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North Korea

N. Korea, US look set for Hanoi talks on summit agenda

Social affairs

Daegu sauna fire kills 2, injures over 70

Two people were killed and more than 70 injured after a fire broke out Tuesday at a public sauna in Daegu, firefighters said. The fire started at 7:11 a.m. in the men's sauna on the fourth floor of a seven-story building in the city, about 302 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Firefighters put out the fire in about 20 minutes.(Yonhap)Most of the victims were found to have inhaled smoke and were sent to the hospital, including the two deceased and three others who suffered severe burns. The sauna oc
Finance

Hana Financial partners with SKT, Kiwoom Securities seek to form internet bank

Hana Financial Group, South Korea’s third-largest banking group, said Tuesday that it has partnered with SK Telecom and Kiwoom Securities to take aim at forming a new internet-only bank here.The three companies have formed a consortium with Kiwoom Securities holding the biggest stake. Together, they are embarking on preparations to apply for a government-issued license to operate an online-only bank here, according to Hana Financial. The move comes as the firms seek to further embrace the digita
Social affairs

Moon accuses Gwangju Uprising deniers of undermining foundations of Korea

President Moon Jae-in on Monday criticized those taking issue with the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, saying that the controversial claims are damaging to democracy and undermining the country’s foundations. “Some in the National Assembly and political arena who are raising claims, such as North Korean soldiers being sent to the South, and referring to the May 18 Democratization Movement as a riot, are denying our history of democracy and the Constitution,” Moon said at a meeting Monday with
Economy

[News Focus] Gasoline prices set to bounce back amid reduced output

SEJONG -- The nation’s gasoline prices have seen a sharp drop over the past few months, and to a certain extent this eased the financial burdens of ordinary people and small business owners amid economic difficulties.After peaking at 1,690.31 won ($1.50) per liter on Nov. 4, gasoline prices fell below 1,350 won on Jan. 12 before sinking to 1,342.24 won on Feb. 15. This month’s low marked a 20.5 percent drop from three months earlier and the lowest level seen in 35 months. Gasoline prices posted
Health

Imports of medical cannabis to be allowed next month

A revised narcotics bill that goes into effect March 12 will give the green light to imports of medical cannabis for self-treatment under strict conditions.Under the revised law, cannabis derivatives that have been approved abroad for self-treatment purposes can be brought into South Korea through the Korea Orphan and Essential Drug Center, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.(Yonhap)People with diseases for which there are no alternative means of treatment in Korea can import four

NEWSMAKER

Social affairs

Police may question Seungri as probe expands, attention turns to K-pop star

K-pop star Seungri, affiliated with the nightclub Burning Sun, may be questioned by police as the authorities have expanded a drug and assault investigation centered on the club, police said Tuesday. “We are currently expanding the targets of the investigation. If necessary, Lee (Seungri) may be questioned,” the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said.This is the first time police have mentioned the possibility of the celebrity being questioned.　The K-pop star resigned from his post as the Gangnam

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Social affairs

YouTuber finds body at abandoned hospital

A YouTuber found a corpse over the weekend while streaming a show at an abandoned hospital in Gwangju.According to Gwangju Police on Monday, the 30-year-old YouTuber surnamed Park entered the hospital at midnight Saturday as part of his show about exploring abandoned places. This photo is not related to the article.Although the hospital is fenced off, as it was shut down 10 years ago, Park sneaked into the premises and was exploring the place when he discovered the body on the floor in a ward.

GRAPHIC NEWS

EDITORIAL

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THE INVESTOR

Startups & Investors

SoCar CEO to counter lawsuit by taxi drivers

As the opposition to carpooling services by taxi operators is heating up here, prominent startups are against such moves to stall disruptive technologies that benefit customers.“I think it’s probably just some taxi drivers, but please stop harassing companies in a new industry with different standards,” Lee Jae-woong, founder and CEO of mobility company SoCar, wrote on Facebook on Feb. 18 in response to a lawsuit filed by taxi drivers. On Feb. 11, nine taxi drivers including officials from the S

K-POP HERALD

HERALD INTERVIEW

Social affairs

‘Population is not about numbers. Fertility is about women’: UNFPA chief

The key to resolving South Korea’s low fertility rate is to understand that women have the right to choose pregnancy, rather than just pushing them to have more babies, the executive director of the United Nations Population Fund said Thursday.“The low fertility is not just about data and numbers. It’s about people. It’s about choices. And it’s about women’s rights to choose how many children, when and how to space them. It’s not about a national target of X amount of people either too high or t

PHOTO NEWS

Travel

Walking through early 1900s at Seoul Station

Crowds of daily commuters and tourists hopping on and off KTX bullet trains make it easy to overlook the old Seoul Station, which was restored to its former glory almost half a decade ago. The red-brick Western-style building, which opened in 1925 during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea, no longer serves as a train station. In 2012, it was revamped into Culture Station Seoul 284, an exhibition space. Its turquoise Byzantine-style central dome is a stark contrast to its modern surroundings, in

VIDEO

Automode

Hyundai Motor chief makes video debut on Nexo

Taking a step closer to the company’s young workforce, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun recently made a surprise video debut -- filming himself test-driving the Nexo, the fuel-cell electric vehicle that the company is betting on as the key to its future growth.In the video, a CEO message addressed to the carmaker’s midlevel employees, Chung drinks coffee and checks his “urgent email” while the vehicle is in self-driving mode.Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Ch

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Social affairs

Local subsidies encourage foreign ‘bride buying’

Rural counties offer men marrying foreign brides money to defray costs

WEEKENDER

Social affairs

Fine dust, a force changing society

“The first thing I do when I wake up is check the weather report for fine dust and plan the day accordingly,” said Choi Ju-yeon, a 40-year old resident of Paju in northwest Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap)Despite being in a relatively rural area, Paju is often affected by high levels of fine and ultrafine dust. “When levels are high, I try to stay indoors as much as possible. I also have air quality monitoring devices at home.”While Choi may be more sensitive than others, it seems undeniable that fin