faces a prosecution investigation just days after he resigned Thursday as chief of the National Intelligence Service. The prosecution banned him from leaving the country on Saturday pending an investigation into allegations that he directed his agents to carry out what critics call smear campaigns against opposition politicians and progressive activists.Won reportedly had planned on taking up a research post at Stanford Universi
PoliticsMarch 25, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Defense chief faces another tough term
Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin faces another tough term with tasks ranging from deterring North Korea to preparing for major shifts in military structure and command system, and to boosting the morale of the armed forces. Cheong Wa Dae announced Friday that Kim would retain his post as controversy-laden Kim Byung-kwan withdrew his nomination for defense minister amid a series of allegations of misdeeds. Kim, 64, is the first defense chief to stay in office after a change of government. “While mai
DefenseMarch 24, 2013
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[Newsmaker] First prosecutor nominated to head top court
Constitutional Court presidential nominee Park Han-chul is set to become the first public prosecutor to head the top court in Korean history. The current justice at the Constitutional Court was nominated by President Park Geun-hye on Thursday. Park’s nomination comes more than a month after former justice Lee Dong-heub stepped down as the nominee amid a series of allegations of wrongdoing.Park is a lifelong public prosecutor who rose to some of the highest posts within the prosecutors’ office.Pa
PoliticsMarch 21, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Celebrity speaker accused of plagiarism
Celebrity instructor, cable TV host and education entrepreneur Kim Mi-kyung has become the latest in a string of public figures accused of plagiarism.The 48-year-old who hosts a talk show under her name at tvN is alleged to have copied at least four papers by others for the master’s degree she earned from Ewha Womans University in 2007.The university said that it was investigating the allegations that several paragraphs and footnotes in her paper are the same as other master’s degree theses publ
Social AffairsMarch 20, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Blind trust rule turns ‘thorny’ for Park
President Park Geun-hye has aptly compared regulatory and business hurdles plaguing smaller firms to a “thorn under the nail.” It turns out that she has her own obstacles right under her nose. On Monday, Park’s nominee to head the Small and Medium Business Administration, Hwang Chul-joo, withdrew, citing a rule that compels high-level officials to dispose of any personal assets related to their duties.Hwang, who is the CEO of a venture company called Jusung Engineering, was considered one of Par
PoliticsMarch 19, 2013
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[Newsmaker] FSS chief will let consumers request probes
Consumers will likely be entitled to call for the Financial Supervisory Service to conduct probes into financial firms such as commercial banks and insurance firms.Choi Soo-hyun, who took office as governor of the FSS on Monday, pledged to introduce consumer-initiated investigations in the financial market.The new chief regulator’s policy reflects his strong commitment to bolstering the protection of consumers, as the number of irregular business practices has continued to grow in the financial
March 18, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Kim on track to 2nd Olympic title
Reigning figure skating champion Kim Yu-na of South Korea stepped closer to her Olympic goal in Sochi next year with a magical comeback victory at the world championships in Canada.The 23-year-old dominated the competition in London, Ontario, on Sunday to take the crown with a combined overall score of 218.31 points. She won the women’s short program with 69.97 points Friday, and the free skate with 148.34 points Sunday. Her championship title is also a boon to Korea, as it qualifies the country
More SportsMarch 17, 2013
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[Newsmaker] IT expert named to Park’s key ministry
President Park Geun-hye chose a top communications technology expert as the new science minister nominee to fill the seat left by a controversial self-claimed patriot.Professor Choi Mun-kee of top science university KAIST was named on Thursday to head the ministry of Future Planning and Science, which will be newly established under Park’s government reorganization plan.By naming Choi, Park completed the nomination of 17 ministers. Presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung said Choi’s expertise was
IndustryMarch 14, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Yongsan development plan hangs by a thread
The ambitious plan to redevelop Seoul’s Yongsan into a landmark international business district is heading toward collapse with its developer on the verge of bankruptcy, having defaulted on its business loan interest.In the worst-case scenario, the project failure may result in capital impairment of the state-run rail operator KORAIL and an unprecedented class action suits involving dozens of investor companies and thousands of victimized residents.Dream Hub announced its default status Wednesda
March 13, 2013
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[Newsmaker] Galaxy S4: Will it justify the hype?
March 14 will be a big day for both Samsung and fans of the Galaxy lineup, as the Galaxy S4 is set for its first public appearance in New York City.The latest model will be unveiled less than a year after the previous S3 was launched. But the hype has built up so much since it was first rumored that Samsung would be releasing another model ― almost immediately after the S3 came out ― that, for some, the S4 may already seem old. Nevertheless, for those of us still scratching our heads about the s
TechnologyMarch 12, 2013
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[Newsmaker] After Fukushima, Japan struggles to rebuild
The scene is a memory that will be etched into the minds of people worldwide for a generation. But for those who were there, it will take a generation more to recover.The world watched the catastrophe unfold as a 9.0-magnitude earthquake sent tsunamis up to 45 meters high toward Japan on March 11, 2011, drowning coastal towns and crippling the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. The natural disaster left some 16,000 dead, 2,700 missing and 315,00
InternationalMarch 11, 2013