• Multiple mishaps hit Hana Bank

    Hana Bank is set to go through a period of turbulence, with the forthcoming sanctioning of its CEO and its losses in a fraudulent loan scandal topping the list of its troubles. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) informed its CEO Kim Jong-jun, Monday, of plans to sanction him for his…

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  • East Asia

    Can South Korea unify North Korea by absorption?

    Lessons to be learned from Crimean crisis The unrolling Ukrainian crisis has been in the news a lot of late. The recent succession of Crimea can be seen in various ways, but it seems that this dramatic event hints at one possible scenario of Korea’s future. Indeed, why did Crimea…

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  • Memorial hall to be built for late priest

    A memorial hall will be built in memory of the late Catholic priest John Lee Tae-seok in Seo-gu, Busan. The hall, along with other facilities including a memorial park, will surround the Songdo Catholic Church, where Father Lee spent his childhood. The hall will be located close to Father Lee’s…

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  • East Asia

    Korean named president of Japanese university

    Kang Sang-jung, an ethnic Korean professor residing in Japan, was inaugurated president of Seigakuin University in Saitama Prefecture at the school’s chapel, Tuesday. He is the first Korean national to be appointed president of a four-year Japanese university. “When I entered this school 40 years ago, I was nervous and…

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  • East Asia

    Empress Ki and Viktor Ahn

    As a historian of Korea and a fan of lavish re-creations of historical settings in TV and film, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the hit television drama, “Empress Ki” (Ki Hwanghu). This historical figure, who became the wife of the Mongol emperor in 14th century China, was arguably…

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  • East Asia

    Samsung, Microsoft restore relations

    Ultimately, there are no enemies or friends among businesses as they pursue partnerships to advance their own interests according to market situations. “Frenemies,” an urban term that describes people who are both friends and enemies, is a more appropriate word choice for companies’ relationships with each other. Backed by the…

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  • East Asia

    K-snack to whet global appetite

    At Jeong Wol-seon’s “tteokbokgi(떡볶이)” store in Tongin Market, northern Seoul, she sells a slightly different version of “tteokbokgi” or the spicy rice cake snack. It’s a fried, spicy version without the soupy sauce. It’s also the one that John Kerry, U.S. secretary of state, picked up with a toothpick to…

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  • East Asia

    N. Korea drones emerge as security threats

    Two suspected North Korean drones, which crashed on South Korean territory, could pose potential security threats although they are technologically outdated, analysts said Wednesday. The two light-blue unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were equipped with low-definition airborne digital cameras that had no wireless connection, military officials and analysts said. “What really…

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  • East Asia

    Ahn urges inter-Korean summit

    Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo called on President Park Geun-hye to push for an inter-Korean summit in his first speech at the National Assembly as a co-chairman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), Wednesday. He also suggested forming a group of bipartisan envoys for a visit to Pyongyang to discuss…

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  • East Asia

    Crayon Pop’s new video appears on Billboard

    Crayon Pop’s new video “Uh-ee” has graced Billboard’s main page. In its article, posted on March 31, pop magazine Billboard said the K-pop girl group has unleashed “mind-bogging, non-stop dance routine” in the video. “Crayon Pop truly shines in the accompanying music video, performing a routine one could liken more…

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